Here's my statement of faith from Theological Foundations Part 1. May this knowledge overflow in a deeper relationship with him.
In the beginning
of existence, God existed. He was in the beginning, completely satisfied in His
own personhood expressed in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the
Trinity. Delight was within and without, and nothing was lacking, so it was out
of an overflow of love that God spoke everything into existence. Indeed, nothing
exists apart from Him, visible or invisible.[i]
That means every tree, mountain, drop of water, tare of wheat, robin’s song, and
star- all came from God’s breath and power, as well as invisible things such as
bacteria, DNA, gravity, and wind.[ii]
We could endlessly praise Him for all that we see and do not see on earth and in
space.
Invisible among
God’s creation are beings called angels; created to serve God in heaven and
earth.[iii]
In His generous nature, God gives beings
the choice to worship Him. Some angels chose to disobey God and align against
his purposes; these angels are demons. The leader of all Demons is Satan. The
chief work of Satan is to deceive people about who God is; He lies, cheats,
steals, and deceives to keep people sinning and keep them away from
encountering Jesus Christ. It is by God’s authority that Satan has any power. Ultimately,
there will be eternal punishment for God’s demonic enemies, but in this age,
they rule as God allows.[iv]
Among all of God’s
creation, He designed human beings to reflect unique aspects of His character. The
first human beings, Adam and Eve, chose to disobey God’s command and sin. Sin
is a deliberate action or inaction that separates us from God’s commands- it
sets us against God, against His character, and it destroys our fellowship with
Him. Since that day, all human beings inherit a sinful bent from their Father
Adam. This is the outward disobedience, the internal attitudes, and the sinful
nature. All of the dimensions of sin mean the wrath of God remains rightly on
all human beings. ALL have sinned. All are separated from God and spiritually dead.
Only by being born again through faith in Christ is that sinful nature broken.
God chose some people to pardon through the work of Jesus Christ. God calls
certain people to believe in the life and death of Jesus Christ.[v]
By faith they should be saved from
wrath, and receive eternal life to be with God. Others remain under His wrath.
He is the potter, destining vessels for honor and dishonor, salvation and wrath.
God created human
beings to have a relationship with Him. God designed human relationships to
reflect him, such as the relationship of marriage that unites one man and woman
together for life. Marriage is a reflection of God’s Covenantal relationship to
His collective people (the church).[vi]
In fact, the creation of human beings as male and female reflects an equality
of personhood in God’s image with unique roles, just as there are specific
roles within the Trinity.[vii]
God chose a time
in history to send the second person of the Trinity, His Son, to earth to inhabit
a human body. Born as an ethnically Jewish baby, his birth and life and death
fulfilled the Bible’s prophesies, his Mother being a virgin name Mary, and his father
being God. Jesus lived for approximately 30 years in Nazareth, Israel, before
beginning publically teaching, healing, and resurrecting the dead. He lived a
perfect life, died through crucifixion, and rose from the dead.[viii]
The bad news that every
human being needs to hear is that they are separated from God and under his wrath.
The good news that every human being needs to hear is that Jesus Christ offers
hope and life. Jesus’ death and life purchases forgiveness for the sins of the
people called by God and offers His perfect, stainless life as righteousness to
cover our sin, to justify us, and to remove condemnation. God cannot forgive sin
apart from blood and sacrifice; even perfect obedience to the Law could not buy
it. Only through repenting of sin and trusting in the work of Jesus Christ on
the cross. How do the “called” know they
are called? They hear the good news that God sent His Son, and that whosoever
believes in Him shall not die but have eternal life. At the end of time, God
promises to gather people from every tribe, tongue, and nation as His own
people to live with Him forever.[ix]
God the father sends
the third person of the Trinity, His Holy Spirit, to those who believe. The
Holy Spirit is a reality, not just a fact of doctrine. The Holy Spirit brings
God’s presence in power, convicting of sin, giving peace in fear, performing
miracles, bearing fruits, all of which are impossible in human strength alone.
The Holy Spirit also empowers the Word of God, the Bible. The Bible illuminates
God’s authoritative voice. The church recognized God’s voice in certain
writings that were tested for consist and for not confirming anything contrary
to fact. The church collected them in the Bible- sixty-six books, the Old and
New Testament. God inspired the many writers
with His thoughts perfectly; the Bible is His infallible voice. The Bible is
still “God breathed” today; His word never returns void, but accomplishes His
purposes.[x]
All glory to God
Forever and Ever.
[i]
Genesis 1:1, John 1:1-3, Colossians 1:16.
[ii]
Psalm 24:1-2.
[iii]
Hebrews 1:7.
[iv] 2
Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 2:1-3, Revelation 20:7-10.
[v]
John 10:14-15.
[vi]
Genesis 1:26-28, Matthew 10:28, Ephesians 5:22-33.
[vii]
Joel 2:28.
[viii]
Acts 2:22-32
[ix]
REVELATION VERSE
[x]
Luke 24:44; Hebrews 1:1-2; Isaiah SOMETHING
