Saved… But Now What?

Welcome to the first edition to Saved… But Now What? I want to discuss a little bit about what I believe. The short answer is that my beliefs can be found in the Westminster Confessions of Faith and the Apostles’ Creed. I believe in one God, made up of three persons: The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I believe that God is the Creator of all things, visible and invisible. I believe that all things were made to glorify Him and that we fail at our purpose because of the fall. We are all inherently sinful and it is only by grace that we are saved through faith, which was brough about by the death, suffering, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe in the dwelling of the Holy Spirit in every believer after the ascension of Jesus to the right hand of God the Father Almighty. And finally, I believe that we will all be made new when Jesus returns.

So, that sounded like a creed or a monologue, right? That’s because part of it is the Apostles’ Creed, which I’ve attempted to memorize. Why are creeds and confessions of faith important? I know what I believe right? Why do I need to lay it out and then recite it with the congregation. It’s because it is so important to know exactly what you believe and to know what other people and churches believe. If you can’t say what you believe to yourself or a room full of other believers, how will you tell a non-believer if they ask you? One thing that my friends and I have found helpful is to practice telling someone the Gospel. This has led to deeper theological discussions as well as confidence in the mission that God has given all His children.

Why is it important to know what your church believes? Primarily, it is important because you want to make sure that you’re in the right one. Now I am not saying that there is only one church that is correct and that all the other churches are wrong, but what I am saying is that you want to believe what your church believes and you want to make sure that your church affirms the “backbone issues.” Backbone issues generally refer to the dogma and doctrine that every Christian holds to, such as the Trinity; The Omnipotence, Omniscience, and Omnipresence of God; The virgin birth; Christ’s being fully human and fully God; Christ’s death and resurrection; The presence of the Holy Spirit; and the infallibility of the Bible, just to name a few. If your church does not believe these things then your church is not a Christian Church. If you don’t know what your church believes and affirms, ask your pastors and elders. It’s their job to answer your questions.

Confession Time: I have not read the confessions and creeds of my church and denomination (Presbyterian Church in America). Part of it is because it’s so long. Another reason is that I’ll have to read with focus (The publication was in the 1600s, so it is not a light read). The deeper reason is that I’ll come across something that I don’t currently believe or that I can’t reconcile with. I have had a few hard issues that I have confronted that I still don’t have answers for, like if babies that die go to heaven. I am going to do a deep dive post on that topic in the future, but its topics like these where I have been willfully ignorant. Someone recently convicted me that willful ignorance is a sin, and I cannot claim to not want to know something that God has revealed. I have a duty to Him and to myself to find out what God has revealed about His nature and His world.

So, next time I write to y’all, I will have started the Westminster Confessions of Faith and the Longer Catechism.

Until Next Time!

Lou