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God
There are a lot of ideas about God floating around our
society that have one thing in common—they are the product of human
thinking! When it comes to God, it doesn’t matter who we think He is.
The Bible is the only trustworthy source for understanding Him.
Scripture teaches that God created everything we see—and even everything
we can’t see—out of nothing. Although it might be difficult for the
human mind to comprehend, the Bible teaches that He is one yet has
always existed as three distinct and equal persons: the Father, the Son
and the Holy Spirit.
(Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11ff.;
20:1ff.; Leviticus 22:2; Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:6; 1 Chronicles 29:10;
Psalm 19:1-3; Isaiah 43:3,15; 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; 17:13; Matthew
6:9ff.; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13;
17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6;
Ephesians 4:6; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:6; 12:9; 1
Peter 1:17; 1 John 5:7)
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Jesus
Jesus Christ is God’s Son and an equal of the Father.
He has existed from the beginning of time, yet lived on earth during the
first century A.D. Throughout His earthly life, He was completely God
and completely human at the same time. After living a perfect, sinless
life, Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for every human
being who has ever lived by dying on a cross. After three days in the
grave, He defeated death by rising from the dead. He then ascended to
Heaven and will return to earth one day to reign as King.
(Genesis
18:1ff.; Psalm 2:7ff.; 110:1ff.; Isaiah 7:14; 53; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17;
8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16,27; 17:5; 27; 28:1-6,19; Mark 1:1; 3:11; Luke
1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18,29; 10:30,38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50;
14:7-11; 16:15-16,28; 17:1-5, 21-22; 20:1-20,28; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24;
7:55-56; 9:4-5,20; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3,34; 10:4; 1
Corinthians 1:30; 2:2; 8:6; 15:1-8,24-28; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; 8:9;
Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:20; 3:11; 4:7-10; Philippians 2:5-11;
Colossians 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16;
Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 7:14-28; 9:12-15,24-28; 12:2;
13:8; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 3:22; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9; 2 John
7-9; Revelation 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16)
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Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is a full and equal part of the
Trinity. He works in the world to make all people understand their need
for Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit lives inside every follower of Jesus
from the moment they decide to follow Him. The Spirit is our power
source for life, ministry, and spiritual growth. To tap into that power,
we must continually yield to the Holy Spirit.
(Genesis 1:2; Judges
14:6; Job 26:13; Psalm 51:11; 139:7ff.; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32;
Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10,12; Luke 1:35;
4:1,18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14;
Acts 1:8; 2:1-4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17,39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28;
16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11,14-16,26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16;
12:3-11,13; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1
Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews
9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Revelation 1:10; 22:17)
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About the Bible?
The Holy Spirit inspired human authors to write the books of
the Bible. Every word of Scripture is chosen by God Himself. The Bible
is God’s love letter to all of humanity and is the final authority in
every issue it communicates. It is complete truth, and we can trust it
for all matters in this life and eternity.
(Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy
4:1-2; 17:19; Joshua 8:34; Psalm 19:7-10; 119:11,89,105,140; Isaiah
34:16; 40:8; Jeremiah 15:16; 36; Matthew 5:17-18; 22:29; Luke 21:33;
24:44-46; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; Acts 2:16ff.; 17:11; Romans 15:4;
16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter
1:19-21)
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Humanity
Humans are the pinnacle of God’s creation and the
only beings on the earth whom God made in His own spiritual image, with
the moral ability to choose right from wrong. Every person, although
endowed with God’s image, inherited a disobedient heart from Adam, the
first man. This attitude of disobedience (called sin in the
Bible)—unless rectified through Christ—keeps us from forming a
relationship with our Creator. This attitude also keeps us from being
the kind of persons God created us to be.
(Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5,7,18-22;
3; 9:6; Psalm 1; 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5;
Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18,23; 5:6,12,19;
6:6; 7:14-25; 8:14-18,29; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19,21-22; Ephesians
2:1-22; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11)
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Salvation
Our disobedient nature has eternally separated us
from our Creator. No matter how hard we try, we can never be good enough
to earn our way back into God’s presence. Our only hope is to trust
Jesus as God’s provision for our disobedience. Whenever you make that
decision, you step into the eternal and abundant life Jesus promises for
all believers.
(Genesis 3:15; Exodus 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matthew 1:21;
4:17; 16:21-26; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14,29;
3:3-21,36; 5:24; 10:9,28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11;
16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3ff.; 5:8-10;
6:1-23; 8:1-18,29-39; 10:9-10,13; 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18,30;
6:19-20; 15:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25;
6:15; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11-16; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians
1:9-22; 3:1ff.; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11-14;
Hebrews 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 11:1-12:8,14; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter
1:2-23; 1 John 1:6-2:11; Revelation 3:20; 21:1-22:5)
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“Losing” my Salvation
Your salvation comes through the most
trustworthy being in the universe—Jesus Christ! You didn’t do anything
to earn your salvation, and you can’t do anything to lose it. Your
salvation is maintained by God’s trustworthiness, love, and power and
not by what you do.
(John 3:16; 5:24; 6:37,39; 10:27-29; Romans 8:35-39;
Ephesians 1:13-14)
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Growing as Believers
God has set us apart for the purpose of
growing us to become more like His Son. Through our faith in His Son
and the transforming work of the Holy Spirit, God changes our heart in
order to change our character and actions. God’s promise is that when we
reach heaven, He will complete the process of making every believer
like Jesus.
(Deuteronomy 4:1,5,9,14; 6:1-10; 31:12-13; Nehemiah 8:1-8;
Job 28:28; Psalm 19:7ff.; 119:11; Proverbs 3:13ff.; 4:1-10; 8:1-7,11;
15:14; Ecclesiastes 7:19; Matthew 5:2; 7:24ff.; 28:19-20; Luke 2:40; 1
Corinthians 1:18-31; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 4:8; Colossians
2:3,8-9; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:14-17; Hebrews 5:12-6:3;
James 1:5; 3:17)
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Evil in the world
While God will one day do away with all
evil, He currently allows evil in the world—which provides humanity a
choice. Satan is the source of all evil and will suffer an eternity of
separation from God for his choices. (Hell was originally prepared for
the devil and his demons.) Evil is present in the world because of
humanity’s choice in the Garden of Eden. Because of Jesus, we have the
opportunity to choose the goodness of God’s grace over evil. While God
could eliminate evil immediately, He endures the grief of waiting to do
so in order to give more people the opportunity to come to faith in Him.
God is able to cause all things, even the evil in this world, to work
together for the good of those who love Him.
(Genesis 2:17; 3:1-24;
Psalm 81:12; 100:5; John 3:19; Romans 3:23; 5:12; 8:28-29; 1 Corinthians
15:56; Colossians 2:15; 1 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:9; 1 John 2:2;
Revelation 12:7-9; 20:10)
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Eternity
God made you to exist forever. Heaven is a perfect
place, and since none of us is perfect we were all headed for an
eternity of separation from God. That’s why God sent Jesus: to pay the
price for our sins so that we can spend eternity with Him. What you
decide about Jesus Christ in this life will determine where you will
spend eternity in the next life. If you reject Him, you’ll spend it
eternally separated from God in Hell. If you accept Him, you’ll spend it
eternally connected with Him in Heaven. Hell is a place of separation,
suffering, and darkness. Heaven is a place of eternal joy in God’s
presence.
(Isaiah 2:4; 11:9; Matthew 16:27; 18:8-9; 19:28;
24:27,30,36,44; 25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40,48;
16:19-26; 17:22-37; 21:27-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Romans
14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10;
Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18;
5:1ff.; 2 Thessalonians 1:7ff.; 2; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8;
Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7ff.; 1 John 2:28;
3:2; Jude 14; Revelation 1:18; 3:11; 20:1-22:13)
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The Church
The Bible tells us that the church is the body of
Christ in the world today. The New Testament tells us the church is a
local body of baptized believers. The head of the church is Jesus
Christ. The church exists to glorify God, to experience life together,
to grow to become more like Christ, to serve God by serving others, and
to share God’s message with others.
(Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts
2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28;
Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians
1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18;
1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14; Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4;
Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3)
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End of the World
God, in His own time and in His own way,
will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise,
Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth;
the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all people in
righteousness.
(Isaiah 2:4; 11:9; Matthew 16:27; 18:8-9; 19:28;
24:27,30,36,44; 25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40,48;
16:19-26; 17:22-37; 21:27-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Romans
14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10;
Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18;
5:1ff.; 2 Thessalonians 1:7ff.; 2; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8;
Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7ff.; 1 John 2:28;
3:2; Jude 14; Revelation 1:18; 3:11; 20:1-22:13)