//mytwocents

//creed

All of us have creeds - which are basically statements of what we believe!  Some people believe that "God helps those who help themselves!"  Others believe that "The more you know... the more you grow!"  These are basic statements that point to what we believe and what we value in our lives.  

This last weekend, we went through the Apostles Creed at Westbridge Church.  You have probably heard it at some point in your life, but if you haven't, it is the most widely agreed upon statement of beliefs throughout time and history - regardless of what brand or denomination you find yourself in.  

THE APOSTLES CREED:

I believe in God the Father Almighty, creator of heaven and earth.  I believe in Jesus Christ God's only son our Lord, what was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.  He descended into hell.  On the third day he rose again.  He ascended into heaven.  He is seated at the right hand of the father and he will come again to judge the living and the dead.  I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting, Amen!

This brief creed has been repeated in churches for 20 centuries, and is absolutely rich in doctrine and content regarding God the Father and Jesus, God's Son!  One of the main questions we all wrestle with is, "Who is this God we are dealing with?"  But when you consider WHAT Jesus did as outlined in the Apostles Creed, and you realize WHY he did it, you discover the heart and the character of this God we are dealing with, and you can't help but fall in love with Him!

If you missed it, take a minute to listen to the talk RIGHT HERE

//believe

Last weekend, we kicked off a new series and I am already LOVING THIS SERIES!  The reason that we are doing this series is because it is important that we are not ignorant concerning what we believe.  It really isn't enough that your parents believe something or that you grew up a certain way, at some point you have to be honest enough with yourself to ask the difficult questions of faith and wrestle to find the answers.  

To kick things off, we discussed the widely held belief that good people go to heaven!  Here is why that belief is so popular:

 

1.) It seems like a fair system!  If there is a good God in a good heaven, then it just makes sense that good people should go there!

2.) It motivates us to be good!  If good people go to heaven, then you will want to be a good person - especially as you get closer to the end of your life!

3.) Most people will make the cut!  Most people think of themselves as good people, so most people will make the cut which makes this easy to believe!

4.) The idea that good people go to heaven is consistent with the idea of a good God.  It is only logical and consistent that if God is good, then he will reward good people!

 

The problem with this belief is that most people are not honest enough to wrestle with its flaws, of which there are a few:

1.) There is no clear standard of good and bad.  If good people go to heaven, then God owes it to us to tell us how the system works.  Unfortunately, there is nothing written that says, "If you keep this set of rules, you will get to heaven!"  Which lead us to the second flaw:

2.) You never know where you stand with God.  Since there is no clear standard, you never know if you are in or out!  Logically speaking, that is not a FAIR SYSTEM at all!  It is like running a race without knowing where the finish line is!

3.) This idea that good people go to heaven is the opposite of what Jesus taught!  Jesus never taught that GOOD people go to heaven, he taught that FORGIVEN people go to heaven, and there is HUGE difference!

 

Jesus taught that...

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

EVERYONE GETS IN THE SAME WAY!

EVERYONE CAN MEET THE REQUIREMENT!

That is also NOT a fair system, but it is unfair slanted in our favor!  We are made right in God's sight through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  We can't be GOOD ENOUGH - but we can be FORGIVEN!