What We Believe
Hidden First Toggle
The Bible is the Word of God
The Bible is the only way to learn about God. It tells us all we need to know about Him and what He requires of us. The writers of the 66 books were inspired by God, so He is the true author of the Bible. We need to read it every day.
Psalm 119:89-112, Acts 17:11,12, 2 Timothy 3:16,17, 2 Peter 1:21
The Gospel is the good news of the Kingdom of God
The Gospel is the good news of the Kingdom of God, which will be set up on the earth, and the forgiveness of sins through Jesus. This message is found in both Old and New Testaments.
Genesis 22:17,18 Daniel 2:44, Matthew 4:23; 6:12-15; 24:14
God is the Creator of the world
Everything in heaven and on the earth was made by the only true God who has always existed and always will exist. He is pure, righteous and knows all things.
Genesis 1, Acts 17:24-29, Psalm 104
Jesus will return to the earth
Jesus’ life began when he was born about 2,000 years ago. He willingly offered himself as a sacrifice for sin. Because he was sinless, God raised him from the dead and he is now in heaven with his Father. He will return from there as King of the world.
Matthew 25:31-34, Acts 1:10,11, Acts 3:20,21, Revelation 22:20
The return of Jesus is very near
Bible prophecy is being fulfilled and there are many signs today to show that the coming of Jesus is near. These include the return of the Jews to their land and the establishment of the State of Israel, falling moral standards, people not interested in God, and many problems in the world.
Daniel 12:1,2, Ezekiel 37:1-4,11 Luke 21:24-33, 2 Timothy 3:1-5
The Kingdom of God will be on the earth
The Old Testament Kingdom of Israel was God’s kingdom on earth in the past. It will be restored when the Lord Jesus returns. He will reign until all God’s enemies are destroyed. Then the world will be perfect and Jesus Christ will deliver the kingdom to God.
1 Chronicles 29:23, Jeremiah 3:17, Micah 4:1-8, Revelation 11:15
God made promises to Abraham
Abraham (the father of the Jewish nation) trusted God and so he was promised that he would possess the land of Israel for ever and that his descendants would be a great nation. He was also promised a descendant (Jesus Christ) who would bring the blessing of forgiveness of sins. By baptism we can share in the promises.
Genesis 13:14,15, Genesis 15:5,6, Genesis 22:15-18, Galatians 3:8,16,29
The Jews are God's witnesses
The Jews are witnesses to God’s existence and power. Because they disobeyed God they were scattered among the nations of the world. God is now regathering them to Israel as He promised.
Isaiah 11:11,12, Isaiah 44:8, Ezekiel 36:16-24, Ezekiel 37:21,22, Romans 9:3-5
Jerusalem will be the capital in God's Kingdom
God’s kingdom will be centred in Israel but will cover the whole earth. Jerusalem will be the capital of the world. Jews who accept Jesus as their Messiah when he returns will live as mortal people in his kingdom. Mortal people from the other nations will visit Jerusalem to worship and learn God’s ways.
Jeremiah 3:17, Micah 4:1,2, Zechariah 12:10, Zechariah 14:16, Matthew 5:34,35
Jesus is the Son of God
Jesus did not exist before his birth. He is the Son of God because he was conceived by the action of the Holy Spirit on his mother, Mary. No man was involved. God has always been greater than the Lord Jesus and always will be.
Matthew 1:20-25, John 14:28, Romans 1:3,4, Galatians 4:4, 1 Peter 1:20
Jesus lived a sinless life
Before his death Jesus had human nature like us, but because God was his Father he was more than an ordinary man. Jesus overcame all temptations and lived a perfect life in obedience to his Father’s will. He showed us the character of God and set an example for us to follow.
Isaiah 53:5,12, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15, 1 Peter 2:22
Jesus died on the cross for us
Jesus Christ is at the centre of God’s purpose. He was descended from Adam and so he was mortal like us. Because he was sinless and willing to die on the cross as a sacrifice, he is able to take away the sins of those who die with him in baptism.
John 1:29, John 3:16, 1 Corinthians 5:7, Galatians 1:4
Jesus came back to life
Because Jesus did not sin, God raised him from the dead and gave him immortal life. He now has a nature like God’s and is exalted above the angels. Those who died in Christ will also rise from the dead at his return and will be given immortal life at the judgement.
Luke 24:36-43, Acts 2:24, Acts 17:3, 1 Corinthians 15:22,23
The Holy Spirit is the power of God
Holy Spirit Gifts were for specific purposes
On a few occasions God gave special abilities to certain people. The apostles received the Holy Spirit to help them preach. Spirit gifts were no longer needed when the writing of the Bible was complete and the early church established.
Mark 16:15-18, Acts 2, Acts 8:9-24, 1 Corinthians 13:8
The punishment for sin is death
Adam was made from dust. Death is the punishment for sin, so Adam returned to dust. All (except Jesus) sin and so all die. No part of a person lives on after death. Unless people know and respond to the Gospel they will perish.
Genesis 3:17-19, Ecclesiastes 9:5-10, Romans 5:12, Romans 6:23
'Hell' in the Bible usually refers to the grave
‘Hell’ (from ‘sheol’ or ‘hades’) refers to the grave. ‘Gehenna’ was the place near Jerusalem where rubbish was burnt, and is used as a symbol for the total destruction of the wicked. The wages of sin is death – not eternal torment after death.
Psalm 6:5, Acts 2:27, Mark 9:43-48
The gift of God is eternal life
We cannot save ourselves. But by God’s grace we can have eternal life, if we have faith and try hard to do God’s will.
John 17:1-3, Romans 2:6-8, Romans 6:23
There will be a resurrection of the dead
When he returns, the Lord Jesus will bring out of the graves those who have had an opportunity to respond to the Gospel message of salvation, both faithful and unfaithful. But those who have not known the Gospel will not be raised.
Psalm 49:20, John 5:28,29, 1 Corinthians 15:12-21, 2 Timothy 4:1
There will be a time of judgement
People who have known and understood the Gospel will appear before the Lord Jesus Christ, the righteous judge, at his return to the earth. They will either be punished by final death or given immortal life. The nations who oppose Christ Jesus at his return will be punished.
Daniel 12:1,2, John 5:28,29, 2 Corinthians 5:10, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9
Immortal life for believers
Believers who are made immortal will serve the Lord Jesus on the earth and, under him, will rule the mortal people. These saints will enjoy perfect health and happiness while they teach the mortal people about God and make the earth a wonderful place, preparing it for God Himself to live with people.
Psalm 37:9-11,22, Isaiah 35, Daniel 7:27, Revelation 20:4
Angels are God's messengers
God made the angels to be His servants forever. They never sin, die nor marry. They always carry out God’s will and watch over believers.
Exodus 23:20-21, Psalm 34:7, Psalm 103:20, Luke 20:34-36, Hebrews 1:13,14
The Devil and Satan are not supernatural
We are tempted to sin by our own desires. The term ‘devil’ describes human sinfulness. The word ‘satan’ means adversary and can refer to a good or bad opponent. ‘Satan’ can be used to describe anything opposed to God, including anything sinful. There is no evil angel or all-powerful being that makes people do evil.
Matthew 16:23, John 8:44, Acts 10:38, James 1:14
We must all repent
We need to realise how sinful we are and be truly sorry for all our wrong thoughts and actions. Repentance involves a complete change of heart.
Psalm 51:1-10, Matthew 4:17, Luke 13:1-5, Acts 3:19; 17:30
Adult baptism is essential
It is essential to believe the teachings of the Bible, repent of our sins and then be baptized. Baptism is a complete burial in water. It is a symbol of dying with Christ and rising again to a new life.
Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Romans 6:1-11
Christians do not fight
A follower of Christ should not use force or join in military service or the police force. He must love his enemies as well as his friends.
Matthew 5:39-48, Matthew 26:52, Luke 6:27-29
We can pray for forgiveness of sins
Prayer is an opportunity to praise and thank God. Through prayer we can ask for God’s guidance in our lives. The Lord Jesus is in heaven, acting as a priest for his followers and asking God to forgive their sins. This is one of the privileges of being a follower of Jesus. There is no need for other priests.
Philippians 4:6, 1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 7:24-26, 1 John 1:9
We should remember the death of Jesus
Christians meet once a week to remember the death of Jesus. At this service they share bread and wine, which Jesus said were symbols of him, to remind us of his sacrifice.
Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:14-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-28
We should follow the example of Jesus
Baptized believers should follow the example of the Lord Jesus in their lives. In all they do they should give honour and glory to God.
Matthew 5, Romans 12, Colossians 3:1-17
The call of the Gospel requires a response
God is calling people from all nations to follow the Lord Jesus and to prepare for his coming kingdom. How will you respond?
Matthew 16:24-26, Acts 15:14, 1 Corinthians 1:26,27