Our Beliefs
Statement of Beliefs
These statements of our beliefs define true reality of our existence and purpose in life, God’s “otherness,” and the joyful reunion that comes when people of any culture surrender to their Maker. Our beliefs are held in faith, proved through experience, and many times evidenced by psychological, scientific, and empirical proofs. We are connected with God’s people through the ages and thus affirm other historical statements of beliefs and creeds, such as:
We believe in one God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, Very God of Very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried, and the third day he rose again according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father. And he shall come again with glory to judge both the quick and the dead, whose kingdom shall have no end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceedeth from the Father [and the Son], who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And we believe one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins. And we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
In addition we affirm many strategic articulations of the mission of the Christian church such as:
Our Beliefs
We seek to biblically-centered and Spirit-led in our teaching and instruction. We believe the Bible is God’s Word to man, and by knowing it, we can come to know the Lord intimately. While there are thousands of churches that have doctrinal statements that we would agree with wholeheartedly, it is still possible to be doctrinally “right” but spiritually dead. Knowledge puffs up, scripture says. It is possible to believe the right things but live in a way contrary to your beliefs.
Therefore, we do offer the following as a summary of beliefs. Many churches would affirm our doctrinal position. However, we are much more interested in applying our theology to our lives. In a sense, we want our theology to become our biography. At Journey, we are intimately concerned with abiding in Jesus Christ (John 14) and encouraging one another to live in growing obedience to what He commands expressly in His Word and how He leads through His Spirit. (Hebrews 10.24)
God
Over the millennia of human existence, people have thought up and invented mythologies and even world religions. However, there is only One True God. He made all that is. He is a joyful God, fully happy in Himself. He is not like man, and does not think like man. He created man. The One True God knows everything at all times – past present and future. The OTG is not limited by space and time. (He created both.) Therefore, He is everywhere all the time, yet He is a being, not a concept or a force. The OTG is the source of everything. He is all-powerful. Almighty. Nothing has ever happened or will happen beyond His knowledge, ability, or control. The greatest truth about the OTG is that He is motivated by and acts in perfect love. The OTG demands and deserves our love, attention, and worship.
- Father
The Bible teaches us throughout its pages that the OTG desires a love relationship with people of all nations, and therefore the most common relational term used to describe the OTG in the Bible is “Father.” In our days of family dysfunction, absentee dads, terror and abuse, it may be hard for some to relate to God as Father, but He is the Perfect Father. Everything an earthly dad should be and was created to be, the OTG fulfills in His relationship to you. As Father, He loves you even when you’re rebellious; He protects you; He provides for your needs; He always acts toward you in a way that is for your best (even when you can’t understand or see it); He wants to spend quality and quantity time with you in never-ending supply; He is proud of you; He delights in you.
- Son
The Bible calls Jesus the “Christ” which means He is the promised Messiah of the Jews. He was different than what they expected. At that time, under the rule of the Roman Empire, the Jews hoped for deliverance and thought their Messiah would establish an earthly kingdom which would make Israel a sovereign nation that would rule all other nations. They wanted God to make them the center of reality. But the OTG will not allow man to be the center of reality. He is the center of reality.Therefore, the Jews were not prepared for their Messiah who was born in Bethlehem, in a stable (not very kingly). (Check out how Jesus fulfilled Jewish prophecies.) There was much dispute over the character of his parents, Joseph and Mary, since Mary was a virgin when she discovered she was pregnant. Jesus grew up as a normal child, but it became plain early on that He was no ordinary child. He never made a conscious choice to rebel against the OTG. In short, he was sinless. Every choice He ever made honored God. You see, the Bible indicates that Jesus was more than human; Jesus was also divine. He was a real man, but He was also the OTG in the flesh. Because of the OTG’s great love, He had come to earth in the form of man, to sacrificially offer Himself as payment for all the rebellious choices and evil of man. He allowed Himself to be crucified during the reign of Pontius Pilate, and therefore bore the evil of all of humanity to the grave, where it is defeated today. Jesus was bodily raised from the dead by God the Father on Sunday morning, 3 days into the Jewish Passover, just as He said He would be. He appeared and instructed His disciples for 40 days after that, being seen by as many as 500 people at one time. Note: the Jews never denied that He was back in action! They simply tried to explain it away. Jesus’ life was a model life for all people. His death was a substitute for all people of all nations. When we give Him our love and allegiance, He gives us His life in us, and we enjoy all the incredible benefits of life lived in right relationship to the OTG.
- Holy Spirit
God relates with us as Father, and He reveals Himself to us as Son though Jesus. He empowers all who believe in Him through faith by His Spirit. The Spirit of the OTG is the person who helps us understand truth, shows us right and wrong, and literally enables us to believe in Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God does not draw attention to Himself, only to the Son, Jesus Christ. For it is faith in Jesus, not faith in the Spirit, that saves. The Spirit seeks to bring honor and glory to the Son. A follower of the OTG, then, has the Spirit living inside of him, and it is the Spirit who enables the follower to pursue the OTG daily. The Spirit gives a believer confidence in the Bible, direction in decisions, and power to live in daily life.
The Bible
Paul told Timothy in his first letter to him, 6.3, that the teachings of Scripture are “the foundation for a godly life.” In his second letter to Timothy, 4.17-17. he says, “All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” We believe that the 66 books of the Holy Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, are a single, cohesive message, recorded by men as led by the Holy Spirit, to progressively help men come to know and love the person of the One True God. They are not primarily historical, scientific, or psychological, yet they speak with complete accuracy in these areas. They are primarily given to help men come to know their Creator.
[The first list of the new Testament books that should belong to the Bible was put together in the 39th Pastoral Letter of Saint Athanasius, the bishop of Alexandria, in 367AD. The said list was then confirmed by the Council of Hippo in 393AD, Council of Carthage in the year 397, Pope Innocent I in 405AD, and finally, by the Council of Trent in 1546. As for the Old Testament, during the Reformation, the Protestants rejected Sacred Oral Tradition and the authority of the Roman Catholic Church. While they adopted the Catholic New Testament Canon, they rejected it’s Old Testament Canon and instead, returned to the scriptures that the Jews recognized as authoritative in the centuries before Christ came - the Jewish Canon of the Old Testament. Since the Jewish scholars did not recognize the 7 books of the Deuterocanonicals (the Catholic’s Apocrypha), it is not contained in their list of Old Testament books. This is why the Protestant Bibles doesn’t include the Apocrypha. Thus, there is only 39 Old Testament books (rather than 46) and 27 New Testament books summing up 66 books. For a fuller discussion of the canonicity of scripture, look at this excellent Wikipedia article.]
We believe that God’s Word, the Bible, is not only instructive for knowledge and fear of the Lord, but it is also a guide and foundation for living. In our day of relativism and fuzzy ethics, God’s Word stands as an eternal standard. The believer is called to obey it, not escape it. As we fall more and more in love with the OTG that saves us, we thirst more and more for His voice. We hear His wonderful voice being spoken to us and to His people in the pages of Scripture. Thus we believe and teach that for any believer to grow in their relationship with the Father, they MUST study, meditate on, and immerse themselves in knowing God’s Word.
Scripture records the existence and activity of a being called the devil, Satan, and Beelzebub. It says that he is a lair, an accuser of the saints, a deceiver, a murderer and seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. We believe that God’s Word teaches that Satan is an angel who pridefully attempted to compare himself to God, led 1/3 of the angels in rebellion, and was cast out of heaven. To this day, Satan is alive and well, seeking to lead men astray, corrupt political, institutional, and social systems of our world.The devil hates the OTG and leads his armies of fallen angels (whom scripture identify as demons) in open war against the OTG. Because mankind is the OTG’s crown of creation, bearing the very image of God, Satan loves to corrupt and pervert men and women.
The ugliness and confusion and hate that we find in our society today is a result of man’s willful decision to choose his own way over God’s way. This began with the temptation of Satan in the Garden of Eden and continues for every person to this day.
Scripture urges us to “resist the devil” and to “not be ignorant of his schemes.” It says that he “prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.” It identifies Satan as the “god of this age” and the “prince of this world.” Satan has only limited authority, however, and is determinedly voracious about waging war against God’s people. The Bible informs us that believers should not fear him, for “greater is He (Jesus) that is in us than he that is in the world.”
People exist because God chose to create them. We did not evolve out of ooze. (Check out refutations of evolution.) God did not create people because He needed them. He was not lonely. He is a joyful God, fully happy in Himself. Yet the OTG created people. He created people to enjoy Him forever and to experience a full and abundant life in His beautiful creation. The first people He created were Adam and Eve, and we are all descendant from them. God created people in His likeness; therefore, we have unbelievable abilities and capacities. Though we die an earthly death, our spirits live on and will be provided with another body after death, similar to our current body but perfect in its composition. Adam and Eve chose to ignore God’s clear instructions in the Garden of Eden, and when they acted against God’s clearly revealed will, evil and sin became a part of the creation and the human race. It has been so ever since. Every person inherits their tainted DNA, their tendency to want to be God rather than love God. Every person who has ever walked the planet starts out as a rebel. In His love, God reveals to every person, therefore, at different times, the reality of their selfish and rebellious life choices and seeks to woo them back to a voluntary love relationship with Himself. The OTG does not force Himself upon anyone. It is every person’s right, joy, and responsibility to acknowledge the OTG and receive His Son by faith. It is God’s desire that all nations faithfully follow and surrender to Jesus Christ – His reality, His teachings, and His lifestyle. All peoples discover their full capacity, ability, and purpose when they are connected to God in faith. This re-connection brings peace, joy, stability, and strength as we continue to live in a world marred by the sum total of rebellious choices since Adam and Eve.
How to Get Right with God (Salvation)
Getting “right” with God assumes that a person understands that he is wrong with God to begin with. This realization is the first and most fundamental admission for a person to approach the OTG. As our Creator, the Lord made us in His image; however, every person who has ever lived has at one point in their lives crossed the line from innocence to willful sin. It happens at a very young age.
Scripture clearly indicates that salvation is a free gift from our Creator. There is nothing that we can do to “earn” it. No amount of faithful church attendance, tithing, or sacrificial good deeds to humanity can twist the OTG’s arm and put Him in our debt for what we’ve “done for Him.”
John 14.6 says plainly that Jesus Christ is “the way, the truth and the life, and that no one can come to the Father except through [Him].” Simply put, the OTG desires that we willingly come to His only Son, Jesus, in confession of our sin and admit our inability to save ourselves. “There is no other name under heaven through which we can be saved.” (Acts 4.12) It is simple surrender and confession of our sinfulness to Jesus Christ which opens the floodgates of salvation and blessing for all people.
The Lord Jesus desires that we love Him, not simply call upon His name to save us from eternal condemnation. From Deuteronomy 6.5 to Matthew 22.37, from Old Testament to New Testament, the Scriptures are plain… the OTG asks us to LOVE Him. He has “lavished” His love upon us, according to 1 John 3.16.
Ephesians 2.8-10 declares that we are saved by God’s grace alone through simple faith alone. It’s not about religion saving us; it’s about a relationship saving us. The process of salvation can be summed up in a simple 8-word confession: “I can’t; He can; I’m gonna let Him.”
Upon discovering our OTG’s incredible love for us, the realization and lifetime process of coming to grips with being fully and completely loved and accepted by Him gradually changes our perspective, our habits, and our worldview. We embrace everything He is, and He gives us everything we need for “life and godliness.”
The mysterious practice of baptism is one of the most unique contemporary practices of baptism. It has become, understandably, controversial. Some churches “sprinkle” while others “thumb” and others “dunk.” It has produced great division in the church throughout the ages, particularly since the Protestant Reformation in the 1500s.
While we may not completely understand why the Lord Jesus asks us that all who follow Him do so through baptism, we do know that He did ask. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Matthew 28.19)
Baptism does not save you, or it would be something that we could do to earn the OTG’s love and approval. However, it is always intricately linked with the salvation experience in the New Testament.
We believe baptism is an incredibly vivid picture of death and resurrection. Because of power of the act, we believe scripture teaches a person should be baptized by being completely immersed in water. As they “go under,” it’s a strong symbol of death. As they are raised out of the water, it is a powerful image of new life. Baptism, then, mirrors the death and resurrection of the Jesus Christ, and it is a powerful way to demonstrate to friends, family, and others of the dramatic break with the past and beginning of the new.
We believe that Scripture clearly teaches that every person who is a true follower of the OTG through a love relationship with Jesus Christ is a member of the church. That is why believers in North America can embark on a “mission” trip and discover deep camaraderie and fellowship with people in Southeast Asia simply because of their common faith and bond in Jesus Christ. The church of Christ is truly the world’s largest extended family.
While every believer everywhere makes up the church, it is not simply a concept. The church exists in your neighborhood in many forms. Some are denominational and have a building in which to meet. Some exist outside denominational circles and are very fluid in their structure. However, the church localized is where “the rubber hits the road.” Anywhere believers regularly meet together and share a common commitment to carry out the mission of the Lord Jesus in their locale is the local church.
We believe that every follower of the Lord Jesus should commit themselves fully to life with a group of believers. There is no perfect group of believers. Because we are all sinners, every attempt to bring structure and organization to the church will also inevitably result in imperfections. However, it is in committed, connected relationship with other believers that we learn to practice the “one another’s” of the New Testament.
There is no place for “Lone Ranger” Christians in God’s kingdom. He desires that we be one, as Jesus Christ and the Father are one. The OTG desires that we be united in mind, purpose, and love. As we demonstrate how to live in loving community with one another, we become a dynamic and compelling testimony to the world of the power of God to transform not just A life, but the lives of people in community.
A person is not saved by the Lord Jesus to enjoy his own “personal relationship with God.” There is no such thing. When we commit ourselves to become his followers/disciples, we commit ourselves to His mission. What is that mission?
Most Christians are surprised to discover that there is a wonderful, consistent theme of all of the scriptures. They are not 66 independent records of God’s differing activities. They form one cohesive story that records God gathering for Himself a people from every nation for His own praise and glory! History is the story of His glory! From Genesis to Revelation, we see the OTG revealing Himself to men for the purpose of sharing His truth and love with all nations.
Abraham was told that he was to be a “blessing to all nations.” The Jews were expected and commissioned by God to tell of his “excellent greatness,” to “declare His glory to all nations.” As you understand this theme, you see it filling the pages of Scripture. God does things for the sake of His own name, not ours! Why did God deliver the Israelites from the Egyptians? So that “the Egyptians would know that I am the Lord.” (Exodus 7.5) Everything God does, He does for His own fame and renown.
That, then, is also the purpose for the church. The Jews forsook their purpose to make the glory of God known. That is why Jesus said in John 17.4, “I have glorified You on earth, having accomplished the work that You gave me to do.”
God is most glorified in us through our obedience to Him. Our obedience reveals our love for Him. Jesus said, “If you love me, obey my commands.” By obeying the commands and fulfilling the mission of Jesus, we show our love for Him. He was sent to “seek and save that which was lost.
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