What I Believe... Introspicere Ministries Statement of
Faith
| Welcome | About This Ministry... |
Dear Friends -
What follows below
is my Statement of Faith. This tedious yet important project is one that I
should have done back in 1997 but have been putting off since then. Hindsight
being 20/20, I publicly and privately regret that I did not take the time
earlier in my ministry to clearly delineate my core beliefs. Statements of
Faith, such as this, are difficult at times to decipher because the individual
or group they help to describe, define and clarify are generally not standing
right in front of you prepared to answer any questions you may have regarding
their stances. Feel free to email me any questions you have to: introspicere@yahoo.com.
The concepts
discussed below form the core basic beliefs that I adhere to as a Christian
believer, and as a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I may revise this
list from time to time for clarity, but I believe this sufficiently conveys my
position regarding various issues pertaining to Christian living, values and
morality. My beliefs on any topic not directly addressed here will always be
based on the teachings of Jesus Christ and my firm conviction regarding the inerrancy
of scripture. I like to consider myself a fairly open-minded individual who at
the same time, as a Christian minister, has very conservative values and holds
strong orthodox beliefs pertaining to the teachings of Jesus Christ and the
inerrancy of Scripture specifically pertaining to matters regarding
Christianity, it's beliefs and teachings. In plain English, I believe that
until all is finally revealed and made clear to us after the Lord returns in
glory, the Holy Bible has been and will continue to be the final authoritative
guide pertaining to our Christian conduct and daily living.
Having said that, I
do not have God in a box. My God is too big for that. The God I believe in is
not governed by my Statement of Faith or anyone else's for that matter; that is
why scripture references are used when possible to clarify what God's plan
for our lives is really all about.
God will continue to work in my life and in yours in ways that no one could
ever imagine or foresee. He is a God that shows himself to us at times and in
ways we least expect, and that is exactly the way it has always been because
that is the way He planned it all along. God is alive and well today and
ministers to our needs daily; we should be ever thankful for the many blessings
he provides us on a daily basis - they are truly too many to number.
May God continue to
richly bless and encourage you in your ministry for Him.
Peace always,
Hugh C. Keith
Introspicere Ministries
http://www.introspicere.org
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Concept: |
In the Bible: |
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I believe that there is one and only one living and
true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual and personal being, who presents
himself to us as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. |
Mt.
28:19; Jn. 14:26, 15:26, |
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I believe in the inerrancy of scripture in the Bible
and that it was inspired by God. |
2 Tim.
3:15-17 |
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I believe in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ; and I
believe that His atoning death on the cross and his resurrection from the
dead is the event that provided the reconciliation between God and man. |
Is.
7:14; Mt. 1:18-25; |
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I believe that man was created in the image of God,
but by voluntary disobedience fell from perfection. |
Gen.
2; Rom. 5:12 |
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I believe in Salvation by grace through faith; I
believe that God's plan of salvation includes the following elements: |
Eph:
2:8-10 |
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Election: |
God's choice on an individual or group for a
specific purpose or destiny. |
Rom.
9:10-13 |
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Justification: |
God's act of declaring us "not guilty" for
our sins, making us "right" with Him. |
Rom.
4:25; 5:18 |
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Propitiation: |
The removal of God's punishment for sin through the
perfect sacrifice of Jesus Christ death of the cross. |
Rom.
3:25 |
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Redemption: |
Jesus Christ has paid the price so we can go free.
The price of sin is death; Jesus paid the price. |
Rom.
3:24; 8:23 |
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Sanctification: |
Becoming more and more like Jesus Christ through the
work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. |
Rom.
5:2; 15:16 |
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Glorification: |
The ultimate state of the believer after death when
he or she becomes like Christ. (I John 3:2) |
Rom.
8:18, 19, 30 |
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God's promise to use is given by Jesus Christ
himself. |
John
3:16-17 |
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The apostle John confirmed God's promise by his own
testimony. |
I John
4:9-10 |
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Why should we believe Jesus promise? The apostle John
tells us why. |
I John
5:1-12 |
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Salvation is a gift of God's grace; there is nothing
we can do to "earn it" or "merit it". |
Eph.
2:8-10 |
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New believers who accept Jesus Christ into their
lives and profess him as Lord and Savior are "born again" to a
newness of life in Christ. |
2 Cor.
5:17-18; Gal. 2:20 |
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Being a born again believer, or Christian, requires
that we behave accordingly because now our lives are guided by the Holy
Spirit and not our old nature. |
Rom.
7:4-6; Gal. 5:16-26 |
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I believe that Water Baptism is a believers' public
act of obedience testifying about their faith in the death, burial and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptism publicly celebrates the believerŐs
faith in Christ symbolically through their death to sin and their
resurrection to new life in Christ. Baptism acknowledges the believers
submission to Christ as their Lord and Savior, a willingness to live
according to God's holy standards, and identifies the new believer with the
fellowship of all believers. |
Mt.
28:19-20 |
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I believe that The Lord's Supper (commonly known as
'Communion') is a public celebration that reminds all believers of Christ's
death for our sins and our hope for his glorious return. |
I Cor.
11:23-34 |
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I believe that believers should observe the Sabbath
as a holy day of rest and worship as commanded by God. As believers, we also
have the privilege of enjoying the Sabbath rest of relaxation, contemplation,
praise and worship 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days out of the year,
until Christ returns in glory. We can enter into His presence anytime,
anywhere by taking time to enjoy a time of private or public prayer, praise
and worship wherever we are. |
Ex.
20:8-11 |
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I believe that as believers we are each the
recipients of Spiritual gifts which in turn produce spiritual fruit as a by-product
of our daily Christian living. |
I Cor.
12:1-11; Gal. 5:22 |
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I believe in the Divine Healing power of Jesus
Christ to heal those who are ill in our midst in response to our prayers. |
James
5:13-18 |
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I believe that the Second Coming of Jesus Christ is
a real event that can take place at any moment. |
Mt.
24:26-42; Lk. 17:20-37; |
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I believe that we will all one day stand in front of
the judgment seat of God. |
Mt.
16:27; Rom. 14:10-12; |
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I believe in Heaven and Hell. |
Jn.
14:1-3; Rev. 7:15-17, |
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I believe we have a responsibility to test
what we read or hear against the Word of God. Stumped
about a life topic or issue? The Bible is our 'believers
instruction manual' for living, and God has given it to us specifically for
our use. A simple axiom to remember this thought by is simply, "When in doubt, check it out."
Do not ever blindly trust or believe anything anyone says to you. If
something you read or hear sounds out of place or not-quite-right to you, check
in the 'instruction manual' to see if it's correct or not. Always check all
biblical teachings and concepts against the Word of God in your very own
Study Bible, then keep the truth and discard the trash. Always read the
'instruction manual' before proceeding! |
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