The Necessity of Belief

Jeremiah 17:5–17

Jeremiah compares the human heart to two trees to highlight three key aspects: faith, our problems, and how to fix them. It’s important to realize our hearts can be tricky and very ill, and only God can truly understand and heal them. In a world full of different beliefs and religions, thinking there are no answers to life’s big questions is both unwise and risky.

1. Every single heart is marked by radical acts of spiritual faith

Every person, even those who doubt the most, have faith and trust in something. This is true for both believers and non-believers. This challenges the idea that what we believe about God doesn’t matter, showing that even those who say they don’t care are actually making big faith decisions. It’s important to think about and question these beliefs, because everyone is making a life-changing commitment to a specific view about God.

2. The radical flaw in every heart

Our hearts are not perfect. We often try to find worth, safety, and purpose in things other than God, which only leads to disappointment and emptiness. Trusting in things other than God, even good things like love and family, can twist our character and relationships, similar to how drug addiction destroys lives. To fix this, we need a big change, admitting we’ve fooled ourselves and need help from outside to reconnect with God.

3. The radical cure for every heart

The cure we need involves searching for both healing and salvation, admitting we need God’s help because there’s a fundamental problem within us. We can trust in this healing and salvation through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, which connects us to God’s life-giving power. Understanding the good news of the gospel changes us, helping us find comfort in God, no matter what’s happening in our lives.