This month, we have been focusing on our theme of “Believe.” In reading our book club pick for the month, you might have found yourself confirming beliefs you’ve already held and finding support for these beliefs. There are some things you might have read that sound unbelievable but it’s amazing how a little bit of shifting over time can add up to one huge chasm. To continue on with our theme and with what we are reading about, I’d like to invite you to write your own statement of faith. Why do you believe what you believe? It can be encouraging and clarifying to put into words what we actually do believe.

Here are some guidelines as you write your statement:

Pray

Start with prayer. Ask God for guidance as you begin to write your statement. It’s always important to start any faith based activity or spiritual matter with prayer.

Use Scripture

It’s important to have scripture evidence for our beliefs. What does the Bible say about Jesus, God, salvation, prayer, and the Bible itself? Which passages show actions that Jesus took that determine your beliefs? Is there something you believe that’s not in Scripture?

Define Your Terms

You’ll probably be tempted to say something like, “I believe in salvation” (or in the resurrection or Jesus). Narrow these items down. Define what you mean by salvation and by the resurrection. This is important as various religions have differing views of what these terms actually mean. For example, some believe Jesus was spiritually resurrected but not physically resurrected. Also, it’s important to define who Jesus is. Defining terms helps to know what you know and help you understand what you truly mean by the words you use. Some terms are being taken over by other religions and forms of Christianity and it’s important to know what is truly meant by a word that is used.

Choose What Your Essentials Are

What are your most essential aspects of your faith? It could be the truth of God, Jesus, the Bible, salvation, the Trinity, and the resurrection. A non-essential might be which day of the week we worship on or what you eat or wear. Determine what is most important and essential to you. Which hill in your faith are you truly going to stand on? What is a complete non-negotiable for you?

What is a Definite Belief and a Definite Denial

Affirm what you do believe. Confirm what you do not believe. What is definitely not true for you? What is heresy to you? An example on salvation might be, “Salvation is by grace alone not by works.” This affirms what you believe while also denying what you do not.

Spend some time on this. As you read through “Another Gospel?” it may lead you to focus on a few areas of belief (perhaps Jesus, God, and the Bible). This is all up to you how in-depth you’d like to go, how long or how short. It could be that a quick sentence summarizes up what you believe or it could be that you prefer a longer statement.

I hope this helps as you think through your own personal beliefs. I think it’s important that we think on these things because of all of the information and ideas that are thrown at us daily. I hope having these beliefs thought through and written down helps you filter all the information you receive.