What I Believe

I believe that God created everything out of nothing and that He spoke it into existence. I also believe He did it in six 24-hour days. And that He now sustains it all and will do so until His plan for the world is completely fulfilled.

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  Genesis 1:1

God saw all that He had made and behold it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day. Genesis 1: 31

....and [He] upholds all things by the word of His power. Hebrews 1:3

I believe in the trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus is the son of God. Fully God yet fully man.

In the beginning was the Word and the word was with God and the Word was God. John 1:1

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives, in bodily form. Colossians 2:9

(I find this explanation on the triune God by John MacArthur to be the clearest and easiest to understand.)

I believe that all people are sinners and deserving of eternal punishment in hell.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

The soul that sins shall die. Ezekiel 18:20

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23

I believe that Jesus died a real physical death and that God raised Him to life again, and that his death and resurrection paid the penalty for my sins in full. It was the only payment that completely satisfied God's requirement for punishment for sin.

He who was delivered up for our trespasses and raised up for our justification. Romans 4:25

Because Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God. 1 Peter 3:18

I believe that I'm saved from an eternity in hell, by the grace of God, through faith alone.

This faith is a beautiful, precious gift from God and I have not earned it. Nothing I do - no good, kind, helpful deeds, no amount of religious activity or Bible study or prayer......nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing - could save me and see me into heaven. Only faith in God.

For by grace you have been saved though faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God and not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.  Ephesians 2:8-9

If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that has God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

And all praise to God for that, because I'm completely stinking rotten and would be without hope were it not for His grace, mercy and sustaining power.

Now to Him who has the power to keep you from stumbling, and to present you without blemish before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy. Jude 24

Amen.