God wants a simple faith combined with holy living. Most of Western Christianity, however, has tried to base Christian unity on theological doctrines. This is not working now, has never worked,beijing escorts, and never will work. Here's why. God has always been opposed to things that appeal to the human mind and human wisdom,beijing massage. Negative references to human wisdom abound. In Jer. 9:23, God tells wise men not to boast in their wisdom. The one who boasts, God says, should boast in knowing and understanding him. Paul adds numerous similar references, telling us that God has chosen things that seem foolish to human minds specifically so that with them he might confound the wise (1 Cor. 1:27). Therefore, he says, he determined never to preach the Gospel with "wisdom of words" (1 Cor. 1:17). Simple Faith --------------- The apostles helped the churches they started maintain a simple faith by giving them a short creed known as "the rule of faith." It is mentioned throughout the early writings of the church, and several examples can be found in those writings. Today, our best example of the rule of faith is the Apostles Creed. The Apostles Creed is an updated version of the "rule of faith" adopted by the Council of Nicea in A.D. 325. The basis for the Nicene Creed was the rule of faith of the church in Caesarea. Today we confuse ourselves attempting to condense the entire Bible down to a statement of faith. It is obvious as we look around that every denomination--and sometimes every person--does that differently. According to the Bible, the Scriptures were not given to produce a statement of faith. The church had its simple rule of faith before it had a Bible! The Scriptures were given so that the man of God might be equipped for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16-17),How to write a failing essay. Holy Living ------------- Paul did not preach in order to produce theology. He preached to produce the power of God (1 Cor. 2:4-5). By the power of God, Paul did not mean miraculous signs (1 Cor. 1:22-23). The proof of the Gospel is in holy living. Paul wrote, "I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes ... for in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith" (Rom. 1:16-17). Holy living is one thing that God alone can produce. Humans can produce complex theological beliefs. The Pharisees excelled at it. God wants to leave pharisaic wisdom helpless on the sidelines. For this reason he provides a faith that is light on theological concepts and heavy on a new way of living. The apostle John calls for holy living in the most frightening and powerful of terms: "Here is how we know if we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. He who claims to know him but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him" (1 Jn. 2:3-4). The apostle Paul puts it a little differently: "[Jesus Christ] gave himself for us so that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself his own special people, zealous for good works" (Tit. 2:14). Christian Unity ----------------- Christian unity will only happen among those who have adopted a holy way of living. The Bible tells us that departing from iniquity is a central part of "the firm foundation of God." If we want Christian unity, we must return to the simple faith of the apostles, which has survived to our day in the Apostles Creed. The Scriptures must be used to equip the saints for good works, not as a source for complex theological arguments that produce strife, division, and arrogance. "Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord" (Heb. 12:14).