Question: Is it really important  to know what you believe as a Christian?

     Yes!.  We need a solid foundation in our faith. We need to know what and why we believe what we believe about Christianity.  (1 Peter 3:15)

Question: Have you heard of the Apostles Creed?

     This is a concise statement  written about 750 ad of what Christians believe, regardless of your denomination. Let's take a look at it.

1. Who is God?
 -Trinity: God exists in Three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 28:19)

 -Eternal: God is w/o a beginning. he always was and always will be. (Ps 90:2; Gen. 1:1)

 -Transcendent: God is uniquely other than everything in creation. It does not have to do with physical distance by the character
  of His nature. He is totally and wholly not like us. He is unknowable in any sense of fullness. His way are not our ways and
  His thoughts not our thoughts. (Isa. 55:8)

 -Immanent: God is close, relationally with His people in redemptive activities and close as he providentially acts within time
  both tot he unbeliever and especially the Believer. God can be known through a relationship with Jesus Christ, by the power
  of the Holy Spirit through the revelation of Himself in His Word, the Bible. (Heb. 10:22; Ps 139)

 -Self-Existant:  God does not need anything or anyone to exist. (Ex. 3:14)

 -Spiritual: God is a spirit and we can not project onto God our human attributes and faults. (John 4:24)

 -Personal: He is not 'the force' but is a person who can be known. (Eph. 4:6)

 -Unchangeable: He is always the same, without  any alteration.
      -God is unchangeable in his nature and essence. (Ps. 102:25–27).
      -God is unchangeable in his counsel and purpose.  (Isa. 46:10) (Heb. 6:17).
      -God is unchangeable in his love and blessings. (Rom. 11:29) (James 1:17).

2. What is Scripture?
 -Revelation:
      -Definition: Uncovering what is concealed. Theologically it is God showing revealing himself to mankind in such a way that
       we can know and have  fellowship with Him.

Question: There are 2 kinds of revelation, what are they?

      1. General: Also called Natural. This is where God reveals Himself to all mankind,  at all times and in all places.
          Revealed through nature, conscience, and history

      2. Specific: This is God revealing Himself to particular people at particular times, in  particular places enabling those
          persons  to enter into a redemptive relationship  with Him. (Erickson)
           -It is specific in that it is not universal in scope and it is has great detail in subject.
           -Examples of Special revelation are Visions, Dreams, Divine Speech, Angels, Donkeys, Historical events affected by
             God direct  intervention , Urim and  Thurnmin, the Incarnation of Jesus, Scripture.

 -Inspired:
      -Unless the Bible can be quoted and used as an inspired book its authority and usefulness for public preaching, for comfort
        in sickness or death and for instruction in every confusing problem, has been removed or at least questioned. It's value as
        a weapon in controversy has been weakened. And as a guide to salvation, it is uncertain.

    -Definition: 'God so supernaturally directed the human authors of Scripture that without excluding their human intelligence,
     their individuality, their literary style,  their personal feelings or any other human factor, His own complete and coherent
     message to man was recorded in perfect accuracy, the very words of Scripture bearing the authority of divine authorship'.
        (John Walvoord)

    -Read:  2 Timothy 3:16

      -Inspired: God breathed. A more literal translation of this phrase would be 'All  Scripture  is God breathed'. The Bible is
       the product of the breath of God.

 -Infalliable: It is not capable of error.  (Prov. 30:5)

 -Inerrant: It has no error.  (Ps 19:7)

 -Authoratative: It is the only rule for faith and practice. (Ps. 119:89)

3. Who is Jesus Christ?
 -His divinity: He is the Son of God  (Matt. 1:23; Phil 2:6-11)
  He is God  (Rom. 9:5, 2 Thess. 1:12, 1 Jn 5:20, John 1:1)

 -His Pre-existence: He existed with the Father and Holy Spirit before time began.
   (Jn 17:5; Col 1:15-20)

 -His sinless nature: He was w/o sin...ever. (2 Cor. 5:21;  Heb. 4:15, 1 Peter 1:18-20)

 -His miracles: His miracles confirmed his deity  (Acts 10:38)

 -His death: It was a substitute for our sins/He died in our place. It was to turn away the wrath of God for our sin.
  It was a ransom to free us from slavery to sin.  (Isa. 53:5)

 -His resurrection: The tomb was empty. Scripture speaks of it. People saw him after his death.  (1 Cor. 15:1-24)

 -His ascension: He went back to heaven to be with the Father to intercede for those who believe. (Acts 1:9-11)

 -His second coming: To take believers to heaven. To being in the Kingdom of God. It can happen at any time.
  (1 Thess 4:16;  Rev. 1:7; 11:15; Matt. 24:44)

4. Who is humanity?
 -Created in the image of God: Whatever is the essence of mankind, it is a reflection of  the essence of God.  (Gen. 1:26-27)

 -Created with three components to life:
      -Spirit: God consciousness
      -Mind/Soul: Intellect, will, emotions
      -Body: The five senses and a means of transportation...physical mass.

 -God's highest creation: Gen. 1:27

 -A fallen creation: Humanity sinned, rebelled against God in the Garden of Eden and this sin resulted in our separation from
  God. It also brought abut physical and spiritual death. All humanity to the man has sinned. We are born into sin and we
   willfully commit sin. (Ps 51:5; Rom 3:23)

5. What is salvation?
 -A work of God: It is a free gift of grace from God through faith in Jesus Christ
  (Eph. 2:8-9)

6. Who is the Holy Spirit?
 -3rd person of the Trinity: Coequal with the Father and the Son.

 -Resides in the life of the Believer: (Jn 20:21-22; 1 Cor. 6:16-20)

 -Fills believers and gives them power for ministry: (Acts 1:8; Eph. 5:18)

7. What is the Church?
 -Universal/Catholic: Every person who has accepted Christ as Savior, from every place    and in every time. (1 Cor. 12:13)

 -Exists to give glory to God and to fulfill the great commission: (Matt. 24:14)