The 13 Principles of Faith of a Messianic Believer
For thousand of years, the Jewish people had their own statement of faith which they called "The Thirteen Principles of Faith." We have written a modified and “fulfilled” version of the Jewish principles, which are the fundamental expression of the faith of both believing Jews and Gentiles.
1. THE ONE TRUE GOD: I believe in the One true God, who has revealed Himself as the Creator of the universe and of humanity. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. His attributes and his titles are many: He is the eternal, infinite, self-existent, self-revealed “I am the God who always is” as his name יהוה (YHVH) demonstrates. He is sovereign, immutable, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, as well as loving, gracious, good, merciful, faithful. He is also the most Holy, set-apart from sinful humanity, yet He desires His people to be in relationship with Him. (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 43:10)
2. GOD BREATHED SCRIPTURES: I believe the Bible, which consists of the Torah, the Writings of the Prophets, the Wisdom Sayings and New Covenant, to be inspired by the Spirit of YHVH through human agents. All 40 “co-authors,” notably Moses and King David, many prophets and scribes, young and old, wrote a total of 66 books over a period of 2000 years. All divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit. The whole Bible should also include the Brit Hadashah, which is the New Covenant that was prophesied by the prophet Jeremiah. These Holy Scriptures are the foundation of my learning and the source of YHVH’s wisdom. (2 Timothy 3:15-16, Jeremiah 31:31-33)
3. MAN’S FALL AND REDEMPTION: I believe that when YHVH created humanity in his image, male and female, on the sixth day, He created them good, pure and perfect. Yet, through one act of disobedience by Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, a separation occurred between YHVH and the rest of humanity. The result of this separation is the opposite of perfection: sin, death came into the world. By voluntary transgression, mankind fell and his only hope of redemption is in Yeshua the Messiah, the Son of YHVY. Just as everyone dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Messiah Yeshua will be given new life. (Genesis 1:26-31, Genesis 3:1-7, Romans 5:12-21, Romans 3:23, 1 Corinthians 15:22)
4. THE DIVINITY OF YESHUA HAMASHIACH: I believe Yeshua of Nazareth, called Jesus by many, born of the Holy Spirit and of a Jewish virgin, the seed of King David, is the awaited Messiah, the Anointed One, whom the prophets have made known to the people of Israel. His Hebrew name Yeshua means “Salvation.” By believing and trusting in Yeshua, the Anointed One, his death and resurrection, his promise of eternal life, we are saved. When Yeshua comes back, he will restore all things. I believe Yeshua is the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one else can get through to the Father except through Yeshua. He is the Mediator between YHVH and humanity. (Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23, Acts 3:18-22, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Isaiah 53:5, Hosea 6:2, 1 Thessalonians 5:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:14, Romans 10:9, John 3:16, Acts 3:21, John 14:6, Matthew 28:19)
5. YHVH IS ECHAD: I believe the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the God of Israel, is ECHAD or אֶחָֽד. As we say in the Shema, "Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is ONE." YHVH is ECHAD, a unity of three persons in the Godhead: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. ECHAD is a unified oneness, a composite unity, known as The Holy Trinity by all disciples of Yeshua. And Yeshua is the Son who descended from Heaven, sent by the Father whose Presence is eternal and without form. Yeshua is the Word made flesh who came to dwell among us about 2000 years ago. Yeshua was with YHVH in the beginning and is the Aleph and the Tav, (the first and last letter of the Hebrew alphabet), the beginning and the end. He died for our sins and rose three days later. Forty days later, he ascended to heaven and now sits at the right hand of the Father, interceding for us as our High Priest and Mediator in the Tabernacle of Heaven. Ten days later, He sent the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to speak the truth and to testify about Him to His faithful ones on Earth. (Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 28:19-20, Deuteronomy 6:4, John 10:30, John 1:14, John 1:1, Revelation 22:13, Hebrews 4:14, Colossians 3:1, John 14:26, John 15:26, Acts 1:4, Zechariah 14:9)
6. THE HOLY SPIRIT: I believe I am saved through faith in Yeshua HaMashiach and reborn through immersion of the Holy Spirit. I believe that mikvah or immersion in water should be observed as commanded in the Scriptures, by all who have really repented and in their hearts they have truly believed on Yeshua as Savior and Lord. The mikvah is an outward symbol of cleansing, while the heart has been sprinkled with the blood of Yeshua as an inner cleansing; thus declaring Yeshua to the world, being reborn to walk into the newness of life. With this supernatural rebirth, I am made alive spiritually, able to enter the heavenly realm. And I am made able to see and hear things of divine nature and to seek the things of precious and eternal value. This evidence of my salvation is the direct witness of the Holy Spirit within me. The outward evidence of my rebirth to everyone else is a radical transformation to a life of holiness and righteousness. With the immersion in Spirit and fire comes the endowment of power for a life of service, the bestowment of the Gifts and their uses in the world of the ministry. (John 3:5, Acts 10:44-48; Romans 6:2-4, Acts 20:21, Hebrews 10:22, Acts 11:14-16, Acts 15:7-9, Luke 24:49, 1 Corinthians 12)
7. THE COMMANDMENTS, THE SHABBATS AND FESTIVALS: I observe the commandments of the Torah as was given to Moses which sums up as follows: Love YHVH your Elohim with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbors as yourself. I believe the commandments are instructions for a life of holiness. I observe the Sabbaths and His Appointed Times, which are the Festivals described in Leviticus 23, in order to understand their connections to the history and prophecies of the ages. I believe that Jewish followers of Yeshua are called to maintain their Jewish, Biblical heritage and remain a part of their people Israel, as well as the universal Body of Believers. (Genesis 1:14, Exodus 12:14, Leviticus 23:4, Isaiah 66:23, John 5:1, John 12:20, I Corinthians 5:8, I John 5:3-4, Zechariah 14:16-19)
8. THE BODY OF MESSIAH: I believe the congregation of believers, (AKA the church), the body of Yeshua, is the habitation of YHVH and His Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the body of Messiah. I believe in my duty to uplift the fellowship of believers and to refrain from harming my brothers and sisters in Messiah. I believe in the unity of all believers in Yeshua, both Jews and Gentiles, the One New Humanity. I do NOT believe in the doctrine of replacement theology in which YHVH has replaced Israel with the church. YHVH has not rejected his people Israel. I believe that Gentile believers in Yeshua are grafted into the Olive Tree of Roman 11, symbolic of Israel; therefore, making them fellow citizens and full-participants with the Commonwealth of Israel. I believe the final plan for the “Body of Yeshua” is to bring remnant of both faithful Jewish and Gentile believers back together and unite them into one holy people under one Shepherd, namely Yeshua HaMashiach; thus completing the tearing down of the wall of partition. This is a necessary part of the restoration of all things spoken by the prophets. I believe the unity of Jews and Gentiles makes for a more effective witness to the world when preaching the gospel to all people. (Hosea 1:10, 2:23, Romans 9:25-26, John 17:17-23, Romans 11, Ephesians 1:22-23, Ephesians 2:13-22, Acts 3:21, Philippians 4:8, Mark 16:15, Ephesians 4:11-13, Acts 3:21)
9. ISRAEL: I believe in YHVH’s irrevocable choice of the Jews as His chosen people; the Land of Israel as His special place; the City of Jerusalem as His royal capital; the family of David as His royal dynasty. Israel is the name given to Jacob during his encounter with the Angel of YHVH at the river Jabbok. Israel became the father of twelve tribes. His name means “Prince with YHVH” and one who “has power with YHVH.” Israel has struggled and overcame, therefore his destiny is interwoven with the Eternal One. After the Exodus, the tribes of Israel later named their land Israel, which since that time has become the center of all prophetic activities and is aptly named YHVH’s prophetic time clock. I believe YHVH will bring about many prophecies to fulfillment in the land of Israel. (Romans 11:29, Genesis 12:1-3, 13:14-17, 17:9-14, 22:15-18, Exodus 19:5, Deuteronomy 4:5-8, 6:4, 12:5, 11, 21, 14:23, 24, 2 Samuel 7:13, 25-29, 1 Kings 2:45, Psalms 76:1, 2, 102:18-22, Isaiah 2:1-3, Jeremiah 31:35-37, Ezekiel 34:20-24; 37:21-28, Romans 9:1-13, 11:1-6)
10. THE TWO COMINGS: I believe Yeshua HaMashiach came the first time about 2,000 years ago as "Messiah Ben Joseph," to become the suffering servant depicted by the prophet Isaiah (52-53), to die for our sins as our sacrificial Lamb, once and for all, as was foreshadowed in the pattern of the Tabernacle and festival of Passover. He is now interceding for us as our High Priest in the order of Melchizedek. I believe He will return a second time to set up his glorious kingdom and rule the world as the Prince of Peace, as the King of Kings, as "Messiah Ben David.” (Zechariah 9:9, Isaiah 52:13-15, Isaiah 53:5, Isaiah 53:12, Psalm 22:1, 14-18, 24, 26-31, Daniel 7:13)
11. THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD & THE BLESSED HOPE: I believe that at the end of this present age, ruled by the prince of darkness, there will be a resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Yeshua and a translation (new bodies) with those who are alive and remain at the coming of Yeshua. This is the blessed hope of the believers in Yeshua HaMashiach. We will then begin the millennial age under the Prince of Peace, the King of Kings, Yeshua HaMashiach. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18, Romans 8:23, Titus 2:13, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52)
12. THE KINGDOM OF YHVH: I believe the kingdom of YHVH, also called the Kingdom of Heaven, has several aspects. First, it is the throne of YHVH, where He reigns supreme over all of creation, surrounded by myriads of spirituals beings. Secondly, this kingdom exists simultaneously in the natural (physical) world, in the hearts of all faithful believers. It requires true repentance and renewal, to prepare for the next kingdom, the millennial reign of Yeshua HaMashiach, who will reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. This millennial reign on Earth is the Scriptural promise and the world’s hope. I believe the crowning achievement of all this preparation is the New Heaven and New Earth, a kingdom that will never be destroyed, one that is everlasting, wherein dwells righteousness and perfect harmony. (Luke 17:21, John 18:36, Revelation 11:15, 2 Thessalonians 1:7, Revelation 19:11-16, Romans 11:26-27, Revelation 20:1-7, Daniel 2:44, 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1-4, Revelation 21:22)
13. THE JUDGEMENTS OF YHVH: I believe the Creator is omniscient, He knows all the acts and thoughts of man and will therefore bring true and fair judgement to everyone. I believe He will reward the righteous believers and that He protects and "passover" me when He sees the blood of Yeshua on me. He will also judge the unrighteous and unrepentant. I believe in the existence of the adversary HaSatan and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, and whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Ecclesiastes 3:17, Colossians 3:25, Hebrews 6:10, Daniel 12:2, Matthew 16:27, Matthew 25:46, John 5:28-29, Luke 10:20, Daniel 7:10, Revelation 20:10-15)
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