I believe in God, the Creator of the Universe and everything in it. (Genesis 1)
He is a personal loving God who desires to have a relationship with each and every person He has created. But He is also a Holy God, perfectly just in every way. (Zephaniah 3:17; Psalm 145:18; Deuteronomy 32:4)
When we act in ways that are against the character of God, then we sin against Him. The consequence of that sin is separation from Him. That is why the penalty of sin is death, not because God wishes to send us to hell, but because our sin prevents us from being with Him in heaven. (Isaiah 64:4-8; Isaiah 59:2; Romans 6:23)
We are unable to pay this penalty in any other way. We cannot be perfect, and if we pay for the sin by death, then we are eternally separated from Him. So God made a way for us through His Son, Jesus Christ. (Romans 3:10; II Thessalonians 1:8-10; John 3:16-21)
I believe in Jesus Christ, our Savior. (I John 4:14)
Jesus gave up His throne in heaven to come to earth as a baby. He lived life as a human, being tempted in every way that we are. He was able to do this perfectly, without sin, because He is also the Son of God. (Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 4:14-16)
Because He had no sin of His own, He was able to be our substitute. This is why He became a human. He died and was separated from God because He took the blame for all of our sin, for each and every one of us. Then because He has power over death, He rose from the dead three days later. He appeared on earth for 40 days, and then rose back to His throne in heaven. (Isaiah 53:4-6; I Peter 2:22-25; John 19:17-42; John 20; Acts 1:1-11)
Jesus’ life gives us hope. His death pays for our sin. His resurrection from the dead proves that He has the power to raise us from the dead as well. Those who believe in Jesus Christ, admit their sin, and ask to be forgiven will be forgiven. When we do these things, we become God’s children, taking on His name, and commit to live our lives for Him. When we fail, that same forgiveness is still available when we confess our sins to Him. (Romans 8:11; Romans 10:9-13; John 1:12; I John 1:9)
I believe in the Holy Spirit, our Counselor. (John 14:26)
When we become a child of God, God chooses to live inside of us. This is the Holy Spirit. He teaches us the truth in every way. He helps us understand the Bible as we read it. He gives us direction in our daily life so we know the right things to do. He prays for us. He also brings us conviction when we do wrong. He is our promise that God will not forget that we belong to Him because His presence in our lives is proof that we belong to God. (John 16:7-15; Acts 2; II Corinthians 1:21-22; Romans 8:26-27; Luke 12:11-12; Galatians 5:16-26
There is hope because we have a God who loves us and has made a way for us to be with Him in the life after this one. This hope for the future gives us hope for the present because we can have a relationship with our God here on earth too, through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. (Isaiah 40:30-31; I Peter 1:3-9; Psalm 130; I Thessalonians 4:14-18; John 10:10)
