Faith

Setting the Foundation

As we explore the idea of philosophies, you must have a point of reference for your beliefs – a “foundation,” if you will – to create a basis of discussion. Without understanding the foundational reference, all other points of discussion will lack understanding and basis. This is why understanding our faith is so fundamental to understanding us.

We approach life with a Christian worldview. We believe that the Bible is God’s words to the world. We believe that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and died for our wrong-doings. Three days later, he rose from the dead. His life and works fulfilled the prophecy of the Old Testament, and it’s only through Jesus that we can enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. But it’s not just about getting to heaven – it’s also about serving The Father well here on earth now. It’s about living a life “beyond reproach,” a life that glorifies God in all we do, a life that shows the world – through action – God’s love for them.

We truly take to heart many of the words from the Book of James. In this book of the Bible, James tells us that it’s not good enough to simply have a belief that God exists – even the demons believe this (James 2:18). This belief must be lived out. It must be acted upon. What good is it to see someone in need and not do anything about it? In the same way, faith without works is dead (James 2:17). This is what it’s about. It’s not just about meeting in a building on Sunday mornings. It’s not just about singing songs together or reading from a book together. It’s about living out your faith on a daily basis.

With that being said, we also recognize that it’s not our good deeds that grants us access to heaven. Our salvation from hell is only found in the sacrifice of Jesus. This salvation is a gift of God that we could not earn. If it was something that could be earned, then we wouldn’t have needed Jesus! We would be able to obtain perfection on our own! But that’s not how it was. We do sin. We do fail. We do need the sacrifice of Jesus Christ to grant us forgiveness.

But heaven isn’t necessarily our primary focus. Sharing God’s love with the world is our primary focus. Our place in heaven is secure, so why dwell on it? Let’s get out there and live it out! God never called us to be pew-warmers! Our faith is suppose to be acted upon. Jesus’ final commands before he ascended into heaven was to Go!

FAQ’s

How can a loving God send people to hell?
This is a big question, and one that I think is asked a little incorrectly. A more appropriate way of asking this question would be, “How can a JUST God NOT send people to hell?” Because, after all, we all have sinned (Romans 3:23). And the punishment for that sin SHOULD be eternal death (Romans 6:23). But it’s the love and graciousness of God that has given us a way out. That way out was the sacrifice of His son, Jesus of Nazareth as forgiveness of our sins (John 3:16, Romans 3:24-26, 1 John 1:7, Romans 10:8-11).

This leads to two questions: 1) Given a way out, why then is it God’s “fault” that some people refuse to accept this gift and follow Him? 2) What have we done that is so righteous and holy that we feel so compelled to believe that we “deserve” to go to heaven by our own doing?

I find it interesting how in the West we love to focus on God’s love and ignore God’s justice. In other parts of the world (especially the Middle East), they have no problem with God’s justice. It’s God’s love they have trouble accepting. But if God is truly God of the Universe, then shouldn’t His truth rise above our cultural preferences? Without both love and justice, God is incomplete.