Basic Elements of Christianity   What It Is Not   What It Is   Faith Faith is not opposed to knowledge, it is opposed to sight. And grace is not opposed to effort, it is opposed to earning. Commitment is not sustained by confusion but by insight. The person who is uninformed or confused will inevitably be unstable and vulnerable in action, thought and feeling. Yet Paradoxically, true faith is ambiguous, unknowing and uncertain in detail and insecure in mystery, yet certain in outcome. Faith is not Simply believing, doctrinal, theological knowledge and not the mere verbal affirmation and the identifying oneself as a Christian. It is not the obedience to a religious organization's rules and sacrifices. It is not simply a personality change, nor a religious awakening. Faith is neither an absolute obedience to scripture without discernment, nor a blind careless trust. Without Faith we cannot have eyes to the invisible Spiritual realm. Without faith it is impossible to please God. Faith is our doorway to God's Spirit, our connection with him, Faith is a real substance. Faith does not let the ego that tells us we are separate guide us, but rather, goes beyond the mind, outside the ego and enters the intiuitive heart.   Faith is both trust and reliance on God's ability to do the work and determine our current and future life. It is a willingness to let go of our own power, strengths and abilities. It is obtained by prayer. It is received by the willingness to cease from doing works of sacrifice and putting mercy far above religious obedience and the preaching of theology. It is only valid when accompanied by individual works of mercy (no matter how small and how little of) towards all people we meet. Faith is a trust based on a relative freedom of scripture using both discretion and discernment. Faith is the self-affirmation in spite of the anxieties of death, guilt and emptiness, relying on a personal God for strength.   Knowledge Knowledge of God is not the exact, accurate and orthodox meaning to scriptural interpretations of various doctrines other than faith in Christ with love of our fellow man. It is not numerical calculations, nor the accuracy of the many stories, parables and prophecies. We can either know about God or we can know from God. We cannot fully know God from our study of the bible, His Spirit must touch our spirit, his voice in some way speak to us with an internal conviction of His truth, love and presence.   Knowledge of God is knowing both faith and love. It is personally knowing God, from Him, not about Him. It is learning from His word and outside of His word with His Spirit, as He speaks giving us individual and unique experiences. Faith of Christ as our personal savior and agape love of our fellow man. Without faith, we cannot obtain God's Spirit to "dwell inside us." Without God's Spirit, we cannot exhibit (the Spiritual) love, but only through the flesh. Without love, we cannot have true faith.   Agape Love --------------- Agape love is not the works of sacrifice of preaching theological doctrines, imposing our views of religious activity and godly devotion of others as the determining factor of our view of their value and outcome and is never applied above simple acts of mercy and kindness. It is not judgmental of others and is not quick to get offended of those who do not live up to or practice our standard of moral and ethical way of living, It is not being a doormat to the emotional, physical and mental abusive of nasty people. It is not a discipline applied to someone who fails to live up to our moral and ethical standards. Agape love is never exclusive, as there is a not a human being alive who is unacceptable to God and loved by God.   Agape love is a principle based on simple works of mercy and kindness to each individual we meet, regardless of race, creed, religion, sexual preference, age, color, culture and background. With or without, affection, romance, family and friendship, agape love is forgiveness of others who have done wrong to us. It is kindness, compassion, pity, empathy, understanding, patience and tolerance. It bear's patiently spiteful attacks of malice, keeping it's mouth closed and it's heart open, forgiving and even praying for it's enemies. It is discipline against real sin, applied solely for the beneficial growth of another person who wishes to serve God. Agape love is inclusive, crossing all tribal boundaries, to women, gays and blacks, for all are loved by God.   Works - Two Types - Sacrifice   Mercy     Works of Sacrifice are the preaching of theology, doctrines, and detailed explanations of scripture that go beyond faith in Christ and love of our fellow man. They include meeting attendance, building projects, organizational service and obedience to legal codes prescribed by religious organizations or persons other than God. These types of works are usually for the growth of religious organizations labeled as Christianity and include a world wide evangelizing work to save all of mankind, which in reality is being done by God alone, who informs us that having true faith is to let God do this and for us to rest from these types of works in order to enter God's rest.   Works of Mercy is agape love of all humanity. This is done on a simple individual (small) basis regarding family obligations, ethical treatment of co-workers and simple, random acts of kindness to all people, no matter how few we meet. God, who does not despise small beginnings, takes notice of us as we accompany our faith with mercy, love and forgiveness to all the individuals we meet (no matter how few they are) to the best of our ability. Without these type of works, our faith is dead. Without faith, these types of works lack the spirit and are from the flesh. When we cease from works of sacrifice, letting God alone do those and concentrate on our faith with works of mercy, we enter God's rest.   Walking - Two Ways - Flesh   Spirit     Anyone who is walking in the flesh is relying on one's own talents, education, power and abilities to achieve both self purposes and even religious purposes. It is putting sacrifice over mercy, Anyone who does not have faith, does not have the Spirit. Anyone who does not have the Spirit is walking in the flesh. Romans Chapter 8 legalism over love, obedience over individual circumstances. It is putting selfish pursuits above the welfare and concern of others. It is the lack of mercy shown to others for the sake of inconvenience and disruption of daily routine life. It is putting any form of advancement in work, social, religious, family and pleasure activity, above the welfare and consideration of others. It is allowing the noise of activity crowd out and even eliminate our contemplative life. When we live solely to achieve success in organizational and human activity, we walk in the flesh. When we enter into our deep interior selves, we attempt to leave the flesh and attain the higher consciousness of the Spirit, an awareness of our God, both within ourselves and others.   Walking in the Spirit is faith in Christ. Faith in Christ is the letting go of our talents and abilities, becoming weak, solely relying on God's Spirit to make us strong. It is following the Spirit's direction of agape love towards our fellow man, with the "fruits of the Spirit" of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and forgiveness. It is also receiving the "gifts of the Spirit." All of humanity, regardless of religious belief, contain God's Spirit within them, connecting all of mankind and God as "one." To walk in the Spirit, we must be able to see Jesus in both ourselves and all others. From our contemplation we must be willing to enter into our interior solitude with sincerity and faith and find God both within us, others and all life. Spiritual disciplines of prayer, fasting. solitude and meditation are not mechanical requirements, yet to walk in the Spirit, requires us a balance between the contemplative life and the life of activity and noise.