Beliefs of the Biblical Christian, Part 1

 
Beliefs of the Biblical Christian, Part 1
Pt. 26, The Biblical Story

By Pastor Dan Kennedy
© March 15, 2015
www.pastorkennedy.com

What We Believe Transforms Us Into Who We Really Are
If we truly believe that there is an All Powerful God and that He sent His sinless Son Jesus Christ to be the sacrifice for our sins – and we “call upon” and “accept” Jesus as our sin bearer before God, we will have eternal life.  (John 3:14-18; Romans 10:9-10, 13, 1 Cor. 15:1-4…)  That will change us!  The Holy Spirit enlivens the spirit of Believers in Christ to understand the Truth of the Bible and transforms us to be Children of the Most High God.  The Scripture then transform our minds, as we obediently follow God’s Truth.

Romans 12:1–2 
12 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. 

Evidence of the Sincere Believer
If we truly believe that we should live as a Christian should, this will change how we interact with others on a daily basis and how we continue to live our life.  We will not choose to live a life filled with a pattern of cheating, lying, stealing, drunkenness and sensuality, etc. (1 Peter 4:3).  If a true Christian fails in any area, he or she will repent, sincerely ask for God’s forgiveness through the provision of Christ’s blood, and turn from their carnal ways.  A pattern of repentance, forgiveness and honorable life becomes the pattern of a True Christian rather than the pattern of living for our own natural, carnal and selfish desires.

Romans 12:9–13  
Marks of the True Christian 
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 

Let’s take a closer look at these verses and the thirteen characteristics, which reveal true Christian values of life. 

13 Marks of the True Christian 

•	Let love be genuine 
o	We are often painfully aware when love is not genuine.  How precious is genuine love!
•	Abhor what is evil 
o	Do we enjoy carnal gossip, seductive pleasures, and deceptive lifestyles -things that we know will destroy us, or do we abhor them?
1 Peter 3:10–12 
10 For 
	“Whoever desires to love life 
and see good days, 
	let him keep his tongue from evil 
and his lips from speaking deceit; 
	11 let him turn away from evil and do good; 
let him seek peace and pursue it. 
	12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, 
and his ears are open to their prayer. 
	But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 

•	Hold fast to what is good 
o	If given a choice, what do we hold on to – that which we know is honoring to God, or do we hold on to that which just satisfies our carnal nature?  It’s easy to skip out on God when it is more satisfying to please ourselves!
•	Love one another with brotherly affection 
o	Treating each other graciously as brothers and sisters…in love – not fighting; in honor, not disrespectfulness.  These are key attitudes for healthy interactions in the Body of Christ.
•	Outdo one another in showing honor
o	How often do we have a competition in who can show the most respect and honor to those around us?  Gossip seldom elevates the person we are talking about.  Our carnal nature always wants us to be “king or queen of the mountain”; Scripture teaches us “we should consider others better than ourselves” (Phil. 2:3).
•	Do not be slothful in zeal
How refreshing it is to be around those who have a wonderful knowledge and zeal for God.  It seems that many Christians have lost their zeal for God.  Others have zeal without knowledge (Rom. 10:2).  
•	Be fervent in spirit
o	Being fervent in spirit is akin to having a zealous refreshing attitude.  Fervency portrays one’s deep and sincere commitment and belief of the heart.  A person cannot be fervent in spirit if they are only half-hearted in believing something!
•	Serve the Lord
o	Serving the Lord is a natural outcome for a true Christian when we abhor evil and hold on to what is good.  When we love others, respect them, honor them and esteem them better than ourselves.  When we have a zealous, fervent spirit for the Lord.  Those who live such lives also “serve the Lord” effectively – a natural outcome of their heart.  These Believers in Christ bear spiritual fruit, some 30, some 60, and some 100 fold for Christ’s Kingdom – it doesn’t matter where they live or in what circumstances they find themselves, they bear good spiritual fruit!
•	Rejoice in hope
o	These committed Christians rejoice in the hope that they have in Christ.  Their attitude of anticipation of God’s blessing and of Christ’s Coming is contagious!
•	Be patient in tribulation
o	No true Christian is without trial, because no servant is above his or her Master.  Trial and tribulation is used by God to refine and purify the genuineness of our faith (1 Peter 1:6-7; 4:12-13 James 1:2-4)
•	Be constant in prayer
o	Prayer is a continuing breath of our life.  Communicating and communing with our Father in Heaven.  Praying in the Spirit – the praises, requests and thanksgivings of our heart.
•	Contribute to the needs of the saints  
o	Awareness and compassion for those in need around us – especially those in the “household of God”.
•	And seek to show hospitality
o	God’s Children are to be hospitable people.  Gracious hospitality is loving, warm, respectful, generous, and discerning.  (1 Tim. 3:2; Titus 1:8; Heb. 13:2; 1 Peter 4:9)
Marks of the True Christian 
Romans 12:9–13  
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 

If you want to live the best life, follow these guidelines; if you want God to be pleased with your life, follow these guidelines.  You will not be disappointed!

There is a Lot of Advice Being Given in the World

•	Some very good, 
•	Some very bad,
•	…And a lot to throw away (like junk mail).
•	You can’t follow it all!
•	But, you will be held accountable for what you do follow.

We live in a world with massive amounts of information flowing in every level – 
Social media,
Commercials 
International news 
Breaking Daily Local headlines 
We are inundated with “how to” and “personal self-help” classes and seminars from every spiritual and financial guru on the planet.  
But Christians have something better and everlasting!

We have been Given the Word of God
•	God has given us many opportunities to hear and be taught His truth.  
•	There are no shortages of personal Bibles (if you do not have one, take a Bible from one of the church pews!) and 
•	We should read the Scripture for ourselves… every day (this will give us clarity on what is being taught – if it is truly Biblical or not). 
•	We should commune with God in prayer, and 
•	We should consistently seek fellowship with believers serious about following God and building Christ’s Kingdom.
•	We should share the Gospel of Jesus Christ as we are going out into the world.  (Matt. 28:19-20)
Romans 10:13–14, 17 
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 

17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. 

Hebrews 11:6 
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 

Believing is based on our knowledge – what we have been taught, in part.  It is often confirmed through personal observation and experience.  Belief is activated through the power of God’s Spirit and the commitment of our will – our life’s choices.  

Pseudo Belief
Intellectual and/or verbal “belief” or “assent” does not always mean “heart” belief, or “life changing” belief.  It may simply mean intellectual compliance with what a teacher, pastor, or parent may aspire for us to believe.  Nonetheless, there is exposure to Truth, whether or not it is acted upon in the heart.  

This could be comparable to everyone being continuously exposed to the evidence of God’s reality through the profound life abundantly surrounding all of us, which He has created (Rom. 1:20-21), yet millions still choosing to disbelieve God in their heart of hearts.  The choice is individual.  God does not force or coerce anyone to choose Him.  God does allow trial so we will be able to think more clearly about the reality of Who He Is, and who we are.

As a person thinks in his or her heart – that is who they are!

Matthew 6:21 
21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 

Why Don’t All Churches Teach the Same Doctrine? 
Over a period of some 1,500 years or more, God used some 38 or so authors to physically write down the Scripture – in the Bible as God’s Spirit inspired them.  Some of the authors were farmers, some were kings, some were prophets, etc., and some were never identified at all.

But, there are basic teachings of Scripture that are fundamental to Bible Believing Churches…of which we are one.  

Opportunity for conflict rises from the diversity found in Scripture…and from our carnal nature and imperfect comprehension of Scripture on the finer points!

The Sixty-Six Book in the Bible are very Diverse:

•	Historical Biographies and Autobiographies.  Biblical authors narrated the historical story of their own lives, or other people’s lives, who were contemporaries or who had lived in previous times.
•	Dreams and Visions.  Others wrote down dreams and visions given to them by God, to be shared with His people.
•	Poems.  Still others wrote poems about God and their person experiences interacting with God.  The Psalms are a great example of this.
•	N. T. Doctrine.  Apostles, prophets, a doctor and fishermen were inspired to write specifically about what to believe about God in the New Testament (N.T.), such as the four Gospels and Acts. Jesus had taught these disciples for three intense years during His ministry.  The Jewish scholar, Paul the Apostle, wrote the majority of New Testament books.  Christ taught him three years following his conversion (Gal. 1:12; 17-18); he had studied the Scripture from his youth (Acts 22:3; 26:4-5).  
•	Prophetic.  Then there were those prophets who told specifically what God was going to happen in the future.
About half the Bible is filled with Prophecies.  
o	Some have already happened
There are many prophecies about the Jewish people, which have already been fulfilled.  Israel becoming a nation in 1948, after 2,000 years, is a fulfillment seen by many in our generation.
There are many fulfilled prophecies about the first coming of Jesus Christ as the Suffering Savior and our Redeemer from sin.
o	Some have yet to happen
There are still many more prophecies, which tell of Christ’s Second Coming and Eternal Kingdom.
There are many prophecies about the “End Times” – some have been fulfilled.  A vast amount more tell of future terrifying events…as found in Matthew 24, and the book of Revelation, such as have never happened in the history of the world and will never happen again (Matt. 24:21; Daniel 12:1)!

Why Don’t All Churches Teach the Same Doctrine? 
Churches on this carnally filled planet often have the same problems that any human organization has.  They have imperfect people who fill them.  Imperfect people who lead; imperfect people who follow; imperfect people who believe some things to be right; others who disagree with how they go about what they do or how they specifically believe what the Scripture is saying.

All churches do not agree exactly with what other churches teach.  That is why there are many types of churches and denominations.  That is why each person must get to know what the Scripture says – for themselves, and then find a congregations that is teaching the fundamentals of the faith as close as possible to what Scripture says.  

	It is obviously important to know what God is meaning from His Word!
	 God’s enemy intentionally wants confusion and destructive conflict in churches.  
	Where best to cause conflict than in doctrine…the very things God wants His People to be aware of!

God wants His Truth to be made known.  So Study the Scripture, to know for yourself!

Will we have disagreements from time to time?  Of course!  We still “see in the mirror dimly.” (1 Cor. 13:12)

Should that break our Christian fellowship with each other?  No.  Not unless there is cultic or Scripturally disruptive teaching on one part or the other.  
Warning Against False Teachers 

1 Timothy 1:3–7 
3 As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not to teach any different doctrine, 4 nor to devote themselves to myths and endless genealogies, which promote speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith. 5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. 6 Certain persons, by swerving from these, have wandered away into vain discussion, 7 desiring to be teachers of the law, without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions. 

With this introduction of Biblical Beliefs, we will close touching only the first point of our church’s 15-point doctrinal statement (other points taught later).  These points are teachings of the Scripture that this church has taught for many years and believe them to be essential elements for the best understanding of the Scripture…on which to base our earthly lives.

A Church Doctrinal Statement

1.	 The Bible.  We believe the Bible (God’s Holy Word) to be the Inspired, Infallible, and Authoritative Word of God.

a.	 Inspired: 

2 Peter 1:19–21 
19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 

2 Timothy 3:16–17 
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 

Revelation 1:1–2; 10-11
1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 2 who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. 

10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet 11 saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.” 

b.	 Infallible: 

Psalm 119:89 
89 Your word, O Lord, is eternal; 
it stands firm in the heavens. 

Malachi 3:6 
6 “For I the Lord do not change; therefore you, O children of Jacob, are not consumed. 


The Bible

The Bible is God’s Road Map in a confused carnal world,
Of God’s plan through the Ages, His Truth is unfurled.
It has been tested for Centuries…for thousands of years,
It has stood in its testing, through doubts and through fears.

The martyrs have held it in their hearts as they died,
The righteous all laud it, for God does not lie.
The sinner’s transformed by God’s Redemptive Plan,
And God’s Children, with hope, seek a heavenly land.

Come all of God’s Children and gather around,
The Scripture’s are opened, God’s Truth does abound.
Immerse in this River, God’s Wisdom is heard,
And drink deeply from Springs of God’s Living Word.


Marks of the True Christian 
Romans 12:9–13  
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 

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