February 28, 2011

Do you have any friends who are unbelievers? Have you been active in trying to show your faith to them? I don't mean that you should go around and hand out pocket gospels to everyone you come into contact with (although, if you want to, I'm not going to argue). How do you treat them? Do you find yourself looking down on them? Let's think about this for a moment, and try to figure out why it is we sometimes do this. I think we try to put an expectation of holy living on a group of people that have not within them the capacity for such a life. The motivation for us to live a life of holiness is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. For someone who has not yet accepted Christ, the Spirit is not living within them. This should not make us be condescending towards our unsaved friends, but make us ever more compassionate. I have a desire to bring as many of my friends and loved ones with me to heaven as possible and you should too! Remember that at the moment they are still captive to the world and in bondage of sin. Christ sets us free of that bondage and makes us his own possession (I realize this is a bit paradoxical, and a subject of many more posts to come). The only way to view your friends is to see that they are in need of emancipation. They need to see that being a Christian is the only way to achieve real joy and fulfillment. Be tenderhearted and always be ready to lend a hand. Demonstrate the love of Christ, be the hands and feet. Be the good Samaritan in the figurative sense, stop and render life-saving aid, no matter the cost and risk. Love your unsaved friends without reservation. Remember, you were once as they are now.

Grace

I think it is important for a Christian to try to understand the significance of grace. Grace, simply put, is God's love expressed through the redeeming sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. He sent his only son to suffer and die in my place. Why did he do this? It was the only way His will could be accomplished. It was the only way that we can be reconciled to Him. He created us for a relationship, but because of our rebellion, we separated ourselves from Him. Even though He knew it was going to happen, I'm sure it still broke His heart when it happened. This was simply not acceptable, and God already knew how this was going to be fixed. I am amazed at His great love, his kindness, and his mercy. Before I was a Christian, I knew things weren't right. I lived a "good" life. I was kind and cheerful, generous and gentle, but I still felt like something was wrong. I felt a sense of longing for an answer to that problem. The Lord came through. He said, "Follow me.", and I listened. He took my sin and died for it, and credited His righteousness to me. He never fails me, and he never leaves me. What a deal! There is a catch though, but it is one I am happy to accept. I am now a servant and a bond slave of Christ, forever his possession. And to think, one day I will be made perfect because of what He did, not because of anything I've done, except to answer His call. Until then, I wait, watch, and do what He tells me to. Praise the Lord!

Statement of Faith

This is going to be long, but I think it important to lay out my faith and theology at the outset.

1. I believe in The Triune God. Three distinct, yet equal and completely unified parts of one whole: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
2. I believe that the Bible is the unerring, perfect word of God. I take it to be completely literal, factual, and correct.
3. I believe that God, first for His perfect will and purposes, and second, because of our inescapable problem of sin, sent His son, Jesus, to suffer and die on the cross and rise again on the third day. In so doing Jesus died a sacrificial death to justify us to God by his blood. In so doing, all who call on his name are covered by his blood, causing God to forgive every sin past, present, and future.
4. I believe that Jesus is the only one able to accomplish this because of his sinless nature.
5. I believe that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to eternal life in Heaven.
6. I believe that Jesus Christ will return in glory at the end of the present age to usher in His kingdom for eternity.
7. I believe God desires a personal relationship with His creation as father and friend. When a person accepts Christ, he or she becomes a true child of God and coheirs with Christ.
8. I believe that all who come to genuine faith in Christ will never fall away.
9. I believe that miracles are NOT limited to the Apostolic Age, and that we are given dominion over all things on Earth.
10. I believe it is our duty as servants of Christ to spread the gospel to the whole world through a variety of means. First among these means is the example we set for the world in our daily lives.
11. I accept the rule of Christ in my life, and allow him to sanctify me until we are made perfect in Heaven. I believe this is accomplished through the work of the Holy Spirit.
12. I believe that when I accepted Christ, I was spiritually born again, and am now a new creation.
13. I believe that baptism in water is an important outward symbol of faith. That being said, there is no means of external or ritual ablution that can cleanse you of sin, only faith in Christ, and a true heart commitment to Him is the means by which we are saved.
14. I submit to God's will, and put my own aside knowing that His is perfect, and mine is carnal.
15. I believe that Christ is the King, and the head of the church.