Why I Believe?

Someone asked of me last week, "What are your core values?" with reference to my faith. I have been giving that a lot of thought of late. In the third century the answer to that question was the "Apostle's Creed". People like creeds generally. It allows one to put folks in a certain box and we become defined as Protestant or Catholic; Conservative or Liberal; [insert your own labels here]. The problem with labels is that they are man made. The older I get the more central the theme of the cross and Christ crucified becomes apparent to me. If I look back at what still keeps me faithful today amidst all relativities of history and culture, it is not a supposed inerrant Scripture but that living presence of Christ in the world and in my own life of which also the Scriptures speak in their time as being foundational. Those same Scriptures when written were blissfully ignorant that they would eventually be canonized, worshipped, and mistaken for the reality that moved the words.

Creation speaks of the Creator. It is God's handiwork that declares his presence. But, it does not reveal his personality. One might deduce that the principle that one must die to live from observing nature; but, it is only the revelation of God that explains to us that the creative force that was used by God to speak the world into existence was a personality, i.e. the "logos" of John 1:1 and v. 14.

Conscience speaks of the inward proof that God made us. Romans talks of the "natural law" that is written on the hearts of mankind. Even gentiles do what is right because of the image of God that is imprinted on each of us. Yet, conscience without revelation can never provide answers to the question of "Why am I here?"

The ultimate proof is the Spirit that God gives to those who call upon his name and who are born again. It is subjective and incapable of rational proof. But, it is the reason that I choose to believe that Jesus is Messiah.