Invitation
Where did I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? How we answer the big questions of life depends on our worldview.
In his book The Blind Watchmaker, evolutionist Richard Dawkins claimed, “The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is at bottom no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind pitiless indifference“ (p. 133).
Nothing could be further from the truth! The evidence for creation is clear (Romans 1:18-20). We are not the product of blind evolutionary forces — we are wonderfully created in the image of God, and every human life is precious to him (Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:13-16).
We invite you to prayerfully consider this brief summary of the Christian faith and how you fit into the big picture. Most importantly, we invite you and encourage you to make a decision in response to what God has done for you.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
1. THE BIBLE The Bible is the Word of God and without error — we believe that a God who is powerful enough to create the universe must also be powerful enough to ensure that his Word is accurately recorded and preserved for us. (Jeremiah 10:12; Isaiah 40:8)
2. GOD The Bible reveals that there is one true creator God, eternally existing in the persons of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (John 1:1, 14; Acts 5:3-4)
3. CREATION God is good and created a perfect world in six literal days about 6,000 years ago. Adam and Eve were created in the image of God — they had a free will with which they could love him, and they lived in close fellowship with him in a garden paradise called Eden. (Genesis 1 & 2; Exodus 20:11; Mark 10:6)
In response to various objections from skeptics, note that (a) scientific evidence supports a young earth; (b) natural selection is the opposite of evolution; (c) Darwinism is contested by a growing number of scientists; (d) even the animal kingdom was free of death and suffering; and (e) the question of origins is not about “science vs religion” — everybody has to believe in miracles, even evolutionists and atheists.
4. THE ORIGIN OF SIN AND DEATH Before long there was rebellion in the spirit realm, and Satan tempted Adam and Eve to question God’s word and disobey him. The whole world was corrupted as a result of Adam’s sin — the plant kingdom produced thorns and thistles, and certain animals became carnivorous. Worst of all, Adam and Eve’s close relationship with God was broken. Death and suffering entered the world for the very first time. Adam and Eve became sinners separated from God, and their descendants ever since — all of us — have been born into this broken world with a sinful nature inherited from Adam, separated from God. (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12)
5. JESUS God’s plan for restoring his broken creation required that he personally enter into it as a man — Jesus came into this world born of the virgin Mary (without inheriting a sinful nature from Adam). Jesus is fully God and fully man. (John 1:1, 14)
6. THE CROSS God is a God of justice, and therefore he must judge sin in keeping with his righteous character. We understand this because we are created in his image, with a sense of justice, crying out against the suffering and inhumanity and sin we see in the world today. And we know that we ourselves are sinners and stand guilty before a holy God. However, God is also a God of love. This is how he demonstrated his love for us: Jesus — God in the flesh — died on a cross to pay the penalty for the sins of the whole world. He loves us and voluntarily died in our place. On the third day he conquered death through his resurrection and after forty days he ascended back to heaven. (Isaiah 53:5-6; Romans 3:23, 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 John 2:2)
7. REPENTANCE God commands us to repent, or turn away, from sin — we must turn to God, gratefully accepting the forgiveness offered to us through the cross. When we repent of our sins and believe in what Jesus has done for us on the cross, we enter into a whole new relationship with God. It’s not about ceasing to sin (that would be impossible); it’s about a new position before God. We are no longer under God’s wrath “in Adam”, but accepted “in Christ”, forgiven of all our sins, reconciled to our merciful Father, and lovingly adopted into his family. Christianity is not about trying to “work our way to God” as if our good deeds could somehow outweigh our bad deeds and earn God’s favor — on the contrary, we are saved by God’s grace (undeserved favor) through faith alone in what Jesus accomplished for us on the cross. (Acts 26:20; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 John 1:8-9)
8. BAPTISM The moment we repent of our sins and trust in Jesus we receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Water baptism by full immersion is the biblical way to show that we have forsaken our old ways and have made the decision to trust in Jesus. (Ephesians 1:13-14; Acts 10:47-48)
9. CHURCH From this new position as born-again Christians, forgiven and adopted into God’s family, we prioritize church fellowship, Bible study, prayer and evangelism. We must “take up our own cross daily” to be a disciple of Jesus, becoming more and more like him, growing in grace, dying to self-will and seeking to do God’s will. Celebrating the Lord’s Supper together on a regular basis helps us to remember Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and to look forward to his return in the future. (Hebrews 10:25; Psalm 119:15-20; Colossians 4:2-6; Luke 9:23-24; 1 Corinthians 11:26)
10. THE RETURN OF CHRIST Jesus promised that he will come back one day to judge the world and establish his kingdom, and warned us to be prepared for hardship as we watch for the signs of his return. In keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, restored to their original perfection — the paradise that was lost in the beginning will be regained, and God will once again dwell with man upon the earth. (Matthew 24; 1 Thessalonians 5:4; 2 Peter 3; Revelation 21 & 22)
HOW WILL YOU RESPOND? If you would like to know more about becoming a Christian and getting baptized, or if you have any further questions, please contact one of our pastors. We look forward to hearing from you!
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 2 Corinthians 5:20
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Romans 10:9—10
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Jesus Christ, Matthew 11:28—30
Contact us
Steve Müller TEXT 0488 101 777 steve@homechurchgladstone.com
Jaco Louw TEXT 0431 756 414 jaco@homechurchgladstone.com
All Scripture quoted from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION.
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