Know What You Believe

1. The Bible: God's Infallible Self-Revelation

"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness."

Divine autobiography. The Bible is not merely a record of human religious striving but God's written Word, His self-revelation to humanity. It is crucial because it unveils God's true character, our origin, destiny, and purpose, providing practical instructions and divine wisdom from our Creator. Unlike human writings, its words are "God-breathed," meaning God superintended the writers to disclose His exact truth.

Inspired and preserved. The Bible's inspiration is "plenary" (all of Scripture) and "verbal" (extending to the very words), ensuring its authenticity and reliability without overriding the writers' personalities. God sovereignly guarded its copies, resulting in thousands of miraculously preserved texts with only minute differences. This divine oversight ensures that the Bible remains our sole, trustworthy truth source, confirmed by archaeology and the Holy Spirit.

Interpreting truth. Understanding the Bible requires common sense, recognizing literary forms like poetry and parables, and always considering the context. Statements taken out of context can distort meaning, as seen in the skeptic who quoted "There is no God" without the preceding "The fool says in his heart." The Holy Spirit's illumination is essential, making Scripture personally meaningful and life-changing, connecting us to the Author Himself.

2. God: The Personal, Triune, All-Perfect Creator

"What we believe about God," said the late A.W. Tozer, "is the most important thing about us."

God's attributes. God possesses "natural" attributes that define His essence:

• Transcendent: Excels above all creation, self-existing, author of natural law.
• Immanent: Pervades creation, near to the contrite.
• Omnipotent: All-powerful, with self-imposed moral limitations (e.g., cannot lie).
• Omnipresent: Fully present everywhere simultaneously.
• Omniscient: Knows everything, including thoughts and future.
• Eternal: Timeless, no beginning or end, created time itself.
• Infinite: Unlimited, not confined by creation.
• Unchangeable: Steadfast, constant, not volatile like humans.
  He is not a shadowy force but a personal being with intellect, feelings, and will, creating us in His image.

Moral perfection. God's "moral" attributes are equally vital:

• Holiness: The sum of His perfection, freedom from all moral limitation, the standard of ethical purity.
• Love: Divine, perfect, displayed in creation, redemption, and Christ's sacrifice.
  His love and holiness are not opposed but work in perfect harmony, demanding atonement for sin while providing it through His mercy.

Our Triune God. Central to Christianity is the Trinity: God is one being existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Though the word "Trinity" isn't in the Bible, the concept is inescapable.

• Father: The fount of Deity, originates.
• Son (Jesus Christ): Eternally begotten, reveals.
• Spirit (Holy Spirit): Eternally proceeding, executes.
  This oneness is emphasized (Deut. 6:4), contrasting with polytheism. The distinctness of persons is clear in Jesus' baptism and teachings, and in the work of salvation.

3. Jesus Christ: Fully God, Fully Man, Our Central Hope

"Christianity owes its life, substance, and character in every detail to Christ."

Fully God. Jesus Christ is the unalterable foundation of Christianity, expressly called God in Scripture (John 1:1, Titus 2:13). He claimed deity, stating "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30), a claim His listeners understood as blasphemy, leading to His crucifixion. He displayed God's authority by forgiving sins, promising to judge, and raising the dead. He possessed divine attributes:

• Omnipotence: "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me" (Matt. 28:18).
• Omniscience: Knew men's thoughts (Mark 2:8).
• Omnipresence: Promised to be with disciples to the end of the age (Matt. 28:20).
  He is the preexistent Creator and Sustainer of the universe, accepting worship due only to God.

Fully Man. Jesus was also fully human, born of a human mother, growing physically and mentally (Luke 2:40). He referred to Himself as "a man" (John 8:40) and experienced human emotions:

• Hunger and thirst (Matt. 4:2; John 19:28).
• Weariness (John 4:6).
• Love and compassion (Matt. 9:36).
• Anger (Matt. 21:13).
• Grief (John 11:35).
  He called Himself the "Son of Man" eighty times, identifying with humanity. His humanity was unique, free from hereditary depravity and actual sin, qualifying Him as our High Priest and perfect sacrifice.

Resurrection and Ascension. Jesus not only lived and died but rose bodily from the dead, transforming His cowardly disciples into bold witnesses. The empty tomb, His multiple appearances (including to over 500 people), and the birth of the church are conclusive evidence. The Resurrection:

• Confirms His teachings and validity.
• Guarantees our own resurrection.
• Affirms the body's goodness.
• Assures His contemporary power in our lives.
  Forty days after His resurrection, He ascended to heaven, now seated at God's right hand as our High Priest and Advocate, preparing a place for us and granting free access to God's presence.

4. The Cross: Christ's Unique, Atoning Sacrifice for Sin

"The cross is the only ladder high enough to reach heaven."

God's planned purpose. The cross of Jesus Christ is the central fact of human history, God's planned purpose to bridge the gap between Himself and humanity. Jesus intentionally came to "give his life as a ransom for many" (Mark 10:45). This act highlights Christianity's uniqueness: salvation is a free gift, not earned by human effort, but based on God's incomprehensible love and what Christ has already done.

Old Testament foreshadowing. Christ's death was foretold throughout the Old Testament, from the promise of a Deliverer in Eden (Gen. 3:15) to Isaiah's prophecy of a Suffering Servant (Isa. 53:5-6). The entire sacrificial system, culminating in the Passover lamb, symbolized Christ's ultimate sacrifice. These animal offerings provided a "covering" for sin until Christ, "the Lamb of God," would forever destroy sin's power, fulfilling all that the Old Testament sacrifices represented.

Meaning of Christ's death. New Testament writers use several terms to explain the cross's significance:

• Atonement: "At-one-ment," bringing estranged parties together, covering sin.
• Reconciliation: Ending hostility between God and us, removing the cause of God's wrath (Rom. 5:10).
• Propitiation: Appeasing God's wrath by offering a gift, satisfying His holy and just standards (Rom. 3:25).
• Ransom/Redemption: Paying the price to free us from sin's enslavement (1 Tim. 2:6).
• Substitution: Christ died "for us"—in our place—bearing our sins so we might become God's righteousness (1 Peter 3:18; 2 Cor. 5:21).
  These terms demonstrate God's love, which initiated the way for our forgiveness and restored relationship.

5. Humanity: Created in God's Image, Marred by Sin

"Our chief claim to nobility as human beings is that we were made in the image of God."

Divine origin. Humanity's origin is not blind chance but the purposeful deliberation of the triune Godhead. "God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness'" (Gen. 1:26). Adam, the first man, was uniquely created from "the dust of the ground" and "the breath of life," making him a living being distinct from all other creatures. This image grants us:

• Self-consciousness.
• Capacity for intelligent reasoning.
• Moral and spiritual sense (conscience).
• Individual separateness, allowing person-to-person communion with God.

The Fall and its consequences. Adam and Eve, endowed with free will, deliberately chose to disobey God, bringing sin and death into the world. This "Fall" permanently altered humanity's idyllic relationship with God, resulting in:

• The image of God being marred.
• Loss of original inclination toward God.
• Desires inclining away from the Creator.
• Intellect bound, emotions corrupted, will enslaved.
  This cataclysmic event, echoed in many primitive traditions, led to "total depravity," meaning sin has invaded every part of human nature, though not making us as bad as we possibly could be.

Universality of sin. Adam acted as our representative, and his sin's effects are race-wide: "death came to all men, because all sinned" (Rom. 5:12). We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners, inheriting a bias toward sin. While there are degrees of sinfulness among people, all fall short of God's 100% perfect holiness. God's holiness demands atonement, but His love provides salvation, offering a new nature through Christ—a radical, inward transformation from self-centeredness to Spirit-controlled living.

6. The Holy Spirit: Our Divine Helper and Indwelling God

"The perfection and character of the Godhead can be seen in the work of the Holy Spirit extending to the entire world—from Jakarta to the United States."

A divine person. The Holy Spirit is a distinct person of the Godhead, not an impersonal force or influence. He possesses intellect, feelings, and will, capable of thinking, having emotions, and making choices. Jesus called Him the "Comforter" or "Counselor" (John 14:26), emphasizing His personal role in helping believers. He speaks, strives, helps, reveals, searches, knows, and distributes spiritual gifts, all actions of a person.

Deity of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is deity, equal in nature to the Father and the Son. Paul states, "Now the Lord is the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:17), and lying to the Holy Spirit is lying to God (Acts 5:3-4). He possesses divine attributes:

• Eternal: "Through the eternal Spirit" (Heb. 9:14).
• Omnipresent: "Where can I go from your Spirit?" (Ps. 139:7).
• Spirit of life and truth: (Rom. 8:2; John 16:13).
  His work in creation, equipping individuals, inspiring prophets, producing moral living, and foretelling the Messiah in the Old Testament all attest to His divine power.

Work in believers. The Holy Spirit's work is vital for every Christian:

• Conviction: He convicts the world of guilt regarding sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11).
• Regeneration: He brings about the "new birth," giving us God's life (John 3:8; Titus 3:5).
• Indwelling: He lives within every Christian from conversion (Rom. 8:9; John 14:17).
• Sealing: He secures our salvation, testifying that we are God's children (Eph. 1:13; Rom. 8:16).
• Gifts and Fruit: He distributes spiritual gifts for the church's good (1 Cor. 12:11) and produces spiritual fruit (love, joy, peace, etc.) in us (Gal. 5:22-23).
• Filling: Being "filled with the Spirit" (Eph. 5:18) is a repeated experience of yielding control to Him, leading to power, joy, and fruitfulness.

7. Salvation: God's Transformative Gift Through Christ

"Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved."

Repentance and faith. Salvation begins with repentance, a "change of mind" about sin and a turning to God. It involves the intellect (grasping God's holiness and our failure), emotions (godly sorrow for sin), and will (a deliberate turning away from sin and following God). Genuine repentance leads to faith, which is confident trust in or reliance on Jesus Christ as the object of our salvation. This saving faith is not mere intellectual assent but a personal commitment that links us to Christ and is credited as righteousness.

New birth and election. Regeneration, or the "new birth," is the divine act of God's Spirit giving us His life, making "dead people alive" (Titus 3:5). This decisive, once-for-all experience transforms us into a "new creation" (2 Cor. 5:17), sharing in God's divine nature. God's sovereignty in salvation is seen in election (His choice of individuals for salvation) and predestination (His purpose for believers to become Christlike). These doctrines inspire worship and gratitude, emphasizing that salvation is entirely of God's grace, not human merit.

Justification, sanctification, glorification. Salvation encompasses past, present, and future aspects:

• Justification (Past): "Just as if I'd never sinned." God declares us righteous, forgiving past sins and crediting Christ's perfect righteousness to us through faith (Rom. 3:24). This is an instantaneous declaration, giving us assurance of salvation.
• Sanctification (Present): An ongoing, lifelong process of becoming more like Christ, growing in holiness and character. It involves both God's work in us and our responsibility to "work out your salvation" by living by the Spirit (Phil. 2:12-13; Gal. 5:16).
• Glorification (Future): The complete and final deliverance from the very presence of sin when we see Christ face-to-face. We shall be perfect and free from all sin, receiving our resurrection bodies and eternal life in heaven (1 John 3:2; Rom. 13:11).

8. Spiritual Beings: Angels, Satan, and Demons are Real

"Angels spell out the tenderness of God's love, meet a desperate need; then they are gone."

Angels: God's messengers. Angels are created, eternal spirit beings, higher than humans in creation's order, yet not gods. They are God's messengers and servants, regularly in His presence, continually worshipping Him, and showing interest in human well-being. They protect, provide for, and guide believers, as seen with Daniel, Elijah, and Peter. While they can take bodily form, they are not winged creatures (except cherubim and seraphim) and people do not become angels after death. We are not to worship them, as Christ is our sole Mediator.

Satan: The adversary. Satan, meaning "adversary," is a real, personal being, not merely a personification of evil. He is the opposer of God and His people, the tempter, the father of lies, and a murderer. His existence and personality are clearly depicted in his temptation of Job and Jesus in the wilderness. He is not all-powerful or all-knowing, and his power over believers is limited by God's permission.

Demons and spiritual warfare. Demons are fallen angels who rebelled with Satan. Demon possession is a real phenomenon, distinct from mental illness, and can result from dabbling in the occult. Christians need not fear them if they are in close fellowship with Christ, as the Holy Spirit's presence ensures safety (1 John 4:4). Satan and his demons were conquered by Christ at the cross and are slated for final, eternal judgment.

Christian defense. Believers can resist the Devil by "standing firm in the faith" (James 4:7) and yielding to the Lord in prayer, putting on the "whole armor of God" (Eph. 6:10-17). It's crucial to avoid extremes: neither seeing Satan behind every misfortune nor being unaware of his wiles. We must discern spiritual sources, avoid tempting circumstances, and fix our eyes on Jesus, who has already overcome Satan's work.

9. The Church: Christ's Body, Called to Unity and Mission

"The church was Jesus' idea, not man."

Definition and purpose. The church (Greek: ekklesia, "called out" assembly) is God's people, first mentioned by Jesus Himself (Matt. 16:18). It is defined in two ways:

• Universal, invisible church: The whole company of regenerate persons in heaven and on earth, with Christ as its Head (Eph. 1:22-23).
• Local, visible church: Individual groups of believers who unite voluntarily for worship, fellowship, and service.
  The church is people, not buildings, and its purpose is to gather Christians in and send them out to spread Christ's message.

Early church life. The Christian church was born in Jerusalem on Pentecost, growing rapidly from Jews to include Gentiles, breaking down ethnic barriers (Acts 10:34-35). The early church's activities included:

• Apostles' teaching: Grounded in Jesus' commands (Acts 2:42).
• Fellowship: Mutual involvement and close-knit community.
• Breaking of bread: Observing the Lord's Supper in remembrance of Christ's death.
• Prayer: A constant practice, seeking God's guidance and power.
  Membership required belief in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, acting on revealed truth, witnessing, and serving others.

Metaphors and organization. The New Testament uses powerful metaphors for the church:

• Body of Christ: Christ is the Head, and every member functions interdependently (1 Cor. 12:12).
• Building of God: Comprised of "living stones," indwelt by the Holy Spirit (1 Peter 2:5).
• Bride of Christ: Illustrates Christ's intense love and commitment (Eph. 5:25-27).
  Church organization evolved from apostolic ministry to settled leadership by elders/bishops and deacons. Different systems (Episcopal, Presbyterian, Congregational) emerged, but all true believers are "saints" (set apart for God) and priests (1 Peter 2:9), called to identify with and join other believers for worship and service.

10. Things to Come: Christ's Return and Eternal Destinies

"When the drama of history is over, Jesus Christ will stand alone upon the stage."

The Day of the Lord. Both Old and New Testaments affirm that history is moving toward a climax, "the Day of the Lord," where God will intervene to resolve evil and establish His reign. Old Testament prophets foresaw the Messiah as both a Suffering Servant (fulfilled in Christ's first coming) and a Reigning King (to be fulfilled in His second coming). This second coming is the Christian's firm hope, a glorious and incontestable fact, promised by Jesus and affirmed by angels and apostles.

Christ's return and tribulation. Jesus will return visibly and powerfully, accompanied by angels, to gather His elect (Matt. 24:29-30; 1 Thess. 4:16). Prior to this, a period of intense opposition to God, known as the Tribulation, will occur, marked by the appearance of the "Antichrist" (1 John 2:18; Rev. 13). While scholars differ on whether believers will experience this Tribulation (pretribulation, midtribulation, posttribulation views), all agree on the certainty of Christ's return, which serves as an incentive for holy living.

Millennium and judgments. The Millennium is a foretold 1,000-year period (Rev. 20:1-10) where Christ reigns in peace and Satan is bound. Premillennialists believe this is a literal earthly reign, while amillennialists see it as symbolic of the church's ideal state. At Christ's coming, the resurrection of believers will occur, followed by the resurrection of unbelievers for judgment. Believers will face the judgment seat of Christ for appraisal of their works (2 Cor. 5:10), while the unsaved will face the Great White Throne judgment (Rev. 20:11-12).

Heaven and hell. The final destiny of the wicked is hell, described as everlasting fire, outer darkness, and eternal torment (Mark 9:43; Rev. 20:10). It is a place of conscious suffering and separation from God, not annihilation or a "Jolly Boys' Club." The final destiny of the righteous is heaven, defined as where God is—a place of rest, glory, purity, worship, and eternal fellowship with God, free from death, mourning, crying, or pain (Rev. 21:4). Everything in heaven will be new, culminating in God's kingdom established forever, a dynamic and exhilarating experience beyond our comprehension.

Last updated: February 27, 2026