There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:4-6).
Though there are seven unities listed in this text, I am only emphasising the one faith. There is essential material that must be believed if a person is to be called a Christian. Essential to the Christian faith is belief in the testimony of the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Faith is the belief of credible testimony. Belief of incredible testimony is credulity, believing too easily. God does not expect us to believe incredible testimony, but he does expect us to believe testimony that is credible, and he has supplied us with much testimony that has all the evidences of credibility.
Belief of testimony is not faith if it does not result in obedience to Christ as Lord, and no trust in him as Savior. It was the mission of the apostle Paul, and every other Christian evangelist to call all peoples to . . . the obedience that comes from faith (Romans 1:5). If belief is truly faith then life-change is a foregone conclusion. One will love what Jesus loves and will hate what Jesus hates. He/she will invest in what the Lord is invested and make sacrifices like the Lord sacrificed.
Our Father's Blessings,
Tom
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