I believe...

I have thought for a long time how to address this issue for myself.  I have typed and deleted posts several times trying to get this out.  It is a very hard topic only because I have seen so much negative that I feel like I need to walk on egg shells to keep from alienating people I really care about by even bringing it up.

But it IS important to me.  And I know I fall short every single day and do not live up to the world's standards of how a Christian should act.  And according to the world, Christians who don't act like Christians all the time are hypocrites.  What a horrible standard to live up to!  Last time I checked, there was only one perfect person to walk this earth and it certainly was NOT me.  Also, those with a one sided or limited understand of where they stand in their beliefs make statements that are taken as judgements (which they may be) causing those who are watching to completely dismiss and reject anything that comes out of a Christian's mouth about the Bible and Jesus.

I will be the first to admit that I do not know the Bible backwards and forwards.  I google Bible verses all the time to refresh myself of the wording of certain verses.  Should I have a deeper understanding of it?  Probably.  I am learning however that reading the Bible alone won't bring me any closer to understanding my faith in God if I don't apply what I do know to my life.

So what do I believe?

I believe first and foremost that God loves me.  He loves my children, even more than I do which since I love them more than I thought humanly possible I can't possibly imagine how great His love is.

I believe that God set aside his omnipresence and his throne in heaven to wrap himself in human flesh so we could look upon his face and know Him.  He then took all of our sins and held them himself, allowing his human self to be tortured and murdered so our sins would die with him.  He then rose to show us that our sins are washed away and we will rise with him, free of all sins.

I believe that it is only by the God's grace that we are saved, not by actions, deeds, or will. This is where I think a lot of people get confused.  Although as Christians we SHOULD do our best to be like Christ, that is not what saves us.  Now, this doesn't mean that someone can do whatever they want and say it's okay I am a Christian....God has rules to live by and we should abide by them, but God knows we are not capable of living up to his standards, hence the grace.

I believe that we were not put on this earth to cast judgement on whether or not another person is going to heaven or hell based on their actions.  In my opinion, when those judgements are made the person doing the judging is no better than the alleged sinner, because only God makes the final call.

I believe that to God, a sin is a sin is a sin.  There is no hierarchy of sins.  That is a hard concept for many.  It is hard to stomach that speeding (violating the laws of man) and rape are in the same chapter of sins.  What I have come to realize is the wordly consequences of those may differ, but both the speeder and the rapist can receive the same grace if they ask for forgiveness of their sins and believe in their heart that Jesus is Lord.  That doesn't mean the punishment they face on earth is any less severe, however to God anyone who repents will be made white as snow.

I believe in the end times.  This has been on my mind lately with all the crazy talk about the end of the world (2012), and all the strange weather and disasters lately.  Are we living in the end times?  Maybe.  I do not believe the world will end on December 21, 2012 or May 31, 2011.  God said he will come like a thief in the night and we won't know the day or time.

I believe that even though I have a lot of questions, fears, and even doubts, God is big enough to accept me for who I am.