1. Christians believe that God is the creator and ruler of the world, including people, and that the creation sprang from his perfect love.
2. We believe that all people reject God's rule thinking, "We know better than God," (even though God knows everything). This is called sin and leads to war, poverty, illness, etc..
3. Sin is punishable only by death, which is just for people who seek to undermine and destroy God's good (in every sense of the word,) and right rule. God will not let us rebel forever.
4. HOWEVER; God the Father sent God the Son into the world as a man, Jesus of Nazareth, who lived a perfect life and then willingly gave it up, so that he could swap places with us. He died to remove the final consequences of sin from all people who will trust him.
(Christians understand the one God is three persons (for want of a better word), Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who are all completely God. A little complex, but you would expect God to be beyond us if he really is infinite, all powerful, all knowing, etc...
5. NOT THE END; Obviously God the Son wasn't going to stay dead. Jesus rose from the dead and was reinstated as the Ruler over all of creation, and as point 3 says, he will come back to judge all the actions of everyone who has ever lived.
6. Which leaves us with Two Ways To Live (see below). We can choose to carry on living our lives the way we want rejecting God and his standards. Or we can choose to trust God, apologise to him, except his offer of a swap and seek to live as he would have us live. If we do this then we are given new life (hence the term "born again") into God's kingdom, and he himself (the Holy Spirit) comes and dwells within us and helps and encourages us to continue to live a life worthy of God.
If your appetite has been whetted by the above you can see similar in more detail at the Two Ways To Live web site. Each point is given a bit more time, and explained in more detail, and there are quotes from the Bible to show you that this really is what the Bible says.
Christians also believe that the Bible is God's words written down by people who have been directed by him in many different ways. The Bible therefore is God recording and explaining events in history that are particularly relevant to what he wants to say, but in many different ways; stories, poetry, prophesy, letters, proverbs, etc.. . We therefore learn all that we need to know about God and what he wants us to do and be like from the Bible.
A quote from the Bible, 2 Timothy 3:15-17. [This is a man called Paul (who's words are directed by God) writing to his friend Timothy] "how you have known from infancy the Holy Scriptures [the Holy Scriptures is basically the Bible] which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. [The teaching of the Bible is able to make you ready for trusting God (hence being saved from his punishment) - see 6b above - and it is able to teach you that this is by believing and trusting in Jesus and what he said, also recorded in the Bible.] All scripture is God breathed [that is the words of the Bible have been breathed out by God himself] and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God [someone who teaches the Bible] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work [all that God wants them do in explaining to people how God asks them to behave, including everything God could ever want you to do,say, etc.].
An article, by Tom Forryan published on 25/01/2008 in the local newspaper (The Watford Observer), on who The Bible tells us will go to Heaven and who will go to Hell.
No I didn’t get the title the wrong way round and it’s not a misprint! Let me explain.
When they die, good people go to hell. This is not a nice thing to have to say and I can understand that it will make some people very annoyed. But, according to the teaching of Jesus in the Bible, it’s true.
Here is a portion of his teaching, which makes clear his views on what happens to people when they die:
There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.' He answered, 'Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my father's house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' Abraham replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' He said, ''No father Abraham, but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.' He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'1
This teaching raises a lot of issues! Here are some things worth noticing. According to Jesus, hell is real. He describes it as a place of pain, agony, torment and fire. Perhaps this is "picture language" to some extent but, if so, the reality behind the pictures must be truly frightening. Also, it seems that real people, ordinary people may go there - people like the rich man in this story who haven't done a lot wrong (beyond ignoring the needs of others around them).
It seems from these words that heaven is also real. It is described as a place of comfort along with Abraham and the people of God. For someone to go there it is necessary that they be convinced and warned by "Moses and the prophets" (i.e. the Bible) and that they turn from all that is wrong in their lives ("repent"). Jesus also makes clear here that there is no way from heaven to hell or vice versa. Evidently, where you go when you die is where you stay - permanently. And it seems that this could be just one of only two places: heaven or hell. There is, in Jesus' teaching, no third place where dead people go. But why don't good people go to heaven?
The problem with good people is that our idea of “good enough” is not really good enough for God. Most of us manage to love our own families - at least some of the time. But in the Bible Jesus didn’t say “love your own family”. He said “love your neighbour,”2 and made it clear that he meant anyone we come across who we could help. Nor did he say “love your neighbour occasionally, when you’re in the right mood” but rather “love your neighbour as much as you love yourself.”3 He also said, “Love your enemies, do good to them and be generous to them.”4 Though to us it seems to set a very high standard, Jesus was quite serious in this teaching. He explained the risks of mistreating other people in this way: “If you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell.”5 When we realise what is involved, perhaps we can begin to see that good people have never been, nor could ever be, good enough for God.
The good news is that, when they die, bad people go to heaven. No, not all bad people but only those who have been honest enough to admit that they are not good enough for God as they are. Jesus put it this way: “It is not the healthy who need a doctor but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners.”6 A man may in fact be desperately ill but while he thinks that he’s fine it is impossible for the doctor to help him. In exactly the same way, anyone who sees himself as basically good enough will feel that Jesus is irrelevant. On the other hand, those who know that they have not lived up to God’s laws - who know that they are “sinners” in Jesus’ words - may come to Jesus Christ and be forgiven. The Bible puts it this way: “Everyone who believes in God’s Son has everlasting life.” 7 Why not pray to Jesus Christ today and ask Him to give you new life and peace with God for ever?
The quotes from Jesus' teaching can be found in the Bible at these references: 1 Luke 16:19-31; 2 Mark 12:31; 3Mark 12:31; 4Luke 6:27; 5 Matthew 5:22; 6 Mark 2:17; 7 John 3:36.
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The stance of the church on issues of doctrine which are reflected in the life and teaching of the church.
1. The Scriptures
We believe that all the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament are of Divine origin, given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit and are the only rule of Faith and Practice. This inspiration extends to the very words that were originally given and so they are wholly reliable in both fact and doctrine.
2 Tim. 3:16 and 2 Peter 1:21
2. The Godhead
We believe that there is but one God; that there are Three Persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and that these Three Persons are equal in substance, power and glory.
Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14
3. Original Sin
We believe that all mankind are sinners through the fall of Adam and because of this, all are by nature under condemnation.
Rom. 5:12-19; Eph. 2:1-5
4. Election
We believe that God loved His people with an everlasting love; that they were eternally chosen in Christ to salvation, holiness, spiritual affection and good works and that this eternal and personal election is entirely of free and sovereign grace and not at all on account of any faith or good works foreseen in them.
Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:4-5; Eph. 2:8,9
5. Redemption
We believe that Jesus Christ is the only Saviour.
He was born of the virgin Mary and became Man, fulfilling all the Divine precepts and becoming obedient to death, even the death of the cross. He put away sin by the substitutionary sacrifice of Himself, suffering the penalty of sin; so by His one offering He had perfected for ever them that are sanctified. He then rose from the dead and ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father.
We believe that all people given to Christ, shall, at the appointed time, come to Him, being born again of the Holy Spirit, and effectually called by His Word.
John 6:37; John 3:5; John 10:27; Rom. 8.30
7. Justification
We believe that men are justified by the righteousness of Christ being imputed to them and received by faith alone.
Rom. 3:22; Rom. 5:17; 11 Cor. 5:21
8. Perseverance
We believe that all who truly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ are eternally saved, being kept by the grace of God unto final redemption.
John 10:28,29; Rom. 8:35-39
9. The Last Things
We believe in the Coming Again of our Lord Jesus Christ for His people, the resurrection, the judgement, the everlasting joy of the righteous, and everlasting punishment of the wicked.
Acts 1:11; I Thess. 4:14-17; 2 Thess. 1:7-9
10. The Ordinances
We believe that Baptism and the Lord's Supper are of Divine authority; that none are proper subjects for Baptism but such as exercise repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; that immersion of the whole body is the only proper mode for Baptism; that Baptism is a pre-requisite to Church Fellowship and its privileges, the communion of the Lord's Supper being an ordinance of the local Church.
Matt. 28:19; Luke 22:19; Acts 2:38; Rom. 6:4; Acts 2:41,42
11. Obligations of Believers
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is Lord and Lawgiver to His people; that they are under obligation to obediently regard the precepts of His Will, and therefore should not forsake the assembling themselves together for worship and the hearing of His Word, praying that the Holy Spirit would make the Word effective in their hearts. That all believers are commanded to make known the grace and glory of the Lord Jesus both by the holiness of their lives and the testimony of their lips.
1 Cor. 9:21; Heb. 10:25; Matt. 5:16; 1 Peter 3:15
12. The Local Church
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ alone is head of the Church and rules His Church through the Word by the ministry of Elders and Deacons, and the Will of the Lord for the Church is made known by the Spirit of God in the gathering of the members. That the Church exists for the glory of God, the fellowship of believers, for their edification in Christ, and for the proclamation of the Gospel to the unconverted. That the one local Church being in every sense a true valid Church of Christ, has authority under Christ to choose Elders and Deacons, appoint officers, receive and discipline members.
We consider ourselves under the greatest obligation to embrace, maintain and defend all and each of these doctrines and ordinances; believing it to be our duty and privilege to stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the Gospel.
We are also conscious that our life, both in the Church and the world, ought to be such as becomes the Gospel of Christ; we judge it to be our duty to 'walk in wisdom towards them that are without', to exercise a conscience void of offence towards God and man, by living soberly, righteously and godly in this present age.
Eph. 5:23; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Tim. 3; Acts 13:2,3; Matt.18:17
What Christians Believe