Faith
What are some of the most important teachings of the Christian Faith?

1. God is the almighty creator. He is full of grace, mercy, peace and truth. He is completely content. God is love and he will save his people from their sins. God is light and he will guide his people in the truth. He exists in three persons – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These three persons of God are equal in power and glory – three persons in one God.

2. He created everything by the power of his Word. He created us in his spiritual and intellectual likeness and gave us authority over creation to take care of it for human welfare. Adam and Eve were the original pair of human beings. All human beings have descended from them.

3. Adam and Eve were created holy and righteous with free wills. They could obey or disobey God. They sinned disobeyed God when they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. They alienated themselves from him and became sinful and miserable. God judged them. Their punishment was death. All of us have inherited their guilt and sinful natures; consequently, we are all sinners.

4. Because God is holy and just he must judge and condemn those who break his holy and just laws. His judgment is eternal exclusion from himself and torment in that place Jesus called Gehenna (the rubbish heap outside the walls of Jerusalem, hell).

5. In his love and compassion for us, God revealed to Adam his covenant to save us from our sins. This covenant is revealed in his holy Word, the Bible. All the books contained in the Bible were written by men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit so that their words are really God’s Words. God’s plan and promise was to send his Son to obey the law for us and then to die for our sins.

6. The eternal Son of God is that same Jesus Christ who was born of the virgin Mary by the miracle of the Holy Spirit. He lived a sinless life, taught the truth of God’s covenant, healed the sick and raised the dead. After three years of ministry, those who hated him crucified him to death. On the cross he suffered the punishment we deserve. Because he died for us, we are released from judgment and condemnation. He rose from the dead on the third day and when he returns he will raise us from the dead and gather us to himself and the Father. In this way we will always be with our loving Lord.

7. To be accepted by God through Jesus, we must repent of our sins, believe in him as our Savior and follow him as our master. We cannot believe by our own strength. He enables us to believe and repent by the power of the Holy Spirit. He will give us his Holy Spirit if we humbly ask him in prayer.

8. God does not want his people to live in isolation from each other. His people are the holy assembly, the church, the collective witness. Jesus commands his people to join in fellowship for instruction in the faith, worship and works of service. We do this for his glory and to be his witnesses on earth.