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On August 17, 1859, Charles Blondin, a renowned tightrope artist, stretched a tightrope across the Niagara Falls with the goal of becoming the first man in history ever to do so. People traveled from all over the northeast to see this remarkable feat.

The story is told that when Blondin stepped on the tightrope, a hush fell over the crowd. He carried with him a 40-foot balance bar that weighed 39 pounds. When he finally reached the other side, a huge cheer rose from the crowd as they began shouting his name. Next, Blondin held up his hand, asking for the crowd’s attention. He asked the crowd, “How many of you believe I can put someone in a wheelbarrow and walk them across and back on this tightrope?”

Hands went up in the air all over the place among the crowd. The first person spoke up and said, “I believe”. Then a second. Then a third. Then Blondin asked each of them who had hands raised if they were willing to step forward, climb on his back, and allow him to carry them across. Person after person declined the offer until finally Blondin’s manager agreed to get into the wheelbarrow.

In our day, there seem to be many people like those in Blondin’s crowd that day. There are many people who will give lip service to believing in God and even being a Christian, but the true, Biblical faith that saves is an active one. The word believe in the Bible is not just to mentally and intellectually agree with certain facts to be true about Jesus, but it is a heart that fully surrenders and submits to Jesus as Lord and Savior instead. Romans 10:9 says, “If you declare with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” True saving faith actively trusts daily in the finished and completed work of Jesus on one’s behalf. And this saving faith is then evidenced with spiritual fruit and good works done in the name of Jesus as a result of receiving true salvation in Jesus.

Is your belief in Jesus an active faith? If not, it’s time to “get in the wheelbarrow.”

— Bro. Josh Wilson is the pastor of Southside Baptist Church. He can be reached at jwilson@sbcandalusia.com.