w h a t   i   b e l i e v e

I believe in God. God can do anything, He knows everything, He is very real, and He is fair. He listens to what we have to say and decides what is right for us. He gives us the freedom to make our own choices. He has three different persons but exists as one. This is hard for me to explain; it's a paradox that Christians accept on faith.

As God the Father, God created the universe and the world and us. He made us in His image and for His will. He gave us His word, the Bible, as a guide to living in this world and as a way for us to know Him better. The Bible is not a science book or a rule book. It is a book of meaning and those meanings can be separated from their mystical and historical context and still apply conceptually to our modern times. He also shows Himself to us through the creation He gave us. He put us in charge of this world and told us to take care of it. He gave us gifts and told us to use them for His glory. That's why we're here.

Another one of the persons of God is his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus was a human like us, but He was also totally free of sin and perfect. He was both God and human at once. He came here to pay our debt for sin. Every one sins. We can't help it. It's like being a slave at an auction. Imagine a rich man coming out of the crowd and buying all the slaves and then letting them go free. All the slaves have to do is accept their gift and be free.

Finally, God exists as the Holy Spirit -- both within us (in our soul) and in the world (through the church). The Spirit works in us, transforming our lives and bringing us peace and knowledge. It also works through the body of believers, teaching the world all these amazing truths. If we live with the Holy Spirit in our hearts, I believe that people will see a difference and be drawn to God through us. We don't need to force anything on anybody. We need only share.

These things are difficult to believe in today's world, as they have been throughout history. I believe them because without them, the world would be a bleak place ruled by strict rationality and cynicism. And I wouldn't want to live there.