Foundations of Faith

FAITH: The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. ( Hebrews 11:1)

The Church of Christ - Eph. 1:22-23
Deity of Christ - Jn. 8:58
Inspiration of Scriptures - 2 Tim. 3:16-17
Existence of God - Heb. 11:6

PSALM 11:3 - If the foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?

Existence of God

Hebrews 11:6 - But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

The Created World

"The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork," (Psalm 19:1). God has revealed Himself through His creation. The more one studies and observes the natural world, the more one can see the glory of the Creator. The more an evolutionist studies this world, the more difficult his theory is to prove. One has to turn his back on myriads of scientific evidence in order to hold the view of atheistic evolution. As with every effect, there is a cause; so with the existence of the universe there must be a cause for its existence. Suppose a person had never seen a pocket watch and he walks along a beach and finds one in the sand. Would he think that it just evolved from particles and dust into the intricate piece of machinery that he has in his hand? No, he would know that somewhere there was someone who designed and built this watch. It is the same with our world. We can study its design. We can admire its beauty. And we can be sure that it was no cosmic accident that brought it into being! We can see the glory of God in His glorious creation (Rom. 1:20).

Inspiration of Scriptures

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

The Bible

"The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple," (Psalm 19:7). God has revealed Himself through His written word. Through the study of His perfect word we can learn more about our perfect God. One might ask, "How do you know if the Bible is the word of God? And how can you be certain that it is not filled with errors?" These are common questions and are readily answered. I am certain that the Bible is from God for several reasons.
  1. It contains no contradictions even though it was written over a long period of time and by many different men. Although it addresses a variety of subjects, it possesses a unity and harmony of thought that proves that it can only come from one mind, the mind of God.
  2. It contains detailed prophecies of events which were given hundreds of years before their occurrence. For example: Isaiah spoke of the fall of Babylon at least 150 years before its occurrence (Isa. 13-14; Dan. 5).
  3. It claims inspiration and perfection for itself (notice 2 Tim. 3:16; 1 Thess. 2:13; James 1:17; James 1:25). The Bible is the inspired revelation of God which teaches us of Him and of His blessings.

Deity of Christ

John 8:58 - Jesus said to them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM."

The Sin Problem and The Remedy

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23) and the consequence of sin is death (eternal punishment) (Rom. 6:23). However, God has given mankind the gift of eternal life by taking on the form of a man (Christ, John 1:1-14 ; Phi. 2:7), living sinlessly (Heb. 4:15), and atoning for our sins by giving His life (Rom. 5:8-9; John 3:16). We now have access to this gracious gift of God by faith through Christ ( Rom. 5:1-2 ), that is, we can be saved (from eternal punishment) by an obedient faith in Him, showing our love for He who first loved us (1 John 4:19; 1 John 5:1-3).

Fully man and Fully God

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. (John 1:1-3)

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-14)

"I and My Father are one." (John 10:30)

"If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; and from now on you know Him and have seen Him." (John 14:7)

. . Yet out of you shall come forth to Me the One to be Ruler in Israel, whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. (Micah 5:2)

For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form . . (Col. 2:9)

The Church of Christ

Ephesians 1:22-23 - And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Upon accessing the grace of God (Rom. 5:2), being saved, one is then added to His church (Acts 2:47), the body of Christ (Col. 1:18) and is considered a Christian. He or she must then live a faithful life, that is, live according to the pattern set forth in God's Word to the best of his or her ability (1 John 1:7). The church is the end result of the Divine plan of redemption in which its faithful members will enjoy eternal life (Rev. 2:10).

The Church Foretold

The church, or kingdom, of Christ would be established in the days of the Roman Empire (Daniel 2), in Jerusalem (Isaiah 2), signified by the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (Joel 2). This prophecy would be fulfilled in the first century. See also (Matt. 16:15-19). In Mark 9:1, Jesus told his disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power."

The Church Fulfilled

As foretold, the church was established on the day of Pentecost, in Jerusalem, where the Holy Spirit was poured out (Acts 2), by whom the apostles were baptized (different from water baptism) and given the ability to miraculously communicate with people of all nations. These marvelous events in the year 30 A.D. have 'conveyed us into the kingdom' (Col. 1:13), marking the beginning of the church and the Christian age.

taken from Saline Church of Christ website