But why do you call Me “Lord, Lord,” and not do the things which I say? Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great. (Luke 6:46-49)

The Problem Of Belief

In a Gallup poll updated in 2022, eighty-one percent of Americans believed in God. The answers were relative to the question’s style but the survey’s noteworthy takeaway was the continued decline in the belief of the Divine nature. In 1944, 96% believed in God, reaching a high of 98% in the 1950s and 1960s. Other surveys in 2016 and 2017 asked more detailed questions about God’s existence, showing the trend continuing to decline in accepting a belief that God exists.

A conclusion can be drawn that if a belief in God is diminished, so is the belief that Jesus is the Son of God. One poll suggests that 76% of adults believe in the historical existence of Jesus, and another survey shows that only 56% believe He is God. Surveys are fraught with challenges that may skew the numbers to assume something that does not reflect the true nature of the hearts of men, but the findings are clear that fewer and fewer believe in the Godhead.

Believing the world is flat does not change the truth, and accepting the flat-earth doctrine can be done with complete sincerity but will not alter the reality of how the world is formed. Polls and surveys show a diminished belief in God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, but this does not diminish their existence. Turning a light out does not suggest light does not exist. It only increases the darkness. God is real, and His Son Jesus Christ is King. The Holy Spirit is a divine being. Whether men believe and or accept the truth will never change the truth. God established truth separate from the will of man.

Jesus challenged the disciples, who said they believed in Him but refused to follow His word. There is a body of people who say they do not believe in Jesus because of the way they live. If they were asked to believe in Jesus, they would answer in the affirmative. However, looking at the lives, the evidence of that belief would be hard to find. A more important question to ask is not whether one believes in God. The most important question to ask is if a man believes Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God; and if he is living in accordance with His word? Believing Jesus is Christ will not save alone. Jesus said a man must do the things He says.

Illustrating the point, Jesus describes the building of a house. The foundation of the structure is critical to its survival. Building a house on sand will invite disaster. Establishing the house on a firm foundation will protect it from storms. To say that one believes in Jesus and then lives without doing the will of the Father is a man whose house is on the shifting sands, awaiting destruction. If you believe in Jesus, you must live according to His word – not yours.

Calling on the name of the Lord will never save a man if he is unwilling to change his life to the will of God. How many times did Jesus upbraid His disciples to remember that saying, “Lord, Lord,” will never save them? If a man will not accept the will of God in his life, he does not believe in God. When a man calls on Jesus as “Lord” without doing what he says, his life is on the path of destruction. The better question for Gallup to ask (and for you to ponder) is: do you believe in God, and are you seeking to live every day according to His will? Calling but not doing will never save a man.