The Belief

The Scriptural references are not intended to be all-inclusive.

 

       Christ the Master Ministries is a not-for-profit nondenominational Christ-centered outreach to promote, encourage and build up one to walk in a personal one-on-one committed relationship with the living Creator (used interchangeably with God herein) as expressed through the Christ’s example of living.  Although this outreach is primarily to the Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transgendered (GLBT), leather, and bear communities, it is not limited thereto, but is open to all wanting a more personal one-on-one committed relationship with the living Christ expressing the living Creator.

       Those ministering on behalf of the Christ the Master Ministries have committed themselves to walk in a personal one-on-one relationship with the living Christ in confirmation with the Judeo-Christian Scriptures as guidance, not through creeds, doctrines or dogmas formulated by rules of humans.  All are welcome in one’s current belief.  The only thing one has to give to the Creator is one’s desire (free will) to want more of Christ in one’s life and to be more yielded to Christ.  As one works with Christ, the sequence of change happens in such a time that only the wisdom of God knows.  Therefore, each person will be growing at a different rate based on one’s life experiences to understand and apply the principles outlined below.

1. The Creator reaches down in unconditional love to give spiritual life (one-on-one connectedness with the Creator) to all human   beings.  As an example for living the spiritual life, Sacred Writings of a people were written by human writers expressing their deep personal experience with the Creator.  The Judeo-Christian Scriptures are the Sacred Writings concerning the people described therein. The characteristics of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures are that:

   1. There are no extant originals of any writings that comprise these scriptures.  Thus they have been surmised from other writings that have been subject to editing by redactors inserting their theological and philosophical views of their time.

   2. They were probably written by unknown authors who assigned names of prominent people to their writings in accordance with the practice of the times.

   3. They were written to a specific group of people at a specific time in history of the human race under the inspiration of the Creator by humans over many centuries from changing and interactive cultures of varied political and economic conditions, and evolutionary religious and intellectual systems.  This understanding allows for the writers to have variations, including direct contractions, in details of similar stories, for other influences to have impacted interpretations of previous writings, and not having to create explanations for these differences, especially the contradictions, required when viewed as the literal Word of God. 

   4. These writings describe how to live and love the Creator, other human beings and all of creation with all the nuances and syntax of written human expression in living (ever changing) languages at the time of writing.  

   5. Humans defined certain writings to be the canonical Judeo-Christian Scriptures.  For this ministry they consist of the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament in Christian Bibles) including the Apocrypha, and the Christian Scriptures (New Testament in Christian Bibles) along with the writings that were at times esteemed as canonical but not included in the current Christian Scriptures, such as the Gospel of Thomas. 

   6. The translations cannot be taken as the literal word since there is no agreement among scholars as to the meaning of ancient words or phrases, particularly idioms and what they may mean in today’s culture.  The various translations of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures also suggest that the theological and philosophical views of the translators are evident.

   7. Proper interpretation requires that the Judeo-Christian Scriptures be taken as a whole and in context with consideration of the literary figures of speech expressed, not just selected verses lifted out of context as literal. 

   8. The Living Spirit of the Creator (Holy Spirit for some) must be active in one’s life for application; otherwise the Judeo-Christian Scriptures become nothing more than an idol placed above a personal relationship with the loving Creator and as such a legalistic rule book for the control of others by religious leaders of the various sects. 

   9. These writing are examples, not legalistic rules or the basis of religious systems (one working one’s way to God), for one is to learn from context and history for applying them in obedience to one’s personal walk in Christ.  Ps 119:1-176, 2Tim 3:17, 2Pet 1:19-21

2. All people, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, spiritual beliefs, or any other human aspect one identifies with, are created by Christ, in the Creator’s image, with the free choice to live the true spiritual life for which one was created.  Gen 1:26-27, Rom 2:14-15, Col 1:15-17

3. Since each person alone has a free choice to follow the ways of God, each one falls short of one’s true relationship with the Creator, Ps 36:1-4, each person is in need of a teacher who is able to guide one into a renewed relationship with the Creator.  This teacher is Christ Jesus, John 12:31-32, Rom 3:21-26, Rom 5:9-11, Tit 2:11-14, Heb 5:7-9, 1Pet 2:24-25 

4. Christ the Teacher:

   1. Was foretold throughout the Old Testament, Gen 3:15, Deut 18:15, Ps 22:1-31, Isa 7:14, Isa 9:1-2, Isa 40:3-5, Isa 52:13-53:12, Isa 61:1-3, Zec 12:10, Mic 5:2

   2. Was conceived by the Spirit of God in a virgin human mother, Matt 1:18, Matt 1:20, Luke 1:35.

   3. Was born of a human mother, Isa 7:14, Luke 2:7

   4. Was a male named Jesus, Matt 1:21, Luke 1:31; called Son of the Most, High Luke 1:32; Son of God, Matt 27:43, Luke 1:35, John 5:25; Immanuel, Isa 7:14; Wonderful Counselor, Isa 9:6; Savior, Luke 2:11; Christ the Lord, Luke 2:11; Son of Man, Matt 12:8, Matt 12:40, Matt 19:28, Matt 20:18, Mark 2:28, John 3:13-14, John 5:27

   5. Was recognized by Satan and the devils as the Son of God, Matt 4:3, Matt 4:6, Luke 4:3, Luke 4:9; Holy One of God, Mark 1:24, Luke 4:34; Son of the Most High God, Mark 5:7, Luke 8:28; Son of David, Matt 9:27, Matt 12:23

   6. Is the Supreme Ruler forever, Luke 1:35, John 18:36-37

   7. Preached repentance, i.e. changing from one’s human and worldly ways to God’s ways, Matt 4:17, Matt 5:1-7:27; through parables, Matt 18:21:35, Mark 4:1-20, Mark 12:1-11, Luke, 12:13-21, and in confrontation with the religious leaders on the hypocrisy of (1) their rules and regulations Matt 12:1-14, Mark 7:1-23, Luke 1:14; and (2) how they lived life, Matt 23:1-36.

   8. Died an atoning sacrificial death for all humanity, Matt 20:17-19, Matt 27:35-37, Matt 27:50, Mark 8:31-32, Mark 15:24, Mark 15:37, Luke 23:33, Luke 23:46, John 3:14, John 19:18, John 19:30, Rom 3:25-26

   9. Was buried, Matt 12:40, Matt 27:57-60, Mark 15:46, Luke 23:53, John 19:40-42

   10. Arose alive from the grave after three days, Matt 20:19, Matt 28:1-7, Mark 8:32, Mark 16:16:2-6, Luke 24:1-7, John 20:1

   11. Ascended to his throne from which He is the Master, Savior and Supreme Ruler of the universe, Mark 16:19, Luke 24:51, Acts 1:9

   12. Will return in due time to rule [Greek root word means to shepherd] the people in God’s ways. Acts 1:11, 1Th 4:16, Rev 19:11-16

    

5. Because Christ as divine is omnipresent in all creation, Christ simultaneously walks side by side with those who submit themselves willingly to Christ’s yoke. Gen 2:16, Gen 3:2-7, Gen 32:7-8, Matt 11:29-30 

6. Every individual is cherished and loved, for Christ loves all unconditionally and meets each where one is at the moment, just as Christ did when walking on earth and ministering to all, whether one receives and acts on the message of reconciliation or not.  Luke 13:1-5, John 3:16-21 

7. Because everyone grows spiritually at a different rate, each person will be on a different level, 1Cor 3:1-4.  Thus each person is cherished and encouraged in one’s upward progress and:

   1. Is born of the Spirit of God and imbued with the Spirit’s power thus being one in Christ, just as Christ was one with the Creator.  John 3:5-6, John 10:30, John 14:10-11, 1Cor 6:17, Gal 3:28, 1John 3:6

   2. Demonstrates one’s love to God by striving to do only that which Christ leads one by the Spirit of God, i.e. Christ’s will, just as Christ did only that which the Creator (Christ called the Creator Father) did.  John 4:34, John 6:38-40, Rom 8:2-17, Gal 5:16-18

   3. Exercises mercy, justice and unconditional love equally to all regardless of position in life, just a Christ did to from the lowest persons, i.e. the outcasts and ‘sinners’, to the religious and political leaders.  Matt 5:39-48, Matt 9:10-13, Matt 12:7, Luke 6:27-36, Luke 19:1-10, and many other Scriptures

   4. Picks up one’s own cross by forsaking self and the world for the cause of Christ including death, if necessary, just as Christ did for all humanity.  Matt 10:38, Matt 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23, Luke 14:27, Php 2:5-11, 1John 2:15-16

   5. Sees one’s own shortcomings before God as worst than others, thereby not exalting one’s self better than others and thus precluding being judgmental, arrogant and legalistic.  These latter were the issue that Christ had with the religious leaders of Christ’s day.  Matt 23:1-36, Luke 11:37-52, Luke 18:9-14

   6. Submits one’s self to Christ as the potter to be Christ’s workmanship to do God’s good work rather than one’s own work.  Isa 29:16, Isa 45:9, Isa 64:6, Isa 64:8, Jer 18:6, Zec 11:13, Rom 9:21, 1Cor 3:12, Eph 2:10

   7. Recognizes that one is to serve Christ as Master like the bondservant or slaves with freedom from the bondage of sin resulting in spiritual growth to be sons and daughters of God and heirs to heaven.  Matt 11:28-30, Luke 17:7-10, John 8:31-47, [Paul, James, Peter and Jude saw themselves as bondservants or slaves to Christ as stated in the Greek in their introductions in their letters.]

   8. Confesses one’s shortcomings to Christ and to another, as appropriate, receiving mercy and forgiveness in accordance with one’s mercy and forgiveness to another.  Ps 32:5, Ps 38:18, Prv 28:13-14, 1John 1:8-10

   9. Focuses one’s desire to live in Christ thereby being enabled to greater obedience to commands of Christ summed up in the two great commandments: the first, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind” and the second “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Mark 12:29-33, Matt 22:37-40, John 13:34-35

   10. Finds as one continues growth in Christ those things that are not right before God becoming uninteresting and no longer are desirable to do, thus one becomes pure as Christ is pure.  Matt 5:6, Php 4:8, 2Tim 2:22, Tit 1:15-16, Jas 1:26-27, Jas 3:17-18, 1John 3:3

   11. Willingly submits to Christ’s loving discipline as instruction in the ways of God, not as punishment for one’s shortcomings, for each one desires to do one’s own thing rather than be in healthy submission to the living Creator.  Prv 3:11-12, Heb 12:7-11

   12. Submits one’s self to others out of reverence for Christ and to learn since each understands in part and needs others to grow in the knowledge of Christ and living the spiritual life.  Eph 5:21, Eph 4:11-13

8. The above demonstrate that there is more to the walk in Christ than just believe, John 3:16-18, and confess with one’s mouth, Rom 10:8-13.  Remember the demonic powers and principalities know Christ and confess Christ to be the Son of God, see 3.e. above.

9. As one grows in these truths one comes to worship God in every positive action one does, 24 hours per day, seven day a week, not just the length of a Sabbath or Sunday worship service.  Remember shortcomings or negative actions are not worship of God. Ex 29:38-41, Ps 95:1-7, Ps 96:1-13, John 4:21-24

 

Jerome V. Scholle

Email:  jscholle@christianbear.org