A Starting Point

I feel it warranted that for my first post I should establish a set of basic beliefs. The following declaration/compilation of statements were not derived from me; they were put together after centuries of debate, conviction, prayer, and thoughtful studying of the Word along with fellow brothers and sisters of the faith who had previously come and gone. They do not attend to topics such as the creation of the world, free will, the end times, and other matters of debate. The collective proclamations take on a form in which they address the basic truths of Christianity; it is a creed that has been accepted, though not by all, as the foundation for the entire Christian community, regardless of the denomination in which one belongs. It is/has been assumed that if you attest to this creed, then you truly are what one would define as a “Christian.” However, man is incapable of knowing who is “truly” a Christian or not. Therefore, I would expect you, as I will do the same, not to judge another by his/her acceptance of this creed; it is only God who knows those who belong to Him. What matters is that someone accept Jesus the Christ for who He said He was, along with what He has done for us.

The creed is commonly known as the Apostle's creed:

I believe in God, the Father Almighty,
the Maker of heaven and earth,
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord:

Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost,
born of the virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried;

He descended into hell.

The third day He arose again from the dead;

He ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty;
from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Ghost;
the holy catholic church;
the communion of saints;
the forgiveness of sins;
the resurrection of the body;
and the life everlasting.

Amen.

You can obtain and read further into this creed at http://www.reformed.org/
***I do not support all of their material or beliefs.***

Though some of the statements are highly debatable, I am inclined to believe the creed, not by my own inclinations, but by the Holy Spirit inside of me. I believe in the Christ and what He came here to do. Also, I believe in the hope that we, who belong to Christ, now have in Him through His resurrection.

I give you this post as my first, because I want you to understand/see where I am coming from in the posts to follow. The creed is simply putting my core beliefs into words, and it acts as a guide for dealing with certain/all topics. I would like to thank you for spending some time out of your chaotic schedule to read what few words I have to say. Thank you! I hope you continue to follow my blog in the future!

JDG