My personal statment of faith
In order to understand who I am, and what I believe is important in life, you must first understand my faith. Note that while God does not change, my understanding of Him (hopefully) does - so this statement of faith will always be a work in progress. That being said, I believe the following:
- That there is only one true God, who is all-knowing, all-powerful, and present everywhere. He is spirit, and eternally existent in three distinct persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit). Ephesians 4:4-6; Romans 1:20; Matthew 28:19; Deuteronomy 4:35; John 17:5.
- That "All Scripture is inspired by God" (II Timothy 3:16) by which I mean the entire book known as the Bible (made up of 66 canonical books); that it is without error in the original writing, that God has preserved its accuracy through the ages, that its teaching and authority are absolute, supreme and final, and that God supernaturally inspired the men who wrote it. 2 Timothy 3:16; Deuteronomy 4:2; 2 Peter 1:21.
- That Jesus Christ existed as a real person, who was both equally God and man at the same time. He was born from a virgin mother, led a perfectly sinless life, and performed many supernatural miracles during His ministry here on earth. John 1:1,14; John 10:30; Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:30-31; Philippians 2:5-7; 1 Timothy 3:16; Colossians 1:19; Matthew 20:29-34; Luke 9:12-17; John 11:1-46.
- That Jesus Christ died on the cross as a sacrificial payment for the sins of every living person, that He lay dead for 3 days before physically coming back to life - and that this act of love paid the price for the sins of anyone willing to accept His sacrificial gift. 1 John 2:2; Hebrews 2:9; Galatians 3:13; Romans 3:25; Romans 4:4-5; Romans 5:8; Colossians 1:13, 14, 20, 21.
- That after His resurrection, Jesus Christ ascended into Heaven, to sit at the right hand of God the Father, and that He (Jesus) will someday physically return - first to take all believers, and then again to set up an earthly kingdom that will last for 1000 years. Luke 24:39; Acts 1:10-11; Ephesians 4:10; Hebrews 1:3; 1 John 2:1; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17; John 14:1-3; Titus 2:13; Philippians 3:20, 21.
- That mankind was created in the image of God, but through free choice chose to disobey God, and so became totally depraved and is in a lost condition by nature, meaning that we are destined for eternal torment, and separation from God. Because of this, there is need of a completely new life (commonly referred to as a "new birth") by the miraculous regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, made possible by the sacrifical death of Jesus Christ on the cross. Genesis 1:26, 27; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3; John 3:3, 6, 7; Titus 3:5.
- That the gift of salvation (based on Jesus death/burial/return to life) is by faith alone, completely separate from and not dependent on anything we might do (commonly referred to as "works"). Ephesians 2:8-9; Hebrews 9:15; John 5:24; Romans 3:28; Romans 4:3, 23-25; John 17:23; Galatians 2:20; Galatians 4:6-7; Galatians 5:16; Acts 1:8.
- That the gift of salvation must be accepted by a personal choice and commitment to make Jesus Christ the most important person in your life, that this gift and choice is a limited time offer. Those who do not accept this gift (by personal decision), will spend eternity separated from God in perpetual torment. Ephesians 2:8-9; Acts 4:12; Luke 16:22-23, 27-28; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:5, 11-15; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9.
- That Satan is a real being, who is actively working against Christians. "the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world" (Revelation 12:9). The first fallen angel, he convinced Adam and Eve to sin (Genesis 3:1-6), and he still actively seeks to prevent people from forming a real relationship with God through the person of Jesus Christ by whatever means possible. Ephesians 6:11, 12; 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 20:10.
- I believe that the church is not a building, but the name used to refer to all Christians world-wide as a single group, the specific purpose of which is to share the great news of Jesus' humble sacrifice, and free gift of salvation He offers to everyone who is willing to believe. The church (which is, remember, people - not a place) shares this not only by word of mouth, but by their actions, and the way that they live their lives. It is how they live their lives that they are distinguished and told apart from all others who merely claim to be "Christian", but who are not. Ephesians 2:19-22; II Corinithians 5:17-21; Matthew 28:18-20; I Corinthians 12:22-27; Philippians 2:1-5; 1 John 2:15-16; I Corinthians 10:31.
If you have any serious questions about any of this, please feel free to send them to me.
Light travels faster than sound - this is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.