Bible Study with the Cincottis – Only Believe – 11/08/2026
Today’s Bible Study, Authored by Arthur Cincotti.
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Only Believe
“Also, we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jn. 6:69
There is a story of a man who dared to attempt to cross the great Niagara Falls with a wheelbarrow, on a tightrope. Crowds had formed on both ends of the falls to see if he would accomplish this spectacular feat or plummet to his death. The man stirred up the crowd by shouting, “Do you believe that I can do this?” The bystanders shouted back unanimously, “YES!!” Encouraged by their enthusiasm, he started on his way, cautiously at first, but then with more confidence and speed. He stumbled a few times, and the crowd gasped, but it was only for dramatic effect. When he got to the other side, the people went wild with applause and shouts of praise. Determined to go back, he asked the crowd again if they believed that he could do it. The shouts were even more enthusiastic. He egged them on, repeating his question several times until they reached a fever pitch. Then he quieted the people with his hand and said, “If you believe so confidently, then who is willing to get in the wheelbarrow?”
This story is such a snapshot of our walk of faith and capacity to believe. Jesus said, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He hast sent.” Jn. 6:29. What did He mean by that? Most commentators suggest that this part of speech means to believe and keep on believing. It’s both static and progressive. The Apostle Paul is going to color that in a little when he says, “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Rm. 10:9.
I like this twofold expression because it leaves an element of mystery. We can monitor confession, but only God looks upon the heart. The integrity of that confession and the attitude of the heart will be revealed over time and by testing.
As if this isn’t murky enough, James weighs in by saying, “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe – and tremble!” Js. 2:19. It seems as though belief is not sufficient in such circumstances. Something like ninety percent of Americans believe that there is a God. It wouldn’t seem so from the cultural landscape. To believe in God and live like hell is an ugly contradiction. God is calling us into the wheelbarrow.
Today we will examine, together, forms of belief in order to determine where we fit in. I want to emphasize that there is no condemnation for the simplest expression of belief. Jesus is often calling us to a childlike faith that doesn’t need to be buttressed with constant proofs. When testing comes, however, we want to be fully prepared to stand.
For most Christians, our introduction to belief is through the word. A word is sown into us, and we are invited to agree with it or disagree. It looms on the level of information. Someone may have asked you once, “Do you know Jesus?” or “Do you believe that God raised Jesus from the dead?” Hopefully you pondered that before you answered. Too many of these engagements happen without sufficient thoughtfulness. People are rushed into a confession or coerced into saying things that they haven’t really processed. We don’t need to coerce anyone into a relationship with Christ. No one tricked me into a love affair with my wife. I was pretty determined when I first laid eyes on her.
It’s comical how we layer things. Jesus said, “believe”, but the church came up with creeds. We should know, however, what we are getting ourselves into. Creeds entered because of corruption and confusion. So we have:
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
And born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day He rose again.
He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
There is a lot of information there. This is why the early church didn’t receive people immediately into the faith, but put them through catechism, or training. Of course, it depends on which “early church” we are talking about. In the book of Acts, Cornelius gets baptized in the Holy Spirit, and in water, without any catechism classes. God is able to rescue and to save without our help, but Peter played an important role. Jesus said, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him…” Jn. 6:44
Let’s look at another form, or type of belief. Gideon believed what he was told of God. He was a good Jewish boy, but his belief didn’t have much form. When he had an encounter with the Angel of the LORD, he said, “O my lord, if the LORD is with us, why then has all this happened to us? And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about...” Jd. 6:13. If we are honest with ourselves and God, we will likewise confess that this is the frequent condition of our fledgling faith. Gideon only had the testimony of others to build his belief system on, and it wasn’t working very well. He had greater expectations of parted seas, and pillars of fire, crushed enemies, and lands flowing with milk and honey.
Many Christians today are living on the coattails of past testimonies. We believe them, recite them, preach them from the pulpit, but they cascade upon hearts that long to see Him living and active in our daily affairs. This sort of belief often has an edge to it. It usually translates into, “I believe that God did that for others, but not for me. These believers would never get into the wheelbarrow, or, perhaps they did and fell out a few times. God wants to meet us there.
Believe and keep on believing is the imperative. “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief”, cried the desperate father in Mk. 9:24. He’s drawing us into a personal experience with Him. He’s not casual about who He calls or how He does it. The anonymous writer, who probably knew this too well, wrote:
When God wants to drill a man,
And thrill a man,
And skill a man,
When God wants to mold a man
To play the noblest part;
When He yearns with all His heart
To create so great and bold a man
That all the world shall be amazed,
Watch His methods, watch His ways!
How He ruthlessly perfects
Whom He royally elects!
How He hammers him and hurts him,
And with mighty blow converts him….
I think you get the idea. You can look up the rest online.
Belief that is built on personal engagement has its own complexion. It’s a great mystery, also, that many who have had powerful personal encounters with God waver in their faith and dabble in unbelief, while others with the most meager confession are steadfast. This is not for our entertainment. God will not be trifled with. I would humbly challenge every listener to know your own heart and the integrity of your belief. If you were arrested today for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you? The demon believes and trembles because they will perish in their rebellion. May that never be said of us!
“Blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Ps. 34:8
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