OUR BELIEFS
GOD CREATED THE WORLD
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God created the whole world and everything in it
Genesis ch1 -
God is still working in the world and keeps everything going
Matthew ch6 v25-31​
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​JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD
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Jesus is the divine only begotten & beloved Son of God
John 1:14 | Mark 1:11
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Jesus is not God, Jesus calls God his Father
Matthew ch6 v9 | John ch17 v1 -
Jesus is under the authority of God
1 Corinthians ch11 v3 | 1 Corinthians ch15 v26-28 | John ch5 v26-27
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JESUS IS OUR SAVIOUR
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Our sins can be forgiven because Jesus died for us
Luke ch24 v46-47 | Acts ch2 v38 -
Jesus has brought us back into a relationship with God
John ch14 v6-7 | Colossians ch1 v21-22 -
We should try to be like Jesus and follow his teachings
Matthew ch7 v24 | 1 John ch3 v23-24
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JESUS IS IN HEAVEN BUT WILL ONE DAY RETURN TO EARTH
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After his resurrection Jesus went into heaven
Luke ch24 v51 -
He sits at the right hand of God
Romans ch8 v34 | Acts ch7 v55 -
One day, Jesus will return to the Earth
Acts ch1 v11 | Matthew ch24 v30
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A RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD
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When Jesus returns to the earth, the dead who have heard God’s message will be raised to life
1 Corinthians ch15 v20-22, 52 | 1 Thessalonians ch4 v16 -
Jesus will judge those people and will give eternal life to all the faithful
Matthew ch25 v31-46 | 2 Timothy ch4 v1 | John ch3 v15
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THE KINGDOM OF GOD
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Those people who have been given eternal life will live in God’s kingdom
Revelation ch21 v3 -
Jesus will establish God’s kingdom on the earth, ruling from Jerusalem
Luke ch1 v32-33 -
God’s kingdom will never end and all death and suffering will stop
Daniel ch2 v44 | Isaiah ch35 v5-7, 10 | Revelation ch21 v4-5
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WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE & DOES IT MATTER?
While no one has all the answers and we are all constantly growing and learning, God does ask us to seek and search out his truth (Hebrews 11:6, Proverbs 25:2, 1 John 4:1). The Bereans were commended for being open to listen to Paul, as well as for searching the scriptures to see if what he said was true (Acts 17:11).
In the Bible, baptism is a rational decision of adults or young people who had come to know God's love through his Son, Jesus. God wants our understanding and belief to impact our hearts and how we live (Acts 8:26-40, 18:24-26, John 17:3, Romans 10:14, Ephesians 4:1-2, Galatians 5:19-21).
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There are a few key beliefs on which we have a different perspective to many other Christian churches. Below is a brief overview.
Check out our booklets for a more indepth read on any of these topics.
THE TRINITY
The trinity is a belief that God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit are co-equal and co-eternal parts of the same 'Godhead'. In short, that Jesus is God, both fully human and fully God.
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We believe that Jesus is the divine Son of God, born by miraculous intervention, but human in every way just like us (Luke 1:30-35, Matthew 1:1, 20-25, Hebrews 4:14-15, 2:14-18).
Jesus is one with God because he dedicated himself entirely to God's will and purpose. God gave Jesus authority to represent him and act on his behalf. Jesus helped bring people to know God by his perfect example. (John 5:19-27, 17:20-23).
God exalted Jesus for worship and Jesus reflects all glory back to God. (Philippians 2:8-11, Heb 1:1-3, 1 Corinthians 15:24-28).
THE DEVIL
Popular beliefs about the devil come from various ancient religions with multiple gods.
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We believe that there is only one God who is in complete control. He created us with free will to choose how we live. The evil in the world comes from our own choices. (James 1:14, Mark 7:18-23, Isaiah 45:5-7).
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The concept of a devil is used in the Bible to personify our inner temptations and those who hinder our walk with God (Genesis 4:7, James 4:7, 1 Peter 5:8, Eph 6:11).
LIFE AFTER DEATH
Many people believe that everyone has a 'soul' which lives on after the body dies.
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We believe that God invites us to walk with him and seek eternal life, which we do not already have. (Romans 2:6-8).
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Jesus is the first to be resurrected to eternal life. Those who have died will be raised when Jesus returns as king. The faithful will be rewarded at the same time with eternal life in his kingdom on earth. (1 Cor 15:20-23, Daniel 12:2, Heb 11:39-40).
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God is merciful and does not promise eternal torment. Those who choose not to live for God will simply perish and be no more. (2 Peter 3:9, John 3:16, Ezekiel 33:11).
ATONEMENT
Many churches teach that Jesus died in our place, to pay for our sins, or to take our punishment of death.
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We believe that God sent Jesus out of his great love for us, to show us his way and to bring us to repentance. Jesus is the only person who has overcome sin, choosing God's way even to the point of death (Philippians 2:5-11, 1 Peter 2:21-24, 3:18, Acts 2:38, 3:26, Hebrews 2:14-18).
God earnestly desires to forgive those who repent and turn to him. We acknowledge our need for forgiveness through baptism into Jesus. It is our inner change of heart that God desires, not our punishment. (Luke 12:32, Ezekiel 33:11, John 3:16).
Forgiveness is a free pardon.
Jesus paid a price in that he suffered because of our sins - but it was not a transactional price.
(Ephesians 2:8, 1 John 4:9-16).