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Why Does It Matter What We Believe? 

Text: Proverbs 4:5-9

Introduction

We all have questions – some silly, some serious. It’s how we learn. “Questions are the exercise of the intellect.” 

The Big Questions: Is God real? Can I trust the Bible? Do I have a purpose? Can Jesus actually help my family? What happens when I die? 

There is so much confusion about these topics. People want an easy answer, but the answers aren’t always so simple. We need a framework from which to understand the answer. 

This is where theology comes in. We’re going to learn how to answer these questions from a theological framework. 

Theology is the study of God. To study theology is to get to know God so that we can glorify Him through our love and obedience – to properly respond. 

Theology is the guide that informs belief.

In the text, we have an invitation and a promise. The invitation is to embrace wisdom and insight/understanding in such a way that belief, experience, and life are completely integrated. The promise is God’s grace and favor – stability in all life brings and salvation at the end. 

First theology, then answers you can build a life on. 

This is why we have to start with the question: “Does it matter what we believe?” 

What you believe matters more than you think. How we answer these questions will determine everything about you and shape how you live your life. This is why it is so important to define and understand what we believe because belief will define you. 

So, what do you believe? 

Why It’s Important

It’s our belief, our core convictions, that give us the strength to stand. 

1| God is Real and Unchanging 

“For I the LORD do not change: therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed.” – Malachi 3:6

All belief comes from an accepted source of authority. 

Key Points: 

• There is objective truth. 
• God is real, we can’t change Him 
• God is true, we can trust Him – if He isn’t constant, He can’t be trusted. 
• God is constant, we can build our lives upon Him 

Summary: Jesus is the ultimate revelation of His truth, the perfection of His plan, and the strength and root of His faithfulness. If Christianity is true, it is true for everyone. 

2| Belief Shapes Us 

“As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” – Proverbs 23:7

What you believe about God, your world, and yourself will shape your worldview, which guides your self-view and decision-making. 

Key Points: 

• You are the culmination not of your experiences but of how you process them. 
• God’s word is our anchor. It reveals God’s thoughts about us and intent for us. 
• When we commit to believe God’s Word, it allows us to correctly view ourselves. 

Summary: good theology allows us to respond to God correctly by keeping the focus on what He says  about us, life, and the world. 

3| Your Belief is Your Foundation

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” – Matthew 7:24-27

Key Points:

• What you believe is where you’ll run when things get tough.  
• Storms are coming, including self-crises, hard (building) times, and eventually and “one on one” with the God of heaven. 
• The core conviction here is that God is still at work, strong, and faithful in and through every circumstance. 

“If our theology doesn’t work during the hard times, then there is something wrong with our theology.” Michael Brown. 

Summary: Anchoring your life in Jesus’s teachings gives the assurance that our circumstances cannot change your identity or your eternity. 

4| Response to Belief Connects Us to God’s Power

Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” – John 11:40. 

Key Points: 

• Faith is when you act upon what you believe to be true. Biblically, to believe is to act in faith. 
• The belief that belief is relative has robbed us of the power of belief. 
• God requires faith because faith is the evidence of trust – enough to get out of your comfort zone and resist self-reliance. 

Summary: Faith is the response to belief. God responds to faith. Our belief must be guided by and anchored in His truth for His purpose. Doctrine helps us understand God’s purpose so that we can connect with it and see Him. 

Conclusion – Proverbs 4:5-9

To Strengthen Your Faith / Belief 

• Take Faith Seriously 
• Become a Student
• Ask questions