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what do we believe? Bradley Stoke Evangelical Church is a gathering of Bible-believing Christians. What does that mean in practice? Here is a summary of our fundamental beliefs and the Bible passages on which we base them. There is one God, who exists eternally in three distinct but equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God is unchangeable in his holiness, justice, wisdom and love. He is the almighty Creator, Saviour and Judge who sustains and governs all things according to his sovereign will for his own glory Deut 6:4, Pro 90:2, Gen 1:26, John 10:30, 33 14:16-17, Matt 28:18-19, James 1:17, Gen 1&2, Titus 3:4-7, Heb 1:3, 9:27 God has
revealed himself in the Bible, which consists of the Old and New Testaments
alone. Every word was inspired by God through human authors, so that the
Bible as originally given is in its entirety the Word of God, without error
and fully reliable in fact and doctrine. The bible alone speaks with final
authority and is always sufficient for all matters of belief and practice. All men and
women, being created in the image of God, have inherent and equal dignity
and worth. Their greatest purpose is to obey, worship and love God. As a
result of the fall of our first parents, every aspect of human nature has
been corrupted and all men and women are without spiritual life, guilty
sinners and hostile to God. Every person is therefore under the just
condemnation of God and needs to be born again, forgiven and reconciled to
God in order to know and please him The Lord
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the Holy
Spirit, born of a virgin, and lived a sinless life in obedience to the
Father. He taught with authority and all his words are true. On the cross he
died in the place of sinners, bearing God's punishment for their sin,
redeeming them by his blood. He rose from the dead and in his resurrection
body ascended into heaven where he is exalted as Lord of all. He intercedes
for his people in the presence of the Father Salvation is
entirely a work of God's grace and cannot be earned or deserved. It has been
accomplished by the Lord Jesus Christ and is offered to all in the gospel.
God in his love forgives sinners whom he calls, granting them repentance and
faith. All who believe in Christ are justified by faith alone, adopted into
the family of God and receive eternal life The Holy
Spirit has been sent from heaven to glorify Christ and to apply his work of
salvation. He convicts sinners, imparts spiritual life and gives a true
understanding of the Scriptures. He indwells all believers, brings assurance
of salvation and produces increasing likeness to Christ. He builds up the
Church and empowers its members for worship, service and mission. The universal
Church is the body of which Christ is the head and to which all who are
saved belong. It is made visible in local churches, which are congregations
of believers who are committed to each other for the worship of God, the
preaching of the Word, the administering of Baptism and the Lord's Supper,
for pastoral care and discipline, and for evangelism. The unity of the body
of Christ is expressed within and between churches by mutual love care and
encouragement. True fellowship between churches exists only where they are
faithful to the gospel. Baptism and
the Lord's Supper have been given to the churches by Christ as visible signs
of the gospel. Baptism of believers by immersion is a symbol of union with
Christ and entry into his Church but does not impart spiritual life. The
Lord's Supper is a commemoration of Christ's sacrifice offered once for all
and involves no change in the bread and wine. All its blessings are received
by faith The Lord
Jesus Christ will return in glory. He will raise the dead and judge the
world in righteousness. The wicked will be sent to eternal punishment and
the righteous will be welcomed into a life of eternal joy in fellowship with
God. God will make all things new and will be glorified forever.
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