Do you know what you believe... about God? That’s not an unusual question. Many people are confused about religion and not really sure what they believe.
Don’t despair, there’s help. Recently, I discovered a software program that will help you determine what you believe... about God.
It’s called Belief-O-Matic. Don’t confuse this with the Chop-o-Matic... that’s the food processor that minces and chops vegetables and finely dices nuts with the push of a button. However, I do think they have a lot of similarities.
So, if YOU don't know what faith you are, Belief-O-Matic knows and will tell you. It’s easy... answer 20 questions about your concept of God, the afterlife, human nature, and more, and Belief-O-Matic will tell you what religion (if any) you practice...or ought to consider practicing. No joke... this tool exists! I had no idea it could be so easy to discover what I believe about God. All these years, I’ve been doing it the old fashioned way... just reading my Bible. Of course, reading a stodgy old book like the Bible is a lot more work than having a software application tell me what I believe. Belief-O-Matic is much easier, and you don’t have to invest much time to find out what you believe.
I have not personally seen this application in operation in any church I’ve attended. But I wonder... if many churches aren’t using Belief-O-Matic to instruct their members about what they should and shouldn’t believe... about God? I wonder... Okay, I am going to shift to a more serious tone.
The word “Christian and Christianity" conjure up many pictures, depending on who defines it. There are so many “interpretations” of what it is and what it means to be a “follower of Christ” that many people, even Christians, can’t explain what and why they believe what they do. No wonder Belief-O-Matic exists... it’s just easier to answer 20 questions and design the “religion” that fits you.
Most people think of “Christianity” as one of the approximately 10,000 distinct religions in the world today. They think of it as one of the top three religions in the world, along with Islam and Hinduism. Is it? Not at all.
Christianity is not a religion. It’s not about buildings, cathedrals, rules, liturgies, traditions or ceremonies. There’s really no “religion” to it. Christianity is about an authentic, genuine, true relationship with the God of the universe through His Son, Jesus Christ. Christian... means “follower of Christ”, a simple follower who seeks to live in harmony with Jesus Christ. Christianity is about faith from the heart in Jesus and what He did for all humanity on the cross. It’s not complex... it’s simple.
In a day when Biblical Christianity is being watered down and morphed into convenient all-inclusive lifestyle religion, it is imperative that true, born-again Christians come together and unify around the fundamentals of faith. You must know what you believe and why you believe what you believe.
Where do you turn when critics and cynics question the very existence of God and the Christian faith? When your own family and friends press you to explain the foundations of your faith, can you? Can you explain it in a way that bridges the gap between belief, understanding and the challenges of life? Trust me, Belief-O-Matic won’t help you, but God’s Word the Bible can. Here’s what the Scriptures say...
CONCERNING GOD
God is the Deity, the Godhead; He is composed of:
1. God the Father . . . Creator of the heaven, earth and the entire universe, of all life (Acts 17:28), and the one to whom each person must give an accounting (Acts 17:30,31).
2. God the Son –– Christ . . . Eternally divine, who is the only begotten Son of God, and Creator of heaven and earth, but who came to earth in the form of humanity (Phil. 2:5-8), to become the Atonement for the sins of mankind. (1 John 2:1-2).
3. God the Holy Spirit . . . The promised Comforter by whom was revealed to the apostles and inspired writers, the infallible and unchangeable Scriptures. (2 Peter 1:20,21).
CONCERNING CHRIST
He is the only hope of salvation for man because of His sacrificial death as an expression of Divine love and grace to become God's means to reconcile sinful man to a forgiving God. There is no other way to God, the Father (John 14:6) except through Jesus... the way, the truth, the life. Jesus has been given all authority in spiritual matters. He is worthy of all our submission and praise (Phil. 2:9-11).
CONCERNING THE BIBLE
The Bible is the inspired, infallible, authoritative and unchangeable Revelation of God. By it alone, man can be governed for the highest and noblest spiritual life and moral behavior. Reference to the scriptures cab be made in settling every religious question. A pronouncement from the Bible is considered the final word. The Bible is the basic textbook of the church and the basis for all preaching and teaching. The belief of the church is stated fully and completely in the Bible. There is no other manual or discipline to which the members of Christ’s body must give their allegiance. Man's spiritual journey must recognize no other creed or authority beyond the Bible (John 12:46- 50).
CONCERNING SALVATION
Restoration of sinful man is God's desire (1 Peter 3:9) and is made possible by His love and grace (John 3:16). This salvation is attainable by man's faith in God, His Word the Bible and obedience to the simple requirements stated in the gospel. Forgiveness of sins can be found only through Christ when a sinner repents of sins, confesses the Sonship of Christ and is immersed with Christ in baptism (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-5). These straightforward steps to gaining a personal grip on salvation are as follows...
Hear the Gospel. "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" (Romans 10:14).
Believe. "And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him." (Hebrews 11:6).
Repent of past sins. "In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent." (Acts 17:30).
Confess Jesus as Lord. "Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?” Then Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." (Acts 8:36-37).
Be baptized for the remission of sins. "Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:38).
Live a Christian life. "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Peter 2:9). Spiritual growth and development in the likeness of Christ is the noble living purpose of a true child of God.
CONCERNING THE CHURCH
The love that God and Christ have for the church cannot be overstated (Eph. 5:25-27). The church is "the ones called out" (from sin, darkness and death) and consists of the body of believers redeemed by the blood of Christ. Christ is the one who adds "the saved" to His spiritual family. All who love Him, believe His Word and "obey the gospel" can be at peace with God, and look forward to their place in the eternal kingdom of God.
CONCERNING LEADERSHIP
By divine decree, the church is under the oversight of spiritually qualified men who are called "elders" or "overseers" in the New Testament (Acts 20:28; 1 Peter 5:1-4)). The work and worship of the body, under the guidance of elders / shepherds, is carried out supported by scripturally appointed "deacons”, along with teachers and evangelists or preachers. Elders serve under the headship of Christ according to the New Testament. All faithful Christians serve in loving, caring submission to God as directed in the Bible. There is no earthly authority superior to the elders of the local church.
These simple “components of belief” are not meant to be a statement of rules or a creed. They are simply a concise and brief overview of the basic foundations of our faith based on the Inspired Scriptures... The Holy Bible.
The early church, its leaders and its members, were very much on the same page in every aspect of important doctrine because the Bible was their only source of true doctrine. Nothing was added or taken away.
The modern drift away from sound doctrine has created the confusion of denominations in the modern church. Why? Because they have abandoned the one and only true source of truth - the Word of God. In drifting away from the pure and unadulterated Word of God, they have created strife, divisions and divisiveness by promoting their own versions of the simple foundations of true Christian faith.
Accept nothing less than TRUTH from your church experience. Christians... don’t wait for someone else to teach you the truth of God’s Word. Search the Scriptures for yourself and see what it the Bible says to you. It is the foundation for God approved belief... the basis of your faith. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
The Bible is our standard for testing everything that claims to be truth. It is our safeguard against false teachings and source for guidance on how we should live. It is the only source for understanding God’s requirements of salvation. Spend as much time as you can reading the old stodgy Bible and God will guide and direct your heart to the truth as only he can.
You won’t need Belief-O-Matic to tell you what you believe... you will discover truth on your own as God intended for you to do. Read the Bible daily, and you will become confident in your faith and your life journey.
