What the Bible Teaches

The Bible is God’s word

The Bible is the only authoritative book that tells us how to live our lives and tells us how to be prepared for when Jesus returns to the earth. The Bible is real for today, it is not simply a factual history book about the Jews and the land of Israel but one that has impact on our lives today. The daily reading of the Bible, together with prayer, develops a Christian into a person that Jesus will be pleased to associate with when he returns.

2 Timothy 3:16 – God’s word, useful for:teaching, rebuking, correcting and training.

1 Corinthians 2:13 – Apostles wrote down what “the Spirit”, God had told them.

There is only one God

The Bible teaches that there is only one God. He has always existed and always will and although he lives in heaven his power is all around. The God that we worship now is the same God who was worshipped by Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and all the Bible characters. God showed his character in his son, Jesus. God is the only “power” that exists, there was no other God before him nor will there be any after him. God is the father of all those who follow him and he is not willing that anyone should perish but wants everyone to willingly follow him, therefore because of his love and greatness he deserves to be worshipped and praised.

Jesus is the son of God

Jesus is God’s son. We believe that the Bible is quite specific on this, there are so many references showing that God is Jesus’ father and that Jesus is therefore His son.

Jesus was born with human nature

Jesus was born with human nature. God worked through his son, Jesus by his power, the Holy Spirit, such that Jesus displayed God’s character in his life on earth. He was so like God that he was also known as Immanuel, God with us. Despite being God’s son, Jesus possessed human nature becasue he was also the son of Mary, a descendant of King David.

Mat 1:23; 1Tim 3:16; Heb 2:14; Gal4:4 and Heb 2:17.

Jesus had the ability to sin

Because Jesus was born with human nature, he had the tendency to sin. The big difference between Jesus and the rest of human nature, he didn’t sin. Jesus’ human nature meant that he suffered all the temptations and painful experiences that everyone has suffered from since Adam’s sin, including death.

Jesus – the Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus is our Lord Jesus Christ, he is the promised Seed, the Messiah, the Christ and Lord. The promises that God gave to Adam, Abraham, David and the prophets referred to Jesus, who was a descendant of David and therefore was human like every other person. Because of Jesus’ human nature he was condemned to die like everyone else, but because he didn’t sin and that he always obeyed God, he didn’t deserve to die. Jesus overcame his natural tendency for man to sin and God therefore raised him from the dead because he had overcome sin for himself and for all those who believe in him.

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the name given to God’s power. It is God’s power to use as he wishes, he created the world, he sustains life now and allows us to see evidence of his power in our lives now. God’s power is evident all around us.

The Death of Human Beings

Adam broke the only law that God had given and God carried out the sentence of death for not obeying. Adam died and returned to the ground. Adam was characteristic of all human beings and the sentence of death is now the natural conclusion of all human life.

Life after Death

There is no automatic life after death for human beings, the Bible doesn’t teach that Godly people go to heaven or that ungodly people go to hell. The Bible is quite clear that when human beings die they stop breathing and they die, the Bible says that the “breath goes back to God who gave it”. There is hope for Christians and that is to be raised from the dead when Jesus returns to the earth.

For Life we have to Accept Jesus Now

Because of man’s sinfulness, right from the time of Adam, it was necessary for God to provide Jesus as a sacrifice. Adam sinned, therefore the whole of the human race is subject to death, but we can live through Jesus. The contrast can be seen between Adam, and man, who break God’s commands, therefore we die, and Jesus who obeyed, therefore there is an opportunity of life for those who belief and trust in him.

1 Cor 15:21-22; Rom 5:12-19; Gen 3:19; 2 Cor 5:19-21

Because of sin, God had condemned man to a life of work, and then death, this is because God detests sin, but in his love he provided Jesus so that man can be changed before God if we believe.

Heaven is where God and Jesus are

Heaven is where God and Jesus are now, although their presence is everywhere. The Bible portrays this presence or power as the Holy Spirit.

The Kingdom will be set up on earth

God’s Kingdom will be set up on earth, it will be the only kingdom and it will include the whole earth, therefore all existing nations and kingdoms will be overthrown by God. Jesus will rule perfectly and justly and there will eventually be no more violence in the earth.

Dan 2:44; Dan 7:13-14; Rev 11:15; Is 32:1; Is 2:2-4; Is 11:9-10.

Jesus’ teachings

The Gospel (Good News) is centred on Jesus’ teachings, which were repeated by the apostles, about the “Kingdom of God”, and about how to be saved through Jesus.

Acts 8:12; Acts 19:8; Acts 19:10; Acts 19:20; Acts 28:30-31.
Dan 2:44; Dan 7:13-14; Rev 11:15; Is 32:1; Is 2:2-4; Is 11:9-10.

Jesus will return to the earth

When God considers the time is right, when man has done enough damage to himself and the earth has become so ungodly, he will send Jesus back to the earth. On his return, Jesus will pass judgement on everyone for their actions. The Bible quite clearly states that Jesus, God’s son, will return to the earth. Jesus was born to “take away the sin of the world”, and he has for all those who believe in him and try their very best to follow him by doing what he says.

Acts 3:20-21; Ps 102:16; Ps 102:21; 2 Tim 4:1; Acts 1:9; Acts 1:11; Dan 7:13.

Jesus will reward for actions when he returns

When Jesus returns there will be a judgement passed on all those people who are alive at his return and on all those who have been raised. The followers of Jesus, those who have done their very best to follow Jesus now, will be given the reward of life whilst those who have neglected Jesus and not followed him will be condemned to death.

2 Cor 5:10, 2 Tim 4:1, Rom 2:5-11, Rom 2:16, Rom 14:10-11, 1 Cor 4:5 and Rev 11:18.

Jesus will resurrect people and pass correct judgement

The people who have been judged by Jesus as being unfaithful to him will be sentenced to death, whereas those who have been faithful will be given life.

Jesus will give those who have accepted him immortal life

Those who are given life will reign with Jesus over God’s Kingdom which will be set up on earth for ever. The life the saints will live will be of a much better quality than now, praising and worshipping God.

Jesus will continue to teach, giving every opportunity to accept him

God’s laws will be taught, by Jesus and the saints, to the people of the world who have not yet accepted Jesus. The result of this teaching is that eventually war will be a thing of the past and everyone who lives will want to serve God. Jesus will rule and settle arguments fairly.

Micah 4:2, Is 42:4, Is 11:1-5, Is 2:4 and Hab 2:14.

God wants his children to worship him willingly

God, in his love, provided a way out of death, for those who love him, without detracting from his sentence of death for man’s sins. The natural conclusion for man’s disobedience of God is total destruction, but God planned that that should not be the case and that the earth will be populated with those who love and willingly obey him. In his love, God provided Jesus to take away sin and die once for all those who follow him. God’s intention always was that people would become his children and that they would worship him and following him of their own will.

Rev 21:4, John 3:16, 2 Tim 1:10, 1 John 2:25, 2 Tim 1:1, Titus 1:2, Rom 3:26 and John 1:29.

Belief and baptism

The only way to have forgiveness and to be saved is to believe the teachings of Jesus and be associated with his death by being baptised. The believer is expected to attempt to follow Jesus’ commands to maintain Jesus’ friendship.

Acts 13:48, Acts 16:31, Mark 16:16, Rom 1:16, Acts 2:38, Acts 2:41, Acts 10:47, Acts 8:12, Gal 3:27-29, Rom 6:3-5, Rom 2:7, Matt 28:20 and John 15:14.

A faithful acceptance of Jesus

The apostles preached to the Jews and the Gentiles that they needed to be saved from sin and death and that the only way to be saved was through a belief in Jesus. The duty for believers to preach is the same as it was for the first disciples.

Acts 1:8, Matt 28:19-20, Luke 24:46-48, Acts 26:16-18 and Acts 4:12.

It is by God’s mercy that we are saved

For salvation we are completely reliant on God’s mercy – his undeserved gift of life to us. None of us can earn God’s salvation but in his love to us he allowed Jesus to die therefore, because of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection we are saved, if we rely completely on his mercy. Jesus, now in heaven, acts as a mediator between God and believers, he asks God for believers’ forgiveness when they sin and request God’s forgiveness.

Luke 24:51, Eph 1:20, Acts 5:31, 1 Tim 2:5, Acts 15:14, Acts 13:39, Heb 4:14-15, John 17:9, Heb 10:26, 1 John 2:1 and Prov 28:13.

A Christian’s actions

A Christian, someone who has accepted Jesus, should always try their very best to follow Jesus’ commands and teachings. The way that we live our lives should be a life that Jesus an God are pleased with. Christianity is not a set of academic doctrines that does not have a direct impact on our life.

Accepting God’s power is an important part of a Christian’s life

God’s power, the Holy Spirit is everywhere. God used it to create the world, to keep life going, he used his power to bring about the birth of Jesus and it is at work in our lives now. The Holy Spirit is God’s power to use as he sees best.

Demonstrating God’s love is an important part of a Christian’s life

As a Christian, we must demonstrate the same love that God and Jesus have for us in the way that we deal with each other and other people. We have a big responsibility in this area. Christianity is a way of life – demonstrated by our love.

Our natural tendency to sin

No matter how hard to try not to we will always sin and not demonstrate God and Jesus’ love in our lives. That mustn’t stop us from trying but we can be confident that if we confess our sin and try harder to do better in the future we will be forgiven.

God created the world to be inhabited

God always intended to have the world populated by people, he ultimately wants the world to be populated by his children – those who want to worship and to follow him.

The world will be inhabited

Contrary to what appears to be happening to our earth at the moment it will not be destroyed. God has promised that when Jesus returns all things will be restored as to what they were when God created the earth.

Old Testament Prophecies are Fulfilled

Not all Old Testament Prophecies have been fulfilled yet – many have. Prophecies relating to the land of Israel have been very convincingly fulfilled by the setting up of the State of Israel in 1948. The prophecies relating to Jesus have largely been fulfilled and the rest will be when he returns.