If you believe in Jesus, you must also believe in the Bible,
because “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God”. Jesus is the Word – that means
that the Living Word of God is Jesus.
If you are born again, Jesus
is the Lord of your life. If Jesus is
the Lord of your life, do you trust what He says? How can some people say they are Christian,
but don’t trust the word of God to be true?
How can it be that you trust Jesus but not His Word: since He is His
Word? It has well been established that
the Bible is the Word of God. With all
the different translations of the Bible, how do we know which one to
trust? I prefer the King James Version,
however, God can get the gist of what He wants to convey through many different
versions.
It is not our faith that saves us but the Grace of God, in
whom and by whom our faith is founded.
By repentance (changing our mind) and accepting the Grace that God
offers through acceptance of Jesus as Lord and Savior, we are given the faith
to live for Him. There are rewards that
we receive, once we make that first step: peace beyond understanding, eternal
life with the Lord in Heaven, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and the power
to prevail against evil. We are however,
expected to grow in our Christianity. Paul
says we need to move on from the milk of the gospels to the meat of the
gospels. 1 Corinthians 3:2 says: "I
have fed you with milk, and not with meat: for hitherto ye were not able to
bear it, neither yet now are ye able."
Hebrews 5:12 says: "For when
for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again
which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as
have need of milk, and not of strong meat." Paul also said: strong meat belongs to them
that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses
exercised to discern both good and evil.
The basic, essential beliefs of a Christian are:
1. Jesus is Lord:
part of the trinity of God the Father, Jesus the Son( the Word) and the Holy Spirit of God.
2. The Bible is the
Word of God and was written under the inspiration
of the Holy Spirit. Biblical inerrancy
is a fact.
3. Jesus was born of
a virgin; conceived by the Holy Spirit.
4. Jesus died for
all of the sins, for all of the people.
Although all of us sin, those
sins can't keep us from entering the kingdom
of God
5. Jesus rose again
on the third day.
6. Jesus is coming
back.
7. The resurrection
of the Saints.
The Scriptural basis for those beliefs are:
1. Jesus is Lord: part of the trinity
of God the Father, Jesus the Son (the Word) and the Holy Spirit of God. 1 John 5:7-8
says: "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the
Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one." Matthew 28:19
says: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name
of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:" John 15:26
says: "But when the Comforter is
come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, [even] the Spirit of truth,
which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me:" Galatians 4:6
says: "And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son
into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father."
2. Biblical inerrancy - 2 Peter 1:20-21 says: “ Knowing
this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God
spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.”2 Timothy 3:16
says: "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for
doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"
3. Virgin birth of Jesus - Isaiah 7:14
says: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall
conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." Why does it matter if Jesus was conceived by a
man or the Holy Spirit? If Jack married
Harriet and Bill got Harriet pregnant, the baby would be Bill’s and not
Jack’s. If Jesus was conceived by a man,
through the seed which is corrupted by sin, He would not be God. Mary had to be a virgin so that she would not
have been defiled by man, when Jesus was conceived. Matthew 1:23
says: “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and
they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.”
4. Substitutionary atonement - 1 Peter 3:18 says: "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous
... ... For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the
unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the
flesh, but made alive in ..." Hebrews 9:28 says: "so Christ was sacrificed
once to take away the sins .. .. so also Christ died once for all time as a
sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again ...".
Romans 5:8
says: "But God commendeth his love
toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us"
5. The literal resurrection of Christ - Jesus rose again on
the third day. Romans 8:34
says: "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that
is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh
intercession for us." 2 Corinthians 5:14
- 15 says: "For the love of
Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:
15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth
live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again." Acts 4:33
says: "And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection
of the Lord Jesus: and great grace
was upon them all."
6.
Jesus is coming back. The Nicene Creed,
in current use, includes the following beliefs about Jesus:
"...he ascended into heaven and is seated
at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory to judge the living
and the dead, and his kingdom
will have no end. ... We look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come."
John 14:3 says: "And if I go and
prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that
where I am, there ye may be also." Revelation 22:20 says: "He (Jesus) which
testifies these things says, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus."
Matthew 25:31-46
says: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory,
and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne." Hebrews 9:28
says: "So Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will
appear a second time, not to deal with sin, but to save those who are eagerly
waiting for him." 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 says: "For the Lord
himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an
archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God."
7.
The resurrection of the Saints. John 11:25
says: "Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that
believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:" Romans 6:5
says: "For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death,
we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:" John 12:3 says: "I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am,
there ye may be also."
The fundamentals of Christianity above are not the end all
of Christian knowledge. They are in
reality a starting point for the knowledge of God. As Paul said, we need to move on from the
milk of the gospel to the meat of the gospel. Hebrews 5:13-14 says: "For every one that
uses milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But
strong meat belongs to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of
use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil." There are many other things that Christians
come to believe, because of their growth in the Word. Knowledge of the gifts and the fruits of the
Spirit as well as knowledge of the evil forces in the world. The Christian, however, has the assurance that
the Holy Spirit is always there to guide them.
Hebrews 13:5 says: "I will never leave thee, nor forsake
thee." Just so you will know that
God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow: Psalm 37:28,says: For the Lord
loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. They will be protected
forever, but the offspring of the wicked will be cut off; Joshua 1:5 says: "No one will be able to
stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will
be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:8 says: Be
strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord
your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy 31:8, "The Lord himself goes
before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do
not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
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