Basic Belief
In later pages of this section I have included creeds and statements of faith used by some denominations, with an explanation of the significance of these. I have found them to be useful as a road map for navigating human doctrine.
But I think the only reliable source reference for Christian belief is the Bible, where we read of how God has acted to fix the broken relationship with mankind. So, the Life Questions and Discover from the Bible sections come first in this website.
The most important aspect of Christian belief is not about knowledge or doctrine, it is about relationship. Christian belief is an experience of living in trust, so it cannot be contained in a statement of human logic or words. It is a journey of living by faith in Jesus, so we will be given a variety of understandings and views appropriate for where we are on that journey, and our circumstances of where we have been placed in this world.
On this page I have tried to give a brief summary of all that is needed to begin that journey.
You may, or may not, find the further pages on creeds and statements of faith to be useful as a reference guide on your journey. But they are human documents, they do not have the divine authority that I hope you will grow to see in the bible.
Trust
The nature of living in trust is shown in the following Psalm 23, where David shares two beliefs:
(1) Above all earthly rulers there is a supreme ruler, “The Lord” or God;
(2) The nature of our God is like a caring shepherd who guides, protects, and provides for his sheep. We can simply trust in Him to carry us through all that life may throw at us.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the
shadow of death, I will fear no evil;
For You are with me;
Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
All the days of my life;
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
Forever.
Jesus
The bible verses below concerning Jesus set the basis for Christian faith.
They give the reason for the complete trust in Psalm 23, that Jesus has laid down his life to rescue us from our fallen state and restore us to God.
He has gone before us through the darkest valleys of this life, to prepare the way for us, so we have no need to fear.
And He has promised that by believing in Him, in what He has done for us on the cross and His resurrection from the grave, we will have new life in Him, and not even death can separate us.
John 10:10-11
(Jesus said to them), I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.
John 11:25-26
Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Personal response
Other bible verses could have been used instead of those above, but these convey the essentials of belief. It is not about intellectual knowledge or understanding of doctrine, it is about living in a personal relationship of trust and reliance on our Saviour, Jesus.
That personal relationship is reflected in the questions below.
Response of Faith
Do you believe that Jesus is the Son of God?
Do you confirm your sin, and your need of His forgiveness?
Do you accept him as your Saviour, and choose to follow Him as your Lord?
The body may grow weary
But our dreams and hopes
Still reach out beyond the shore
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