Christians believe that the bible is the accurate, inspired, and holy written word of God. God needed to communicate with man

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Personal Creed

CST302 Personal Creed

Scripture and Truth

The Evangelical View:

Christians believe that the bible is the accurate, inspired, and holy written word of God. God needed to communicate with man and inspired his servants to write down scripts. No one wrote their ideas but every scripture was fully guided by God through the power of the Holy Spirit. According to the bible, all scriptures are inspired and profitable for teaching, rebuking, and guiding man in all righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). These scriptures give the bible the authority to guide man as God's oracles. Christian’s view of the Bible is shaped by their perspective about God.

Since God is holy truthful, righteous, and just then his words can be trusted (John 1:18:1:1, 1 John 4:6). God himself commanded the writing down of his words to people (Exodus 34:27). The bible has numerous verses of God's own words (Jeremiah 11: 1-3) Christians believe that a perfect God, gave a perfect word that has authority over the creation.

Personal Views and Reflections:

I believe that the bible is a holy book like other holy books such as the Quran, Gita, Torah, and Tripitaka. The coordination and flow of events from Genesis to Revelation is convincing that the bible must have been inspired by a Supreme Being. For instance, In Hebrew 11 records all patriarchs of faith with accuracy as highlighted in books written thousands of years earlier. Most of the recent errors in the bible might be from translations mistakes. The original bible is free from errors as it recorded the events as they happened, there is an affirmation of events from different scriptures and no one of us was they to confirm that the statements are not true.

The bible has been proven true historically as most events are recorded in other historical books. The ability of biblical words to transform individuals' lives is proof that it is not a mere historical book but a book with authority and power. I believe the Bible is divinely inspired, originally perfect, and with great authority. The bible is so practical and touching to real-life happenings.

God, The Holy Trinity

The Evangelical View:

Evangelicals deem that God is in 3 forms which are Holy Spirit, Son and Father. Scriptures refer to the father as God (Ephe 4:6 ), and the holy spirit as God (1 Thes 4:6) and christ as God (Isaiah 9; 6). God is one in three different forms (Ephesians 4:4-6). According to the evangelicals, God the Father sent Jesus to the world and Jesus sent the Holy Spirit after accomplishing his mission (John 3:18, 14: 14:26). The three co-work but have different responsibilities. Evangelicals insist that though the three persons are each fully God, they are one God.

Personal Views and Reflections:

I believe the doctrine of the trinity is a good attempt to explain God but is not yet well defined. Numerous scriptures say that God is one but there are no scriptures directly talking about the trinity. Though it is a logical conclusion from various scriptures, the explanation of God remains quite controversial. The three persons taught in the trinity are means through which God has revealed himself. I suppose God is one and his persons are not limited nor easily graspable.

I think that efforts to wholly explain God end up fruitless, as God is way beyond human conception. God is one but reveals himself to man in whichever way he wishes. The Holy Spirit in human terms is Gods working power and there is no way he can be a different person from God the father of Jesus. Jesus is God, God the Father is God, and how we experience them here is in form of the Holy Spirit. Nonetheless, God is revealed and not explained and any attempts to fully explicate God are futile.

Humanity and Sin

The Evangelical View:

Evangelicals believe that God created man in his likeness and image and even breathed his life on him (Genesis1, 2). Humans are the most superior of God's creation and have been given the power to dominate all things. The original intention of God was to create a man with whom they have fellowship in the Garden of Eden. Everything else on earth was created for man to cultivate, consume and rule (Genesis 1:26).

Adam and Eve were deceived by the serpent and eat from the forbidden tree (Genesis3). Their defiance introduced transgression and mortality into the world (Romans 5:12-19). The original sin of disobedience and unbelief in God's words is the reason for the fallen nature of man. The redemption plan for the original sin was the death of Jesus on the cross (John 3:16).

Personal Views and Reflections:

I find the evangelical Christians' explanation of humanity and sin as the most logical. Every man is born with a nature of sin and a desire for God. All humans are wonderfully crafted and gifted by God for specific purposes on earth. I believe that men have equal dignity as they are of a similar origin, struggle, and end up in death. All humans have a desire for good in them and the fallen nature of sin that pushes them to evil. In most cases, the evil nature supersedes the good. The good nature of man pursues them to set a moral standard to control their evil desires.

The Person of Christ

The Evangelical View:

Evangelical Christians view Christ in two ways. Jesus the Son of God which means he is divine God and Jesus as a man. Jesus coming to earth was just an incarnation so that he can save the world from sin, but he existed before then (John8:48-59). Jesus' pre-existence before his birth as a man is an indication he was is God and has always existed (John1:1). Evangelicals ascertain that Jesus was 100% man, and suffered and struggled in man's flesh nature while on earth ( 1 John 4:2).

Christ is now sitting at the right hand of God and will rule over the kingdom of God (Eph 2:6). Evangelicals believe that Christ is the second in the hierarchy of Godhead (Mathew 28:19). Christ is the only way to father and salvation is through believing in him. The person of Christ is the basis of Christianity doctrine.

Personal Views and Reflections:

I agree with the evangelical Christian view on the person of Christ as the son of God and as a man. Jesus is the word that was from the beginning, that is, and is to come. The entire Bible centers on the mystery of the person of Christ that was reflected in his works. Christ as the man was divinity in human form. The person of Christ is the mystery of the gospel that God would become man and be God again.

The Work of Christ

The Evangelical View:

Christ's birth, death, and resurrection are the root of the evangelical Christians doctrine. Humanity's greatest problem was sin and death that came from the fallen nature. Christ's main work was to redeem man from the curse of sin (Galatian 3:13). In his life on earth, Jesus did numerous miracles, healed the sick, raised the dead, and most importantly taught about the kingdom of God (Luke 1, 12).

Jesus' death through crucifixion paid for all the sins of man. His resurrection is an assurance that he overcame death and gave the key to eternal life ( 1Corithians15:14). Evangelicals believe the life, death, and rising again of Jesus was God's strategy for the salvation of man from Adamic sin (Romans 3:23-25). Now every man who believes in Jesus is justified and gets eternal life.

Personal Views and Reflections:

Indeed Jesus' life, death, and resurrection is the gist of Christianity. Jesus came to bridge the gap between man and God by becoming the final ransom for sin. The redeeming power of the cross was God sending his son to meet his standards of righteousness. Jesus became a man with flesh to overcome the sting of death and sin. Christianity is all about understanding the finished work of the cross, the forgiveness of sin, and the justification that comes with believing in him. God became a man in order to save man from sin by fulfilling standards of righteousness, which were humanly unreachable.

Soteriology

The Evangelical View:

Evangelical Christians believe that salvation is through a process of justification, sanctification, and then glorification. Any person who believes in Jesus is justified, meaning a sinner is pronounced righteous (Romans 10:9). After justification, a Christian goes through sanctification through the power of the Holy Spirit. This is the transformation and growing in holiness (Galatians 5:16-24). Glorification will occur when believers in Christ will resurrect in eternal life and live forever with Christ (Colossians 3:4)

Christians believe they were justified purely by Christ's works and not personal deeds (Eph 2;8). Sanctification happens all through someone's life as they grow in the grace and knowledge of Christ. It's initiated by the spirit which sanctifies us from flesh filthiness (2 cor 7:1). Believers are waiting for the glorification where we shall be fully perfect (Phil 3:21).

Personal Views and Reflections:

After believing in Jesus, I believe one is saved from the curse of sin. However, we remain in a world of sin and for that will, are continually saved from sin. On the return of Christ, we will be glorified to a sinless existence. Man was saved from the curse of sin, is being saved from the power of sin, and eventually will be saved from the existence of sin. The solution to sin is death. As Christians believing in Christ means dying to self and being born again to a new nature that overcomes sin.

Every human being who believes in the finished work of Christ on the cross is saved. Humans can only be saved by neglecting their self-righteousness and depending on Christ's righteousness. Every human being struggles with morality and eternity. Jesus is a solution and the ultimate salvation of man.

Ecclesiology

The Evangelical View:

Evangelical Christians believe that the church is the body of Christ. The church should be based on the biblical teaching of the word of God (1 Cori 12). The mission of the church is a fellowship where believers gather and pray, sing, teach and encourage each other (Eph 5:19-22). The church is also obligated to do evangelism, and discipleship (Mathew 28:18) The church should be holy, covenantal, spirited, and word-centered. Evangelicals are into doctrines of marks of the church. Christians insist on the church being a bride who should be ready to meet the bridegroom who is Christ (Revelation 19).

Personal Views and Reflections:

I agree with the evangelical Christians that the church is the body of Christ. The church is not the physical structure but a fellowship of brethren. Every believer makes part of the body of Christ. A church is Christ's bride and should stay ready every time for his return.

The church plays a big role in teaching me the word of God. The church is where iron sharpens iron. Every time we fellowship with other people we share revelations of Christ which edifies. Also, churches act as a reflection of our walk with God. To me, the church is where we create an eternal family.

Eschatology

The Evangelical View:

Evangelicals believe we are at the end times and Jesus is coming back soon. The many challenges facing man today such as war, pandemics, Christian persecution, earthquakes are a fulfillment of the prophetic words about the end times signs (Matthew 24). Most evangelicals believe they will be ruptured and meet Jesus in the sky on an unknown day (I The 9:4) During the last day there will be the resurrection of all the dead and later judgment (I Corinthians 5:1-10).

Evangelicals believe the end times will be characterized by major challenges and prophetic fulfillments. They also believe a great revival will erupt and the gospel will be preached to all nations. Additionally, there will be many false prophets and teachers who will mislead many (I Timothy 4). Some evangelicals believe the end time will be marked by the coming of the antichrist (Rev 12).

Personal Views and Reflections:

Christians have very diverse beliefs on the end times, what will happen first, how it will happen, and where. Nevertheless, it is undebatable that most of the prophecies in the bible are continually being fulfilled. Despite the different understanding of the chronological order of events at the end time, the bottom line is that the end will come. I believe the current world will be destroyed and there will be a new heaven and new earth. Since the God of the Bible is real and true everything written in it shall come to pass. Believers should not fear the end times as we have already crossed from death to life. The world is a temporary place.

References

King James Bible. (2017). Oxford University Press. (Original work published 1611)

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