What I Believe

I believe that the Christian Bible is the Word of God and that the Jewish and Christian Old and New Testament scriptures were given by the inspiration of God for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness and Godly living (2 Tim 3:16-17 / 2 Pt 1:3, 20-21). As such, I submit myself fully to the authority of the scriptures and of the apostles, as representing Jesus and the will of God for believers (Mt 10:40 / Jn 13:20).

I believe in one God, who created all things (Gen 1:1 / Isa 33:6; 42:5 / Rev 4:11), and exists as one being in three persons: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit (Mt 28:19 / 2 Cor 13:14 / 1 Pt 1:2). This is a mystery, and something beyond what we can fully grasp with the limitations of our minds and imaginations (Ps 131:1 / 1 Cor 13:12). However, I believe God in his incomprehensible creativity and mercy has given us glimpses of such a reality through science and experience. For example, we know what it is like to be a being and a person (who we are as separate from what we are). 

It is beyond what I can get into here, as I am no scholar or organic chemist, but I would direct you to study for yourself the concept of resonance, which is the configuration of electrons in certain molecules. The electrons flow freely through the molecules allowing for multiple molecule structures to be possible at the same time. As I understand it, this is a real-world example of something being one and more than one at the same time. For example, “One molecule of nitrate is all three resonance structures all the time and never just one of them. The three are separate but all the same, and they are one. They are three in one” (Nabeel Qureshi, Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus). 

I believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Word made flesh (Jn 1:14) who dwelt among us, uniquely the Son of God (Lk 1:35 / Romans 1:3-4 / 1 Jn 4:15), born of the virgin Mary (Isa 7:14 / Mt 1:20-23 / Lk 1:34). Jesus is Christ the Lord, the Messiah, who came as foretold in the Hebrew Scriptures (Lk 2:11 / Acts 9:22 / 1 Jn 2:22; 5:1). He lived as a man, perfect and sinless, and took our sins, the sins of the world, upon himself when He died on the cross (2 Cor 5:21 / Heb 4:15 / Jn 1:29 / 1 Tim 2:6 / 1 Jn 2:2 / Rev 5:9 / Eph 2:16 / Col 1:20; 2:14 / 1 Pt 2:24). Jesus rose bodily from the grave, appearing alive and physically to many witnesses, and ascending into Heaven where he sits, enthroned in glory, at the right hand of God the Father and makes intercession for us (Acts 2:30-34; 4:10-12; 10:40-42; 13:30-34 / Rev 3:21 / Rom 8:34). 

Out of infinite love for us, Jesus gave his blood to atone for our sins while we were still His enemies, so that we could be reconciled to God (Rom 5:6-11). This is the good news, the gospel, of the Kingdom of God (Mk 1:14-15 / Mt 24:14 / Acts 2:36; 17:7 / 1 Tim 6:15). We all as sinners can be reconciled to God through faith in Jesus and the blood He shed for the atonement of our sins (Jn 20:31 / Acts 10:43; 13:39 / Rom 3:28 / Rom 5:9 / Eph 1:7 / Col 1:20 / 1 Jn 1:7 / Rev 1:5 / Rom 5:10 / 2 Cor 5:19-20). Because Jesus rose from the dead, He conquered sin and death and granted to us the power of regeneration and translation into His Kingdom, where we experience righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Col 1:13; 2:12-13 / 1 Pt 1:3 / Rom 14:17). As believers, we are filled with power through the Holy Spirit of God, our comforter and helper, who dwells in us and guides us (Jn 7:37-39 / Acts 1:8; 2:38 / Rom 8:9, 14, 26 / 1 Jn 4:13). Since we have died with Christ, we have also risen with Him and our lives are hidden with Christ in God (Col 3:1-4 / Eph 2:1-10). Believers are dead to sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus, freed from the mastery of sin in our lives and given the power to resist sin in our mortal bodies (Rom 6:5-14). 

I believe that as the body of Christ we are called to do good works. We are not saved through those works, but genuine love for Jesus and our neighbor should animate us and produce Godly character and action (Eph 2:8-10 / Js 2:14-16).

All who believe in Christ are called to be His disciples, and it is our responsibility and privilege to be constantly learning about the will of God and the love of Christ, to follow Him in obedience and give an account of our faith and the hope within us (Lk 14:26, 27, 33 / Jn 13:35; 15:8 / Acts 11:26 / Mt 11:28-29 / Mk 4:34 / 1 Pt 3:15). As disciples, we must obey the commands of Christ out of loyalty and love for Him and God our Father (Mt 28:19-20 / Jn 8:31; 14:15). This is impossible on our own but granted to us through Jesus’ conquering of the grave and sin and the working of the Holy Spirit within us to will and to do His pleasure (Phil 2:13). Through our obedience and the work of the Holy Spirit, we become more and more like Christ (Lk 6:40 / Rom 8:29 / 2 Cor 3:18 / Gal 4:19).

I believe the followers of Christ are one body, one church, guided by one Spirit who dwells in us (Eph. 1:22-23; 2:19, 22; 3:14-15; 4:3-6, 16 / 1 Cor 1:10; 3:16; 12:12-13, 27 / Jn 17:20-21 / 1 Jn 3:2; 5:10 / 1 Pt 2:5). I believe that we are commanded to be unified in heart and mind in the Spirit and that Jesus intends that unity as a sign to the world that He is the Savior sent by God the Father (Jn 17:20-22). As the household of God, we should display unity in Christ, within and without, not letting any matter of doctrine divide us (1 Cor 1:10-13; 3:3-4; 12:25). After all, it is the powers of darkness that we wrestle against, not the flesh and blood we are called to serve and love (Eph 6:12; Mk 12: 30-31; Mt 5:43-48). Therefore, while I highly value fellowship with believers, I do not agree with much of what I find in the institutional church system — carnality that divides the body of Christ by theological principles or matters of doctrine that are not fundamental to the faith, creating battle lines where there should be an embrace. 

I believe that Christ will return at the end of the age to judge the living and the dead (Mt 25:31ff / Acts 1:11 / 2 Tim 4:1). I believe that the dead will be raised and the living saints caught up to meet the Lord (Jn 5:28-29; 6:39, 40, 44, 54; 11:25-26 / 1 Cor 15:52 / 1 Thes 4:16-17). Those who belong to Jesus at His coming will be granted eternal life, to reign with him on the redeemed earth, while those who have rejected God and are not found in the book of life will face eternal punishment (Mt 19:29; 25:46; 25:41, 46 / Rom 2:7 / 1 Jn 2:25, Rev 14:10-11; 20:15; 21:1-8 / 2 Pt 3:13).