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The Bible

The Bible is God’s written word to man. As such, it is just as alive and powerful today as it was when it was first written. The Bible cannot be interpreted according to our own personal views and beliefs and we cannot simply reject those sections that we disagree with. It is not our role to agree or disagree with the Bible but instead we must read with honesty and openness allowing it to influence and change us through obedience. Where our views disagree with the Bible then our views must change.

Salvation

God created us to have fellowship with Him. In the garden of Eden, God walked daily with Adam and Eve and had a close communion with them. But Adam and Eve rebelled against God and decided to live their own way. God called this sin and told Adam and Eve that He could not be associated with it. Since this time there has been a separation between God and mankind. Still today we see the vast majority of people living their lives with no regard for God. This is the same rebellious attitude displayed by Adam and Eve in the garden. The Bible is clear on the issue of sin. Everyone has sinned and falls short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). This sin will ultimately lead to judgment and death unless we turn from our own self-serving life and accept His plan for drawing us back to Himself. The Bible teaches that salvation comes by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. There is nothing that we can do of ourselves to restore our communion with God, but it is by His grace that He decided to make a way available by which we can be reconciled to Him. Having exercised His grace and making a way for salvation, God now expects obedience if we are to have that salvation applied to our lives. It is our faith and belief in Jesus Christ that justifies us. We must first believe, as it is this belief in the saving power of Jesus Christ that causes a change in our life. This is called repentance and God demands that everyone repent and turn to Him. Once again, it is not the act of changing our attitude or lifestyle that saves us as it is only by the grace of God that we are saved. However, if we want His salvation applied to our lives then we must repent. The Bible also teaches that we must experience a new spiritual birth. We must be baptised in water in the name of Jesus Christ and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit which is initially evidenced by speaking with other tongues (Acts 2:384:128:12-1710:43-4819:1-6). This experience is not optional, but the Bible teaches that it is a necessary part of being reconciled to God. This represents the initial reconciling of ourselves to God and the forgiveness of our sins. However, if we are to remain reconciled to God then we must continue to serve Him and live our lives by the leading of His Spirit. Thus the various aspects of faith and obedience work together in God’s grace to reconcile us to Himself.

Missions

The Bible speaks strongly about the need for Christians to spread the Gospel message throughout their community and to the wider world. Jesus gave his all for people everywhere and as Christians who have experienced the life-giving power of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, we should want to share this experience with others. However, preaching the Gospel message means not only ministering to the spiritual needs of people but also to the emotional and physical needs. We must preach the full gospel message. The book of James in the Bible reveals that true religion involves reaching out to people in the community who are widowed, orphaned or otherwise in need. It does not matter the size of the church or the resources of the individual, we all need to give to others spiritually, emotionally and physically. There was a widow in the Bible who did not have much, but yet she decided to just give what she had. At Den Levende Guds Kirke, we are not only involved in our community but we are also involved in practical missions through an Indian orphanage project. We plan to expand our involvement in these and other local and international projects as our church grows.

Healing

God still heals today! We do not just believe it but we know it. The Bible never teaches that healing was just for antiquity and our experience confirms this. God is still interested in His people and still answers prayer today. “Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven” (James 5:14-15). “They will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well” (Mark 16:18).