The Scripture

The Bible is God’s perfect revelation to us, given so that we might know Him, delight in Him, and become men and women who are equipped for every good work.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

God

There is only one living and true God, who exists eternally in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. He created the entire universe to display His glory, to show the excellencies of His character.

1 Timothy 1:17 - Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the
only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever.

Romans 11:36 - For from him and through him and to him are all
things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.

Man

Having been created for this purpose, every human is therefore obligated to live for God’s glory.

Isaiah 43:6b-7 - Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from
the ends of the earth - everyone who is called by my name, whom
I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.

1 Corinthians 10:31 - So whether you eat or drink or whatever you
do, do it all for the glory of God.

But all humans have failed to glorify God by not trusting Him and treasuring Him as we ought, valuing other things more than God.

Romans 3:23 - All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.

We all thus are subject to God’s just, eternal condemnation.

Romans 6:23 - The wages of sin is death

2 Thessalonians 1:9 - They will suffer the punishment of
eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from
the glory of his might.

Man’s Redemption

But God sent His only Son, Jesus, to provide eternal life and joy for the condemned. By His death on the cross, Jesus paid the penalty for the guilty. The benefits purchased by Jesus’ death belong to all who repent and trust Him, completely apart from any activity or work on their part.

1 Peter 3:18 - For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous
for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.

Acts 3:19 - Repent, then, and turn to God, so that
your sins may be wiped out

Ephesians 2:8 - For by grace you have been saved through
faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God

Having been saved from condemnation by His grace through faith, God gives us His Holy Spirit who works in us so that we might grow into what God created us to be: people who glorify Him through delighting in Who He is, reflecting His character in our lives.

Galatians 5:22 - The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

1 Peter 1:8 - Though you have not seen him, you love him.
Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and  rejoice with
joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.

The Church

God calls us to unite with other believers in local churches to help each other to value Christ above all, to praise Him together, to show God’s love to each other and to the world, to grow in our love and knowledge of Him, and to spread the good news to every ethnic group in the world.

Hebrews 10:24-25 - And let us consider how to stir up one another
to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the
habit of some, but encouraging one another.

Mathew 24:14 - This gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed
throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then
the end will come.

The End of the Age

Jesus will return at the end of the age visibly, physically, and suddenly, with power and great glory. He will assign all
those who have not repented to eternal punishment. He will welcome as His own precious bride all who have believed, ending all sorrow and pain, and will delight to show them more and more of His perfections for all eternity.

Revelation 21:2-4 - I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down
out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling
place of God is with man. He will dwell   with them, and they will be his
people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall
there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things
have passed away."

 

This doctrinal statement is used with permission from Desiring God Community Church, Charlotte, NC. See www.desiringgodchurch.org for more information.