What I Believe

About This Website

GodWords is a personal website, so it reflects my own thoughts and beliefs. You can learn about what I believe by reading my words, but it’s sometimes helpful to outline such things in a list. My beliefs about any particular topic are subject to revision at any time, so some of the things on this list reflect my current understanding and aren’t meant to be set in stone. Some are simply the historic affirmations of biblical theology, but others are more interpretive in nature. If you have questions, let me know.

What is your religion?

I’m a Christian. I try to concern myself more with following Jesus than with adhering to any organization’s theology… so I study the New Testament and try to do what it says. At the same time, it’s almost impossible to remove the historic influence of those who have gone before us. I grew up in the Wesleyan tradition, and have attended churches that lean a bit Reformed. I’m neither of those, though I agree with different parts of each.

What Bible do you use?

I use whatever Bible is handy. Most of the time I use the NIV or ESV (for reading and teaching). When studying, I use the NASB with Greek and Hebrew translations for clarity. Almost every modern Bible is just fine for reading.

Where do you stand on the controversial subjects of today?

• Abortion kills innocent human beings.
• The universe and the Earth, created by God, are probably very old.
• Good science is a benefit. Bad science is a detriment.
• Our politics should reflect our theology, not the other way around.
• Claims about reality and truth require evidence, and are best expressed in straight-forward terms using everyday language. Claims that are illogical or that can’t be backed up should be questioned.

Statement of Belief

GodWords gets a lot of visitors. Many come to argue about theology, which is generally a good thing. Sometimes theological conversations are easier when we can begin with common ground, so I list these items because they cover most of the questions I get.

• What is a Christian? Anyone who has trusted God with their life and has been born again as Jesus described in John 3. Christians follow Jesus, observing what He did and doing what He said.
• What is the Bible? The Bible is a collection of books written by humans who were inspired by God to write exactly what He wanted them to write. As originally written, these books contained no errors. The Bible is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
• What is God like? God has eternally existed, and created everything else. He is, perfectly, all that we consider good and true. The Father is God, Jesus (the Son) is God, and the Holy Spirit is God… yet there is only one God. Further, God describes Himself as love. Not loving, not lovable, but love itself.
• What must I believe to become a Christian? I would suggest that Hebrews 11:6 tells us what one must believe in order to become a Christian: without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him. When we recognize that God must exist, and choose to be in trusting relationship with Him, THAT is when we are saved.
• What do Christians believe? That’s a different question, of course. Becoming a Christian isn’t the same as understanding everything that God wants us to know. Essentially, Christians are to believe what God has said. We find those things in the Bible, so we study the Bible to understand Him, to become more intimately involved with Him, and to learn to become more like Jesus.
• Why is it hard to believe in God? Some people find trusting God to be difficult. One reason is that we don’t usually want to give anyone else control over our lives, and God requires that we trust Him. Another reason is that we simply lack knowledge about God, and – naturally – we don’t fully trust people we don’t know well. Yet another reason is that we have been hurt or misled by people who claim to belong to God, but act irresponsibly… or, worse yet, act in direct contradiction to what God has said.
• How can I grow in my relationship with God? First, spend time with Him. Sit quietly and talk to Him. Listen, too. Take the time to learn more about Him, which means spending time reading the Bible. Focus on the New Testament at first. Second, ask for help. The Holy Spirit dwells in each believer, and works to transform us to be more like Himself. He will help you. Also, it’s good to look for some mature Christians who live near you, so you can spend time with them. We all need encouragement, comfort, and to be challenged from time to time, so these relationships are important. Third, reach out to responsible Bible teachers you might find in your community and online. They may be able to help you answer difficult questions, walk with you through tough times, and more.
• How can I learn to share what I believe? I’m going to be blunt here: most people don’t share their faith because they don’t really know what they believe. If you’re not sure about what you believe, you’re unlikely to recommend that someone else should join you. If trusting God and following Jesus and sharing your faith was easy, almost everybody would do it. It’s easier to do nothing than something, so most people are simply unprepared to share the most important parts of their lives with others. What you need is TRAINING. How do you get good at anything? You study it and you practice it. At no point in history have we had more resources available to everyone for learning these things. Look for them. Take advantage of them. Ask people you trust for recommendations for books, videos, podcasts, articles and more.

I’ll add more as they come to mind. Let me know if you want specifics.