What We Believe Made Simple

If you would like to view a Bible study on any of the following beliefs simply click on the paragraph. Each study is written in simple English and also has a set of review questions. The texts are from the Holy Bible the New Living Translation published by Tyndale House Publishers. References are keyed by page number to an inexpensive edition that may be obtained from any bookseller (the translation’s ISBN number is 0-8423-3347-9). Some of these studies are under construction and will be added as they are completed.

The Foundation

Where Did We Come From and Who Are We?

3. Each member of the Trinity-- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit-- is immortal, is all-powerful, is all-knowing, and is ever present. The Trinity is not hostile toward His creation, but friendly toward it even when His creation chooses to be His enemy. Lesson #3 What God Reveals About Himself— He’s Awesome

4. The Father is a member of the Trinity. He is a living being and the Creator, the Ruler, the Sustainer of life, the Nourisher, the Protector, and the Upholder. He loves His creation, is merciful, and is the embodiment of love and kindness. He seeks to reconcile the world and heaven to Himself through Jesus.

5. Creation did not happen by accident, but is the product of a Loving Designer. The Trinity created all organic life on earth in seven literal, 24-hour days. On the seventh day God rested from His creative activities and established it as a perpetual memorial of His sovereignty, creative power, and His relational character.

What Has Gone Wrong with the World?

6. There is an intergalactic battle between the Trinity and Satan and his followers in the universe called the Great Controversy. The controversy involves the character of God— the essence of who He is, His sovereignty, and His authority. The conflict originated when one of God’s perfect creatures began a rebellion in heaven. The rebellious were cast out of heaven and came to this earth. In this battle we choose to pledge our allegiance to God and be made in His image and likeness— or choose to rebel against Him and be made in the image and likeness of Satan.

7. The earth is a theater to the universe and is the place where the great controversy between the Trinity and Satan and his followers will be eternally decided in God’s favor.

8. Sin is not primarily about lawbreaking or lack of knowledge (serious as these may be), but is about a shattered relationship with God, and our decision not to be made in His image, and in His likeness. The decision not to be made in His image and likeness affects every dimension of life.

What Can Be Done to Fix What's Wrong?

9. A member of the Trinity came to this earth to create a way for mankind to be reconciled and reconnected to the Source of Life.

10. Jesus is the promised Reconciler the Trinity foretold would come to this earth. He is a member of the Trinity and the Author of Life. He came to tell us the truth about the Father, His purposes, and His ways; to reconcile us to Him; and to demonstrate the meaning of love and the natural consequences of disconnecting from the Source of Life.

11. Jesus’ life and death reveals to the universe the truth about God’s character and the nature of evil. A person may be reconciled and reconnected to the Trinity by understanding the consequences of rebellion, re-considering their actions, and accepting God’s forgiveness and amnesty.

12. The Incarnate God voluntarily surrendered Himself to His rebellious creation to show the truth about the Trinity and to expose Satan’s true nature. Observing this demonstration, the universe rendered a final verdict on the Great Controversy issues. Jesus was bodily resurrected from the grave, presented Himself to His followers, and then returned to heaven. This same Jesus will again return to earth.

13. The Rebirth is God’s way of describing the change that occurs in all men and women when they are reconciled to Him. God seeks us even when we have chosen to be His enemies. When we understand the consequence of rebellion, we, by power He gives us, turn away from a lifestyle of sin and begin a new life. God gives us a new heart and makes us into a new creation. There is nothing we can do to earn God’s friendship and acceptance-- it is a gift. When we realize the consequence of disconnecting from the Source of Life, we choose to abandon that way of life.

14. Baptism by immersion is a public ceremony that illustrates a person’s death to Satan’s values and their resurrection into a new life in Christ. Baptism also symbolizes a believer’s belief in the death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Jesus. Baptism is essential for salvation and for entrance into the fellowship of believers.

15. The Holy Spirit is a member of the Trinity and is a living being. Following baptism by immersion we receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the Spirit lives in us.

16. Christ Dwells in the Believer through faith. Jesus’ purpose in living in the believer is to create in him a desire to obey His commands and to give him supernatural power to be recreated in His image and likeness. His commands include: loving God with all our heart, mind, and soul; loving one another as He loves us; being united in common purpose with Him and with other believers as Jesus was united with the Father; proclaiming the good news of His love to others.

17. The Christian’s Desire is to become like Jesus in every way. We become more like Him through Bible study, prayer, and through obedience. As His representative we strive to do our best, aided by His supernatural power, to be a positive role model. This affects the A,B,C’s of life— our Attitude, our Behavior, and our Conversation— our entire lifestyle. A disciple of Christ’s strives to maintain a healthy physical, mental, social, and spiritual lifestyle and stays away from behaviors that reflect the image and likeness of Satan, including: a promiscuous sexual lifestyle; the consumption, use, or promotion of such destructive things as alcohol, tobacco (in all its forms), the non-medical use of drugs and narcotics; and from unclean and harmful food and beverages.

18. The Church is a group of people who have been called out of a relationship with Satan and his followers and into a relationship with the Trinity and His followers. The church functions as Jesus’ body while He is physically absent from us. Although it is a hospital for sinners and imperfect, the church’s goal is to represent the Trinity in every way. Christ is its foundation and the Bible alone governs its teaching and practice. It is God’s will that the church habitually meet to: fellowship; read the Bible; preach; teach; pray; give money to support God’s work; sing songs; make music; eat together. God’s faithful followers are found in many groups scattered in every land. These men and women are the “invisible” body of Christ. One day, all who have been reconciled will come together in spirit and truth and become His “visible” church.

19. The Seventh-day Sabbath was set aside at creation as an eternal memorial to the Trinity’s sovereignty. It is also a reminder that God can supernaturally recreate men and women in His image and likeness. The Sabbath is a day of rest from vocation and secular pursuit and a time God’s friends may intimately fellowship with Him. The Bible Sabbath is observed from sunset Friday evening to sunset Saturday evening. Jesus said He was the Lord of the Sabbath (it is the Lord’s Day) and that the Sabbath was made for man.

Other Important Beliefs

Unity in of the Body of Christ is one of the ways others identify Jesus’ disciples. The church is one body with many members and is composed of men and women from every race and nationality. The body is united in a common faith, hope, witness, and belief in major Bible teachings.

Tithe and Offerings are the way believers maintain and grow Christ’s body, the church. God claims one-tenth of a believer’s gross financial increase, a tithe, to support the world-wide effort to proclaim the gospel through preaching and teaching. God claims the tithe belongs to Him— it is not optional. Generous offerings, in addition to tithe, are given as an expression of gratitude for God’s blessings.

Spiritual Gifts are given according to God’s discretion to the body of believers and are employed in loving ministry for the common good of the entire congregation. Spiritual gifts are given to men and women in every period of history. These gifts include: faith; healing; prophecy; proclamation; teaching; leadership; self-sacrificing service; kindness; love; encouragement; sharing; languages and interpretation of languages; knowledge; miracles; discernment; administration; evangelism; pastoring. It is a believer’s duty to use the spiritual gift God has given them.

The Gift of Prophecy has been given to godly men and women throughout earth’s history. According to Jesus, this spiritual gift will continue to be present in the church when He comes in glory. Prophets primarily serve in the role of reformers, stirring preachers of righteousness, religious revivalists, and heralds of God’s blessings and judgments. A prophet’s message is always spiritual: it proclaims God’s will for His people, and calls them into a more intimate relationship with Him. It is not possible for a genuine prophet’s message to contradict the Bible. A prophet’s message is a lesser light that points to a greater light-- the Bible.

The Ceremony of the Lord’s Supper publicly reminds believers the Savior’s broken body and spilled blood is the Trinity’s way to reconcile His creation to Himself. The symbols of Jesus’ broken body and spilled blood represent his pure and sinless life. The ceremony of foot washing, that proceeds the ceremony, is an act of humility that provides members of the body with a public opportunity to forgive wrongs people have done to them and to put aside selfish ambition and attitudes of superiority.

Marriage was established by the Trinity in the Garden of Eden. It is an object lesson of the unity and creative power of the Trinity. Jesus used marriage as an illustration of the love God has for His people by calling the church His bride. As such, marriage is a lifelong union between a man and a woman in which Divine love and self-sacrifice are modeled.

Death is a State of Unconscious Sleep. All men and women, good and evil alike, remain asleep in the grave until they are resurrected by Jesus. When the Author of Life returns to earth, in His glory, the dead who chose to be reconciled to God are resurrected and given the gift of eternal life. The living who are in an intimate relationship with Him are also given eternal life and, together with the dead who have just been resurrected, are taken to heaven to live and reign with Christ for eternity.

The Old Testament Sanctuary Service is a Parable of the Story of Redemption according to the Book of Hebrews. Through this parable God illustrates to His creation many truths, including: sin results in the death of the Innocent (the Lamb); the essence of who God is and His sovereignty is reflected in the 10 Commandments; He works to bring about the reconciliation of the rebellious. The priest in the sanctuary parable serves in two phases: the daily and the yearly. The daily has to do with reconciliation. The yearly has to do with the final judgment. Prophetically, the judgment phase will conclude shortly before Jesus comes in glory. At that time Jesus will bring His reward to give to every man according to what he has done.

The Second Coming of Christ is the blessed hope to which all believers look forward. Before His death, bodily resurrection, and literal ascension Jesus promised to come again. His return will be literal, every eye will see it, and it will be soon. When Jesus comes in glory, His followers will be bodily taken to His home where they will live and reign with Him for eternity. Those who have not chosen life will cease to live for eternity.

A Warning of Coming Judgment is always given by God before nations or people face the prospect of extinction. God warned the world, by Noah, before the flood. God warned heathen nations and the nation of Israel, by numerous prophets, before they were annihilated. In the same manner, God is warning the world of the soon return of Jesus and of the final judgment. Messages of warning are delivered in the Book of Revelation by three angels. These angels represent people who serve a unique role in proclaiming these end-time warnings and in bringing together God’s “visible” remnant (last) church.

There is a Final Solution to the Sin Problem. Those who choose not to be reconciled with the Source of Life will die and be dead for eternity. Jesus said, the wages of sin is death (the absence of life) and whoever believes in Him will receive eternal life. Whoever rejects Him will perish (cease to exist!). Those who have rejected Him and who are dead will continue to sleep in the grave until the punishment phase of the judgment. Those who are alive when the Author of Life returns in glory will be destroyed by the brightness of His coming.

A Millennium (1,000 years) of Reflection will follow Christ’s Second Coming. The unreconciled will sleep in the grave and the reconciled will reign with Christ in heaven. During this time the reconciled reflect upon the choices the unreconciled have made and the eternal consequences of their choices. At the end of this period Christ and the righteous return to earth. The unreconciled will be resurrected for the final phase of judgment. The unreconciled will confess the justice of the Trinity and their verdict that sin is incompatible with Life. However, they are obstinate in their refusal to reconcile with the Author of Life.

God is a Consuming fire. As is illustrated in the story of the Three Faithful, in Daniel chapter 3, the righteous stand in His fiery presence and the wicked perish because they do not accept His supernatural and life-giving protection.
When God fully reveals His glory the unreconciled will be eternally punished for the suffering they have caused and be totally consumed by His presence. The Consuming Fire destroys the wicked, root and branch, and cleanses the earth as the elements melt. The consequence is eternal— not the process. Upon this purified planet the Trinity recreates a new heaven and a new earth in which there will be no more sin or suffering. Here the redeemed will live for eternity and the Great Controversy will be over.