I figure I better lay out my beliefs, so we will both know where I’m coming from. I started with the Apostle’s Creed, and went on from there.
While I grew up in a Conservative Baptist church, I got involved in a ‘Jesus People’ group in my early teens. So, on a foundation of learning the Bible in Sunday School, I built walls of knowledge – of God, Holy Spirit, His gifts, etc. But I didn’t really begin building a relationship with God until I was in my mid-twenties.
The relationship I have now with my Father God is stronger, for the most part, for having been built on those foundations, but also weaker in some areas, as there were some lies in there. (The truths I’ve learned in the process of fixing those weak spots are what I’m sharing in this blog.)
here’s my foundation:
- I believe in a triune God – Father, Son and Spirit – three persons in one.
- I believe in the virgin birth.
- I believe that Jesus was fully God and fully man.
- I believe that He died and was resurrected physically, in order to pay the penalty for sin, and reconcile mankind to God.
- I believe that salvation and eternal life and heaven are ours only through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
I believe that the work of Jesus Christ on the cross is a complete work. That in His death, burial, and resurrection, He
- restored us to relationship with God, wherein He lives in us, and we live in Him.
- provided us with healing in every area and facet of our being – physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, relational.
- washed away all our sin – past, present, future – and paid all penalties for it.
- made us a new creation – one which, while sometimes sinful, is not a sinner, but a child of God.
- defeated satan once and for all, making us more than conquerors.
- redeemed us from all curses, and set us free from all bondages and lies.
- became our sin, so we could become His righteousness.
I believe that there is nothing I or anyone can do or not do to earn salvation, or love or acceptance from God.
- salvation, love and acceptance are given to us freely, through His grace.
- the only thing we can do to receive salvation is just that – receive it. And we can only do that if He has already drawn us to Christ.
- I believe that he sent Holy Spirit to live inside us, providing us with direction, wisdom, guidance, correction, remembrance, and every other gift we need to live this life victoriously.
- I believe that the Bible is God’s word to us, which, while subject to translational error, is nonetheless infallible, because Holy Spirit can and does show us His truth in it. It is therefore the ruler by which we measure what we think God is saying to us personally.
- I believe that man’s true and primary purpose is to love God and be in relationship with Him. I believe that our secondary purpose is to reflect God to those around us, so that they are drawn into relationship with Him. Each of His children has a unique purpose and path in this world. Only some will be apostles or evangelists or teachers. Find your own unique path.
- I believe that we can successfully do what He wants us to do only when we do it united with Him. Attempts to ‘work for God’ are a waste of time, and do not produce the lasting fruit that would result from oneness with Him.
- I believe that our bodies are important to God, and fulfill His purposes in some way. (Otherwise, He wouldn’t have made them – we’d have been spirits, just like Him.)
- I believe that God still speaks to His children today, in many forms.
- I believe that God created this entire universe, and will someday finish it, sending satan to his final punishment. I do not believe in aliens. I think this universe is a ‘closed system’, which was created to serve a certain purpose, and therefore no interference from outside sources is allowed.
- I believe that satan exists, and that he hates God so much that he will do anything he can to hurt him, including hurting us.
- I believe that God is so huge that no one of us can fully comprehend Him. Therefore, I accept that He can and will relate to each of us individually – differently for you than for me, or him, or her or whoever. This will sometimes look like we are not talking about the same God, but is actually a reflection of His myriad facets. As long as we have a relationship with Him, are adopted into the family, we are all His children. I have four children, and they all look different. But they’re still mine.
“I believe in Christianity as I believe that the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else.” C.S. Lewis
Hi Amy! Sounds like truth. 🙂 I like!
Love ya sister, in Christ. ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤
Hi Amy! Sounds like truth. 🙂 I like!
Love ya sister, in Christ.