But I can share what I do believe

Personally, I think it’s healthy to hold our beliefs loosely—but even that is a belief. When I consider my faith as a whole, I know that there are plenty of things I believe now that I wouldn’t have been so sure of years ago. In some cases, I’ve grown more confident of what I believe to be certain truths. In other cases, I’ve grown less confident.

In either case, I definitely know this: I’ll never be done learning about, growing in, and being influenced by the life and power of Jesus.

Below, I outline the major tenets of faith that have influenced how I live. Of course, there are many more minor tenets that I believe as well, even those I have considered deeply and could communicate about at length. But I’ll just stick with the major points here, especially those that might be less commonly discussed.

I believe…

As of today (or thereabouts), here are the most notable tenets that I believe are worth sharing with you—or anyone for that matter.

…About God

• The Nicene Creed that was crafted after the First Council in 325 is a pretty good place to start any set of Christian beliefs; even though I’m all for contrarian Christian living, I do believe in these foundations

• Christ is All, and this is the most important belief I hold

• God being Love is not a metaphor, but the greatest reality in the universe

• The Spirit of Christ indwells me and serves as not just my Helper, but my very Life

• The same Christ who created all things is the One holding all things together in this very moment

• His grace is sufficient, even when it may not feel like it

• The Lord is a consuming fire

…About people

• God loves the whole world with reckless and furious abandon

• As much as Jesus came for all, He especially came for the marginalized, oppressed, rejected, and broken

• Every person has been made in the image of God and deserves to be treated with that perspective-altering truth at heart, 100% of the time

• God loves and honors everyone’s differences, and I should do the same

…About salvation

• Religion won’t save anybody, especially me

• I have been saved once and for all by Grace through faith in Jesus and his redemptive work on the cross

• Today is the day of my salvation, just as it was when I met Jesus all those years ago—and this is the invitation that remains open to everyone in this present moment

• Understanding the full plan of salvation or knowing certain truths is not a requirement to being saved by Jesus, and I should not present it as such

• Love obligates me to hope

• The church too often counts on Christ purely for pardon over sin, not enough on power over sin

• Poverty of spirit is the most important state of being I can maintain in my walk with Jesus; this is easy to forget

…About purpose

• Most people are too concerned with their own purpose, considering nothing of the eternal purpose that God established before time itself

• Even though I believe God has a plan for me, wasting myself at the feet of Jesus is more valuable and precious than my usefulness to Him

• God is playing the long game, so we must not view God’s goodness only through the lens of immediacy

• I can do nothing on my own

• The only “formula” there is for life is living by and following the Spirit of God, who indwells and empowers me to do everything

• “Origin dictates destination”

• Discovering what’s good about following Jesus is not enough for me when there remains a best

• A Christian’s ability to follow Jesus as He commissioned in Matthew 28 will be directly hindered or helped by their capacity for friendship

…About the Word of God

• The Bible is not the Living Word of God, Jesus is; the Bible merely consists of the many written (and inspired) words of God, which always point to the Living and Active Christ

• It’s easy to view pictures used throughout the Bible as metaphors rather than realities, but we should rethink that approach

• The Bible is intended to be read more as a book of God-inspired wisdom and less as a how-to guide in every life circumstance or scenario

• The Holy Spirit never contradicts the Bible

• If I truly believe the Bible is to be read more as wisdom than instruction, that should influence my interpretation of the guidance that comes from both the Holy Spirit and the Bible

• God is always communicating His Love

• The Word, when truly received, rewires brains and sets us free

…About speaking

• Everyone has received something of the Lord that they have been uniquely designed or equipped to share with others

• Our words are like LEGO blocks

• Love is Truth, Truth is Love, but too many Christians treat them as mutually exclusive; I must watch myself from doing similarly, remembering that both radical Love and the utmost Truth will always manifest abundant Life—this is the Way

• Jesus does not need a defense attorney, He needs disciples who share a reason for their Hope

…About the church

• The church is too easily led astray from her simplicity and purity of devotion unto Christ (2 Cor. 11:3)

• The church should be a space for others to experience the healing, transforming, and extravagant rest of Jesus

• Discipleship is not meant to be be individualistic in nature, but communal

• Unity in Christ is a divine fact that no person needs to—or can—make happen, as it has already been done (i.e. “There is one body…”)

• If differing theological interpretations lead us to the same application, it’s probably not worth disagreeing about so long as we agree on Christ

• Lack (of faith, of fruit, of whatever) is not something to look down upon, but a strategy God employs to complete and meet our needs together

• Just because God can (and does) use something does not mean it is His ideal; we shouldn’t conflate the two

• Jesus cannot be experienced as He intended outside of the local church

• Jesus is Head of the church, His body, and that reality is meant to be reflected in practice, not only in title

• The headship of Christ manifests unity, whereas the headship of man produces uniformity

• The church needs more sonship, not leadership

• The people of God should be called lots of things, but being called “Nice” alone is a pejorative, not a praise

…About certainty

• What many Christians espouse as their certainties aren’t quite as clear or certain as they claim—it’s often just their surroundings and suppositions that have led them to their convictions

• I’m still learning and always will be while I’m on this planet, so I should hold all my beliefs with an open hand

• The church should offer the safest “squared circle” there is

• I trust the Lord Himself, not my interpretation of Him and His truth

If I had to boil it all down

Though I am never done being shaped, the paramount beliefs I hold with the utmost conviction are represented in these 3 statements of 10 words:

1. Christ is All

2. His Spirit indwells me

3. God is Love

I’ll be sure to update my beliefs as the seasons of my life progress. In the meantime, I’d welcome a conversation about any of my current tenets. Sharing my faith in Jesus and how He’s revolutionized my life is what I’m all about. Let’s connect.