INTRODUCTION TO AFFIRMATIONS OF THE CHRISTIAN FAITH
As time marches on and the aging process begins to cast a shadow on my short-term memory, my mind seems sharper now than ever regarding long-term memory. It is interesting to me that, at 85 years of age, I am still recalling interpretations of Christian beliefs that have been hallmarks of my ministry for three score and more years.
After all, I have sat under the preaching, on a right regular basis, of no fewer than a dozen inimitable pastors with whom I was associated in my role as Church Consultant, Christian Educator and Community Counselor. In my associations, and during those years of Christian service, each of my pastors involved me in the ministries of preaching and teaching the Word.
Living in the latter days of my life on this earth, with the 21st century well under way, I find myself “up against it” regarding a lot that I read today, and hear, about endeavors by more than a few Christian ministers to re-define basic Christian doctrines – beliefs that, for me, were and still are “pillars” upon which to build one’s Christian life.
In our world of instant communication, we pick up on much negativism as to the validity of our Christian Faith - for instance, the brazenness with which professing Christians embrace ways other than Jesus Christ for being saved – even by folks who know that Jesus proved what He said: “I am the way, the truth and the life . . . No one comes to the Father except by me.”
An illustration of how some folks are thinking occurred at one of my favorite places for fellowship with friends - The Waffle House: One morning while sitting at one end of the coffee shop, I and everyone else could hear a guy at the other end waxing eloquent about religious issues. Although I for the most part had tuned him out, my ears perked up when he started talking about how one goes to heaven. Don’t know how the subject came up, but what I heard this guy say was: “All people of all religions will go to heaven if they’re good.”
Now folks, I’m in favor of everyone being good; and I’m in favor of everyone going to heaven; but it doesn’t matter what I am in favor of, or what the Waffle House customer’s view was; the fact is that the Bible tells us who will and will not go to heaven; and nowhere in the Bible does it say that “all people from all religions will go to heaven if they are good.”
Later in this series, I share my understanding of a Christian view of “how to go to heaven”. The “who and how” of receiving, by grace through faith, God’s gift of eternal life ought to be a major objective of all Christian preaching and teaching.
Pursuing an evangelistic objective, however, in no way diminishes but enhances the importance of affirming and acting upon all other major Christian doctrines – the necessity of which motivated me to reaffirm my Christian beliefs.
There were basically ten tenets which I felt the need to reexamine and work through in my own mind until I could say, “This I believe.”
Yes, reflected in my statements of belief are numerous interpretations and perspectives gained from a lifetime of intensive Bible study, as well as listening with an attentive ear to good teachers and preachers, not to mention all the research done through the years in preparation for teaching teachers – probably the most rewarding aspect of my ministry. Amen.
AFFIRMATIONS – SERMON X: BELIEF IN THE BIBLE, GOD’S HOLY WORD
Vacation Bible School was my first introduction to the Bible. I loved VBS; it gave me somewhere to go during the summer when public school was out; also, I looked forward to the lemonade and cookies.
Yet, as I look back upon it - first as a learner and then as a leader - the precious memory that stands out in my mind is the memorization of Scriptures that have stuck with me for years.
Each morning of Vacation Bible School, we began by pledging allegiance to the Bible, God’s Holy Word; we promised to make it “a lamp unto feet, a light unto paths, and hide its words in our hearts that we might not sin against God”.
To this day, I recall verses of Scripture learned in Vacation Bible School. My appreciation for the Word of God has grown steadily as I have spent sixty years in Bible study.
I began studying the Bible as a teenager, became intensely involved as a seminary student, taught the Bible as a minister of education, and trained Bible teachers for more than four decades.
In the past ten years my focus has been on what I love to do best – writing Bible lessons, sermons and devotionals, and sharing them with any group that will give me opportunity to do so.
As I conclude this series of affirmations of my Christian faith, it is fitting to talk about my belief in the Bible as God’s Holy Word because, unless we believe the Bible, no other doctrinal beliefs really matter. Belief in the Bible is foundational.
What is the Bible? Practically speaking, the Holy Bible is thought of as a Book, but is a collection of sixty-six books – thirty-nine Old Testament, twenty-seven New Testament writings – all of which comprise my “library” of Christian faith.
As a Christian, I absolutely must have an answer book as to who I am and why I am here . . . a guide book as to how I am supposed to live . . . a resource that is authoritative. None of us is asked to enter a new relationship with God through Jesus Christ and just “wing it.” We must have direction!
What must I believe about the Bible? This is a question open to various viewpoints by any number of individuals and denominations; but I myself had to decide, aside from factual knowledge associated with the Bible, which beliefs I must affirm as to what the Bible means to me individually. First and foremost was the question of whether the Bible is the inspired Word of God; and, if so, to what extent and in what ways the Bible ought to be considered the Word of God. For answers, I chose to let the Bible speak for itself.
I decided to summarize most of what the Bible says about itself by relying on the basic concepts to be found within the body of the book.
The concept of inspiration tells me what kind of Book the Book of Books is. A well-known scripture verse found in the second epistle of Peter makes the claim that the Bible is the divinely inspired Book:
“For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man; but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21).
Then the apostle Paul, after establishing the authority of scripture, reached the same conclusion: “All scripture is given by inspiration of God” (2 Tim. 3:16). Case closed!
A unique concept of the Bible is that, although fifty-seven authors contributed to the writings over a span of fifteen hundred years, the Bible is a unit – ONE Book made up of many books.
Therefore, it is so very important that I read and study the Bible. Understanding the Old Testament is basic to my understanding of the New Testament, and vice versa. The two together reveal the old story of God’s love.
In the Bible, we have not only the record of God’s revelation of Himself throughout the long history of Israel, as presented in the Old Testament, but we also have the fulfillment of God’s revelation in the New Testament.
The theme of the Bible is redemption. Without the Bible, we would not know of God’s purpose to restore fallen humanity to the holy estate for which God intended His creation; nor would we know of the extent to which Almighty God was willing to go to bring lost humanity back into fellowship with the Creator. Thus, a thread of redemption runs all the way through the Bible – from cover to cover.
In the Bible, we learn about God as creator . . . human beings as sinners . . . God’s hatred of sin because it separated humanity from Creator God . . . God’s desire to bring separated humanity back into the family of God.
We learn the history of God’s chosen people as instruments of God’s divine purpose . . . rebellion of God’s people . . . God’s love and mercy that would not let them go their own way.
We learn about the incarnation in which God the Son came to earth . . . became the redeemer when He gave Himself as the perfect sacrifice – the only kind of sacrifice acceptable for reconciling sinful humanity with the Holy God . . . God’s requirement that sinners repent and, by faith, accept the One and Only Son of God as personal Savior and Lord.
We learn about the life of Jesus – his baptism, his teachings concerning the kingdom of God, his ministry of healing, his trial and crucifixion, his death and burial, his glorious resurrection that finished the work of redemption that had been assigned to Him by God the Father.
We learn about the judgment of God - first dispensed toward Adam and Eve, then Cain, then Noah’s generation, then the rebellious Egyptians, then Moses, then David, the Israel, and eventually all nations and individuals.
We learn that God’s judgment against sin is a fact of which we can be certain. Make no mistake about it: Sinners experience judgment in this life on earth. Judgment happens!
We can be just as sure that each one of us shall stand one day before the judgment seat of Christ (Romans 14:10).
So, there is no escaping judgment either here or there – which is why it is so important for us to do our best to live according to the teachings of God’s Word in the here and now.
Yes, I affirm my belief in the Bible as the record of God’s revelation of Himself to humans; and God’s salvation is available to all who believe.
Does it matter what and in whom I believe? Yes, of course, it matters; and in these affirmations of my Christian Faith, I have set forth, as best I know how, the beliefs which, in my opinion, matter most.
In this day of reexamination of beliefs, it has been important to me to take the time to examine my own heart and mind, so that I can say, as did the apostle Paul:
“I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to commit that which I have committed unto Him against that day.” (2 Timothy 1:12).
Paul challenged Timothy – his son in the faith – to stand firm in his commitment to the Word of God that was revealed in Holy Scripture. Perhaps the reaffirmation of my Christian faith will in some way serve as a challenge to family and friends, that they, as I, may stake their eternal destiny on “the Truth, the Way and the Life” as revealed in the Bible.
The beloved apostle John came to the close of his account of the life and ministry of Christ by pointing out that, in addition to what he had written, there was so much more that happened, it could not be recorded in the Book of John.
I feel much the same way as I finish this task that I set for myself, although I do not intend to suggest that anything I write is, or ever could be, in the same league as that which John wrote.
Rather, my affirmations of Christian faith have been shared to reaffirm, first myself, and, if in the process, someone else is encouraged, fine.
John’s stated reason for writing the Book of John indeed ought to be the reason why any of us would put into our own words – whether verbally or in writing – our affirmations of the Christian faith:
“These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing, you may have life in His name” (John 20:31). Amen and Amen!
