What We Believe
What We Believe
True spirituality is what I aim for… denominational affiliation is not something that is particularly important to me. Who do you say Jesus is? That is the foundation that everything else is laid on both in this online space and in my heart.
I grew up in a tradition that corporately prayed the Lord’s Prayer every Sunday and confessed the Apostle’s Creed on every first Sunday of the month, the day my little rural church celebrated communion. The Apostles’ Creed, though not written by the apostles, is the oldest creed of the Christian church and is believed to have been formed around 140 A.D. It is not Scripture, but it is a simple list of the great doctrines of the faith. I meditated on every line as I grew up. It is still a succinct and accurate picture of what I believe:
THE APOSTLE’S CREED
I believe in God the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth,
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord,
Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
Born of the Virgin Mary,
Suffered under Pontius Pilate,
Was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended into hell;
The third day He rose again from the dead;
He ascended into heaven,
And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Ghost;
The Holy catholic* Church,
the Communion of Saints;
The Forgiveness of sins;
The Resurrection of the body,
And the Life everlasting.
Amen.
* The word “catholic” means “relating to the church universal” and was the word used in the original version of the Creed. It does not mean the Roman Catholic Church, but the church, the body of Christ, as a universal fellowship.
It is believed that 1 Timothy 3:16 (ESV) is a sort of creed:
Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness:
He was manifested in the flesh,
vindicated by the Spirit,
seen by angels,
proclaimed among the nations,
believed on in the world,
taken up in glory.
Some like to have the basic doctrines of Christian faith called by their common names and explained as follows:
The Trinity:
I believe the Trinity exists in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three Persons are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes and perfection.
God the Father:
I believe God the Father is all-powerful (Omnipotent), all-knowing (Omniscient), and all-present (Omnipresent). He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. I believe that His very nature is love. (Genesis 1:1; Matthew 6:9; Romans 8:14-17; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 15:24).
God the Son:
I believe in Jesus Christ: His eternal existence, His incarnation, His virgin birth, His death as the substitutionary sacrifice for sin, His bodily resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven, His present ministry of intercession, and His future return to earth. I believe that Jesus Christ is God’s Son and through His death and resurrection, He made atonement for sins and eternal life in heaven possible. I believe that Jesus will return again in bodily form. (John 1:34-35, John 1:1,2, 14, 18; Romans 3:24-26; Romans 8:34).
God the Holy Spirit:
I believe the Holy Spirit convicts men of sin, brings new life to those who are spiritually dead, baptizes, indwells, seals, and empowers believers. (John 3:3-8; 14:16-17; 16:7-11; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11; Ephesians 4:30).
The Scriptures:
I believe in the absolute verbal inspiration of the word of God and that both the Old and New Testaments are perfect in the original writings and are the supreme and final authority for faith and life. (2 Peter 1:21; 2 Timothy 3:16).
Mankind:
I believe that man, both male and female, was created in God’s image pure and holy, fell through the sin of disobedience, and are in need of a Savior for redemption. (Genesis 1-2).
Salvation:
I believe salvation is a gift of God’s grace, received by faith and not works. I believe that salvation is through faith in Christ alone and given to those who put their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. Salvation involves repenting from sin, confessing with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. Salvation is received through a personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. All who receive Him are regenerated by the Holy spirit, become children of God, and receive eternal life with God. (John 1:12; Acts 16:30-33; Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-9).
The Devil:
I believe that Satan is nothing more than a fallen angel that rebelled against God and as a usurper of God’s rule, established a counter-kingdom of darkness and evil in the earth. His mission is to thwart the successful living of God’s sons and daughters. I agree with C.S. Lewis that mankind can make two mistakes when it comes to Satan and his kingdom:
There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils.
One is to disbelieve in their existence.
The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.
They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail
a materialist or a magician with the same delight.
C.S. Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (originally 1942; this edition: Harper Collins, 1996) ix.
I also believe that there are modern day “Pharisees” as well as true disciples of Jesus. May you learn how to love the Pharisees the way Jesus did, and may you find and develop fruitful relationships with His true modern day disciples!