Christians... What DO you believe about Jesus Christ?

[genifer]

There are so many denominations out there, and tbh I dont know what the differences are. I personally dont adhere to any particular denominational doctrines, I mean I know what I believe about Jesus, God the Father, and the bible, the Holy Spirit, the Law, Predestination vs. free will, God's sovereignty, Creation, evolution... even the taboo issues Ill stay away from here. But I was wondering if we could discuss the different personal beliefs we here hold about Jesus... what do all of our different beliefs consist of. How different are we?

I intend this to be a thread where I probably wouldnt be able to post everything I believe in one post, so I would come back and add stuff, maybe disagree, or agree with someone else and all the while learning about the different denominations. How exciting is that!?!

So, Me... I believe Jesus Christ is God, AND God's Son. Its a mystery that has been revealed and unravelled in the 10 years since becoming a christian. I believe humans are born in sin. That I admit I dont understand fully, but I do get it. What I mean is that I dont fully understand original sin... and how we all inherited sin from our 'original parents'. I certainly DO understand my own sin. I believe sin, boiled down to its simplest form, is rejection of God, not just 'missing the mark', altho thats part of it, but actually rejecting Him, His sovereignty, His right to have a say in our lives, control even, but control is the wrong word...anyway... I also am still 'seeking' clarification about origins, ie creation. I obviously believe everything we see and dont see for that matter (spiritual world) was created by an Intellegent Designer, that He IS all knowing, that He is awesome... I seriously doubt evolution.. but if it is truth, it doesnt make a bean of difference where my faith in Christ is concerned. Which brings me neatly onto my most important point.... That I believe Jesus Christ did die for my sins. For the sins of the world in fact, but that it is in accepting Him as Lord and Savior that we recieve that gift. Hell isnt a fun topic to talk about, and I dont have all the answers as to who is going there, but I do know its real... Is it a place that is simply where people go who reject God, who hate him and dont want Him anyway, a place God created to give those people exactly what they wanted?? I dont know about that one, I dont think much about it bc I ...personally, and not arrogantly, believe Im not going there... Heaven... Wow, theres alot...

So thats a start...

Any takers?

[Bluegoat]

...one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

[lilyka]

:

[Kidzaplenty]

:

[genifer]

Cheers Bluegoat. I dont think I was as clear as Id like to have been in my op and I genuinely hope no one thinks I intended to stir up any trouble, I am genuinely curious about how others here have come to their beliefs in Jesus Christ. Personally, my own faith has evolved as Ive walked thru my faith and at one stage I got to a point where I couldnt just believe any thing in the chrisitan faith just because it was taught by the church. There was just so much to wade thru, iygwim, in the 'christian world'. So I kind got to a place where I knew that I knew Jesus Christ and nothing else. From then my faith grew, my understanding of God grew. And I suppose Im wondering how others came to their understanding of God, the God of the bible that is. I am interested in how Jews understand God, but bc of the way I worded the title I cant see any of them popping in here, lol.

Im not at all sure how this is coming across, for all kinds of reasons Im finding it difficult to concentrate lately, and put my thoughts down coherently, lol. But Im genuinely wanting to discuss this here. I belong to other christian forums but this is a unique place to ask these kinds of questions. Thanks for bearing with me anyway. Cheers.

[MsBirdie]

Ok here it goes . . .

Jesus is the Son of God

I believe in the Trinity (I have to say I always had trouble "getting" the Trinity until reading The Shack. It gave me a bit easier way to relate to it in a less abstract way.)

The BIGGIE- he died for our sins so that we may have eternal life in heaven. I always get so choked up when I think of his sacrifice and that he was Ressurected.

As far as who those will be that will join Him in heaven, (non believers that are good etc) I do not venture into even imagining who will be saved and who will not, because then I am judging, and I TRY not to judge. I am sure God will know exactly who does and does not belong in heaven, so am happy to not think about it.

I feel his message was above all one of Love.

He said all sins are equal, therefore no one is better or more righteous than another.

I believe in adaptation, not evolution.



As far as my personal relationship with Jesus Christ, it has been an evolving. I was raised Catholic, then converted to Lutheranism, because I still like the practice of infant Baptism; however I understand it is not necessary for Salvation. I definately go against the grain on that point. Lately I have been going to a non denominational Mega Church, which I thought was so hypocritical and away from what God wanted; however, I have found it to be stong in convictions, based soley on Biblical teachings, creating a community that embraces all members of the community (even non Christians), and the sermons have been lighting me on fire. Another time my preconceptions were proven false. Got remember not to Judge.


As far as the God of the Bible, I think he manifests himself in many ways, both in the Bible and in our life, so that we may catch glimpses and can relate in different ways.


I hope I answered your question. Something tells me I did not.

[Callimom]

Originally Posted by Bluegoat

...one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

LOL - That sent me right back to my Anglican confirmation class when I was 12. I remember standing beside my Dad as he recited this every week in church wondering how much of that service he could do from memory.

[genifer]

I hope I answered your question. Something tells me I did not.

MrsBridle of coarse it did!

As far as who those will be that will join Him in heaven, (non believers that are good etc) I do not venture into even imagining who will be saved and who will not, because then I am judging, and I TRY not to judge. I am sure God will know exactly who does and does not belong in heaven, so am happy to not think about it.

I actually agree with what you said here despite any impressions Ive given otherwise. Its hard to get your point across on these forums sometimes.

See, I belong to a forum that is strictly christian, and our views can differ even there. I come here and Know there are even more differences or ways of expressing ones faith, I wanted to hear how the Lord has moved in other people's lives... I knew if I asked here Id get a different perspective and I find that SO refreshing.

Judging, thats one I KNOW the Lord is working on in my life at the mo. That its NOT my place to judge anyone unless specifically given something to tell someone about a specific area in their life, and thats very rare. Mostly the Lord's teaching me to keep my mouth shut these days, and for me, its a challenge and can be hard, lol, but also its a relief! I dont have to shoot my mouth off all the time... altho obviously.... i. still. do........ But its so good to be learning new things.... I have finally gotten to an interesting point in my walk, a very exciting point that Im going to struggle to find the words to explain. The Fact that God Knows Everything... and I know nothing! that about sums it up actually! And all this time, Ive been walking around like I thought I knew something... and all this time I hadnt a clue. But thats such a refreshing thing to know... or understand. Its like a whole sea of knowledge, stuff, wisdom, information, I never knew is finally opened to me... I have no idea how that sounds, but thats where Im at at the moment.

[Bluegoat]

Originally Posted by Karenwith4

LOL - That sent me right back to my Anglican confirmation class when I was 12. I remember standing beside my Dad as he recited this every week in church wondering how much of that service he could do from memory.

I used to go to a church where most of the service was sung, which seems to make it much easier to remember. So now I can pretty much remember the whole thing. Some of it I find myself wanting to sing in Latin, "proptor magnam tuam gloriam! Dominus Deus celestes!"


As for Jesus, I have to say I've not often felt a very close personal connection with him. Maybe a few times at Easter, praying overnight with the reserved sacrament on Maundy Thursday and the Good Friday service. But I find myself fascinated with the Trinity and the perfect way it solves many of the biggest and oldest problems of philosophy. Since my second child was born I have found myself identifying more with Mary, who I used to have NO interest in on a personal level.

[graceomalley]

The Apostles Creed:

http://www.reformed.org/documents/in...les_creed.html

(except I say apostolic, not catholic because of the confusion from the big C little c debate).

[femalephish]

Originally Posted by MsBirdie

As far as who those will be that will join Him in heaven, (non believers that are good etc) I do not venture into even imagining who will be saved and who will not, because then I am judging, and I TRY not to judge. I am sure God will know exactly who does and does not belong in heaven, so am happy to not think about it.

.

This is so flippin' beautiful.

I also believe in Jesus Christ, that he died for me and defeated death.


Other than that I am mostly just guessing. I remember when I was deciding weather or not to be baptized... I was so hung up on and confussed by the idea of 'infinity'. I couldn't understand it, couldn't 'believe' it, just couldn't wrap my head around it, you know? Somehow I realized that I don't have to understand it. That there are many things about God and the world that I might not understand and that's ok. Being a Christian is about my relationship with God and Jesus. That's it. Everything else is just speculation and interesting conversation.

[holyhelianthus]

I'm really loving this thread! :

I don't know if my perspective is one you were looking for but I'll bite if that's ok!

I believe Christ is the only-begotten son of God who was sent as our Redeemer to atone for all of us and be the way back to our Heavenly Father and eternal progression. I do believe he is a god but not the God (Heavenly Father) and that he has been there since the beginning and had a hand in forming this world.

On an everyday level I feel he is the example of what we should all strive to be in this life. Through living his example we are able to grow spiritually both in this life and the next. Like the PP I don't presume to know who will go where in the next life. I don't feel that's what we are here to do per the example of Christ. I feel I know what I should be doing (or at least the way to find out what I should be doing in a certain case) through Christ and that is what I need to be working on and a part of that to me is being a part of my family and the world family as a conscious giving and caring citizen of the Earth.

I use to feel no connection to Christ whatsoever. I thought "I could be a Christian if I believed in Christ" Then things shifted and now I find myself in awe of him and thankful for him. I believe in repentance and starting anew and the power of love and peace because of him. It still is odd to me as I thought it'd never happen.

[genifer]

This is just awesome, exactly what I was looking for when I started this thread. I too am just in complete awe of Jesus Christ. I knew we'd believe different things but that those who do believe in him, we'd just be able to express our love and awe of him. I also believe that when we do believe in him, that our beliefs about him arent set in stone the moment be first believe, but that we do recieve an incredible new understanding of God, Jesus, and the world we live in, or at least thats what happened to me. But as I expected, it seems that for others our understanding of Who Jesus is grows... and changes. For me being a christian is just about being a disciple of Jesus Christ, who is still living, having rose from the dead, of that Im certain, and my own personal experiences have convinced me of this. Also, not sure about anyone else, but I used to be very swayed by 'popular opinion', so to speak. I was surprised to find that, in my early stages of my faith, pretty much until recently, my faith was shaken by what nonbelievers said about God, Jesus, the bible, etc. But Wow, in the last two years, God's done an amazing work, and it was thru an amazing set of circumstances that God did prove to me that He Was indeed real, and that ...well everything Jesus said about Himself (in the bible that is) was true. That I personally dont need any other written 'document', to prove his existance one way or another. Well, just like my siggie says, lol. That was actually a quote from a victim of the Virginia Tech massaqre (spelling is OFF, Im sure). Anyway, thanks for everyone who's shared so far, Im really enjoying reading everyone's responses. I didnt want to place this in the main spirituality forums, bc its not a support thread and if we wanted to debate anything, I would expect it to be respectful, but debate and discussion is welcome. I say this bc I myself, am curious about other denominational beliefs. anyway, guys, tfs so far!
gen

[holyhelianthus]

re: your siggie genifer- I am a total information junkie and I find myself researching and such and just wanting to know more and more and more. But it's so odd because in the last few months (maybe a year) I have really been able to look at this stuff and then feel this peace like I do know him and that he lives and is there. Though all that is still very interesting to me it really just has no sway or meaning like it use to. It's been really amazing.

[genifer]

maggie, if I posted something about why I believed Jesus was God, would you be offended. That wouldnt be my intention, its just something that dawned on me this morning during my prayer time and thought it was interesting, but I do not want to offend you... Or anyone else.... or make you think I was being antagonistic (if thats the right word). I just like talking about this stuff... and Im super aware of the differences, but dont want to make enemies... etc. ykwim?

[holyhelianthus]

Absolutely not! Please, post away. I am also interested in this sort of thing and as I said I believe he is a god just not the God but it actually is kind of more complicated then that.

I'm interested to see what you have to say.

[genifer]

Now, I was praying this morning, and probably bc of this thread and bc of meeting up with some who dont believe that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are God, and I always second guess my understanding and Ill be praying and reading and meditating on one thing and Ill just start to question this particular subject, its happened when I was debating or discussing things with a Jehovah's Witness a number of years back. Then the Holy Spirit used scripture to convince me. So as I was praying about it... here's how it came to me... It was as if God was saying 'This again Gen, come on now, Ill spell it out for you' not those words exactly but thats the impression I got, lol. Here goes...I understand Jesus is God because Ive learned that ALL of creation is corrupted, or has the potential to be corrupted. Now, Angels... proven to have the ability to be courrupted (Satan and his legions, fallen angels), the Only One that does not have to potential to be corrupted is God Himself. And the only thing that can sanctify me, redeem me is that which cannot be corrupted, ie God alone. Now, Jesus could be the only One to be able to make the atonement perfectly if He were God, for the reasons I just stated. The Holy Spirit is the only One who can be perfectly at work in me, sanctifying me, changing me, cleansing me, purifying me, convicting me etc, only because the Holy Spirit is God, uncorruptable. If the Holy Spirit werent God, to me, that would guarantee me nothing when it comes to my eternal security. He would have the potential to be corrupted, just like my sinful flesh, what comfort would that be? To me... that would be NO comfort knowing that that which was my guarantee of a secure eternity had the same capability for corruption, if it was a created being. Does that make sense to anyone else? All of creation has been subjected to a curse, animals, the earth, humans; angels have proven to possess the ability to be corrupted... they too have free will, but God alone.... the Three in One, they alone are perfect.

Like I said in a pp, a number of years ago, when anyone stated their opinion, if it did contradict mine, I admit I would feel threatened, and honestly my faith would be shaken, it surprised me, but I still trusted in God... I say this because I dont want to do the same thing to someone else. I dont want to be someone who causes someone else to stumble in their faith in anyway. Or if they have no faith whatsoever, I dont want to make anyone feel threatened... I just want to say that bc on threads/forums like this its not easy to make others feel... at ease when talking about things like this... thats my disclaimer...

[genifer]

ok, having reread that post I realise that I may not have articulated myself perfectly, I apologise, but I feel I got the gist of it down... and how do you like all those 'ands' in the first few lines... wow... Im not going to edit it... I got bread in the oven about to burn!!!