One God
1. We Believe the Lord our God is 0ne.
The word "one" here means the number one, not a group of three. Jesus believed this or he would not have said, "The foremost (commandment) is: "Hear O Israel! the Lord our God is one. (Mark 12:29)
The concept of the trinity was agreed on by all Christian bishops during the Counsel of Nicea in the fourth century. The two bishops that disagreed and kept to the truth of the one God were excommunicated. The Christian church leaders got together to decide who Jesus was, as if the Son of God wasn't enough.
On occasion, I have asked a church representative, "why is God three persons?" They picked a few scriptures to support their belief. When I delved deeper, the answer was that the trinity was just a mystery that you accept. How can I wrap my logical mind around three Gods in one person? Bringing God down to make Him a person - what heresy is that!
Can a son be his own father, or why did Jesus cry out from the cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" Was Jesus talking to himself? Why does Jesus say He didn't know when He was coming back if He is God? Did Jesus hide that from Himself? Why is Jesus sitting at the right hand of God when He is God? I could go on and on. I've also been told, "only preachers and priests can interpret Scripture." I thought the Book was for everyone. King Solomon told us to search the scriptures daily.
When the apostle Paul was talking about how many hardships he had gone through for Christ he said. " The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, knows that I am not lying." (2 Corinthians 11:31) Paul also wanted the church to be like minded and he said, "So that, with one accord, you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 15:6)
All these verses, and many more, point to God in the singular. God created the universe by Himself. (
The trinity continues to be a topic of ongoing controversy.
The length of the above statements is an example of our quest to find the truth. This has been the #1 desire in my life sense childhood, to find the truth that never changes.
One account of Jesus' birth is recorded in:
(Luke 1:26-38)
God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and void and
darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the
surface of the waters."
(Genesis 1:2)
4. We believe in God's power and presence, which is His Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:2)
Jesus said, "I will ask the Father and He will give you another helper, that He will be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth whom the world can not receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you." (John 14:16) When feeling depression, grief, love, or a sense of well being, it seems to come from the middle of the chest. Feeling the joy of God surely comes from the general location of our hearts. As an example Scripture speaks of the evil and callousness of mans hearts as well as the Spirit shedding love abroad in man's hearts.
5. We believe our purpose is to seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. This is also Jesus' cure for worry as well.
(Matthew 6:33)
6. We believe in the Kingdom of God as taught by Jesus.
This Kingdom, is a real kingdom. The Kingdom has a King, Jesus Christ, who is our high priest and inherits the world, the same as we do. The Kingdom has laws, land (earth) and citizens who are those who follow the laws of love. The King has a bride which is His church. All kingdoms are a form of government. This is the "good news" because God will, at the end, restore the earth to it's original state as recorded in Revelations. Only God can execute His plan and put Satan under the feet of our King.
Again, the truth is so simple and all this is supported by scripture. The everyday man can understand what the kingdom is as children can. Jesus said, "I must preach the 'Good News' of the Kingdom of God in other cities too, because that is why I was sent." (Luke 4:43)
How did this get so messed up? The religious, that believes we have to do some work to earn salvation, like to take what is simple, chew it up, and spit it out. They then say to church goers, "This is too mysterious for you to understand because it is symbolic and only I know what it means." In the Scofild Bible the Kingdom is defined as the totality of all of God's realm, whatever that means.
nature and give us His righteousness.
When the apostle Paul was talking about Jewish law he said, "But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law." When Jesus was hanging on the cross, He took upon Himself the punishment for all the wrong doings of our entire lives. God's law in the Old Testament was - If you disobey me you will die. We die physically as well as spiritually. It is written in Scripture, "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." We were given right standing with God because He sees us as perfect while Christ works to make us holy. (Galatians 3:13) Living Bible Translation
8. We believe we must repent, or have a change of mind, be born again,
be baptized in water, and the Holy Spirit to enter the Kingdom of God.
The Scripture on repentance, baptism, and the Holy Spirit is found in Act 2:38. Jesus covers the "born again" requirement in John 3:3-8. All things are made new. When the mind is renewed all perceptions change. This is our goal and is attainable or it wouldn't be described in scripture.
9 The Holy Spirit now lives in me and I am a new person and will have life everlasting.
"By this we know that we live in Him and He in us, because He has given us His Spirit. (1 John 4:13)
Your mind is transformed, like a lowly worm becoming a beautiful butterfly.
"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so you may prove what the will of God is,which is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans12:2)
In order to be like Jesus and our Father God, our minds have to be changed. It's an inside job that only God can do, not you. Ask God to do it, believing that He will, and He will in His time. He first has to get you ready. Wait in faith for Him to do it. You are helpless to change yourself to be Christ like. How can you? Complete helplessness is the attitude God wants from us. Knowing the truth alone does not change you at all. The flesh, by obeying the law, can't create the spiritual. Only Spirit can create Spirit. Struggling on your own is Old Testament thinking. It's by faith you are saved, not by trying to change yourself. The following page illustrates the attitudes God needs in us so he can change us.
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