WHAT I BELIEVE...
Not that you asked, but here is some of what I believe... I figure it is good to get to know each other!
In short, I believe in Jesus Christ --- the way, the truth and the life.
I believe that while we are created in the image of our loving Abba (Father), each one of us is guilty of sin -- of living life our own way and becoming the god's of our own lives. Sin is selfishness and self-centeredness. And I acknowldedge that I am a sinner--big time!
But, I believe that JESUS IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS and DID WHAT HE SAYS HE DID. In other words, Jesus is God in the flesh, second person of the Trinity, fully God and fully human. He lived a perfect life, died a criminals death (where I should have died), and conquered death through is historical and bodily resurrection. In so doing, he has freed us from the consequence of sin, declared us "not guilty" and continues to sanctify us as adopted children through the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus also invites us to follow in His way and become part of the great work of redemption and justice that He is doing -- even today!
So, I have commited to following Jesus. He is my Lord, Savior, King, and friend. I worship the Trinitarian God of Father, Son & Spirirt --- because I can do no other.
Here are a few more things I believe (adopted from here):
(1) God and His Word are trustworthy.
Everyone needs to find “true north.” I believe in the trustworthiness of God and His word. My trust in God’s Word is based on the presupposition that there is a God, and that this God has taken steps to reveal himself to us. I believe the Bible is God’s revelation to man. As such, the scripture is our final authority for what we believe and practice. The Bible itself is the best evidence for what it claims to be. The Bible is “alive”. Because the words are the breath of God (2 Timothy 3:16), the Bible is useful for teaching (“this is the right path”), rebuking (“you are on the wrong path”), correcting (“this is the way back to the path”), and training (“this is how you stay on the path”).
(2) Christ is the Savior and King.
When I say that Christ is the King, I'm saying that He alone is worthy to be on the throne of our hearts (Philippians 2:10,11). Christ is not just a way, but the only way by which a person may receive eternal life in heaven with God. My belief that Christ is savior and king follows from my belief in the trustworthiness of God and His word. The Bible teaches that Jesus is the only way to eternal life (Acts 4:12, John 14:1-6).
(3) There is hope for the future, and forgiveness for the past.
Our God is a God of grace. His heart is toward the lost (Luke 15). Jesus came and died for us, not because we were deserving of His love and forgiveness, but because we were absolutely not. God loves us in spite of who we are, not because of who we are. I don’t view failures as final. I believe that the church is to have a culture of recovery. I believe that the ruined can be redeemed, recovered, recruited, renewed and reproducing.
(4) The church holds the hope of the world in its hands.
The church is a place of salvation. The church does not save you. Only the gospel saves you. But the church plays a vital role. The church carries this “good news” as a sacred trust. It is our duty to disseminate this truth far and wide. To this end we should be intentional and aggressive in our strategies. Time is precious. There is an urgency about our work. God doesn’t want anyone to perish. He wants as many people as possible to accept His offer of salvation (2 Peter 3:9).
