WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
God is One, the Father, and the Creator of all. He is All-powerful. God is One, not a Trinity.
He tells us all that He wants us to know about Himself and His purpose, in the Bible.
The Bible was written by men inspired by God, and contains many evidences of its truth.
God has plans to make the earth a place of peace and praise to Him, for ever.
He made promises about this to people such as Noah, Abraham, David, the Prophets and Apostles.
God wants all people to happily serve Him so He made laws. These also are in the Bible.
From the beginning most human beings disobeyed these laws. The Bible calls this `sin`.
This is why we die. Death is the ending of life, not the entrance to either paradise or torment.
The dead are not conscious of anything. But some will be raised (brought back to life) again.
Sin and temptation – the desire to go our way instead of God`s way - are deep within our nature.
The Bible often uses picture-language to describe this, such as `satan`, or `the devil`.
The word `satan` means `opposer`; `devil` means `slanderer`. This is what human nature does.
We are tempted by our own desires. There is no superhuman `satan` in God`s universe.
God`s plan to fill the earth with His glory has not failed. He is working at it right now.
God wants men & women to come back to Him. The Bible calls this `repentance`.
We must accept that God is right. Our willful human nature must be sacrificed – given up.
When we do accept that, God wants to forgive us and accept us into His family.
God has provided a way for us to return to Him and be forgiven.
God`s holy spirit came upon Mary, and Jesus was born. Mary was his mother, God is his Father.
Jesus is truly human as we are, and was tempted like us. He is also the only begotten son of God.
The holy spirit is the power of God, being used to save people. It is not another person.
Jesus lived the perfect life. He is `Christ` - God`s Anointed. He shows us what God his Father is like.
Jesus then died as the perfect sacrifice. His battle against his wayward human nature had been won.
His Father raised him to perfect eternal life, and gave him `all power`. Hundreds of people saw him.
He is now in heaven. He is the only one who can lead us to God. Other `priests` have no value.
Jesus will return to the earth to finish the work for his Father that he started when he was here.
Then there will be the Resurrection of the Dead, and the Judgement. Jesus will be Judge and King.
Those who have pleased him will be made perfect and immortal, as he and the angels are now.
They will be made guides and teachers to the nations, helping him to put the world right.
Jesus will rule the whole earth as God`s King, replacing poor human justice by the laws of God.
Jerusalem will be the Capital of God`s Kingdom: from there all the nations will learn God`s ways.
Steadily, Jesus will rid the earth of all misrule, crime, sin, suffering, and unbelief.
Finally even death itself will be abolished, and God will be `all in all`.
God asks us to come back to Him now. This is what He asks us to do :-
Believe the truths and promises He has written for us in the Bible (to have faith, and trust Him)
Repent of our sins (change our minds and our way of life, and decide we will try to obey Him)
Be baptized (immersed in water and lifted out again, like Jesus being buried and raised again)
Pray to God for help, thank and praise Him, and study His guidance for us in the Bible, constantly.
Live new lives now, doing our best to follow the example of Jesus when he was here.
When we fail, confess and ask forgiveness from God and anyone else we have wronged.
The Bible offers us great joy and the privilege of serving God now -
and the wonderful hope of being made perfect to serve Him for ever, when Jesus returns as King.
