Know What You Believe
The wife of Pontius Pilate was the last advocate for Jesus Christ before His crucifixion. She could not convince her husband to not give the order to crucify Jesus Christ yet she tried. Are we trying to be advocate for Jesus in our lives today? It is important to know what you believe; and know why you believe it.
My sisters in Christ; we are in such dangerous times with so many people trying to confuse us as to what we believe, there are so many fast- growing religions that are overtaking the world and so many “pretty perfumed pretend” Christians who are confused in what they believe yet claim to be sure of the teachings and being successful in changing what we believe.
We as believing Christians, the followers of Jesus Christ, must knew what we believe and why we believe what we believe. We must be able to stand up and declare with confidence what we believe and back it up with the teaching of Christ verified with the Bible. We need to be able to stand on our belief. If we are call upon to be advocated for Jesus then we need to be able to share our belief without confusion.
There are nine basic facts we must understand and proof can be found in the Bible and are our fundamental beliefs. I have given you an example of how you can organize your thoughts and beliefs; you can use many different Bible verses:
1. We serve a Personal and Intimate Father God who loves us and cares for us: Our Father God knows what things we have need of before we even ask Him for it. (Matthew 6:8). We have been made sons of God through the Spirit of adoption and have joint heirs with Christ. (Romans 8:14-17). The LORD GOD loved the world so much that He sent His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life. The LORD GOD sent His son into the world to so the world through Him might be saved. (John 3:16-17).
2. Creation was by the Will of the LORD God: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. (Genesis 1:1). The LORD God created the world and everything in it for Jesus Christ. (Colossians 1:16). In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1-2). In the beginning He laid the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of His hands. (Hebrews 1:10).
3. Man is the creation of the LORD God: Man is created in the image of the LORD God. (Genesis 1:27). We are the workmanship of the LORD God created in Christ Jesus unto good works which the LORD God has ordained before we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10).
4. The fall of man into sin: Sin is the disobedience to the Laws of the LORD God. (1 John 3:4). All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death. Sin is unrighteous. It is unjust, immoral and wrong. (1 John 5:17). Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world. (John 1:29).
5. Prophecy and Promises from the LORD God: The children of God in the Old Testament are proof that the LORD God sent an intercessor on our behalf. It is Jesus Christ who sits at the right hand of God, the Father who makes intercession for us. (Romans 8:34). Jesus Christ said He is the resurrection, and the life. Anyone that believes in Him shall live and shall never die. (John 11:25).
6. The Incarnation of Jesus Christ: The proof of the birth of Jesus Christ was foretold in the Old Testament. The LORD God Himself shall give you a sign; “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14). “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” (Isaiah 9:6-7). Jesus Christ was not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but was born of God. Jesus Christ is the Word that was made flesh, and dwelt among us, He was seen in His glory and it was the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:13-14).
7. The Redemption through Atonement: Jesus Christ died vicariously, in our place, as sinless, He died and was buried; He was resurrected and is sitting at the right hand of the Father. Jesus Christ conquered death. (John 20-21; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Roman 6:5). It is because of Jesus Christ we have salvation. Salvation is not based on what man has deserved but is entirely given freely through grace of the LORD GOD. (Romans 1:17; Ephesians 2:8-9).
8. The Kingdom of the LORD God: The LORD GOD gave Jesus Christ, His only Begotten Son a government and with the increase of His government and peace there shall be no end. (Isaiah 9:6-7). We as believing Christian must seek the kingdom of God and His righteousness and then all things shall be added unto us. (Matthew 6:33). We know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
9. The Literal Return of Jesus Christ: “In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 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.” (John 14:2-3). We as believing Christians live in the hope in an eternal life for the true believers in Jesus Christ. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again we have the hope and know our Father God will join us with Jesus for a life eternal. Those of us who are alive when the coming of the Lord shall be raised up to meet Jesus Christ in the air He descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: The dead in Christ shall rise first; then we that are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. We shall then be forever with the Lord. These are comforting words for all us true believers in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
We know there will be a new heaven, a new earth and a New Jerusalem. The first heaven and the first earth will pass away. The New Jerusalem shall come down from God out of heaven and shall be the tabernacle of God where men will dwell. God shall be our God, and we shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with us. All tears shall be wiped out of our eyes, and there shall be no more death, or sorrow, or crying, there shall be no more pain, because the former things are passed away. (Revelation 21:1-4).
Praise be to God! Come Lord Jesus!
“And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised: And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” (1 Corinthians 15:15-19).
Cite Article Source
MLA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne “Know What You Believe:.” Becker Bible Studies Library Feb 2015.< https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2232,>.
APA Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015, February) “Know What You Believe:.” Becker Bible Studies Library. Retrieved from https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2232,.
Chicago Style Citation:
Holstein, Joanne (2015) “Know What You Believe:.” Becker Bible Studies Library (February), https://guidedbiblestudies.com/?p=2232, (accessed).
