'What Exactly Do You Believe, Mrs. Quarles?', Saturday BI-MONTHLY 'SUMMER SERIES', Post 4, June 16, 2018

According to 'Wikipedea', the 'Bible' has been translated into many languages from the biblical languages of Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek. As of October 2017 the full Bible has been translated into 670 languages, the New Testament alone into 1521 languages and Bible portions or stories into 1121 other languages. Thus at least some portion of the Bible has been translated into 3,312 languages.  According to Guinness World Records, the Bible is the best-selling book of all time with over 5 billion copies sold and distributed.  Now, if as many were: '22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. 23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was...'. Online.

AGAIN, ​Good Saturday Morning, My Beloved Friends:
​audio-bible.com/bible/bible.html
Now, that you have had time to come in and to 'linger', to 'meander', and to 'browse' the various postings in the various 'rooms', now I shall answer one of your questions -  'What exactly do you believe, Mrs. Quarles?' Please understand.  Prior to this time, I have not wanted to 'bind' you in a lot of 'theology', that may not have meant anything to you.  I wanted you to get 'the taste' of 'a life in Christ', by the applications, evidenced by the way I think, speak, and act.  So then, let me succinctly state and post, what I believe and live by with respect to what I look for in 'congregations' or 'churches' in which I consistently worship  and have 'fellowship'.  This is so that I am as 'evenly yoked' with other 'believers' as myself. No, not 'identical', but, 'on the same page' for effective service and being about the Lord's Work, together.  We are in 'one accord', 'one heart', as they say.  
[Ecclesiastes 4:9; Amos 3:3; Matthew 18:19; Acts 4:32; 2 Corinthians 6:14]  

Then, during the 'summer months' of 2018, further 'bi-monthly' posts shall be forth-coming on other 'basics', like 'the Gifts of the Spirit', from the Holy Spirit, [several Biblical passages];  'the Fruit' of the Holy Spirit, as any of us who are 'in Jesus' are 'branches abiding in the Vine' [John 14:1-15:10; Galatians 5];  and 'Spiritual Habits or Disciplines' we may use ever so carefully,  to enable us to draw closer to the LORD.  ​​

What I Believe, based upon - 'The Word of God'.

Post 1  - Saturday, May 5, 2018; Post 2  - Saturday, May 19, 2018; Post 3  - Saturday, June 2, 2018; Post 4 - Saturday, June 16, 2018.
 
By now, I am certain that you realize that for me to 'fellowship' with 'any group' LABELLED 'Christian', I first need to discover if the 'group', no matter their 'label', is a 'Biblical based and believing' 'Congregation', or 'church'.    So, what do I look for in the 'preaching and teaching', to consistently attend?  [Notice, I do not look for how people sing, or such.  That is not a matter regarding - 'FAITH' NOR 'SALVATION', through the 'PREACHING AND TEACHING CHRIST'. ROMANS 10:17] 

Simply put, a 'Bible Adhering' 'Church' or 'Congregation' is a local group of people who firmly believe and practice the following things as presented in the Bible:

G. Man. We believe that man was created in the image of God [Genesis  1:26-28] as described in the accounts in Genesis, and that that image was marred [Colossians 3:9,10] by willful disobedience [Genesis 3:6; Romans 5:19] when the head of the human race, Adam [Romans 5:12], voluntarily transgressed God's clear commandment, [' Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it, you shall surely die', Genesis 2:16-17.], therefore marring the image of subsequent generations until the virgin birth of a Second Adam that would make a way to have the image restored [Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; Daniel 2:44; Matthew 1:23; 28:18; Luke 2:11; John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 15:45-49; Ephesians 2:14; Titus 2:13]. By "image", we are referring to man's tri-part being: a body, a soul, and a spirit, and that these three parts match God's Trinity of Persons [1 Thessalonians 5:23]. By "marred" we mean that the spirit of man at birth is 'dead' [Ephesians 2:1], and in need of regeneration by the new birth, [John 3:3,5, 7, 8, 14-16, 17-21]; that man's flesh is corrupt and cannot serve God [Romans 8:5-8]]; and that man's soul is tied to his sin until it is freed from the flesh by spiritual circumcision [Colossian 2:11-13]. By human race, we mean all humans born in every corner of this planet from the time of Adam through to the end of time [Romans 3:23; 5:12,18]. By 'willful disobedience' we mean that Adam knew exactly what he was doing when he disobeyed a direct order from God [1 Timothy 2:14]. The Soul of Man is eternal, and immortal because it alone is what was made in the image of God in Genesis 1:26,27, and 2:7. It is called the 'hidden man' or the 'inner man' [1 Peter 3:4; Romans 7:20-23; 2 Corinthians 4:16-18] and is associated with the heart, will and emotions - not the body and the flesh.

J. Salvation. We believe that all men, women, and children are sinners [Romans 5:12], and that all humans who are old enough to know the difference between right and wrong [Jonah 3:11], are accountable to God for every sin that they commit and must atone for every one of them somehow [Romans 6:23]. We believe that man's sins do not make him or her a sinner, but that he sins BECAUSE he is a sinner [Romans 5:19]. Man's sinful state separates him from the holy God that created him [Romans 8:7,8], and will keep him out of heaven unless he acts to change his destiny [Luke 13:2,3]. We believe that God ordained that man's sins could not be paid for in any other way than through the sacrifice of an innocent lamb [Exodus 12:5]. From Adam's fall all through the Old Testament, regular, bloody animal sacrifices were required to approach God [Hebrews 9:6-13]. These sacrifices of the Old Testament enabled man to meet with God at a blood-sprinkled Mercy seat [Exodus 25:21,22], but required a priestly order to continually maintain the sacrificial system. This system involved sinful humans and was flawed in that it was limited to man's imperfections [Hebrews 9:6-9]. Then, "in the fullness of time" Jesus came, as 'the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world' John  1:29]. We believe that Jesus Christ is THE ONLY way to get forgiveness of sins, and to go to heaven when a person dies [John 14:6]. We believe that Jesus Christ paid for ALL the sins of the past [by redeeming them through His blood] [Ephesian 1:7]), and future, by making a perfect, and eternal "once-for-all" sacrifice on the cross [Hebrews 10:12]. We believe that a man is saved by faith in Jesus alone. [Ephesians 2:8,9] in the finished and completed work of Jesus Christ on the cross [Colossians 1:20,22], and that His blood cleanses a soul from the penalty of sin by having paid for each and every sin committed by the human race. We believe that salvation consists of three parts: 1] recognizing that every individual is responsible for their sins, to a Holy and Just God, 2] that Jesus took the responsibility for those sins on the cross, even though He wasn't at fault, and 3] that by accepting Jesus Christ's offer to take my place in judgment for my sins, I am allowed to go free [as Barabbas was allowed in Matthew 27]!  Jesus and Jesus ALONE IS THE ACCEPTABLE SUBSTITUTE BEFORE GOD.  THERE IS NO OTHER. ​

​K. The Security of the Believer. We believe that a born again believer is completely secure in Christ [John 10:27-29; 1 Peter 1:23], and that there is absolutely no way whatsoever that that person can affect their relationship with God the Father [2 Timothy 2:13; 1 John 5:13; Hebrews 12:5-11; Ephesians 1:4,5] because their salvation is based upon what Jesus Christ did [1 Peter 3:18; Jude 24], and not what they did. We believe that a Christian can affect his or her "fellowship" with God by disobeying clear Biblical commandments and not confessing them and forsaking them as sin [1 John 1:8,9].  But, we believe that through 'chastening', God will bring his 'erroring children' to their 'senses' and on-going 'repentance'.  [Hebrews 12:1-11]

Now, as you 'search the Scriptures' for your self, [Acts 17:11].  I am totally aware of the 'intensity' and copious 'volume' of the Scriptures in the various posts.  But, my Beloved, there  simply are - no 'short-cuts' to this matter of 'First Things First'. That is why I am posting, only, bi-monthly so that you may take the necessary time with each.  This is after all, your 'eternal destination'.  This is 'critically', important. 

On the next posts in this series, we will see what we believe about such as heaven and hell, and other significant topics.  Do continue to 'visit' all the 'rooms' in 'my house in Jesus'.  Let me know, if I may be of any assistance to you, to enable you to draw closer to the Lord.  Blessing, in the Precious Name - 'The Name Above All Names' - Jesus Christ.  Amen. Amen.

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