You have probably asked yourself, “What do I believe?” I remember when, growing up in the faith, I always had questions but never really felt comfortable asking them.
Questions like, “If satan’s punishment was to crawl on his belly, what did a snake look like before the fall of man-kind?
Wait, was it even a snake in the garden with Adam and Eve?” Your disciple-maker will be able to meet soon and discuss your questions. But, know this: there are core beliefs that make you a Christian, and there may be spiritual convictions that differ from those of your closest friends.
Ask your disciple-maker the craziest questions you can think of.
I know I have asked some off-the-wall questions before. You need to believe a couple things in order to make you a Christian; other beliefs you will learn will change over time depending on your personal experiences, church background, and your theology of things as God reveals His Word to you.
But listen closely: it’s okay to not know. In fact, I hope that your disciple-maker is looking at you with a deer- in-the-headlights look when you ask them your deep theological questions and that the only thing they can mumble under their breath is “I don’t know.” That may be the most comforting thing to hear.
You may think, “What do you mean? My pastor, Sunday school teacher, small group leader, disciple-maker doesn’t know?” Even the angels in Heaven do not know all that there is to know or understand about God. In fact, maybe that’s why what we believe is called faith. Faith, as He- brews 11:1 tells us, is believing in what you can not see or fully unders- tand.
Maybe your disciple-maker and you can look at Bible verses together and talk about some deep truths, but it’s okay to also just look at each other and say, “I don’t know if satan was a snake or not. I don’t know if it was an apple that Adam and Eve ate. I don’t know the date God is coming back or if dinosaurs are real.
But this is what I do know: I was lost, without hope, purpose, or comfort. I was introduced to a man who knew all of my sin and pursued a relationship with me anyways. I ran away from Him, and He kept knocking on the door of my heart.
I was lost, and now I am found. I was guilty, and now I am forgiven, I was broken, and now I have purpose. To make King Jesus known. I want to give others the hope of everlasting life through Je- sus, that someone else gave to me.”
It will require faith and the conviction of the Holy Spirit for you to believe these things.
These beliefs are outlined in a document called The Baptist Faith and Message 2000 (BFM2000), which is a document that highlights the core beliefs of our faith.
Please understand that this document is a man-made document. It does have errors and there may even be things throughout the document that you disagree with.
Regardless, whether you’re Baptist or not, it’s a helpful guide when it comes to our evangelical beliefs about God’s relationship with man.
The BFM2000 is written in a way that many who do not identify as Southern Baptists agree with these core doctrines.
What you believe matters, but maybe nothing is more important in the world than what you believe about God.
As a Christian, your faith is centered on your belief in God, so let’s look at the foundations of our faith together.
You can read more about these beliefs in the Baptist Faith and Message 2000, Article II. God.1
He reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving, and all-wise.
God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men.
He reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving, and all-wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men.
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man.
It is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as
Lord and Saviour, who obtained eternal redemption
for the believer by His blood. In its broadest sense,
salvation includes regeneration, justification,
sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation
apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. But what does all of this mean for you as a Christian? It means you have a relationship with God, who created you for a purpose and loves you unconditionally. It means you have hope for the future, knowing you are forgiven and have eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.
As a Christian, you’re called to live out your faith daily, seeking to love God and others. You are called to share the Good News of the Gospel with those around you, pointing them to the love and grace of God. And you are called to grow in your faith, study the Bible, and deepen your understanding of God and what He has done for you.
So, as you continue on your journey as a Christian, hold fast to these beliefs, trusting in the love and grace of God and seeking to live out your faith in all that you do.
