Personal Statement of Faith

 (Bible references are from the King James Version unless otherwise specified.)



There are lots of things I believe based on the Bible. This is just a choice sampling of my beliefs, and to start out, that's my first point, while I am brief and picky in the description of my faith, my faith in the Bible is not. That is, I believe in EVERYTHING the Bible says, even though I don't understand or know it all. There are many things in the Bible that the contemporary Christian world does not believe, or simply glosses over. While I believe there is no damnnation in struggling, mulling, and chewing over tough issues, there IS damnnation in finally rejecting it in your heart, which I will explain later.

Now, why would I publish a Statement of Faith? Normally, some churches do this for others to identify the church's beliefs so they can make a decision on whether or not to join that church. I've decided to publish this Statement of Faith because I want it on record what I believe. If I am persecuted for my beliefs, I want it to be crystal clear why I am persecuted. If I am incorrect in my beliefs, I want it to be crystal clear from Scripture where I am wrong, so I may correct it (Proverbs 6:23).

Psalm 119:11 says "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee." I know the gist of Bible concepts, and even a few words in certain verses that have popped up in my memory. However, I have not memorized all of the chapter/verse indexing of today's Bible. I use a program called e-Sword where I can search for and copy/paste verses verbatim. (not an endorsement, btw). Plus, over the years, many people, including whom some would call extremeists, have pointed me to many controversial Bible passages. These passages must ALL be given the same weight of importance as "nice" verses like John 3:16 and Psalm 23. There are lots of "Adam Ruins Everything" parts of the Bible. So, if anything, a lot of the Bible knowledge, of which all of it ultimately comes from God (Romans 11:36), is from independent study and outside discovery, very little of which was actually learned in today's churches. Now, on to my beliefs.


On The Bible

I believe the Bible, being the 66 books of common canon, is the Word of God in written form. I believe that to believe what is written is to believe Jesus, for He is the Word of God (proofs include John 1:1, John 1:14, I John 1:1, I John 5:7, Revelation 19:13). I believe that faith in the Word is salvation (Luke 8:12), as later described in this statement.


I believe that the Bible, also called the Scriptures, is a trustworthy source of truth and useful for instruction (2 Timothy 3:16), and that the safest way to extract true doctrine is through the Scriptures alone, because if you get your truth from (that is, rely on) a preacher, commentator, etc. (even though he may lead you to the Scriptures), you will be trusting in man, and the LORD says you are under a curse if you do so, according to Jeremiah 17:5.

I don't believe that the King James Version is the only legitimate version for English speakers.


On God

I believe in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 3:6). I believe that there is one God (Mark 12:29, I Corinthians 8:6, I Timothy 2:5, etc.) called The Father throughout the New Testament (example: John 6:27) However, I also believe that the entity or entities appearing in Genesis 3:6, Genesis 32:24, Genesis 18:2, among other places, are also God. In fact, the Old Testmament word for God is 'ĕlôhı̂ym, which litearlly means "gods". So, while there is only one God, could these "entities" be more appropriately called gods (that is, within the one God)? I agree that this is a direct violation of the concept of sole monotheism, yet this one God is still a plural being, THIS I believe wholeheartedly (Genesis 1:26, as in let "US", "OUR" image, "OUR" likeness, etc.).


Also, God's very nature, while also a Spirit (John 4:24), is very humanoid. Genesis 1:26 teaches that God created man in His own image and likeness. To put it another way, we look like God. We LITERALLY look like God. Is that not the very definition of likeness? Is not the face of Theodore Roosevelt on Mount Rushmore made in the image and likeness of Teddy? It is literally the same with God and man.

Am I now saying that God is a man? Well, Exodus 15:3 explicitly states that "The LORD is a man of war", so taken literally, God is a man. Yet, at the same time, God is not a man...(Numbers 23:19, 1 Samuel 15:29, Job 9:32) ...with the sinful qualities of man that are expressed in the verses previously mentioned. If God is a man, then he is a different kind of man than us. Do I believe that God, by nature, is a kind of man then? Yes. I believe wholeheartedly that He is a man of war, for that's what it litreally says. I also believe wholeheartedly that God has appeared as a man (Genesis 32:24, 28), and men (Genesis 18:1-2) many times, beyond the man Jesus Christ. As a kind of man, I believe it. As a man like us, I believe God is not such a man.


On Jesus and His Work

I believe that Jesus is the Son of God (Luke 22:70, John 1:34, etc.) the Lord (as confessed in Romans 10:9).


I believe that Jesus Christ came to this earth, as prophesied in the book of Isaiah, among other places, to "save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). He was born of a virgin (v. 23), lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15), died on the cross for ALL (Hebrews 10:10), and was raised from the dead on the third day (Matthew 28:6). I believe he ascended to Heaven, and will one day return to Earth to judge the living and the dead (Acts 1:11, 2 Timothy 4:1). Without what Christ did, without His blood, our going to Heaven is impossible (Hebrews 9:22).


I also believe that is not inaccurate to call Jesus God, for John 1:1 calls The Word (made flesh as Jesus in v. 14) "God", Thomas declared Him to be his God (John 20:28), and John calls Him "the true God, and eternal life" in I John 5:20.


On The Holy Spirit

I believe that the Holy Spirit is given to all believers, who has sealed us, and is the "down payment", or "earnest" of our Heavenly inheritance (Ephesians 1:14, 2 Corinthians 1:22, among others). The Holy Spirit also teaches us the Truth, and that we need no other teacher (I John 2:27), even though there is a place for Bible teachers (James 3:1).


On Heaven

I do not dare try to describe what Heaven is like, in fear of altering the Book of Revelation as mentioned in the warning in Revelation 22:18-19.
However, I do believe that Heaven is a place we are to strive to enter, because Jesus calls it “paradise” (Luke 23:43), and it is not Hell. Which brings me to the next section...


On Hell

I don't know too much about Hell, other than the following concepts being mentioned:


I personally collectively call Hades and Gehenna (I think there was another word for Hell, I'm not sure) Hell, as a catch-all term for a very unpleasant place with the concepts of fire, forever, and torment.  Again, I don't know much about Hell, all I know is don't want to go near any of the place or places mentioned.

My belief on how horrifying Hell is, is based on the account of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19-31 (I present the ESV here), now, mind you, the Hades in this passage and the Lake of Fire in the Book of Revelation may be two different places, but both are still quite unpleasant.

"There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate was laid a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man's table. Moreover, even the dogs came and licked his sores. The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’ And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, to send him to my father's house— for I have five brothers—so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment.’ But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ And he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent.’ He said to him, ‘If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.’”


On Salvation

I believe that what salvation is, is escaping the fate all humanity deserves (Romans 6:23): Eternity burning in Hell. In fact, let me repeat "What Needs To Be Told Immediately:"


On a personal note, I am more motivated by the stick than the carrot. In this world of comfort, Heaven seems like a mere extension of it, as if it's an entitlement, whereas Hell, and all that is described about the place, is a far cry from the comfort of the world, and in the eyes of the world, is unjust, given it's pain and agony. However, God's justice and our justice are not the same. (Isaiah 55:8)


What else do I believe?

As I've said in the beginning, these are a choice sampling of my beliefs. These beliefs are things that the world would commonly call controversial, which is why I put them here. Why post something that most everyone agrees with? How does that show true faith? These are some things atheists would attack Christians on, so among those hard topics, here's what I believe: