Christian Beliefs

Theism: The world and human experience is made sense of in light of the acknowledgement that God exists and is the most important thing there is.

Trinity: There is only one God, who exists as Three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Holy: God is so beyond creation and so purely good that he is an object of awe, adoration and dread to us.

Self-Existent: God exists independently of the universe and needs nothing to continue existing.

Almighty: God can do anything and cannot be stopped by anything to do what he wills.

All-knowing: God knows all things – past, present and future, whether public or private, conscious or unconscious.

Omnipresent: There is nowhere in creation that God is not present.

Sovereign: God is the ruler of all things and all people, great and small.

Love: Love is intrinsic to who God is and what he does.

Self-Disclosure: We only know anything about God because he has chosen to make it known.

Authoritative: God has the final say in what we should believe and how we should live.

Purposeful: What God reveals is for the benefit of mankind.

Via Creation: Nature testifies wordlessly to the power and majesty of its Creator.

Via Scripture: The Bible testifies with words about God, his doings, and his expectations.

Timeless: The books of the Bible were written long ago and in cultures different to our own, yet has always been God’s message for humanity.

Christocentric: The ultimate purpose of the whole Bible is to point us to Jesus and instruct us how to live as his people.

In Jesus: The clearest way to see who God is toward humanity is in Jesus.

From God: The world and the universe were made and ordered by God.

For God: Creation was made for God’s delight and to show his magnificence.

Contingent: The world and humanity continue to exist because God sustains it.

Supernatural: Creation also includes spiritual beings – angels and demons (rebellious/fallen angels).

Life by Declaration: Some Christians believe God created life on earth with all its creatures by speaking it immediately into existence, around 6000 years ago.

Life by Evolution: Other Christians hold that God created life with all its creatures by guiding the processes of evolution over many millions of years.

Pristine: The creation was originally created flawless – without suffering, mutation, defect, disorder, disease or death.

Image Bearers: Humanity reflects and represents God to creation and was made to rule over it.

Distinct Among Animals: People are not merely animals – we were made for relationship with our Creator and with responsibilities.

Two-part Nature: People are not merely bodies – we are souls/spirits also.

Male and Female: God designed humanity to have/be either one of two genders – male or female. Genesis 1.

Made for Eternity: Humanity was not made to die, but to be sustained by God forever in relationship with him.

Responsible: God gives people the responsibility of being accountable for our actions.

Dependant: God is the one who provides everything we need to live and flourish.

Worship: The universe (metaphorically) revolves around God; not us. Humanity is most happy and complete when living in harmony with this reality.

Human Blame: Everything that is wrong with the world finds its origin in the disobedience of the first humans.

Fallen: The earth and human life has become unlike as it was first created – decaying, grim, perishing, and afflicted by physical, mental and spiritual degeneration

Sin: Sin is refusal or failure to conform to God’s law in action or in attitude.

Original Sin: All humans are born with an inherited sinful inner self, originally passed down from the first humans.

Indwelling Sin: Every faculty of the human person is corrupted with a disposition to sin.

Retained Good: Humanity is not as corrupt as it could be, thanks to God’s gracious restraint on sin and to the workings of the human conscience.

Abhorrent: Sin is more offensive and more serious than we understand.

Consequences: Death is the fair penalty and the natural consequence of sin.

Normal but Unnatural: Spiritual death was caused immediately by the first entry of sin and is the normal state of fallen humanity from birth. Physical death is the inevitable end of all people in our fallen state.

Incarnation: Jesus is the eternal Son of God who has been sent from heaven and become a human being.

Two Natures: Jesus is fully human and fully divine. His two natures are distinct yet not divided.

Prophet: Jesus was sent to reveal to us the truth about God the Father, humanity and himself. He taught especially about the nature of the kingdom of God, his role as Saviour, and the lifestyle his followers are to adopt.

Priest: Jesus is the mediator between God and his people. He represents us to God and effects our reconciliation with him.

King: Jesus is the king promised in the OT (a.k.a. the ‘Christ’ or ‘Messiah’), uniquely empowered by the Holy Spirit to be the ruler of the world.

Sinless: Jesus committed no sin. He was continually obedient to the Father and loved him with all his heart, mind, soul and strength. This allowed him to be priest and sacrifice on our behalf.

Crucified: Though innocent, Jesus was condemned as a guilty man and executed by crucifixion under the jurisdiction of the Roman governor Pontius Pilate.

Sacrifice: Jesus’ death was a penal substitutionary atonement – that is, Jesus took our penalty in our place to make our peace with God.

Victory: Jesus’ death also frees his people from the power of death, the devil, sin, and guilt.

Resurrection: On the third day following his death, Jesus was raised to new and unending life. His disciples witnessed his empty tomb and him as physically present and alive.

Ascension: After his resurrection Jesus was taken up to heaven and into God’s presence. He now sits “at God’s right hand” – the place of executive power and authority.

Reign: From heaven Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to his people, who supports them and assists them in their mission.

Rescue: People are unable to save themselves from sin, and need someone who is able to save from sin.

‘Born again’: The Holy Spirit renovates and renews peoples’ hearts, resulting in a Godward orientation of their desires, actions and purpose in life.

Faith: We can only gain the salvation Jesus provides by believing and trusting in him.

Grace: We do not deserve any of the good that God does for us, yet he gives it as a gift.

Repentance: Saving faith must be accompanied by a turning away from everything that displeases God, and a commitment to living in obedience to Jesus.

Justification: In clearing us of sin, guilt and punishment, God declares us innocent – even righteous.

Works: Our righteous lives and actions demonstrate our faith, but they do not earn us salvation.

Adoption: Jesus calls us into God’s family to be adopted sons and daughters. They are loved by him as a Father.

Holiness: Holiness is a vital goal of the Christian life. It means being set apart from the unbelieving world, and set apart for God and his purposes.

Sanctification: Christians are considered holy by God in their status, but must work in cooperation with the Holy Spirit to become progressively more holy in their nature.

Renown: Salvation must rouse us to praise for God.

Local and Universal: Christians are part of the worldwide community of believers, and also of a particular church in their local area.

Apostolic: The church is founded on and committed to the Apostles’ testimony to the resurrection of Jesus and to the teaching that they have handed down.

Body: All members of a church are equally part of Christ’s church and so must be equally honoured and cared for.

Equipped: The Holy Spirit equips all of Jesus’ people. These giftings, by words or actions, are for encouraging and building up Christians and churches.

Community: All Christians in a church have a responsibility to grow in their faith together and to serve the Lord and his people. All Christians should aim to encourage, challenge and care for one another.

Discipline: A healthy church will display the discipline of training in Christian formation and the discipline of correction for Christian holiness.

Pastors and Elders: Churches should have leaders of mature Christian character and stable personal life. Their role to the church is to lead by example and provide oversight, pastoral care, and instruction in Christian faith and practice.

Baptism: A rite of initiation into the faith, which symbolises the believer’s personal commitment to God and identification with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection.

Communion: A rite of remembrance and celebration in which by sharing bread and wine we demonstrate our participation in the New Covenant that Jesus established at the cross, and our expectation of his return. Mission: Jesus sends his people into their local communities and into the wider world to be a blessing to them and to testify about him.

God’s World: All of the world with its states and kingdoms belongs to God. When his reign is re-established it will be reclaimed.

Mercy Mission: In the preaching of the gospel the kingship of Jesus is declared and amnesty is offered to humankind.

Signs and Witness: Miracles are the way God externally testifies to the truth of the gospel, while the Holy Spirit testifies to its reality internally as people hear and understand it.

Invisible: The kingdom of God is not a geographical realm but is made up of all people who acknowledge Jesus as king.

Inheritance: Jesus has conquered the power of death and his people will be resurrected to everlasting life and a place in his kingdom.

Second Coming of the Christ: This is the great Christian expectation and hope – when sin will be eradicated, the kingdom established and we will be with the Lord.

Judgement: All people, dead and living, great and small, will be judged according to their sin and their response to the gospel.

Hell: Those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of the Lord Jesus will then be justly punished with eternal destruction.

Heaven: Those who have loved and served Jesus will be together welcomed into the everlasting joy of God’s presence in a renewed world.