It's pretty easy to get past believing that the universe just "happened". The best that science can give us is that God is unnecessary, because matter and anti-matter add up to zero...or "nothing". God is not needed to create "nothing". Furthermore, the tiny dot that contained all the mass and energy of the universe before the "big bang" held such a strong gravitational pull that nothing escaped, and nothing functioned...including time. So time did not exist before the "big bang", which means there was no time when God could be there to "create" the universe. What a stretch and strain to discount the existence of God!
So, we are pretty comfortable with our view of an eternal God Who made and controls all that exists. We believe in our God. Rom. 1:18-20 tells us that we see in creation all the evidence we need to verify God's existence. This is our starting point for faith.
The next thing we can believe, once we believe that God exists, is that God has given us the truth in His Word. The Word comes to us initially in the form of the "gospel", or the good news that--though mankind failed God and is now a "fallen" race--God has provided a way for us to be restored to Him through His Son. Christ paid the penalty for our being "fallen", thus providing a way for us to relate to God simply by believing in Christ. When this happens, we receive His Spirit and His eternal life.
Then the Word comes to us as instruction and assurance, to enable us to live by faith in Him. The Word, and God's loving guidance and training, nourish and build our faith, moving us toward maturity. This enables us to live in the grace and power of His Spirit. This is the REAL Christian life...having strong faith and living in the power of the Holy Spirit.
In the truth He has given us, He tells us, not just what to do, but how it is done. When we learn God's techniques for living, they will fortify us against the forces of evil and opposition, and strengthen us to live victorious and productive lives. Faith provides connection with the powerful forces of our God, Who existed before time...and beyond matter. He is infinite, yet--for us--He has chosen to be intimate.
Our union with God came through faith for salvation, and now our communion with God comes through faith for living, which embraces the following tenets:
1. We must believe in the work and power of Jesus Christ that operate through His Spirit in our temporal lives, as we did when we believed in Him for our eternal lives.
2. We must believe that the Holy Spirit lives in us and can enable us to love God and man, and will give us the courage to stand up for Jesus Christ.
3. We must believe all the instructions given to us in the Bible, including these:
A. We must confess our sins to have them forgiven and to have fellowship restored.
B. We must study the Bible to know God better, and to mature by building our faith.
C. We must pray.
D. We must trust God for all our spiritual and material needs.
E. We must live by faith in God that the Holy Spirit will produce His fruit in our lives.
4. We must also believe the promises God made to us. Here are a few of them:
A. All things work together for good for believers who are trusting and loving God. See Romans 8:28.
B. If we ask anything according to His will, He will hear us. I John 5:14-15.
C. We can approach His throne to receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16.
D. If we are humble, He will lift us up. James 4:10.
E. We can cast all our care on Him, because He cares for us. I Peter 5:7.
F. God will give us wisdom, when we ask...if we believe that He will give it. James 1:5.
G. We can say with confidence that the Lord is my helper; I won't be afraid of anything that man can do to me. Hebrews 13:6.
H. We must always remember that, whatever comes, the battle is the Lord's. This assurance is found in I Samuel 17:47.
We believe God created everything, that He received us through His Son, and that we will live forever with Him. How can we doubt that He will take care of us in our daily lives? Phil. 4:19 says, "And my God shall supply all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." We can believe this: With God, nothing is impossible. He is...after all...God.
So, we are pretty comfortable with our view of an eternal God Who made and controls all that exists. We believe in our God. Rom. 1:18-20 tells us that we see in creation all the evidence we need to verify God's existence. This is our starting point for faith.
The next thing we can believe, once we believe that God exists, is that God has given us the truth in His Word. The Word comes to us initially in the form of the "gospel", or the good news that--though mankind failed God and is now a "fallen" race--God has provided a way for us to be restored to Him through His Son. Christ paid the penalty for our being "fallen", thus providing a way for us to relate to God simply by believing in Christ. When this happens, we receive His Spirit and His eternal life.
Then the Word comes to us as instruction and assurance, to enable us to live by faith in Him. The Word, and God's loving guidance and training, nourish and build our faith, moving us toward maturity. This enables us to live in the grace and power of His Spirit. This is the REAL Christian life...having strong faith and living in the power of the Holy Spirit.
In the truth He has given us, He tells us, not just what to do, but how it is done. When we learn God's techniques for living, they will fortify us against the forces of evil and opposition, and strengthen us to live victorious and productive lives. Faith provides connection with the powerful forces of our God, Who existed before time...and beyond matter. He is infinite, yet--for us--He has chosen to be intimate.
Our union with God came through faith for salvation, and now our communion with God comes through faith for living, which embraces the following tenets:
1. We must believe in the work and power of Jesus Christ that operate through His Spirit in our temporal lives, as we did when we believed in Him for our eternal lives.
2. We must believe that the Holy Spirit lives in us and can enable us to love God and man, and will give us the courage to stand up for Jesus Christ.
3. We must believe all the instructions given to us in the Bible, including these:
A. We must confess our sins to have them forgiven and to have fellowship restored.
B. We must study the Bible to know God better, and to mature by building our faith.
C. We must pray.
D. We must trust God for all our spiritual and material needs.
E. We must live by faith in God that the Holy Spirit will produce His fruit in our lives.
4. We must also believe the promises God made to us. Here are a few of them:
A. All things work together for good for believers who are trusting and loving God. See Romans 8:28.
B. If we ask anything according to His will, He will hear us. I John 5:14-15.
C. We can approach His throne to receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16.
D. If we are humble, He will lift us up. James 4:10.
E. We can cast all our care on Him, because He cares for us. I Peter 5:7.
F. God will give us wisdom, when we ask...if we believe that He will give it. James 1:5.
G. We can say with confidence that the Lord is my helper; I won't be afraid of anything that man can do to me. Hebrews 13:6.
H. We must always remember that, whatever comes, the battle is the Lord's. This assurance is found in I Samuel 17:47.
We believe God created everything, that He received us through His Son, and that we will live forever with Him. How can we doubt that He will take care of us in our daily lives? Phil. 4:19 says, "And my God shall supply all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." We can believe this: With God, nothing is impossible. He is...after all...God.
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