|
|
Overview of our basic
beliefs
|
|
But continue thou in the
things that thou hast learned
and hast been assured of (II Tim 3:14)
|
|
About Christadelphians and their Beliefs
The Bible - Our Starting Point
We are a community that is established upon the beliefs and
teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles. Our only
authority is the Bible which we believe is the inspired word of God.
We read the Bible every day and believe the message it contains is
one of hope and joy.
How we are Organised?
Our community is organised in the way that we understand the
community of believers were organised by the Apostles in the first
century. This means that we do not have a central committee or
controlling organisation which gives direction and pronouncements on
issues of the day. Instead, believers living in the same locality
come together to form what is called an "ecclesia" or church (i.e. a
group of believers that share the same faith). Each ecclesia is
autonomous and has the freedom to organise themselves as they
consider most appropriate. This normally involves electing through
ballot, in accordance with the principles laid down in the New
Testament, suitable serving brethren to carry out the administrative
work to enable the ecclesia to function. These brethren are servants
and not lords. They are usually called Arranging Brethren because
they arrange the programme of events required to perform the work of
preaching God's word and caring for the believers. One of these
Arranging Brethren is often elected to take on the role of secretary
and may be referred to as the Recording Brother.
Each ecclesia is responsible for the physical and spiritual
well being of their own members and to further the knowledge of the
word of God in their own locality. But in addition, there is a
network of contacts and communication between ecclesias throughout
the UK and the world. The Christadelphian community is only modest in
size, nevertheless there are Christadelphian ecclesias all over the
world.
All the ecclesias are bound together by the one faith that we
all share. They are also bound together by the fact that each
believer, in whichever ecclesia he or she may live and work, is
nevertheless part of the one body of Christ. The principles of
fellowship therefore bind each individual and each ecclesia together
into one single entity. This is possible because we all believe the
Bible to be precious and our only guide to matters concerning right
doctrine and practical living.
Summary of Our Beliefs
As a community we are waiting for the physical return of Christ
to establish the kingdom of God upon this earth. This will require
gathering together those who are alive at his return as well as
raising up from the dead through bodily resurrection, those that have
died in faith. All those responsible (i.e. those who have heard the
word of God) will be brought before the judgement seat of Christ to
give an account of themselves. Those found worthy will be given
immortal life.
We believe that Christ's return is imminent. We are confident
on this matter because of the signs of the times spoken of in great
detail in the Bible which include most importantly the partial
regathering of the Jews back to the land currently known as Israel,
just as Isaiah, Ezekiel, Joel and many other Prophets have
foretold.
A Statement of Our Beliefs
We have provided a more detailed
explanation of our understanding of the Bible in a series of
articles which are attached to this web site. Set out below is a
summary statement of our beliefs. It will be apparent that they are
"unique" in many respects. These beliefs have been established by a
careful, prayerful and reverential reading of the Bible.
We consider that our beliefs are an accurate statement of the
gospel message that was first delivered by the Apostles to the
believers in the first century. This gospel or good news is
established upon "sound doctrine" which is summarised below.
- The Bible is the inspired word of God and is our only
authority. It provides a record of God's dealings with man. It
sets out God's plan of salvation and His purpose with His
creation.
- There is only one God, the creator of heaven and earth, the
sustainer of all things, the fountain of all life and Father of
the Lord Jesus Christ.
- The God of the Bible is a spirit being who dwells in Heaven
in unapproachable light and who is present everywhere through his
spirit or power.
- The God of the Bible has revealed himself to be righteous,
merciful, full of forgiveness and loving to those who respond in
faith to His word - the Bible.
- The Holy Spirit is the power of God set aside for a
specific purpose.
- Jesus is the Son of God who was born of the virgin Mary. He
was therefore the Son of God and the Son of Man. He was born about
2000 years ago in a place called Bethlehem in Judea.
- Jesus came the first time into the world to destroy Sin in
his own flesh through his sacrificial death upon the cross in
perfect obedience to God's will and purpose.
- After his death, Jesus was raised bodily by God, his
Father, after 3 days in the tomb. He was raised up to everlasting
life. He was raised up a physical body and given the divine nature
- a body made of spirit. This new spiritual body was touched and
handled by his Apostles after his resurrection when he was seen of
them 40 days before ascending up to Heaven to sit down at the
right hand of his Father.
- It was necessary for Jesus to make an atonement for Sin
because all mankind is subject to the power of sin. To sin is to
break God's law. Through Adam's disobedience we have inherited a
sin nature, we being descendants of Adam. In other words we are
naturally disobedient to God's commandments. The heart of man
therefore is desperately sick and astray from God. Those who wish
to come to God must strive daily to overcome this sin nature.
- As a consequence of our sin nature, man is mortal. There is
no reward at the point of death. Instead, all mankind returns to
the dust of the ground from whence she or he comes. All conscious
thought ceases at this point.
- Despite man's nature, God has provided a way of escape.
This way of escape is based on faith in the Gospel message which
is set out in the Bible. Through faith, believers are counted by
God as being righteous. This is a free gift given by God. It is a
matter of grace and not of works. In other words we are
undeserving and cannot earn salvation through our own merits.
Nevertheless it is God's good pleasure to give the kingdom to
those who love Him and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Those who
wish to come to God therefore must hold fast to this faith and
strive daily to overcome their sin nature. This requires a
spiritual warfare to be undertaken within the heart and mind of
each believer. The victory in this battle however ultimately
depends upon faith in the sacrifice made by Jesus Christ.
- The Gospel message consists of two elements: a) the things
concerning the name of Jesus Christ; and b) the things concerning
the kingdom of God. Both are necessary and important to understand
God's purpose with this Earth.
- The gospel message rests upon the great and precious
promises that God gave to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and to David.
Jesus confirmed these promises through his death and resurrection,
there is now no impediment to the fulfillment of these
promises.
- The name of Jesus means God's Saviour. Jesus is the
salvation of God revealed. Believers gain access to the salvation
promised through baptism into Jesus' saving name.
- Baptism requires the full immersion of the believer into
water. It is essential for salvation and is symbolic. Through
baptism, the responsible believer dies to sin and is raised up a
new person in Christ.
- Through baptism into the saving name of Jesus Christ we
become the adopted seed of Abraham and heirs of the great and
precious promises that Abraham received from God.
- Those made responsible by knowledge of the gospel are
subject to the same sin principle and therefore are mortal. They
will also return to the dust of the ground when they die. However
they have not perished, but sleep in the dust of the ground. They
will be raised up to newness of life in the resurrection from the
dead when Christ returns to the Earth.
- Jesus will judge those responsible when he returns. This
will require those responsible to be raised up from the dust of
the ground to life at the resurrection of the dead. This will
include all those who have believed, from the foundation of the
World down to the day appointed which is yet future. Those found
worthy, will be given a place in the kingdom of God. Those found
unworthy will be cast out where they shall die the second death
having seen the kingdom but knowing that they shall not be part of
it.
- The kingdom of God will be established upon the Earth, when
Christ returns. This will be an "age abiding" kingdom that will
last for 1000 years. Christ will be King and shall reign with his
immortalised saints over a mortal population. The great mission
and work of the saints in this kingdom will be to teach all men
and women of God and His ways that they might be instructed in His
righteousness. The capital of this kingdom will be established in
Jerusalem, but its power and authority will encompass the whole
Earth. The kingdom of God will be established upon God's
principles of righteousness, mercy and true justice. When
established it will herald a new age of peace and tranquility and
fruitfulness that this Earth has never yet experienced. The power
of sin and its consequences, including death will ultimately be
destroyed.
- The kingdom of God will be established at a time of great
trouble on the Earth. This will happen when countries physically
to the north of Israel and those which are confederate with them
sweep down into the land of Palestine and into the land of Israel
to take a spoil. This mighty army which will camp upon the
mountains of Israel will be destroyed outside the City of
Jerusalem, where Jesus suffered such humiliation at the hands of
both Jews and the Gentiles almost 2000 years ago. The people of
Israel will be saved at this time by their Messiah, the one they
had previously rejected. They will recognise him by the imprint of
the nails in his hands. Israel will lament and be brought back
into the purpose of God. This will mark the start of the kingdom
of God upon the Earth. This kingdom will replace the kingdom of
men which currently exists.
- At the end of the 1000 year reign of Christ and his saints,
the kingdom will be offered up to God. This will require a second
resurrection of those who died of the mortal population during the
1000 years. Those found written in the book of life will form part
of the immortalised company of saints who Christ will offer up to
God, his Heavenly Father who will then be "all in all".
There are a further number of deeper Bible
based discussions on various subjects which we would like to invite
you to explore:
A Methodology for Reading the Bible
Effectively
What God Requires of Man
The Word of God - Our Only Authority
Jesus Christ and the Work of Atonement
The Covenants of Promise received by Abraham -
Father of the Faithful
What is Sin and Death?
Satan the Devil and Demons
Is God a Trinity?
Do we have an Immortal soul?
Why are Spirit gifts not available
today?
Return to
top of this page
Return to our Home Page