Signs and Belief - 2

Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name, observing His signs which He was doing. (John 2:23)

One thing is becoming more and more crystal clear for me. It is something that would have glazed my eyes over a few years ago but now is at the center of my attention. But it is something that has to be perceived much more with the heart understanding than with an intellectual assent only. Otherwise it just becomes another opinion, an assertion that can be debated, questioned, analyzed and discounted.

But as my heart has begun to awaken under the warm glow of the incubation light of God's love and it begins to peck at the very thick, hard shell surrounding it to break out into freedom, I am coming to understand that there is really only one issue that is really important in all of life. This one crucial issue is the hub around which every other problem, proposition and belief revolves if they are to be perceived in the light of true reality.

This is the central issue that explains everything else I have ever attempted to understand. It is the fact of reality that it is God's reputation and character that has been assaulted, maligned, misrepresented and blackened by every means possible. As a result, the whole struggle that we are caught up in, the battle over our souls totally revolves around our own opinions about who God really is, how He feels towards us and how He treats us both past, present and future.

When I take everything else and place it into this context it suddenly becomes much clearer and easier to know how to relate to them. Much of the confusion that has clouded my understanding all of my life dissipates like low fog in the hot morning sun as I focus on how to relate every issue to this one central theme. As I apply this principle of defining reality to everything I view like a clarifying corrective lens over my eyes, things then begin to become distinct and sharp and make so much more sense.

From this perspective I now see this verse as pointing me to this fundamental principle. John, more than any other disciple, finally got a rather clear picture of the real issues, the grander scale of the struggle going on in the universe and thus was able to more clearly spell out plainly what we need to understand about reality and why Jesus came to this earth. Every book that John wrote has profound insights that are clearer than anything else found in the Bible or anywhere else. John was so clear-headed about this that Jesus entrusted him with the amazing insights and grand perceptions that can be found in the book of Revelation.

I spent most of my life puzzled about this insistence in the Bible on my need to “believe”. But over the past few years and increasingly even over the past few days, it is becoming more and more clear what this really means for me and what I need to understand about this word. This is because the whole concept of a “name” in the Bible was intrinsically tied up with the identity and character and personality of an individual. A name in biblical context was not simply a label slapped on to a human in order to be able to call them something different than everyone around them. A name was associated with who they were. Thus, anytime the Bible talks about a name it almost always has a much deeper significance than just a label attached to them artificially.

This is never more true than when it comes to our perceptions about God. This repeated reference in the gospels to belief in Jesus goes far beyond the shallow ideas floated around in popular religion today. It goes straight to the heart of what it is that we really believe at our deepest gut-level about God, far deeper than simply the nice-sounding professions we mouth or even the tirades that we may spout at Him in our ignorance and profanity.

I say this because I know people who apparently have wanted nothing to do with God or religion because of damaging experiences they have had throughout their life with religious people misrepresenting God. On the surface they seemed like people who are irreligious, profane, vulgar and hostile toward God. But I have at the same time seen past that coarse exterior to perceive an honesty, a hunger, an openness of heart of which even they were completely oblivious.

But even as I write these words one of these very people is suddenly opening up as they are exposed to the real truths about God that were never seen before. And as I share with them the incredible beauty and attractiveness and clarity of the real God that could never before be found in religion, this person is opening up quickly like a flower drinking in the light and warmth of the sun, like a parched sponge beginning to soften and absorb the freshness of the presence of new water. I myself am stunned as I am watching God melt away the lies, the prejudice and the misconceptions and begin to warm their damaged heart and introduce healing love and truth that is breathing new life and hope into their soul.

This verse also alerts me to one of the most important ways that God uses to change our opinions about Him (which is the real definition of belief). This happened in Jesus' day by people observing the signs which He was doing. That also tells me that this thing about understanding the real meaning of what a sign is has to be directly linked to inspiring belief in the real truth about God. And one of the most important ways this is going to happen is through the living example of a life filled with the same Spirit that compelled the life of Jesus.

This takes me directly back to one of the basic concepts of how we as Christians are to fit into this whole scene. Instead of thinking we are the focal point of the battle going on we need to realize that we are called to be witnesses. We are not the ones that the trial is all about – that is focused entirely on God and the allegations against His character. We have all been solicited to be character references for God in His trial in order to vindicate His reputation. This was the sole purpose of Jesus coming to this earth and is also to be the sole purpose of every true follower of Jesus.

We need to get away from the ego-centric thinking of salvation revolving around getting us into heaven and instead, putting everything into the context of God as the focal point in this great battle taking place in His trial. When we begin caring more about God's reputation instead of thinking about ours, then we will begin to get aligned with the real purpose for which we exist on this earth. Everything is going to make much more sense when we get a proper understanding of our true position in relationship to God and to everyone around us.

How can I encourage more belief to grow in my own heart? According to this verse that is very likely going to happen as I too focus and observe on the signs that are to be found in the way Jesus acted and how He treated people. That is the reason that I decided to do a more careful and thoughtful examination of this book. The main reason that He came to live on earth as a human was to demonstrate in our vernacular, in ways that we could relate to, how God really feels about us and wants to relate to every one of us. If we want to know the real truth about what God is really like, we must always find it first and primarily in the life and teachings and example of Jesus. Any other approach is bound to cause confusion and create potential for false ideas about Him to be perpetuated.

Father, I want to experience much deeper what it really means and feels like to truly believe in you and in your Son Jesus. I want to know what you mean when you talk about “signs” in these passages. And even more, I want to have those signs have their intended effect on me at the heart level. Fill me with fresh revelations about who you really are and the real truth about your attitudes towards me. For this is all about your reputation that is on trial. Fulfill your word and your promises in me so that my life will become an authentic witness to the truthfulness of your claims to be able to turn rebellious sinners into joyful, humble saints. Do that in me and I trust you to do it completely because you are always faithful.