When I believe.

 When I Believe

A Reflection on John 5:24, Romans 10:9-10, and 2 Corinthians 5:17

"Very truly I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life." (John 5:24)

When I believe—not a date on a calendar,

But the moment my heart crossed the threshold of fear,

When I stopped trying to earn and started receiving,

When I let go of doubt and let grace draw near.

When I believe, guilt loses its grip, shame falls away,

The chains of condemnation crumble into clay.

The accuser may still whisper, but his voice has lost its sting,

For the blood of Jesus covers me, and I am under the King.

When I believe—not with a perfect faith, but with a mustard seed,

Not with a shout, but with a whispered, desperate plea, "I need."

Not because I understand all mysteries, high and deep,

But because I trust the Shepherd who His flock will keep.

If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)

When I believe, I am not suddenly complete,

But I am suddenly His—forgiven, free, replete.

Not by the absence of my failures, but by the presence of His grace,

I am given a new identity: a child, a beloved face.

When I believe, every day is a fresh believing,

A remembering of grace, a receiving and a grieving

For the sin that still entangles, but a turning and a trust

That He who began the good work in me is faithful and just.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! (2 Corinthians 5:17)

When I believe, I cross over from death to life,

From fear to faith, from darkness to light.

I am no longer a slave to sin, but a child of the King,

And I have everything, everything in Him.

When I believe, I am saved. I am His.

And in this truth, my hope is fixed.

I believe. I am saved. I am His.

Amen.