Foundations of Belief that Unify Us

 

Unity of the Brethern
courtesy photobucket.com

 

Sunday was the annual pulpit exchange and Annie T. from the Rescue Mission was our guest speaker.  (Pastor Jerry was at the Methodist Church today.)

Gleaning from Annie’s message as she read from Psalms 133:1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

I Peter 2: 1-3 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking,  as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

She stated that there are four basic things that unify us as believers.

First the Bible, second a personal relationship with Jesus, third freedom from guilt, and fourth, knowing we have eternal life now and for ever.  We are to take God’s word at face value.  My opinion about doctrine really doesn’t matter, and neither does yours. 

We all are subject to mistakes, and raising children is a good example. 

 

What counts is what the Bible says, for in it are the words of LIFE.

Jesus asked his disciples, “Will you leave me too?” and Peter answered, “Where would we go, for you have the words of life.”

The Bible:  Scripture is given so we can understand what we believe.  2 Timothy 3:16 says it is valuable for reproof, for correction and for instruction in righteousness.

Freedom from guilt:  She said, we tell the men at the mission, that recovery from anything requires a change from what was to what is now.  If there is a problem, then it is time to change our belief system.  The opposite of guilt is HOPE.  Hope allows us to be over-comers.  

God sees more value in us that we often see in ourselves.

A personal relationship with God:  It is necessary, that we may know him and his power to change our lives.  We are a peculiar people – not strange or weird, but the word peculiar also means “set aside” for good works. 

Eternal Life:  This is the promise for all those who receive Jesus.  We all desire to believe and know that heaven is real.  Ecclesiastes tells us there is a time for everything.  We enter this world through birth and we exit through death.  Everyone’s life begins at a point and will eventually end, but death is a passage into eternity.

While we wait for the Lord’s return or death, which ever comes first, we must present ourselves as a living sacrifice unto God for it is our reasonable service.

Romans 12: 2   And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.