what i believe

 

I believe and declare that there is only one true God who exists in the form of God the Father, Jesus the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). This triune God is without beginning or end. He is the authority over everything that existed, exists, or will exist, because He is the Creator of everything that existed, exists, or will exist (Genesis 1).

I believe and declare that I – along with every human who ever lived, lives, or will live – was created in the image of God for the purpose of living a life in constant communion (relationship) with Him and to worship Him (Isaiah 43:21; Revelation 4:11). 

I believe and declare that Adam and Eve, the first humans made in the image of God, sinned by taking the bait of the enemy, Satan, to be like gods unto themselves. Because God is holy and cannot be in the presence of sin, Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden and God’s presence, and all mankind was then placed under submission to the law, the Word of the Lord spoken and recorded for generations that commanded obedience to God and His ways (Genesis 3; Exodus 20).

I believe the scriptures, which declare that God demanded sacrifices for sins committed by His people. He created a system of priests who would lead the people to repentance through repeated blood sacrifices offered through slain spotless animals. These sacrifices, however, were insufficient, as they were required over and over, never completely absolving the people of their sin, nor justifying them in the sight of God. Moreover, such sacrifices could never imbue the people with the power of God to take authority over sin. Thus, they were caught in cycles of sin and repentance and were in desperate need of being liberated from the bondage of sin and death (Exodus; Leviticus). 

God, in His abundant mercy and wisdom, desiring a return to communion with His created people, from the foundation of the world as part of His original plan, decided to make a way for a one-time sacrifice through a truly spotless Lamb, that would forever cleanse people from their sins and would thereby invite all people to accept this covering and re-enter into daily communion with the Father (Hebrews 10).

This Way, Truth, and Life (John 14:6) is the Son of God, Jesus, who is the Christ, the Messiah, the long-awaited Savior of all who would believe. Jesus is fully God and simultaneously existed as fully human when God sent Him to earth out of His abundant love for mankind, that “whosoever would believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).

Jesus would live a sinless life (1 John 3:5) yet suffer a criminal’s crucifixion so that God’s plan of redemption for His people would be fulfilled. When Jesus was on the cross, the sin of all humanity (past, present, and future) was placed on Him (1 Peter 2:24), requiring Him to be temporarily banished from the presence of the Father. He chose to do this without a requirement that we would first believe in Him as the Messiah. He did it while we were still dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:5). Jesus died on that cross, and it looked like all hope was lost for His followers who had come to know Him and walk in His ways. But then, on the third day, Jesus rose Himself from the dead (Luke 24), thereby declaring triumph over death and the grave and putting the devil and his minions to public shame (Colossians 2:15) – thereby making a way for us to be resurrected with Him to new life, to life in Jesus, to life everlasting for all eternity with our Father in heaven (Romans 6:8-9)!

Jesus’s blood seals forever the covenant promise (Hebrews 13:20) for those who believe He is the Messiah and for those who declare He is Lord over their life. For such who believe, we have the promise of everlasting life. And we also have the promise of abundant life (John 10:10) on the earthly side of eternity through the gift of the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the resurrected Jesus, given freely to all who believe in Him (John 14:26). This same Holy Spirit seals us and is our guarantee of our inheritance as redeemed children of God (Ephesians 1:13-14).

As believers in Jesus, we are called to follow Jesus; that is to obey all that He teaches. To know God’s ways, we look to Jesus, the visible image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). I believe and declare that Jesus is the Word that became flesh (John 1:14) and we have been freely given this Word in the form of the infallible scriptures (2 Peter 1:19) of the Holy Bible, an anthology of 66 “books” giving us divine communication from the Father. We are called to consume this Word that the Holy Spirit then plants deep within our hearts, empowering us to escape the snares of the devil (1 Peter 5:8) and to quench all of his fiery darts (Ephesians 6:16). We are commanded to be more than just hearers of God’s Word. We are commanded to put action to our faith, thereby proving that we actually believe what we say we believe (James 2:21-27).

As followers of Jesus, we are commanded to go into all the earth and make disciples – to teach others how to follow Him (Matthew 28:19). For this command, I offer my life. It is my only reasonable response to His life poured out for me, a sinner redeemed by the precious blood of Jesus, bought with that incredibly precious price, chosen and set apart for good works that I will walk in them by the power of His Holy Spirit that now dwells in me and the authority of God’s Word that thoroughly equips me (2 Timothy 3:17). Until the day wherein I am made completely like Jesus (1 Corinthians 15:52) and am in the presence of my heavenly Father, I will follow Jesus, listen to His Holy Spirit, and fear - by the way I live my life - the One True God.

All glory, power, and dominion to God Almighty, forever and ever.