That was quick - The Roman Catholic Church has a new pope; selected within 2 days, much in tradition with the selection of Benedict and Francis. The leadership of Benedict and Francis, covered 20 years. The new pope, Leo XIV, at age 69 could himself serve twenty years. The longest serving leader of the Catholic Church was St. Peter. The third longest was Leo XIII whom we reference in today's study notes.
Please remember that you bless us with your presence, and may the Holy Spirit bring you His comfort and His peace. Join us!!!
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05/10/2025 – Prologue – We have been following the uniqueness of America, as a republic nation. America is often referred to incorrectly, as a democracy. Here is the best, most concise, statement about the originality of the formation of our government, that I have read. “Madison (James) then made his closing argument in favor of the document whose principal author he was: “Nothing has excited more admiration in the world, than the manner in which free governments have been established in America. For it was the first instance from the creation of the world to the American Revolution, that free inhabitants have been seen deliberating on a form of government, and selecting such of their citizens as possessing their confidence, to determine upon, and give effect to it.” Delivered - June 23, 1788. [Chris DeRose, Founding Rivals (New York, 2011), 196.]
The five basic beliefs of Christianity are belief in God; Jesus Christ as the Son of God and mankind’s savior; the Holy Spirit; the Bible as the Word of God; and salvation through Christ. Regardless of nation or tribe, Christians must possess the following beliefs:
1) Belief in God – All powerful, all knowing and ever present. God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. As the all-powerful Creator, God brought the universe into existence and sustains it by His power. Nothing is impossible for God, and His power is unlimited. He possesses infinite knowledge and wisdom. God knows all about the past, present, and future. As the ever-present God, He is everywhere at all times and fills the universe. He is personally involved in the lives of His creations. God has a perfect moral character. He punishes sin and rebellion against Him. God is rich in mercy, grace, and love. His love is unconditional, infinite, and eternal. God is patient, long-suffering towards sinners, providing opportunities to repent and turn to Him. God eternally exists as three persons, in one God. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are all fully God and share the same divine nature, but are distinct persons. All of this is revealed to us in Scripture.
2) Jesus Christ - Son of God and the incarnation of God on earth. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born to the Virgin Mary, showing his divine nature as the Son of God. Jesus was fully human, allowing him to relate to the struggles of man. Jesus embodied God’s love and mercy towards man while on earth. Jesus taught us how to love God, neighbor and our enemies. Jesus was arrested and sentenced to death by the Roman authorities. His suffering and sacrificial death on the cross; He paid the penalty for humanity’s sins. On the third day after his death, Jesus rose from the grave, conquering sin and death forever. His resurrection proved his divinity and made way for the salvation of mankind. Jesus is the only way to salvation and the restoration of fellowship with God. Salvation is the free gift of God’s grace received through faith alone in Christ. N.B. There is no fixed way to follow Jesus. [John 3:16; Rom. 10:9; Eph. 2:8-10]
3) The Holy Spirit – Is a person coequal and in harmony with the Father and the Son. The relationship of the three persons is in pure love. The role of the Holy Spirit is to empower believers to live out their faith with boldness and confidence. The Spirit gives believers spiritual gifts for life, ministry and service. He guides, instructs, comforts, and encourages Christians in their walk with God. He has an active presence in the lives of believers, He is indwelling. [John 14:16-17]
4) The Bible as God’s Word – The Bible documents God’s revelation of Himself and His plan for humanity. It is composed of divinely inspired scriptures written by more than 40 human authors over a period of 1,500 years. It is essential: revealing who God is, His nature, and His plan for salvation through Christ. It is God inspired through the Holy Spirit. It is the written revelation of God, infallible and authoritative for faith and practice. The Bible is divided into the OT and the NT. The OT records God’s creation of the universe and humanity, His covenants and interactions with the ancient Jewish people, especially His promise to save them. [Gen. 3:21] The NT documents the coming of Jesus, His life, ministry, death, resurrection, salvation, the early Christian church and thus fulfilling all the prophecies of the OT. They provide a single unfolding story of God’s redemption of humanity through Jesus. Christians believe Scripture is useful for correction, reproof, and instruction. [2 Tim. 3:16].
5) Salvation through Christ alone - Christianity is faith in Jesus Christ as the only way for humans to receive salvation and eternal life [John 14:6]. By believing that Christ, in accepting His sacrifice, and committing to follow Him, that the barrier of sin between God and humans can be removed, by Christ’s work on the cross. There is no other path to restoration with God except by faith in Christ. Christians believe humans cannot earn salvation through personal righteousness or merit. It teaches that salvation comes by God’s grace through faith in Christ [Eph. 2:8-9]. Grace, is God freely extending forgiveness and restoration to humans who have sinned against Him. It is important to note that the barrier between Jesus and man is man’s capacity to become hard-hearted. Faith means fully trusting in what Jesus accomplished through His perfect life, death for sins, and resurrection from the dead. Good works have no role in earning salvation. [Rom. 6:23] Heaven is the eternal reward and Hell is the consequence of the lack of salvation. It sees eternal destinies at stake in a person’s response to Christ in this life: by repenting of sin and believing in Jesus for salvation, Christians believe a person is promised eternal life in heaven after death [John 3:16]. Rejecting God’s offer of salvation through Christ results in persons bearing the weight of their sin for eternity.
In summary, the five foundational beliefs of Christianity center on the nature of the triune God, the redemptive life/work of Jesus Christ, the empowering Holy Spirit, the authority of the Bible, and the path to salvation through faith in Christ alone. They are essential for the formation of a Christian Culture regardless of all other considerations. What happens if we turn to the Bible for guidance about the form of Christian Culture? There are few direct indications of the form we should follow. Nor do we find help to deal with the forces pulling folks away from Christianity – perhaps: art, science, politics and econ-omics. We do not find help in our dealings with contemporary arts. We have better hope for guidance concerning government and politics. In [Matt. 6:28-30], Jesus said to the Pharisees, “… render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” This baits the question: are we to understand that the things of Caesar are completely alien to godliness? If true, then godly actions have nothing to do with government or politics. That fails on its face. Here is where we are headed: Peter and Paul urged their followers to submit to earthly authorities, for, “there is no authority except from God.” [Rom. 13:1] What measures guide us if we attempt to create a Christian Culture in modern government? Candidly. we are left seeking and reliant on our own strength. We have broad clues: The Holy Spirit descends on the apostles [Acts 3]; the first Christian communities [Acts 4; 5] and Pope Leo XIII’s, Rerum Novarum. If we digest all of these, we may conclude that the entire history of Christianity is in reality a search for Christian culture. AMEN
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