Every now and then I'll fall down the rabbit hole. Heh, okay, maybe it's more than "every now and then," but sometimes it's to see what those anti to my faith are saying.
For those who don't know I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and I've grown up hearing how I'm not a Christian. It's not everyone, but it's something I've heard on occasion.
In the last decade there seems to be a growing amount of attacks on my faith. Documentaries and shows on Hulu.
There's been division even on The Chosen's Facebook page. Since it's come out that a producer is LDS, there's been some skirmishes about the fact. Last April The Chosen FB page posted a screenshot saying, "This is not an-anti Christian show produced by Mormons. Be very careful about this show." Obviously there was a typo, but did The Chosen's FB page have to post something so divisive? The comment section is interesting, some very kind things written, LDS defending their faith, and some mean stuff as well. But why the fighting??
There's videos on YouTube of Christians going on about Latter-Day Saints, saying mean things and how we're not Christian. What's sad is how angry these people are.
I started noticing a common trend: many times when the "you're not a Christian" banter would be scurried about, the phrase "they believe in the wrong God" or "the wrong Christ" would follow. It wasn't until recently that I realized what they meant. I knew they were referring to the God Head vs. Trinity, but I suddenly realized that the Trinity is the god of the Creeds, mainly the Nicene Creed, which was created by a group of bishops in AD 325.
Only those who believe in the Nicene Creed God, aka the Trinity, are allowed to call themselves Christians. This has been bouncing around my head since last April, and funny enough Michael Knowles of the Daily Wire confirmed this in the video, "Former Astrologist Explains Danger of New Age Practices," with Angela Ucci. At minute 1:06:35 he says, "There are denominations truly, I don't think they're Christian, but they identify as Christian, and we live in a trans age so... but there are denominations that deny the divinity of Christ, there are Christians who deny the Nicene Creed, and so they might call themselves Christian, but we as Christians would say no you're manifestatily not Christian."
And that is that. If I don't accept the Creeds, the Trinity, I'm not a Christian. According to them...
But regardless of what the naysayers say, I am a Christian. Many before the Creeds believed in the God Head, and there are verses in the Bible that point to Heavenly Father, Christ, and the Holy Ghost as separate individuals, and I believe this is the true divinity of God. Are there verses that point to a trinity? Sure. I see that as being "one in purpose" or Christ speaking for Heavenly Father. Though in the end what we believe is what we believe. A war on verse meaning and interpretation isn't going to convince anyone, and will only lead to division and hurt. Don't we have enough of that already?
For me the definition of a Christian is simple. Do you believe in Christ? Is he you're savior, redeemer, messiah? Matthew 22 KJV, "37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
It takes just as much faith to accept the interpretations of a council of Bishops in 325 AD and beyond, as it does to accept Joseph Smith being visited by Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the Sacred Grove.
Moses parted the Red Sea. Christ healed the sick and afflicted. Sarah had a baby at ninety years old. Peter walked on water to follow Christ. Jonah was swallowed by a great fish, was spat out after three days, and then went on to perform God's will in Nineveh. Daniel survived a den of lions when he refused to stop praying. If I'm willing to believe all these things, and more, Heavenly Father and Christ appearing to a farm boy in New York, delivering divine instruction, isn't so far-fetched. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Miracles never cease. He is still with us and watching over us.
Regardless of what others may say, I'm a follower of Christ. The Christ. The Christ of the Bible. I know he lives. I know he came to Earth to die for our sins. I know these things to be true.
Though I will never accept the Creeds, I will never stop believing and loving what is in the Bible.
I know these things to be true. And God knows what I believe and what is in my heart. He is my judge. And he will be my savior and advocate at the judgement bar. I love him, I love our savoir, redeemer, Christ, and he loves me. What man believes, their pointing fingers and judgemental words, mean nothing. My faith is sure.
I'm a pre-creed Christian, a covenant follower of Christ in these last days.
And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Sarah
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