Sometimes you just want to know what the blog you’re reading is all about. I get that. You should. 

And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us. Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are of God; for many false prophets have gone out into the world. By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit which confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit which does not confess Jesus is not of God.

I’m not a prophet, for sure. But I do think that God gives us the ability to know if we’re being hoodwinked. If at any point, what I’ve posted seems to not be aligned with God’s Word, please tell me, and we can discuss it. You may be right, and I’ve simply missed something in my studies, or even in my understanding of The Lord. That said, here’s what I believe:

I believe the Bible is true. All of it. I can’t believe portions and not believe others. Too much of the Bible has been proven historically for me to say that it’s not true, and if I believe the portions that have been proven, in faith, I believe it all.

I believe in the one true God, and that He has three forms – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

I believe God still actively speaks to us, through His Word, through His people, through the gifts and talents of His children, and through the Holy Spirit. I believe in that still, small voice that guides us on a daily basis.

I believe that the earth and humans were created by God, and that in the beginning we were sinless. Adam and Eve (the first humans) sinned (did the opposite of what God wanted for them) and when sin entered the world for them, it entered for each of us so that we are all born as sinners.

I believe God is holy, and our sin requires sacrifice to atone for that sin. For those who lived in Old Testament times, the sacrifice to restore our connection to Him was animals – the shedding of blood. Because He is holy, when we sin we separate ourselves from Him until we have that sacrifice on our behalf.

I believe Jesus’ birth was prophesied before he was born, and that he came out of heaven to take the form of man, be born to a virgin and lived a sinless life. As the ultimate act of love, God allowed his Son Jesus to be killed so that all humanity can accept the sacrifice he gave as the ULTIMATE sacrifice, no longer needing to sacrifice animals, no longer needing to go to a priest to make sacrifices for us, and allowing a restoration of our relationship with God that started with Adam and Eve. Our salvation is a free gift, offered to all out of love.  I believe where the scriptures say that Jesus died in our place, that his blood became the sacrifice for our own sins, that he came alive three days after he died, and that he returned to heaven shortly after he came alive, where he now sits on the throne next to the Father, interceding for us until he returns. Our God is the only god that died for us in order to have a relationship with us.

I believe that works are good, because they are the fruit of our salvation, but they don’t form or cause our salvation – that is through acknowledging our sins, our need for a savior to take our place, and our acceptance of Jesus’ death on the cross. I believe there is a heaven and a hell, and that those who accept the gift of salvation that Jesus provided with live for eternity in heaven, and those who do not, will spend eternity in hell.

I don’t understand the whys of everything in the Bible, but I am not God. He alone knows why things are. The Bible, as the inspired and infallible Word of God, is as the ultimate source of my faith and the overall guide for us for truth, morality, and day-to-day living.