Welcome and thank you for taking a bible break to test your knowledge of God's word. This week's question:

Many people of this earth spend endless time talking and listening to philosophers trying to understand the 'meaning of life'. Paul was teaching in Athens and the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers took him into the Areopagus to what this "idle babbler" had to say as they spent a lot of their time telling and listening to something new (Acts 17:16-21). The Athenians were strong idle worshippers and expressed them by creating objects of worship and by not wanting to miss any they made an inscription "TO AN UNKNOWN GOD" and Paul started from there teaching them of the true and living God of the heaven and earth and although "…they would seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even your own poets have said, 'For we are His children'." (Acts 17:27-28) And since we are His children, we ought to set aside the idols and that people everywhere should repent since God has.

Acts 17:31-34 "because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a

Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." Now

when they heard of the resurrection of the dead , some began to sneer, but others said, "We shall hear

you again concerning this." So Paul went out of their midst. But some men believed, among whom also

were Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris and others with them.

Why did they believe and why was their belief different that the demons who believe and shudder (James 2:19)? To begin our search we turn to Hebrews 11:1 "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for the conviction of things not seen." and in verse six, "And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him." How do we gain our faith? Romans 10:17 "So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ."

So we understand that our faith comes through the word of God and we cannot come to God without our belief in Christ which is instilled by the hearing of His word. And Jesus is the source of eternal salvation to all that obey Him, Hebrews 5:8-9 "Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect, He became to all that obey Him the source of eternal salvation." Jesus says we must believe in Him or die in our sins (John 8:24). God makes a promise to those that not only hear the word and believe in it but they must act upon it by obedience to Him for eternal life! And that is the answer to our question! The believer not only accepts Jesus as the Christ who is raised from the dead, but he also becomes an active participant in obedience to His word and by the authority of Christ.

James 1:21-25 Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility

receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word,

and merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is

like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away,

he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law,

the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man

is blessed in what he does.

Even though some believed in Jesus, their position of power and their fear prevented them from turning in action to our Lord,

John 12:42-43 Neverless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees were not

confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval on

men rather than the approval of God.

Jesus also says this believer must also be baptized to be saved, Mark 16:16 "He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned."

The word of God has been sent that we might not only read it with understanding, but that we might believe that Jesus is the Son of God for life,

John 20:30-31 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which

are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ,

the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

So, let us believe for life!