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The Second Step identifies the nature of our response to the Higher Power. We are called upon to believe that such a Power can restore us to a healthy life. But what exactly does this mean? How do we believe? What does it mean to believe?

This is not easy to answer, because the verb "to believe" and the related noun "faith" have many meanings in our culture:

•Belief is thought of primarily as a cognitive exercise. It is what we do with our minds. "Yes," we say, "I believe that such-and-so is true." Such a statement, however, does not necessitate any action or feeling on our part. It is merely a matter of mental assent.
•Faith is thought of in strictly religious terms. It is what religious people have. What such people believe in - according to our culture - may or may not be true. Who can tell?
•Faith is sometimes taken to mean "believing what we know is not true." Faith, in this sense, is equivalent to wishful thinking.
•Some people seem to feel that the stronger a person believes in something, the more likely it is to be true.
None of these cultural meanings capture how the Bible defines faith. Faith in the New Testament is much more dynamic concept, encompassing not only what we hold to be true but how we act as a result of that conviction. The Bible says:

•the fact that we have faith is demonstrated not by what we say, but by what we do (jas 2:14-26).
•faith is not merely believing a set of data. Even the demons are said to believe in the existence of God, but that makes no difference to them (jas 2:19).
•what we hold to be true DOES matter, however. Faith is believing on the sufficiency of the evidence. New Testament faith is never blind faith. Faith is only as valid as the person or thing in which it is placed.
•faith must have an object. It is not FAITH in general that is commended, but faith in Jesus.
•faith is equivalent to trust. To have faith in Jesus is to trust Jesus with your life.
Read Romans 10:8-15. In this account, we see the role of faith in the process of reaching out to know Jesus.

Three times this passage refers to the condition of being "saved." According to these verses, we are:

•Saved by what process?
•Saved from what?
Which of the following do people commonly associate with "being saved" (ever though the New Testament never says that this is the case)?

1.having faith in a God we don't really believe exists
2.joining a church and adopting its faith
3.doing more good with your life than bad
4.really, really, really, really believing it's true.
5.believing that everybody is automatically saved by Jesus being their savior, so why be concerned?
6.just believing in Jesus.
In everyday language, what does a person have to think, believe, feel, or do in order to be "saved"?

What impact does committing one's life to Jesus as Lord of their life, have on addictive behavior.
In what ways (if any) have you experienced Jesus as a Higher Power for you?

For you, how is what you believe related to what you say publicly ('confess with your mouth")? Explain.