Our Faith

What is our Faith?

At its core, our faith isn’t simply about affirming a list of beliefs—it’s about a relationship. It is about trusting in a person: the living God. Faith means placing our full dependence on Him, walking in relationship with Him, and ordering our lives according to His character and will.

More broadly, our faith revolves around who we trust, what we believe about Him, and how we live in response to that trust.

The Great Shema

When Jesus was asked, “What is the greatest commandment?” He answered by quoting a central passage of Scripture known as the Shema:

“The most important is,

‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord is one. and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’

The second is this:

‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’

There is no other greater commandment than these.” (Mark 12:29-31)

Three Parts of the Shema

Let’s reflect on three essential parts of this declaration, each building on the other:

  1. Confession of Trust
    “The Lord is our God.”
    This is a personal declaration of dependence and loyalty. We’re not simply affirming a belief—we’re declaring a relationship. God is not distant; He is our God, present and active in every part of life.

  2. Confession of God’s Nature
    “The Lord is one.”
    This reminds us that God is unified, consistent, and alone worthy of our worship. Christians are monotheists—we believe in one true God, whole and undivided.

  3. Call to Love with Our Whole Being
    “You shall love the Lord your God…”
    This is more than emotion. It’s a call to love God with every part of ourselves—our thoughts, our desires, and our actions. As Paul puts it, “Whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31). There is no divide between the sacred and the secular; every moment of life can be lived in loving response to God.

Loving Others: The Second Command

Jesus didn’t stop at love for God. He added a second commandment:

“You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”

While the first command centers our relationship with God, the second turns our hearts outward. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus put it this way:

“So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” (Matthew 7:12)

In this, we see that love is not abstract—it is deeply practical. It shapes how we treat others, how we respond to need, and how we reflect God’s love to the world.

Who is God?

In the Great Shema, God reveals His name: Yahweh.

This name is deeply personal and profoundly holy. So holy, in fact, that the ancient Hebrews, out of reverence and fear of misusing it, often substituted the word Adonai, meaning “Lord,” when reading Scripture aloud. While Adonai speaks to God's authority and majesty, Yahweh—God’s revealed name—offers a glimpse into the very heart of who He is.

“I Am” — The Name Above All Names

The name Yahweh comes from the Hebrew verb “to be,” and is most simply translated as “I am.” In this name, God sets Himself apart from all creation.

Everything we know—people, animals, stars, even time—requires something else to exist. We need air, water, food, rest, and relationship. But God needs nothing. He has no beginning, no end, and no source outside Himself. He simply is. Eternal. Self-sufficient. Unchanging.

In declaring “I AM,” God is saying:

“I exist by My own power. I am not like you. I do not depend. I do not change. I am.”

And because Yahweh is both apart from creation and the Creator God, he is necessarily all powerful and has all authority.

And yet, this all-sufficient God chooses to reveal Himself to us—not only as transcendent, but is relational.'

God’s Character: Revealed to Moses

One of the most powerful moments in Scripture occurs on Mount Sinai, after Israel had fallen into sin. Moses, interceding for the people, pleads with God for mercy. In response, God reveals not only His name—but His nature.

“The Lord passed before Moses and proclaimed his name, “The Lord. The Lord is a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger, and full of steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the father on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.” (Exodus 34:6–7)

Here, God reveals His relational heart—merciful and gracious, patient and faithful, overflowing with love. He is a God who forgives, and yet, He is also just. He does not ignore wrongdoing or sweep sin under the rug. His justice and mercy are not in conflict; they are held in perfect harmony in His character.

A Name That Invites Us into Relationship

Names matter. They tell us something about a person’s identity. And God's name—Yahweh—tells us that He is both completely self-existent and deeply personal. He is not a distant force or abstract power. He is the living God who reveals Himself, speaks to His people, and draws near.

We experience Yahweh in the person and work of Jesus Christ.

“And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of the only begotten Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)

“No one has ever seen God; the only begotten God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” (John 1:18)

Who Is Jesus Christ?

At the birth of Jesus, the heavens themselves declared His identity. Angels appeared to shepherds in the fields and delivered one of the clearest, most powerful summaries of who Jesus is and what He came to do:

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior who is Christ the LORD!” (Luke 2:11)

  1. Jesus Is Truly Human — The Son of David - Jesus was born in Bethlehem, the city of David. This identifies Him as a true man, born into human history, and also as the rightful heir to David’s throne. God had promised that David’s descendant would establish an everlasting kingdom. Jesus fulfills that promise—not just as David’s son, but as the very Son of God.

  2. Jesus Is the Savior - The angels announced Jesus as a Savior—the one who came to deliver humanity from the power and penalty of sin. His mission was not political or military, but redemptive. He came to restore our broken relationship with God, to bring forgiveness, healing, and new life to all who trust in Him.

  3. Jesus Is the Messiah (Christ) - The title Christ means “Anointed One.” Jesus is the long-anticipated Messiah, chosen and anointed by God to fulfill all His promises to Israel—and through Israel, to bless the whole world. He is the one who brings God’s kingdom, fulfills the Law and the Prophets, and ushers in the new covenant.

  4. Jesus Is the Lord - Jesus is also called “the Lord.” This title is far more than a term of respect or authority. It is the New Testament equivalent of the divine name Yahweh, used throughout the Old Testament. To say Jesus is Lord is to affirm His divinity—He is not merely a man sent by God, but God Himself come in the flesh.

Jesus and the Great Shema

The early Christians, particularly the Jewish believers, had to understand how the coming of Jesus fit into their most sacred confession: the Shema:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” (Deuteronomy 6:4)

This declaration of God’s oneness was central to Jewish identity and worship. And yet, with the revelation of Jesus, the apostles began to understand this truth in a new light. God is one—but He exists as three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

In this powerful mystery-revelation, Paul preserves the oneness of God while also honoring the divine identity of Jesus. He does not abandon the Shema—he deepens it. The one God is now revealed as God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, united in essence, distinct in person.

“Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist,
and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” (1 Corinthians 8:6)

The Apostle Paul, writing to the Ephesian church, reflects on the Shema and brings it to its fullness it in light of Jesus & His Body, the Church:

“There is one body and one Spirit,
just as you were called to the one hope of your calling,
one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4–6)

The Gospel & Joining the Community of Faith

After the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Jews as Peter, “What should we do?” Peter proclaimed:

“Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

“For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” (Acts 2:38–39)

The Apostle Paul proclaimed to the Corinthian church that we can be a part of God’s community of faith by trusting in and standing on the gospel, clinging to it no matter what:

“Now I am making known to you, brothers, the good news which I proclaimed to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the Word that I proclaim to you unless you believed in vain.”

“For I delivered to you most importantly what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he was seen by Peter, then by the twelve apostles. Then he was seen by more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of who are still alive although some have fallen asleep.” (1 Corinthians 15:1–6)

What is the Church?

The church in its Greek word means “a called out assembly or congregation.” Whereas “church” in old English referred to a place of worship. Church in its first century context referred to a community of people. This community shared life together and that life centered around a person, Jesus Christ. Accordingly the New Testament books describe the Church as the body of Christ composed of individuals that are called out by God. God calls everyone through the gospel to be a part of his new creation community. And the church at its most rudimentary level manifests itself when two or three are gathered in the name of Jesus.

“And God put all things under Christ’s feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” (Ephesians 1:22–23)

“For where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am among them.” (Matthew 18:19)

Life in the Community of Faith

What do we do in the community of faith? The apostles and the early church gave us a great example to follow:

And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and the fellowship, and the breaking of bread, and the prayers. (Acts 2:42)

There were and should be four primary activities when we gather together as a church or as a community of believers. They are:

  1. Teaching - There should be some type of preaching or teaching from the Word of God that focuses upon exhortation & encouragement.

  2. Fellowship - The community of faith hung out together often sharing a meal and encouraging each other. There should be some form of fellowship.

  3. The Breaking of Bread - This was an early reference to Lord’s Supper. They remembered and proclaimed the death of Jesus Christ. The community of faith ought to be practicing the Lord’s Supper.

  4. The Prayers - They both heard from God through his word and also spoke to God through their prayers. There should be regular, communal prayer.

The Work of the Spirit & Our Sonship

What do we gain when we put our trust in Jesus Christ? The Word of God declares:

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (Galatians 4:7)

To all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. (John 1:12–13)

God gives us the status of being his sons and daughters with all of its rights, power, and authority. God also gives us his Spirit who dwells in our hearts and speaks to him on our behalf. When you don’t know what to pray, the Spirit intercedes for us!

The Fruit of the Spirit

For us who have been in the church for any length of time have quickly come to realize that every church has its own standards that defines a good Christian. For some its dress, for others its required discipleship, church involvement, attendance, prohibition, or some other cultural standard. However, what gives us assurance is not a list of external, cultural dos and don’ts (Not that these aren’t important) but the presence and work of the Spirit in our lives.

The Fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. (Galatians 5:22–24)

The Gifts of the Spirit

The Spirit has given gifts to every Christian not for his or her personal edification but for the building up of the body of Christ.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:4–7)

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness. (Romans 12:4–8)

What is your spiritual gift? Seek the Lord in his word and by his Spirit to determine what spiritual gifts God has given you.

  • 1 Corinthians 12–14

  • Ephesians 4

  • Romans 12:1–8

The Spiritual Disciplines

Although we have complete assurance that we are forever with God in Christ, he does not want us to remain as we are. He calls us to conform to the image of His Son. We are commanded to grow in holiness through the power and working of the Holy Spirit. Here are actions that we should do to grow in grace into Christian maturity.

Listening to God: Scripture Reading

We must be daily reading the Scripture. It is through the Scripture that God speaks to us primarily through his Holy Spirit.

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. (Romans 15:4)

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16–17)

Speak to God: Daily Prayer

We must daily pray to our heaven Father. Follow Jesus’s command to pray using his prayer as a pattern or praying it (Luke 12:2–4):

Our Father who is in heaven holy be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven

Please give us today our daily bread and forgive our sins as we have forgiven others

And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from the evil one

For yours is the kingdom, and the power and the glory forever. Amen. (Matthew 6:11–13)

Confess our Sin: Repentance & Confession

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9–10)

Discipline our Minds & Meditate

Disciplines of the body begins with discipline of the mind. The Word of God calls us to be self-controlled in our thinking. This leads to control of our desires and right actions.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.” (Psalm 1:1–3)

“I appeal to you brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:1–2)

Discipline of our Desires

“Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and when it is fully grown brings for death. Do not be deceived brothers.” (James 1:13–16)

Discipline of our Body

“I do it all of the sake of the gospel, that I may share with them in its blessings. Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.”

“So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.” (1 Corinthians 9:23–27)

The Lord’s Benediction

Benediction means blessing. Blessings are a critical part of our spiritual life especially as leaders of our families and homes. In the Old Testament, Moses was commanded to pray the Lord’s blessing over the people. When he did this, he put the Lord’s name on the people. Pray the Lord’s benediction over your wife, children, family or friends.

The Lord bless you and keep you;

The Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;

The Lord lift up his face upon you and give you peace. (Numbers 6:24–26)

A Prayer for Struggling Faith or Overpowering Sinful Behavior

Just like physical fitness, as we practice spiritual discipline, we may struggle for a period or perhaps even fall away. When we do, it becomes very hard to get back on track especially when our feelings don’t match our thinking. Pray this prayer even if you struggle to believe and ask Jesus the great shepherd to find you and bring you back.

I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek your servant for I do not forget your commandments. (Psalm 119:176)

Our Assurance & the Future

What is our hope? Our hope is a future in the presence of God forevermore. Where Christ is, we are! Here are two fundamental passages of Scripture that give us incredible assurance that we are and will be with God forevermore. Rest in these when you are struggling in life.

“The saying is trustworthy, for:

If we have died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him; he also will deny us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful for he cannot deny himself.” (2 Timothy 2:11–13)

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake, we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”

“No, in all these things we are over-comers through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the Love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35–39)

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