What I Believe

What do I believe and why do I believe it? Lets start with the “what.”
I believe that Jesus Christ is God. What does that mean? It means that before anything existed Jesus was. He always has been God, perfect, immutable, everlasting. He, Jesus, is perfectly just, righteous, loving, merciful, wise, gracious, and wrathful. He is all powerful, all knowing, all seeing. He is not only Creator but Governor and Sovereign in all things. All His ways are perfect and right. He is without spot or blemish, without imperfection. He is the Only Holy Lord of All.
I believe that Jesus Christ created man without sin. Man was created without sin but with the ability to sin. Man was created with a will that was directed towards God. I believe that the first man, Adam, was created as a head of all mankind, a representative. When Adam disobeyed God, he not only brought sin upon himself but upon all men. All man is now born with a nature that is compelled and ruled by sin. When Adam was first created he was able to not sin, because of Adam’s sin, man is no longer able to not sin.
Sin is not only action but inaction. Too often we think of sin as something we do but sin is much deeper than that, sin is why we do everything that we do. Sin is not only the product of action but the producer of action. Sin dominates man, we are ruled by sin, there is nothing that man can now do that is not the direct effect of sin. Sin not only created an inability in man to do nothing good but also rendered man hostile to God. Man can not be indifferent to God. The way man(kind) is born now is with a nature that is opposed to God, unable and unwilling to honor God even though this honor is most right. Sin has blinded man to all truth, hardened his heart from receiving the truth and created a love for error and deception. Because sin reigns in the heart of man every way seems right to man except for the way that is right, namely, Jesus.
Jesus Christ became man about 2000 years ago. He did not cease to be God. He was fully God and fully man. He lived His earthly life in perfect obedience to the Law of God, keeping every point perfectly, He was without sin. He was hated by men because of sin, as I said above, sin creates hostility towards God. Jesus lived a perfect life in the place of sinners, just as Adam was a federal head for all of man, so Jesus was a representative for man also. Jesus was a substitute in His life of obedience keeping the Law of God perfectly in the place of sinners whom could never, nor would ever.
Jesus was crucified and died for sinners. Jesus lived the life you could never live and then died the death (at the wrath of God) that you deserved. Sin accrues the wrath of God. Sin brings great displeasure and anger (wrath) from God. Jesus, in the place of sinners, satisfied the wrath of God. Jesus was a sacrifice in the place of sinners. Just as Jesus lived in the place of sinners satisfying the demands of the Law, so Jesus died in the place of sinners satisfying the wrath that they rightly deserved for their sins.
Jesus did not stay dead but on the third day He rose from the dead. He showed Himself to many people and in overcoming the grave and death showed Himself to be God. He forever proofed that Who He claimed to be is Who He was and is, God. In raising from the dead He showed that His life and death had been accepted by God as an offering. In raising from the dead and overcoming death He set Himself apart forever from all other historical and religious figures, for no one else has ever done what He did. His life in my place is hope. His death in my place is hope. And His resurrection is hope for all of eternity.
I believe that Jesus calls to all people and freely offers the salvation that He forever accomplished. His offering in our place is by grace. We can do nothing to merit, earn, buy, or accomplish salvation. Jesus, on the grounds of grace, offers this salvation freely to any that would simply trust Him, that is believe in Who He is and what He has done. This salvation is by grace through faith. The good news (the gospel) is that Jesus has paid the full price to redeem you and that there is nothing left to pay. The good news is that you are accepted by God, reconciled, on behalf of Jesus, if you will trust Him. The good news is that when there was no way back to God, nor any desire, Jesus came and lived and died and rose that you could have eternal life. Jesus does not call the religious or the moral or upright or the conservative or the right or the left or the immoral or the liberal or the irreligious but He calls all men unto Himself not on the basis of who they are or what they have done or could do, but solely on the merit of His life and death and resurrection. He calls us to stop trusting our wisdom and understanding and the ways and methods that seem so right to us and simply trust Him.
In turning from our understandings we repent, this is essential to faith, no repentance means no faith. We must turn from all of our false gods (idols) and turn to the true God, Jesus Christ. We all worship the wrong things, for some it is money or fame or success or possessions or relationships or false religions. We cannot serve two masters, we must choose whom we will serve; either the true God whose promises are true and lasting or the false gods whom promise much but, ultimately, can do nothing. Faith and salvation must include repentance of sin.
I believe that there is no salvation to be had anywhere accept in Jesus and that the one thing everybody needs (truly needs) is salvation. Sin has blinded men to the truth and created hatred towards truth. Man longs for everything accept the truth, that is why there is a great movement towards tolerance of everything except Jesus. Every view is valid and accepted as long as it is not Jesus.
I believe that the Bible is the only true, inspired, infallible word of God perfect for revealing all that we need to know of God and salvation.
I believe that God has left us here so that we may make the Gospel of Jesus Christ known to as many people as possible in the hope that God will save His people.
I believe that followers of Jesus are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is our teacher, guide, helper, strength, wisdom, and power. We are not sufficient for the purposes of God apart from His Spirit.
I believe in the Trinity as taught in the Bible. Father, Son, Holy Spirit, one God in three persons, not three gods, but one. The Father is God. The Son, Jesus Christ, is God. The Holy Spirit is God.
I believe that the only true life is the life Christ offers and that before we accept this life we are dead. What appears to be life is really empty and vain, Jesus gives true life, abundant life, life of joy and hope and peace overflowing. Come, taste and see.
I believe that the Church is the body of Christ and His Bride. Upon faith in Jesus one is in-grafted into the Church and consequently into a church, a local body of believers.
I believe more than this but I have tried to hit some of the essentials of the faith. My why is to follow. Hope to see yours soon.