The Kingdom Jesus TaughtHelp — I Want to Believe, But I’m Not Sure
Short answer: Start where Jesus tells honest seekers to start — ask, seek, knock in secret (Matthew 6:6; 7:7–8), and do what He says long enough to see if it’s true (John 7:17). If truth matters, every serious road of seeking will point to the one Truth revealed in Jesus the Messiah (John 14:6), not to a vague “all paths.”
1) If You’re Open but Unsure — Where Do You Begin?
Jesus doesn’t ask for blind belief; He invites a real test. He promises that if you sincerely seek the Father’s will and practice what He says, you’ll come to know whether His teaching is from God (John 7:17). He tells you to go in secret, shut the door, and speak honestly to your Father (Matthew 6:6). He says to ask, seek, and knock — with persistence (Matthew 7:7–8; Luke 11:9–13).
“If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.” — Jesus (John 7:37)
Begin here. Approach in humility and be willing to patiently wait for His perfect timing, whatever that may be. “God, if You are there and good, please reveal Yourself as You promised. I will seek You honestly and do what Jesus says so I can know.”
2) Aren’t All Religions Basically the Same?
Many paths teach moral effort, rituals, and wisdom. Jesus gives some of that — but He makes claims no other teacher makes, and then anchors them in public, historic acts.
- Unique claim to reveal the Father: “No one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him” (Matthew 11:27). Jesus doesn’t point to a method; He is the Way (John 14:6).
- Authority to forgive sins: He announces forgiveness as God’s own authority (Mark 2:5–12), not merely as a priest or prophet.
- Enemy-love and heart-holiness: He commands love of enemies, purity of heart, truthfulness with no oaths, hidden generosity, secret prayer, secret fasting (Matthew 5–7). The test of religion is its fruits (Matthew 7:16–20).
- Public signs and the “sign of Jonah”: He points to His death and rising as the decisive sign (Matthew 12:39–40), and He tells His disciples they will be His witnesses of what they saw (Luke 24:46–48).
“Enter by the narrow gate… the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” — Jesus (Matthew 7:13–14)
So, no — Jesus doesn’t claim many equal paths. He calls everyone to Himself. Measure that claim not by slogans, but by truth, holiness, and love lived out in His followers (Matthew 5–7; 7:16–20).
3) The Story in Three Scenes (From the Gospels)
- His Life & Teaching: Jesus proclaims the nearness of God’s Kingdom, heals, frees the oppressed, and teaches with unmatched authority (Matthew 4:23–25; 5–7; Luke 4:16–21).
- The Cross: He says He lays down His life “as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). He forgives even His executioners (Luke 23:34).
- The Empty Tomb & Witnesses: He appears to His disciples, eats with them, and opens their minds to the Scriptures (Luke 24:36–49; John 20–21). Peter calls himself “a witness of the sufferings of Christ” (1 Peter 5:1). John says, “we have heard… seen… touched” the Word of Life (1 John 1:1–3). The Twelve bear public testimony and send that witness into the world (Matthew 28:16–20).
If you want to know whether this is truth, follow Jesus’ own method: hear His words, do them, and watch the house stand (Matthew 7:24–27).
4) A Simple Test Jesus Gives Seekers
“Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own.” John 7:17 (Jesus Speaking)
What is the will of the God?
The will of God is to look to His Son, as expressed in John 6:40, which states, “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who is beholding the Son and believing into Him will have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day”.
The original Greek word for “believing” here is pisteuōn meaning not a one-off moment, but a continuing, lived trust.
Therefore, the will of God is for us employ a lived trust in what Jesus said. That is, to live out what Jesus taught. According to Jesus in John 17:17 if you do this will find out if His teaching is from God or if He is just speaking on His own.
Try living out what Jesus taught for a week to discover the truth for yourself:
Secret prayer daily
Go alone, shut the door, and speak honestly to your Father. Ask for light and courage to follow truth.
“But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” — Matthew 6:6
Read & note
Read Matthew 5–7; John 7; John 10; John 14 over the week. Each day, jot one line: “What did Jesus ask me to do today?” Key anchor verses:
“If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” — John 7:17
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” — John 10:27
“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” — John 14:21
Do one teaching (each day pick one and do it)
• Reconcile — make it right before worship:
“Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.” — Matthew 5:23–24
• Forgive — or your Father will not forgive you:
“For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” — Matthew 6:14–15
• Give in secret — seek the Father’s reward, not people’s praise:
“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.” — Matthew 6:1–4
• Love an enemy concretely — do good, bless, pray, be merciful:
“But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you, Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you. And unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other; and him that taketh away thy cloke forbid not to take thy coat also. Give to every man that asketh of thee; and of him that taketh away thy goods ask them not again. And as ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise. For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” — Luke 6:27–36
• Tell the truth — simple yes or no (in a hard situation when you are not normally compelled to):
“But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.” — Matthew 5:37
Ask–seek–knock (in humbleness and sincerity)
And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?” — Luke 11:9–13
Watch the fruits (how Jesus says you’ll know — the changes that you experience will reveal the Truth)
“If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” — John 7:17
“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” — John 14:21
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” — John 10:27
5) Why You Can’t Make Yourself Believe
One father came to Jesus desperate and honest: “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24). That prayer is welcome. Jesus also explains why faith collapses and how it grows:
- Why it collapses: Fear and disconnection. He asks His own disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mark 4:40). He calls their failed moment “little faith” (Matthew 17:20) — trust that isn’t rooted in ongoing relationship.
- How it grows: Abiding. “Abide in Me… apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:4–5). Jesus likens real trust to a mustard seed (Matthew 17:20) — small but alive; because it is living, it grows and endures under pressure.
Bottom line: Cowardice is faith failing under pressure. Weak faith comes from a thin, on-again/off-again spiritual life. The cure is not hype but abiding — a continuous, growing, day-by-day friendship with Jesus that strengthens into courageous trust.
- Practice: Secret prayer (Matthew 6:6). Slowly read the Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9–13). Practice immediate obedience to small nudges (John 14:21). Cut off what trips you (Matthew 5:29–30).
6) Why Jesus — Not “Any Path”
- His self-claim: “I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Not a method — a Person.
- His fruits: Humility, purity, mercy, enemy-love (Matthew 5–7). Judge by these (Matthew 7:16–20).
- His authority: He forgives sins and commands nature and unclean spirits (Mark 2:10–12; 4:39–41).
- His witnesses (from the Twelve): Peter and John speak as eyewitnesses (1 Peter 5:1; 1 John 1:1–3). Revelation presents Jesus’ own testimony given to John (Revelation 1:1–2).
“This is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” — Jesus (John 17:3)
If you follow truth wherever it leads, its lines converge not on “all paths,” but on the holy love and living authority of Jesus. Test Him as He asked — and keep going until you know.