My faith is not just an element of my life, like my hobbies or professional career. My relationship with Jesus Christ and my commitment to His ways is the sole foundation of my life. Although it is true that I have been raised in a Christian home, this point of view is a daily conscious choice for me, and a far cry from an apathetic acceptance of my parents' beliefs. I have made this choice, and by God's grace, I will never turn aside. Below I have summarized my basic beliefs by answering the following four questions:

Who is God?

Creator:

In six days, God created everything that exists, including man, through the power of His spoken word.

The Source of Truth:

Good and bad, truth and error, right and wrong are all rooted in the unchanging character of God Himself. From this source of invariability come many of the basic concepts used in life on earth such as physics, mathematics, and logic. Without an ultimate unchanging standard, all of these ideas would become meaningless.

Holy and Righteous:

There is nothing in the created universe that is able to be compared with God. There is no evil of any kind in Him since our very definition of good and evil must necessarily be determined by His own nature.

Perfectly Just and Merciful:

God does not tolerate sin in any form and will see to it that the price for breaking His law (death) is paid for each and every transgression. At the same time, He is perfectly merciful, and does not desire us to have to pay the penalty for our sin.

Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent:

Although it is nearly impossible for our minds to comprehend, God is all-knowing, all-powerful, and present in all places at all times.

How do we know?

The Bible:

The Bible is the primary source of human knowledge about God. We can have confidence in the Bible because of two primary reasons. Firstly, the accuracy of the Bible has been corroborated over and over again through well researched historical and archeological fact. Secondly, the Bible is the only book ever written to give coherent answers to the deepest and most foundational questions of humanity related to life & death, meaning & purpose, joy & suffering, and good & evil.

Who are we?

Creatures made in the image of God:

When God made the first man and the first woman on the sixth day of creation, He immediately distinguished them by creating them in in His own image and breathing the breath of life into them.

Fallen and Sinful:

Although God made man perfectly, part of the intended design was the element of free-will. Adam, the first man, abused the power given to him and chose to disobey the one command given to him by God. Ever since, the human race has been subjected to the just penalty of sin: spiritual, emotional, and physical brokenness and death.

People with a choice:

In our fallen sinful state, we are destined for an eternity without God. Apart from God's goodness, mercy, and light, those who are separated from God will be subjected to unspeakable torment and anguish forever as the just penalty for breaking the law of God. However, in His mercy, God provided a way of escape from this fearful destiny. In His incredible goodness, God sent His only son, Jesus, to take human form, live a perfect life, and then receive on Himself the just penalty of our sin through death on the cross. If any man will accept this free gift of God, and submit himself to the lordship of Jesus Christ, his sin is covered by the blood of Jesus, and he is returned to right-standing with God.

What is our purpose?

To bring glory to God:

One of the primary goals of a Christian's life is to bring glory and honor to God. Through the intentional upright life of a believer, Christians and non-Christians alike can see the attributes and character of God lived out on a daily basis.

To spread the good news:

As a Christian, God commands us to tell others about the gift He has given us through Jesus Christ. It is not His desire that any should suffer eternal death in hell, and believers are called to help others to escape the wrath of God to come.

To pursue the kingdom of God:

Being saved from the wrath of God is only the first step in the plan of God for His people. He wants us to seek to be more like He is, and to implement His principles, His wisdom, and His direction into every element of our lives. God promises in the Bible that He will come back to the earth one day, and return all things to the proper order - judging iniquity and rewarding righteousness. In preparation of His coming, He commands His people to walk in His ways, and work to bring the kingdom lifestyle first to their own lives, then to their families, then to their churches, cities, states, countries, and ultimately to the entire world.