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1. What is
Christianity
and what do
Christians
Believe?

2. God
We believe in
one God, who is
the all-
powerful, all-
knowing, ever-
present, eternal
Being that
created and
sustains the
universe and
everything in it.
The Bible teaches us that "God is a spirit" (John 4:24) and "God is
love" (1 John 4:8). We believe that He loves and cares for each person
with an eternal, unending love, and seeks to bring every man, woman,
and child into a personal relationship with Him.

3. Jesus
God's love for the
world was so great
that He gave His one
and only son, Jesus
Christ, to bring
salvation to the world
(John 3:16) and to
teach humankind
about His love. Jesus is
the manifestation of
the love of God, and
He suffered the death
of crucifixion in order
to atone for the sins of humanity, so that humankind could be
reconciled to God (Isaiah 53:4-6).
Three days after His death
on the cross, Jesus was
resurrected, and 40 days
later, He ascended into
Heaven (Acts 1:3). He will
return to the world in the
future to establish His
kingdom of love and
righteousness on Earth
(Revelation 11:15).

4. Having received the gift of salvation, the believer is saved forever; after
death, his or her soul will live forever in Heaven.
Salvation by Grace
Salvation (redemption from sin) is
a gift of God's love, mercy, and
forgiveness, and can only be
attained through belief in Jesus.

5. The Holy Spirit
Before Jesus ascended to
Heaven, He promised to
send the Holy Spirit to His
followers, to strengthen and
guide them in their spiritual
lives and relationship with
God, and to remain with
them always (John 14:16).
Any believer can
receive the infilling of
the Holy Spirit, simply
by asking God for it.

6. The Word of
God
God's Word is
the cornerstone
of our beliefs
and practices.
We believe that
the Bible is the
Word of God,
written by men
of faith who were
inspired by the
Holy Spirit (2
Peter 1:21).
God's Word explains His plan
for humankind, teaches us
how to live in harmony with
God and others, guides our
actions and decisions, and is
essential to our spiritual
strength and growth.

7. Faith
The Bible says that God
honors and rewards
those who draw near to
Him in faith (Hebrews
11:6). Faith grows and is
strengthened through
the study of God's Word
(Romans 10:17), and a
living faith is one that is
translated into action
(James 2:17). We believe
that our faith should be
integrated into every aspect of our lives and interactions with others.
"The just shall live by faith" (Romans 1:17).
As we commit our lives, hopes, and future into His loving hands, we
trust that God will fulfill His promises to us. He will cause everything
that those who love Him encounter in life to ultimately work together
for their good (Romans 8:28).

8. Living a Godly Life
We believe that the life of a
Christian should be a living
example of God's love,
both in word and in deed.
Our lives should manifest
the spiritual virtues
enumerated in the Bible,
such as love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness,
gentleness, and self-control
(Galatians 5:22-23).

9. Communicating with God
Prayer is the means by which we communicate with God. Through
prayer we manifest our dependence on God; we express our praise
and gratitude to Him; we present our petitions for our needs and
the needs of others.
We believe that God seeks to communicate with people. He desires
to be a close presence in each person's life, and to provide
guidance, encouragement, and instruction. He speaks to the hearts
of all who seek Him. The ability to receive direct messages from
God is referred to in the Bible as the gift of prophecy.

10. The Great Commission
Christians are
commissioned by Christ
to share the good news
of His love and salvation
with others (Mark 16:15).
God's love and salvation
through Jesus are a gift
for all humankind, and
are meant to be freely
shared with others.

11. The Community of Faith
We believe that the Church is a spiritual entity comprising all who
believe in Jesus Christ. The fellowship of Christians is not defined by
physical buildings, denominations, or institutions, but rather it is a
community of faith, joined together in spirit and in love. "God is
Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in
truth" (John 4:24).

12. God's Law of Love
An expert in the Mosaic Law tested Jesus with this question:
"'Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?' Jesus said to
him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and 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.' On these two commandments hang all the law
and the prophets." (Matthew 22:37-30)
A Christian's actions should be
motivated by unselfish, sacrificial
love—the love of God for our
fellow man.

13. Angels and Departed Believers
Angels are powerful spiritual beings created by God and assigned
by Him to watch over humankind. There are many examples in the
Bible of their intervention to protect, assist, and deliver messages
to God's people, and we believe that they continue to do so today.
In addition to angels, God also empowers the spirits of departed
believers to minister to and deliver messages to His people. An
example of this is found in the Biblical account of the spirits of the
departed prophets, Moses and Elijah, appearing and conferring
with Jesus (Luke 9:28-31). Paul referred to departed believers as "a
great cloud of witnesses" watching over those on Earth (Hebrews
12:1).

14. Spiritual Warfare
We believe that a relentless warfare is being waged in this spiritual
realm between good and evil, between God and His good forces and
Satan and his evil forces, with each seeking to influence the souls and
minds of humankind and the course of history. Christians can play a
role in the spiritual warfare through their godly choices and actions
that serve to further God's kingdom.
The Bible foretells that Satan and his
forces will ultimately be defeated and
God's plan for humanity will triumph
(Revelation 20:1-3,10).

15. Divine Intervention
The Bible records many
supernatural acts of
God that defy
explanation. We
believe that
throughout history
God has intervened in
the natural world to
supernaturally alter
circumstances and
conditions, and He
continues to do so
today in order to manifest His love and power.
While Jesus was on Earth, He not only expressed His love to humanity
through healing people's hearts and spirits, but He also performed
miracles to feed the hungry and to heal people's diseased and
crippled bodies.
"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and
forever" (Hebrews 13:8), and we therefore
believe that He still performs miracles today.
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