>Clear and simple, So you may have no misunderstanding....
There are many different doctrines in Christianity, but central core teachings must remain the same which the bible clearly teaches, to remain in God's truth once one comes to believe that Jesus is the Messiah and only way to heaven.
Since I first came to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and his gospel in 2009, I had a lot of growing in understanding and in faith to do, and things I believed or taught on social media then are different to what I believe now on certain things. So to clarify to people who likewise are seeking the truth or wonder why I believe things differently, I will outline key areas so as there is no confusion about what to believe nor no confusion about what I believe.
I base teachings off the scriptures, and avoid private interpretation as much as possible.
The key areas I have grown in understanding are:
- Salvation is through accepting the grace of Christ and his death on the cross for our sins and that he rose again and is alive today to save us when we accept him and believe in this.The walk of sanctification then happens after we turn to Christ to be born again and God helps us to no longer live in our sins and deal with any demons in us that are holding us to evil ways in our human nature. When Jesus saved me, he just wanted my faith and since then he helped me overcome various sins and be more like the person he wants, but salvation first comes only by accepting him by faith.
People are not saved by being a good person, because when you think about it, you just are not good enough. But gladly through the cross our sins are atoned for, not by our works but by Jesus deciding to come down from heaven from the Father, and die for our sins in our place so we would not have to face judgement for them. John 3:16 states that God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten Son that all who should believe upon him would pass from death to life and not face the judgement.
- Being a Christian is about living life mindful of Christ and his reality that is now in your heart (seek him if this has not yet come to you). It is not about how pious or monk-like your life is, or must be. In reality Jesus doesn't forbid or judge you for living a normal life, activity, doing sport, having a job, family time, having a business, going to the amusement park, taking a holiday, making money etc. These things are part of life and are not wrong. But what he does examine us for, is HOW we live in our hearts and actions towards him, and towards others. He looks at our heart and behaviour in regard to evil or righteousness. Immoral, mean, unkind, and hurtful ways will not please God at all. He will be looking for integrity, honesty, kindness, self-control, and not having idols in your life instead of your love of Christ. Being greedy, chasing after money, or pursuing your own ambitions above caring about God's kingdom, will cause you to become dark in your heart. Partying, drinking, and carousing will keep you from the love of Jesus. Staying in sexual sin will keep you from God.
- When Jesus says in Luke to "hate even your own family in comparison to me" he did not mean to not provide, care, or love them. Nor did he mean to become homeless, quit your job, withdraw from society, and not talk to anyone because they are not Christian. Far from it, he himself ate with sinners, and went to weddings, drank wine, and had good times with his family and followers. But what he means is that if this life which for most is about family, money, property, and retirement, takes up your heart and what you fully focus on as all there is to life, then you cannot follow him. In other words, he means that in order to follow him and be part of God's coming Kingdom in heaven, you need to be able to LOVE and CARE about HIM and God's kingdom above and not be solely focused on the things of life life only. It would mean your heart shifts to loving the things of God and placing the things of this life in their correct order of importance in your heart. I find that people are so captivated by the cares of this life that they are unable to trust or care about Jesus, least of all follow him and be his disciple.
Below are some other truths about the Christian faith:
- Jesus is real: Jesus is just a religion to most, and a way of living a religious life yet their life outside of the walls of religion proves that they do not know him at all. In reality, Jesus is truly real, because when I sought him I found him. What is written about him in the scriptures, and the book of Acts is real and true. When I realised Jesus was real, then his power began working in my life. Accepting Jesus as the Messiah the Son of God by faith is a formal commitment you need to make in prayer to him. Then be baptised in his name, and ask him to fill you with the Holy Spirit.
- The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit: Many do not understand who God is, and how he can also be Jesus Christ. Some think Jesus is only a prophet. But we have the truth about who God is, when we understand that God the Father sent his Son to redeem us to himself, and leads us by his Holy Spirit. That therein is God. His Son, is his Word which became flesh and was Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. The Word was with God in the beginning, and through whom all was created, and was God.
- Salvation: There are not 'many ways' to be saved. There are not 'many paths' to salvation and God's Kingdom. There is only one path of salvation; the way of the cross through faith in Jesus Christ alone. This way, is the way of faith believing in Jesus Christ who died for us on the cross washing us clean by his blood that all who believe in him, will find his way and be given eternal life, because you cannot enter heaven unless you are born again through believing (accepting) that Jesus is the Messiah, and faith in his blood sacrifice for your sins. You can only become born again by having faith (trust) in Jesus Christ and his blood being baptised in his name onto the narrow way. This is a free gift of which none shall earn by any merit of their own. Nobody who is not born again, can enter heaven. The way of faith is the way of baptism in water in Jesus' name, and the baptism of the Holy Spirit as he told us. This way is a way of being led by the Holy Spirit and obeying his teachings. This way is a real way that you can go but only if you truly dedicate all areas of your heart to Christ and seek to know him. Him knowing you by you being filled with his Spirit which comes from having faith in him, is eternal life. This is because he died for us on the cross, and his blood covers the sins of those who repent and believe upon him. Without Jesus Christ, you will not be able to enter into the Kingdom of God. There is no other way for salvation from hell. God only made this way; the way of Jesus Christ which is being born again. The first time you were born means you cannot enter heaven. You MUST be born again to enter heaven, so salvation is by faith. Either we choose to take Jesus at his WORDS and choose to have faith and trust in them knowing we have salvation in him, or we do not...Don't live in doubt and fear any longer. Have faith and walk the way with Christ, for your faith in him is what saves you. Your faith in Christ. Believe in your heart he is the Son of God whom God raised from the dead on the third day, and confess with your mouth he is Lord, and you will be saved. John 3:5
- The Bible: The scriptures is God's written word of truth. It is a testament of truth to this world that will stand on the Day of Judgement. The bible contains the commands of Jesus and the way of salvation outlined by his Apostles for pure clarity and to stop confusion and perversion of the truth and, for those who are led by the Spirit, it is for correction, reprove and correct doctrine (for those who are led by the Spirit) these so are ordained to use it. Jesus is real inside, and outside the scriptures of which testify of him and all scripture is God-breathed, and the truth, and came from Christ since he is the Word of God. If you do not read the Bible when you are able to, then as a Christian you are choosing to be ignorant of the truth and illiterate in God's written word, and you could be easily drawn into many false doctrines from others who cleverly twist the scriptures to their own destruction, since we live in the flesh and so easily are drawn away from listening to the Spirit's guidance if we are not watchful and fully grounded in the word of truth. What is the best Bible Version to read? Some of the newer versions have omitted and changed passages slightly, but on the whole all major translations provide the big picture of the story of Salvation God gave us and promised to Adam and the teachings of correct doctrine. Small variations in translations cause many to argue missing the big picture of what is being said. Beware of those who quibble over words and make doctrines out of their quibbling with various versions and new words they believe apply. What we have today, is sufficient for obtaining the knowledge of salvation. John 5:39-40
- The Holy Spirit: Jesus said that if you obey his commands, and believe in him, he will send you the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, to guide you into all the things that he commanded and taught. He said that He is the baptiser of the Holy Spirit. To receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, you must seek and ask of Jesus. To receive the Spirit you have to have your heart right before God. Then you can ask him, and he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit. When believers receive the Holy Spirit, they can speak in new tongues, or prophesy or other gifts, receiving the various gifts according to the will of God for each person. The Holy Spirit is real and alive today, and the gifts of tongues, prophecy, and other gifts have not passed away with the early church but are available today to the person who wants to be right with God, and lives the way of the Cross that Jesus set out for us to follow. Receiving the Holy Spirit is not just a 'feel good' moment that is fleeting, rather a long lasting comfort and guidance to the end, and you will feel the Spiritual change when this happens. God gives the Spirit to the lowly and contrite of heart so examine your heart before you ask him for the Holy Spirit.
- Water Baptism: Jesus commanded that we be baptised in water, and so we must to fulfil all righteousness. Philip baptised the Eunuch because he told him the GOSPEL. God supernaturally sent Philip by teleportation to the Eunuch to tell him the gospel. The gospel he told the Eunuch was that Jesus is the Messiah, and salvation was by faith and to believe this and go get baptised in water in his name so you will also receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Eunuch was baptised and rose out of the water rejoicing and God took Philip away at that point. God was behind the baptism, and faith in Jesus Christ. If baptism was not part of the Christian conversion, Philip would not have told him about baptism as part of it and God would not have sent him to do it by supernatural teleportation. It is as simple as that....Water baptism alone does not cover our sins and make us right before God as salvation is not through water baptism rather it is the blood of Jesus accepting by faith Jesus Christ leads a person to then commit to him through water baptism as a promise and so they fulfil the words of Jesus when he said, "Unless a man is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the Kingdom of God." Those who become saved through laying faith in his blood sacrifice and name for the remission of their sins, these are saved and then go under in baptism laying down the old life in the water and arising to the new. John 3:5, Acts 8:26-40, Mark 15:15-16
- Bearing Fruit: Fulfilling the command of Jesus to love one and other and God first and foremost in all things, fulfils all other commands. The law of love is not the world's idea of love which is love and tolerance of sinful behaviour and loving sins. That makes you an enemy of God. Rather the law of love is fulfilled when you do the works of the Spirit which is bearing fruit: you turn from sin and endure under temptation, you help others to know the Lord, you share other's burdens in the faith by offering kind prayers and fellowship with them if they need it, you give to those in the faith who need it if able, you tell others about Jesus and reality of hell and of salvation where you are given to, and you keep separate from the sinful influences of this world living quiet productive lives in the faith. You work well for your earthly supervisors and boss so that you may not bring shame to the name of the Lord by being lazy and unproductive in earthly matters. You operate in honesty in all your dealings despite being inconvenient sometimes. You be fair and just towards others you are involved with knowing that God will judge the works of unrighteousness. Because you know what Jesus did on the cross to save you, you do not return evil for the evil, rather learn to forgive in your heart. Pray for your enemies for mercy from God knowing that God will judge the sinner and unbeliever. In these ways you bear good fruit, and fulfil the law of love and so will have nothing to fear on the day of judgement. The most important fruit is faith that you simply trust Jesus and live in his salvation upon you daily adding to your faith these works of righteousness, instead of only living for yourself, and your aspirations like the world is solely focused on doing. In this manner you will not come before the Lord empty handed. But the secret to bearing good fruit comes by the power coming to you from above transforming you within to be pure in heart. This can only happen when you seek to know Jesus and become born again and get him to send out any evil spirits in you holding you to impurity.
- Repentance and salvation: If your heart is hard, you would not repent…This was the sin of the Pharisees. They were stiff-necked and self-righteous and refused to repent of their sins believing they were right with God. The good man is the one who hears the word, and accepts it and becomes a doer of the word: he repents of his sins, and turns to a life of living for Jesus Christ in holiness and truth, not in sin. Nobody can come to Jesus Christ and find him for real, and not repent of their sins, for the Holy Spirit came to convict sinners of God’s salvation, righteousness and judgement so that everyone who repents and believes the gospel will be saved. Jesus said, “For the light has come into the world, but many would not come near it lest their sins be exposed (would not repent), and remained in the darkness.” John 3:19 and Rev 2:4-5
- Sexual immorality, Fornication, Pornography, Homosexuality: God designed sexuality to be within a marriage union between man and woman and he called this holy in the Word of God. Fornication is sex outside of marriage which the Word of God forbids as unholy unions including homosexual unions as written in Leviticus. The same applies with adultery. Mankind has a strong natural lust for women, which must be placed under self-control by the power of God, so he does not commit adultery in heart or in action, or commit fornication. Jesus forgives us if we repent. Many however struggle with ADDICTION to lustful desire that is aroused when viewing pornography for instance. However there is a spirit at work in those people that they need freedom from. If you are tormented by sexual demons in you forcing you to sin, then get them sent out by praying to Jesus for deliverance and then using his name and casting them out of you by his authority. Praying a deliverance prayer online is useful. Derek Prince has good videos on this topic. Demons can also cause harassing and compulsive evil thoughts and other problems in your life all causing a LACK OF PEACE in you. If this is the case you need deliverance from them being in you.
- Being legalistic about everything, careers, sports, activities, school etc. I dont make the rules, God does, reject works based salvation: FolFollowing the faith is not about becoming legalistic about everything to the point that everything is a sin and you are overly critical of everything, anyone, or yourself. In reality, we all know what sin is as written in the scriptures, and must keep sin out of our hearts, and eyes, and stop our hands from committing sin: pride, lusts, angry outburst, unbelief, meanness, unforgiveness, envy, bitterness, drunkenness and drugs, hatred of God, using God's name in vain, swearing, lewdness, lack of faith, unfaithfulness to your spouse, fornication, etc....Being distracted by this life where God means little to you, is also a type of sin. However, normal activity or recreational activity with others is not wrong, no more than a walk in the park or ball game with your friends, or school activity or school sport, nor sporting carnivals, group actives or sports etc isn’t wrong. Nor is going to school, university, getting a job, or having a career according to your talents. Each person should be right with the Lord in their hearts on what activities they do according to their talents. We are not to lay religious rules on everything. In the light of scripture, we must think and act wisely in relation to career, activity, hobbies, life pursuits, and dreams and what position it has in our lives and what place we give God in our lives if we call ourselves Christians. Now when I do things, they are blessed by God because I put him first, and anything I do in this life no longer is all I care about or have because I am living for the coming Kingdom of God and whatever God provides for me to do on this earth, I will do it to the best of my abilities and talents even if people don't like it or judge me about it. Matthew 25:14-30.
- Can people do what they are good at, be a sports professional or the like as a Christian according to their talents? It is how we place God FIRST in our hearts and love Jesus Christ and others according to his commandments in our daily lives and above all, and whether or not we are BORN AGAIN as God's child through believing in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
- Friends, family, and the world: The Scriptures do not say to depart from your family, community, school, or social interactions, or work, or work gathering, or work function, or friendship and become a hermit, rather, to understand that in order to be true to your faith in Christ, you must not compromise in sin with those you associate with daily in your life, who do not know God and despise his name, and love and do sin, and so deny God yourself. If you understand this, then you understand what Jesus means by hating your family for his sake to follow him, and why Jesus said that to follow him you must hate everything in comparison to him, otherwise you cannot be his disciple. He never meant to leave everyone in your life, refuse to look after your family, and go live on the street. Anyone who things or does that, is living in deception..Many scoff at Jesus' teaching on "hating your family for his sake" not understanding what it is he means by this, and taking it on face value instead of doing a proper scriptural study on this subject.. 2 Corinthians 6:14
- Being separate from the world: Following Jesus does not mean you must not have a job for money to pay your bills and look after those in your care, nor does it mean you must be a hermit and be away from humanity, nor quit school and do nothing, nor go further in your career field. Rather, following Jesus is about letting the new you live a new life which will not be taking part in the shameful immorality, and sinful deeds and lawless living of the world around you and your former life, and being instead separate from THESE things unto Christ....2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
- Temptation: Temptation will always come, as it is a consequence of living in the flesh and is for testing our hearts down here, to reveal our decisions of the heart for the Kingdom as true. Yielding to temptation is what will harm you if you fall away to it, and do not repent and return back to Christ like the prodigal son. A person who has come to know Jesus Christ and his salvation first hand will be tempted by the devil. We endure because Christ has bought us from death at the cross, and in him will you find the power to overcome.
- Hell: Hell is eternal and those who end up there do not become a pile of ash and no longer exist. Jesus warned us plainly about hell how it is a place of torment, suffering, and anguish. Living as a sinner and NOT BORN AGAIN in Jesus Christ as your redeemer will end you in hell, but repenting of your sinful ways of the flesh and choosing to give your life to Jesus Christ, and so you are going to pass from death to life and will have firm assurance that you will never ever end up in hell. Jesus came to save sinners from hell. God does not want people to end up there, and so made the way of salvation for all through Christ since the foundations of the world, that all who come to his Son Jesus Christ, shall be saved because only he can wash your sins away and make you born from above.
- Healing, sickness, and disease and miracles:
There is a way to receive healing or other miracles from God and have them done for you if you are right with God. Jesus said the way, he said in Mark 3:23-24 23 For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken away, and cast into the sea, and shall not waver in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith, shall come to pass, whatsoever he saith, shall be done to him.
24 Therefore I say unto you, Whatsoever ye desire when ye pray, believe that [j]ye shall have it, and it shall be done unto you. I have received healing from God supernaturally this way because I decided to believe that he would give it to me as he said above, and it happened instantly.
If you really truly believe and apply this that Jesus said, there is no sickness or problem in your life too great to have removed from you and healed. I know for a fact because I have received miracles from God by doing this in faith and belief.
So what you need to do, is to be of the faith first, and ask with the right motive and be right with God in your heart. The right motive is asking in faith in Jesus according to his word for your need, with humility and earnestness. Not some half-hearted selfishly motivated prayer, nor some prayer that lacks the fear of God.
Something that is a holy purpose, is your healing from a disease/disorder you have because Jesus wants all his followers to be healthy and well and doing his work helping others. Diseases and disorders are caused by a multitude of reasons and causes, and mostly from evil unclean spirits that you can cast out in the name of Jesus, but whatever the reason or cause there is healing available 100% despite anything anyone else says. We know this because if you heed the words of Jesus in the above post, he states clearly that if YOU really want something done as a serious follower of him (A Christian following him) and you ASK but also BELIEVE that you will receive what you ask, then Jesus says clearly that is will be DONE FOR YOU from heaven.
Jesus WANTS you to believe that God will do for you if you ask him. He is saying God WANTS to give you what you ask including your healing.
So clearly from what Jesus states, and my own experiences, the power of belief and the level of that belief in your heart when you ask, is the level to which it will happen. If you don't really think it will happen but want to try anyway, I doubt you would receive what you ask. The point is that the Lord wants to respond to what you ask providing you believe about it. And this kind of belief really does go against all we are made of, because the flesh struggles to be able to comprehend things that are impossible in the flesh but only possible in God. So this belief goes beyond the flesh and what it wants to think, to deep within your Spirit and what you deep down want to trust and believe in with childlike faith.
So meditate on this word the Lord gave, until you realise it is true for your own life and make sure to turn from all sins in your life (forgive, make up about past sins etc). And then believe and ask for a miracle that you need in your life that is according to God's will. God will be the judge of what you ask for, and why you ask and will see the faith you ask in and his timing and you will receive accordingly.