What We Believe (& Teach)
"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." - Genesis 1:1
God created ALL things in the beginning. He created sea turtles, stars, elephants, pandas, vegetables, oh yeah, and people. He created all of this in the beginning and saw that it was good.
So, God told the people He had created to not do ONE thing... ONE... THING...
"You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die." - Genesis 2:17
And what did they do?????
(after a conversation with the devil)
"... she took some, and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it." - Genesis 3:6b
From then on, SIN entered the world. SIN = DEATH/SEPARATION FROM GOD. The humans were then cursed and thrown out of the Garden of Eden.
People continued to sin which continued to separate them from God… but God had a plan. Eventually, God made a way for there to be a reunion between sinner and Creator, and for the sinner to be forgiven.
"The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting. He said, ‘Speak to the Israelites and say to them; ‘When any of you brings an offering to the LORD, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock... he is to offer a male without defect." - Leviticus 1:1-2, 3b
Whenever someone offered this animal without defect, the priest would then place his hand on the head of this animal, transferring the sins to this animal, and would then sacrifice/kill it, because SIN = DEATH.
Once this act was completed, the separation between the sinner and God would cease, and the two would be reunited again, and the sinner would be forgiven.
So, that's what the people did. For years they sinned and then sacrificed one of their prize possessions (one of their animals without defect) to the LORD as an offering to forgive them.
Later on in the Old Testament...
"he built the Most Holy Place.." - 2 Chronicles 3:8
The Most Holy Place was a place in which the High Priest would go only ONCE a year on the "Day of Atonement". This place was located behind a huge curtain and was literally the Most Holy Place on earth because it is where God dwelled. God was there. He was behind the curtain, ready to hear the prayer of the High Priest and forgive him and the nation from their sin. This was the most sacred place you could imagine, and only the High Priest was allowed this privilege.
For years, all of this continued to happen. Sacrifices and rituals... days of atonement... prophets... kingdoms... all until...
"Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord." - Luke 2:11
Jesus, the Son of God, was born (from the virgin Mary) and lived a pure life, without sin... you could say a life without defect (like the animal sacrifices mentioned earlier). He taught, ministered, healed, and so much more while he was here on earth. The Gospels - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John- speak of many of the things Jesus did. But even after a life without sin...
"...Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?' - which means, 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?'... And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit." - Matthew 27:46b, 50
... all because...
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish, but will have everlasting life." - John 3:16
Jesus was the last “male without defect” (perfect lamb without blemish) that transferred our sins to him and then sacrificed himself so that we can be forgiven and reunited with God.
Notice what happened immediately after Jesus' death.
"And that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook and the rocks split." - Matthew 27:51
The curtain that was separating the Most Holy Place from the rest of the world was torn in two. We now have the privilege that the High Priest had, being surrounded and embraced by God's presence. Being able to speak directly to Him in awe.
But that's not the end. If Jesus had only been human, he would still be in the tomb, but instead,...
"The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations,..." - Luke 24:46-47
And that's exactly what happened.
"...he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God. Then the disciples went out and preached everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it." - Mark 16:19b-20
Now, it is our privilege to...
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." - Matthew 28:19-20
