What Christians believe

Often in religious discussion one will hear “well, I believe that…” or “Christians believe…” as if believing a thing lent credence to it. The thought runs if I believe it, it must be valid; so we act and speak like what we believe is conclusive evidence for what must be true. Or the phrase is used to soften the edges of the rigid singularity of the gospel. Or it is employed as a cover for a less than adequate knowledge of what Scripture teaches. In reality, what we believe doesn’t matter (I expect hell will swallow much of what men glibly claim to believe).

The critical issue is what the Word of God says, and the necessary thing is whether our thoughts, our beliefs, align with what is contained in it. So in our telling the whole truth, let us direct all attention to the Scriptures themselves for therein is the gospel of the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, therein is life.