Six points summarising our core beliefs
1. One God - Who is the creator of the world
God not only created our world but also the entire universe. When He did this He had a reason. Ultimately He wanted this earth, and us, to be a perfect reflection of His glory. There’s lots of explanation in His Bible. You can look at these verses as indicative, ( Hab 2:14; Isaiah 45:18). Want to know more about God? Pick up His book, open it, read it, study it, think about it, talk about it.
2. The Bible - Which is God’s message for us
The Bible is a collection of 66 books written by about 40 different people over a period of over 1500 years covering historical and prophetic events. It is important to understand that although it had many authors, they all wrote what God wanted them to write. Nothing more, nothing less. The verses listed tell us what the Bible says about itself (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21) (2 Timothy 3 :14-15).
We don’t have to take the Bible on trust. It gives details that you can use to verify it's accuracy, for example references to things that have happened in history and have been validated by archeologists and historians. And what it tells us about us as human beings helps explain why things happen the way they do, why we are the way we are.
Most importantly it tells us what's in it for us. God’s message for us gives us hope for a better future. If we want it that is!
3. Jesus Christ - Who is the Son of God and our saviour
God Himself said Jesus was His son on multiple occasions. Here’s one, (Matt 3:17). One of many verses that refer to Jesus as our saviour is this one, ( 1 Tim 1:15) .
We believe Jesus “is"! Not “was” but “is”! He has to be to have any effect on us today. God resurrected him and made him immortal. So 2000 years later Jesus is alive. Because Jesus is alive we too can live forever. He is our saviour - if we want him to be of course.
These verses from the Bible are explicit, (Romans 1:3-4).
God had a son for a reason. He saved him. Through Jesus He can save us.
4. The Kingdom of God - Which will be set up on the earth
The Bible clearly states that there is a promised kingdom of God for the future, and that it will be here, on this earth. Just one example of many verses from the Bible, (Zech 14:-9).
Why do we need this compared to our world now?
Do you know anywhere where you would say there is good government for all? Where there is social equity, truth and justice? It seems clear that any form of government run by men and women will be compromised one way or another, even with the best intentions. And sadly the best of intentions are hard to find. For a government to work there has to be consistency and peace. Wouldn’t it be amazing if there was just one government for the whole world that did a perfect job.
God’s message in His book the Bible is that there will be. He didn’t create the earth without a purpose in mind. His son, Jesus, will fulfil that purpose when He returns to this earth to set up a world-wide kingdom.
5. The return of Jesus Christ - Who will be king over all the world
Think about how governments work at the moment. Even the best system has its problems. It has to be this way because fallible and flawed humans are running it. Contrast this with how Jesus will govern. He is uniquely qualified to be the perfect ruler of this earth. He is God's son. A perfect man who will not make mistakes, who will be totally just. Have a look at these Bible verses, (Acts 1:11, 2:22-27).
6. Adult Baptism - Which is an essential step to be saved
We all want a better world for everyone's sake. But what about at a very personal level? What's in it for us when Jesus returns and sets up God’s kingdom? Will we be alive to benefit from this? After all it’s said that death and taxes are the only certainties in life! That's where adult baptism comes in. It changes the perspective completely. It opens up the fantastic opportunity to be in the kingdom Jesus will set up and to live forever!
So what is baptism and why is it important? According to the Bible, (Mark 16:15-16; Romans 6:4) baptism is the total immersion in water of a person mature enough to understand what it means to believe in God. This is symbolic of starting a new life with a determination to serve God. It’s the first step in a process that can lead to entry into God’s kingdom and is a key part of God’s message to all of us. In return for us doing our best to serve God after we are baptised, we are promised a permanent place in Jesus' kingdom. Look at these verses, (Hebrews 11:6; Micah 6:8; 1 John 5:3).
What a great prospect to live and work for!
Summary
Of course what we have covered in the six points is nothing more than a short summary. It covers the critical points that we believe, but there is so much more to know - and to support our basic beliefs which are all derived solely from God’s Bible.
We can’t emphasise enough how important it is for you to read God’s Bible. To search it. To convince yourself from its pages what God says and what we should do about it. We are very happy to help you but the search process must be yours. We wish you well and may Jesus return and set up that wonderful kingdom soon.