I BELIEVE

"The Working Out Of 

My Salvation"

The above quotation is from a saying which Paul coined in Philippians 2:12.

For me it ties ever so beautifully with the idea of  

continuously "seeking the LORD."

In today's blog, I want to post some additional parameters that I have come to believe.

As an aside, I would encourage you to take an inventory of your Faith...that is take some time to put into writing what you REALLY have come to believe.

What I am about to relay, is in addition to the basic tenets I hold as a follower of YESHUA the MESSIAH.

• I.E. Virgin Birth, death and resurrection, Salvation through JESUS alone, etc.

Let us begin:

• I Believe that HELL is a place for the UNBeliever - John 3:18 & Matthew 12:37

As opposed to the idea of HELL being a destination for the "sinner."  

If that were the case, WE ALL would be condemned to an eternity in HELL.

1 John 2 is NOT suggesting that we will never sin nor that it is possible not to sin.  

If that were the case, HE would be contradicting himself from the earlier verse, and thus making him a liar.

It is generally accepted that John's epistle was directed at thwarting the emergence of "Gnosticism" within the Church.

One school of thought embraced by early Gnoticism was the idea that sin did not exist.

• I Believe that SIN means what it means [both in the Hebrew & Greek] - "to miss the Mark" 

This definition lines up with JESUS' concept of sin; which is FAR more encompassing than the "willful disobedience towards GOD" definition that some have created and seek to ascribe.

• I Believe in preaching INTIMACY over Religiosity - which JESUS himself condemns.

Religiosity boasts of what I can do whereas Intimacy is a humble mindset of  what HE has done for me.  

[It is the Peter versus John mentality]

What is My/Our/Your motivation for following JESUS?

A fear of HELL or a compulsion to Follow HIM because HE first loved me and that only HE can lead me to Eternal Life?
 

I have to ask myself, do people see my relationship with JESUS and say 

"I NEED/WANT THAT!"

or Do I have the opposite effect and act as Spiritual "Bug-spray?"
 

• I Believe that the FATHER saved the best for last, and that the NEW Covenant is a far better Covenant than the Old.

Hebrews 8

• I Believe RIGHT Believing leads to RIGHT living NOT vice versa.

Abraham is a perfect example - Romans 4                        

• I Believe "for by GRACE we have been SAVED through FAITH, and that this is not our own doing - it is the GIFT of GOD, NOT a result of works so that no one may boast. " 

~Ephesians 2:8-9   'nough said!

• I Believe we have yet to see the full effects of the Fruit of GRACE, but we are in fact seeing the Fruit of "mixing new wine with old wineskins" ripening in our generation.

Or to put it more plainly the mixing of OLD Covenant laws with New Covenant principles.
                        

• I Believe in the LAST DAYS knowledge will increase.  Daniel 12:4

This increase in knowledge will affect both the believer and skeptic alike.  

                          

For the believer, it will add a freshness to the way we approach the Scriptures.

Not changing who JESUS was, but allowing for greater clarity and thus deeper intimacy with HIM.

As for the world, their increase in knowledge based primarily on technological advances will serve to only drive them further from the Truth and deeper into despair.

I appreciate you taking the time to read, and please feel free to leave me any comments.

Abundant Grace & Mercy to you,

Jason