What we believe at Life-everlasting
- There is one God, the Lord Jehovah also called the LORD (YHWH) God, who is the God of Heaven and creator of all things, and who exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit (the trinity).
- God is revealed in Scripture (called the Bible, Cannon or Word), both Old and New Testaments and is revealed by His creation.
- The Bible was divinely (supernaturally) inspired, God breathed, and is inerrant, infallible and plenary (contains everything that is needed for all people). The Bible is complete, and was provided to all people for our learning, instruction and correction, that we might have hope, for it gives understanding of God’s plan of salvation; that is, the Bible contains all that is needed to be saved from judgement and punishment.
- Interpretation of Scripture is not a private affair, but by Scripture enabled the Holy Spirit only.
- The Lord Jesus Christ (Yeshua, his Hebrew name) is the Son of God, the second person of the trinity, and who became man (his incarnation) in order to die for the sin of the word. He is deity, existing before the foundation of the world.
- The Holy Spirit is a person. Holy Spirit was sent to the world after the Son returned to heaven in order to convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment, and to indwell believers.
- God created all things, including the world in six days and He rested on the seventh as taught in Scripture.
- God created humans in His image. He created all people with an everlasting spirit which is located in the soul (only humans have a spirit). In all ages, only by faith can and could a person's soul be saved.
- The purpose of all people is to glorify God. God delights in our prayers and He delights in our obedience and dependence upon Him.
- Sin entered the world by one man, Adam, and so did death. Adam’s sin corrupted all of creation. This means that all people born from that day are separated from God because all inherit a sinful nature, therefore all require a means to be saved. The Bible says that the heart of each person is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked; this means all people are sinners.
- The Holiness of God demands perfection. As a consequence, sin must be punished by death, which is eternal separation from God; it is not annihilation. The Bible says the wages of sin is death.
- Following death, the body will be resurrected – either to judgement and everlasting punishment in hell or to everlasting life with God the Father.
- Jesus Christ took on the form of a human and was born to a virgin. He was killed by crucifixion on a cross (all his blood was drained from him, ensuring death); he was buried, then after three days he rose bodily from the grave (resurrection). For a period of 40 days after his resurrection he was seen by many as a witness of his resurrection after which he rose bodily to heaven and is now seated on the right hand of the Father, the Jehovah God.
- The death of God's Son, Jesus Christ died, is the only acceptable substitutionary atonement, which is entirely propitiatory, and thus turning God's wrath from the sinner.
- Salvation from death (and eventually hell) can only be obtained by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ (Yeshua), who is the Messiah, the Son of God. This is because humans cannot pay or work for the sins they have committed – they are too sinful. God provides the means because of His grace toward all people.
- All people have a choice of accepting this atoning sacrifice of Christ through faith.
- A person believing on the Lord Jesus Christ is born again, or in other terms, regenerated, which is imparts new life. A person ‘born again’ cannot lose his or her salvation because the Holy Spirit from that time forth dwells within the born-again person and seals them against judgement. Furthermore, such a person is adopted as a child into God’s family – for this reason Christians refer to God as ‘Father’.
- As a consequence of being born again a believer should repent of their sins through confession to God. Only the Holy Spirit provides the means to do this. Forgiveness of sins only comes from the God – no man can do this.
- Faith is demonstrated in our works - what we do and say. This is called the fruit of a Christian, and therefore, a Christian earnestly seeks to do God’s will and obey His commands.
- The duty of a Christian – one that is saved by believing on the Lord Jesus Christ – is to be holy, for we all are to be holy as God is holy. In all things the Christian desires to do the pleasure of God Our Father, In doing so Christians will love the Lord our God with their heart, soul and mind, and will love those in their community and beyond (our neighbour) and it follows that a Christian sees the needs of the community and responds.
- God predestines born-again people to be conformed to the likeness of Jesus Christ, all of whom He knows in His foreknowledge (or full knowledge). The process of growing into the likeness of Christ is call sanctification – this is not complete until a Christian is with Christ Jesus in heaven. Predestination guarantees glorification of believers – a person’s salvation is eternally secure in Christ – nothing can prevent this from occurring.
- Adam was deceived by the Devil, also called Satan, a fallen angel. Satan exists and with his angels he seeks to stop God's redemptive work and plagues the world.
- Hell was prepared for Satan and his angels but will be used for all those that have not put their faith in God. Until that time the souls of nonbelievers who have died are in Hades; those who were born-again believers (i.e. saved by faith) are in Paradise.
- The Church is the Bride of Christ, redeemed by the blood of Christ, as a people to be gathered unto Himself. The Church comprises Jews and Gentiles who personally believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
- Christ is the head of the Church – no person can substitute this.
- Of ordinances, the Lord’s Supper is to be taken regularly by believers – it is not an ordinance for non-believers. Baptism taken in obedience is a symbol of a believer’s death and resurrection to new life; it proclaims Christ the Saviour.
- Christ is coming soon to gather the Church unto himself – which the world will not see; the Church waits for this day called the rapture. This occurs at the fullness of the time, which is the time when all that are to be saved into the Church (believe in Jesus Christ), have been saved.
- Jesus Christ’s current role in heaven is as high priest, advocating for Christians before the Father. Jesus Christ is also king, but currently does not exercise this role – but rather he sits at the right hand of God the Father in heaven, being the mediator of the new covenant as High Priest. In due course after he comes to take his Church to heaven he will rule as King, first in Heaven then in Jerusalem, seated on the Throne of David.
- Dispensations describe well the counsels of the Almighty God in his dealings with mankind. We are currently governed under the dispensation of Grace.
- Israel has not ceased to exist but in the days of the tribulation, after the Church is taken to heaven, a remnant (small number) will believe on their Messiah (Yeshua), the Son of God, and will arise and go and evangelise the nations (as Jesus commanded). The re-birth of Israel after its destruction and dispersal, was prophesied by Jesus, has taken place – she is yet to accept her Messiah.
- The righteous God will judge the world during a period called the Great Tribulation over a period of seven years, commencing when Israel signs a peace deal with the Antichrist, which occurs some time (unknown number of years) after the believers are taken to heaven (pre-tribulation). In this period God judges Israel for rejecting the messiahship of Jesus and the Nations for rejecting Jesus Christ, the Son of God
- Christ Jesus as Messiah will reign for 1000 years (called the Messianic Kingdom) following the tribulation (pre-millennialism) during which time Satan will be locked-up. After this time Satan will be let loose, for a short time, to test the hearts of all people. Following the time of testing those that fail, along with Satan, will be cast into Hell for ever.
