The Bible
The Bible is the very Word of God1 and therefore the
only truth and authority in all religious matters. In this age of
doubt, confusion and skepticism, Holy Scripture alone offers spiritual
security and the certainty of salvation in Christ.
1 2 Peter 1:21
...for prophecy never came by
the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy
Spirit.
2 Timothy 3:15-16
...and that from childhood you
have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for
salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is
given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for
reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.
John 8:31-32
Then Jesus said to those Jews
who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples
indeed. "And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free."
Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light to my path.
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Creation/Fall into Sin
God created the universe in six regular 24-hour days. God tells us this
in the Bible.2 God's creation was completely perfect at its
beginning, but since that time has been corrupted by sin. The sin of Adam
and Eve corrupted themselves and all of their offspring including us.
However, God is a loving God, and for this reason He promised to send a
Savior for all people. That Savior was and is Jesus the Christ.
2 2 Genesis 1-3
The Creation
In the beginning God created the heavens and the
earth. The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face
of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the
waters.
Then God said, "Let there be light"; and
there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God divided
the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness He
called Night. So the evening and the morning were the first day.
Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the
midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." Thus
God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the
firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.
And God called the firmament Heaven. So the evening and the morning were
the second day.
Then God said, "Let the waters
under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry
land appear"; and it was so. And God called the dry land Earth, and the
gathering together of the waters He called Seas. And God saw that it was
good.
Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth
grass, the herb that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit
according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth"; and it was
so. And the earth brought forth grass, the herb that yields seed according
to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself
according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and
the morning were the third day.
Then God said, "Let
there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the
night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years; and
let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on
the earth"; and it was so. Then God made two great lights: the greater
light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He made the
stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on
the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the
light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. So the evening and
the morning were the fourth day.
Then God said,
"Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let
birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the
heavens." So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that
moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every
winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God
blessed them, saying, "Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in
the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth." So the evening and the
morning were the fifth day.
Then God said, "Let the
earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and
creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind"; and it
was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle
according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according
to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
Then God
said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them
have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and
over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that
creeps on the earth." So God created man in His own image; in the image of
God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed
them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and
subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the
air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth."
And God said, "See, I have given you every herb
that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree
whose fruit yields seed; to you it shall be for food. Also, to every beast
of the earth, to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on
the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for
food"; and it was so. Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed
it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth
day.
The Garden of Eden
Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host
of them, were finished. And on the seventh day God ended His work which He
had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had
done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He
rested from all His work which God had created and made.
This is the history of the heavens and the earth
when they were created, in the day that the LORD God made the earth and
the heavens, before any plant of the field was in the earth and before any
herb of the field had grown. For the LORD God had not caused it to rain on
the earth, and there was no man to till the ground; but a mist went up
from the earth and watered the whole face of the ground.
And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the
ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became
a living being.
Life in God's Garden
The LORD God planted
a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.
And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant
to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of
the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
Now a
river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it parted and
became four riverheads. The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one
which skirts the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold. And the gold
of that land is good. Bdellium and the onyx stone are there. The name of
the second river is Gihon; it is the one which goes around the whole land
of Cush. The name of the third river is Hiddekel; it is the one which goes
toward the east of Assyria. The fourth river is the Euphrates.
Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the
garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man,
saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that
you eat of it you shall surely die."
And the LORD God said, "It is not
good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to
him." Out of the ground the LORD God formed every beast of the field and
every bird of the air, and brought them to Adam to see what he would call
them. And whatever Adam called each living creature, that was its name. So
Adam gave names to all cattle, to the birds of the air, and to every beast
of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper comparable to him.
And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall on
Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh
in its place. Then the rib which the LORD God had taken from man He made
into a woman, and He brought her to the man.
And
Adam said:
"This is now bone of my bones
And flesh of my
flesh;
She shall be called Woman,
Because she was taken out of
Man."
Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be
joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.
And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and
were not ashamed.
Exodus 20: 8-11
...For in six days the LORD made
the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested
the seventh day.
Romans 5:18-19
Therefore, as through one man's
offense judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so
through one Man's righteous act the free gift came to all men, resulting
in justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made
sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.
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Trinity
Trinity means three in one. One God who has revealed Himself in three
persons. 'Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one!'
(Deuteronomy 6:4). The Father is God. The Son is God. The Holy Spirit is
God. Not three Gods but One God. Coequal! Coeternal! Go! Baptizing
in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew
28:19) God is our Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier. One God in Trinity
and Trinity in Unity.
John 10:30
I and My Father are one.
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, "I am the
way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through
Me."
Matthew 3:16
When He had been baptized,
Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were
opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and
alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This
is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
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Sin
Sin is doing contrary to the Will of God3. "Jesus said
'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul,
and with all your mind.' This is the first and great commandment. And the
second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "(Matthew
22:37-40) Anything, whether it is thoughts, words or actions,
that is contrary to this perfect love of God and this perfect love for
your neighbor, is sin. By this standard all people sin and fall short
of the glory of God.4 No amount of good works will wash
away these sins5 or their consequences, eternal separation from
our God6.
3 1 John 4:3
and every spirit that does not
confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is
the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now
already in the world.
4 Romans 3:23
...for all have sinned and fall
short of the glory of God.
5 Galatians 3:10
For as many as are of the works
of the law are under the curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who
does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law,
to do them."
6 Romans 6:23a
For the wages of sin is
death.
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Salvation
Salvation means being saved. From before man's fall into sin God
established the means whereby God would save man. From the cross Jesus
declared His saving work complete7. Jesus announces to the
world, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me,
though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me
shall never die.' (John 11:25) Sin and death have been
swallowed up in victory by our Savior. There is nothing left for you to
do, Jesus has done it all. God continues to hold out His saving, rescuing
hand through the true teaching of God's Word8 through His
Church and its called workers9. Jesus died that we might be
made alive, cleansed of all our sins.
7 John 19:30
So when Jesus had received the
sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His
spirit.
8 Romans 10:17
So then faith comes by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God.
9 Hebrews 10:25
...not forsaking the assembling
of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one
another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.
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Grace
Grace is God's underserved love. The Bible teaches us that we are to be
perfect (without sin) as our Father in heaven is perfect. The Bible also
teaches us that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
Contradiction? Quiet the contrary, they are in complete harmony! From
eternity, God in love, desired, designed, and carried out the plan of
Grace (God's undeserved love10) whereby He would save man.
'When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born
of a woman, born under the law, to redeem (purchase from sin) those
who were under the law.' (Galatians 4:4) 'For by grace (God's
underserved love) you have been saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should
boast.' (Ephesians 2: 8-9)
10 John 3:16
For God so loved the world that
He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not
perish but have everlasting life.
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The Church
We rejoice over all people of every age and nation who are children of
God by faith in Jesus Christ as their Savior11 and therefore
belong to the Holy Christian Church.12 Yet, in our earthly
religious associations, God asks us to unite (worship, pray, and commune)
with those who follow His Word13 and out of love for God and
concern for souls to stay away from harmful error (e.g. false teachings,
those causing divisions, etc.).
11 Galatians 3:26
For you are all sons of God
through faith in Christ Jesus.
12 Ephesians
2:19-20
Now, therefore, you are no
longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and
members of the household of God, having been built on the foundation of
the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner
stone.
13 1 Corinthians
1:10
Now I plead with you, brethren,
by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all speak the same thing,
and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly joined
together in the same mind and in the same judgment.
Matthew 7:15
Beware of false prophets, who
come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous
wolves.
Romans 16:17-18
Now I urge you, brethren, note
those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you
learned, and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord
Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering
speech deceive the hearts of the simple.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Do not be unequally yoked
together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with
lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? And what accord
has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever?
And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the
temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk
among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people." Therefore
"Come out from among them And be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch
what is unclean, And I will receive you. I will be a Father to you, And
you shall be My sons and daughters, Says the LORD Almighty."
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Baptism
Baptism forgives sins7, clothes with faith in
Christ8, saves9, makes us heirs of eternal
life.10 In baptizing 'all nations"11, we
include children because they are born sinful and need the 'washing of
rebirth.'12
7 Acts 22:16
And now why are you waiting?
Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the
Lord
8 Galatians 3:26-27
For you are all sons of God
through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into
Christ have put on Christ.
9 1 Peter 3:21
There is also an antitype which
now saves us; baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the
answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus
Christ.
10 Titus 3:7
...that having been justified
by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal
life.
11 Matthew 28:19
Go therefore and make disciples
of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit...
12 Titus 3:5
...not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us,
through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit...
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Lord's Supper
Holy Communion was established by our Savior for the
forgiveness-assurance and faith-strengthening of His disciples and all
believers.13 In the Lord's Supper, the true body and blood of
Christ are received14 in faith by those who are spiritually
prepared15 and agreed in what they believe.16
13 Matthew 26:28
For this is My blood of the new
covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
14 Mark 14:22-24
And as they were eating, Jesus
took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them and said, "Take,
eat; this is My body." Then He took the cup, and when He had given thanks
He gave it to them, and they all drank from it. And He said to them, "This
is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many."
and 1 Corinthians 10:16
The cup of blessing which we
bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we
break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
15 1 Corinthians 11:28
But let a man examine himself,
and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.
16 1 Corinthians 10:17
For we, though many, are one
bread and one body; for we all partake of that one bread. and
Romans 16:17 Now I urge you, brethren, note those who
cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned,
and avoid them.
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Abortion
An individual's life begins at conception17. We know this
because God reveals this to us in the Bible18. All who live,
live because God has given them life. We do not have the right to end the
life of another. God tells us specifically not to murder19.
Therefore, no one has the right to end the life of a child regardless of
the circumstances. In addition to the murder of an unborn child, abortion
may likely cause irreparable psychological damage to the mother. The God
of the Bible does not desert those in need. Those who trust in God will
find that their creator will not leave them to despair, but will turn even
their worst situation to benefit them and strengthen their
faith20.
17 Psalm 139:13-16
For You formed my inward
parts;
You covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise You,
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your
works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not
hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought
in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance,
being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days
fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
18 Psalm 51:5
Behold, I was brought forth in
iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.
19 Exodus 20:13
You shall not murder.
20 Romans 8:28
And we know that all things
work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called
according to His purpose.
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Homosexuality
God tells us that homosexual relationships are sinful.19 In
1 Corinthians He specifically tells us that those who do not repent of
their homosexuality will not enter the Kingdom of heaven. Thankfully, the
sins of homosexuality, like all other sins, have been paid for by
Jesus.20 God knows that some struggle against same sex
attractions, and He will not leave them to face this hardship alone.
Instead, God will constantly remind them of the forgiveness that is found
in Jesus Christ, and in this way strengthen those in need of His love.
19 Leviticus 18:22
You shall not lie with a male
as with a woman. It is an abomination.
and Romans 1:26-27
For this reason God gave them
up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for
what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of
the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing
what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error
which was due.
20 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Do you not know that the
unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived.
Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor
sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you.
But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in
the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.
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The End Times
Many have been deceived by those who hold unscriptural beliefs about
the end of the world. Bible verses are often used improperly in support of
these false ideas. What God has revealed to us about the end times is
found in the Bible. Jesus will physically return once on the last day of
the earth's existence. He will raise all people, the living and those who
have died. The believers will be raised to eternal life with God (Heaven),
and the unbelievers to eternal separation from God (Hell). Because God
desires all men to live eternally, he moves Christians across the world to
share the message of the Savior of Mankind, Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 2:4
...who desires all men to be
saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
John 6:40
And this is the will of Him who
sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have
everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.
Revelation 1:7
Behold, He is coming with
clouds, and every eye will see Him, even they who pierced Him. And all the
tribes of the earth will mourn because of Him. Even so, Amen.
Matthew 25:31-33
When the Son of Man comes in
His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the
throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He
will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from
the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on
the left.
Matthew 24:23-25
Then if anyone says to you,
'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. "For false
christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to
deceive, if possible,
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