Jesus Christ has no beginning and no end (John 1:1).  If he has no beginning, he cannot have been created.  He is the power and wisdom of God (I Corinthians 1:24).

Jesus Christ is fully God:  "... human ancestry of Christ who is God over all..." (Romans 9:5).  Heresy?  Not quite.  This is where the trinity comes in:  Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14).  Jesus was fully human:  "...being made in human likeness..." (Galatians 4:4).

Christ died on the cross for forgiveness of sin.  His atonement was the perfect sacrifice to pay the price of death for sin.  According to Romans 6:25:  "God presented Him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood.  He did this to demonstrate His justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished."  In other words, if we have faith in Jesus Christ, his death becomes the sacrifice for our sin.

We are justified by faith.  Only faith can save us since we are incapable of becoming perfect.  However, as James so aptly put it:  "Faith without deeds is dead."  Therefore, as a showing of faith, works must be a part of a Christian's life, although the works themselves do not save him.  Rather it is the faith that saves:  "...Your faith has saved you..." (Luke 21:40).  By faith, we are regenerated, and become a new person in God's eyes (Titus 3:4-7).

The church is unique in that God is the head of the church, through Jesus Christ (Collosians 1:18).  The church is made up of people of God (1Peter 2:10) who are baptised in the Holy Spirit (1Corinthians 12:10) into one body.  It can bee seen then, that God is very much a part of the Christian church.

Elders are to be shepherds of the church of God (1Timothy 3:1), who are on their guard at all times (1Timothy 5:19).  Because they are entrusted with God's work, they must be blameless before God, and hold firmly to the message (Titus 1:7-9).

Christian baptism is the way in which Christians demonstrate their conversion.  In baptism we identify with Christ in that we are baptised into Christ's death (Romans 6:3).  Our sin is washed away as we call on the name of God (Acts 22:16).  It is a washing of rebirth and renewal (Titus 3:5).

Communion is a memorial of Christ's death and resurre tion, but particularly  His blood shed on the cross and His body, broken as a sacrifice (1 Corinthians 11:20-24).  The bread and wine, or whatever is used (it doesn't really matter), is nothing more than a symbol.  It is not the true body oand blood of Jesus Christ.

The Abrahamic and Davidic covenants are given of the lines of Abraham and David.  Through both men, would come blessings.  Through Abraham would come a great nation (Genesis 12:3).  Through David, would come a lasting kingdom (Psalm 89:4).

The purpose of the tribulation is to destroy the world.  It will be the final judgement of God to man.  The purpose of Christ's return is to take the church home to be with Him for eternity.  We do not know when any of this will happen.  The time was left open ended to cause Christians to life for God and be ready at any time (Matthew 24:40).  Not only was a time not given, really nobody knows wen these prophesies will take place (Matthew 24:36).

The final judgement of the righteous and unrighteous will be by fire for those who worship the evil one (Revelation 145:10-11).  For the righteous, "he who overcomes will inherit all this.  I will be his God, and he will be my son." (Revelation 21:8)

Webmaster's Note:  This article was written when I was in my second year of Bible College.  At that time, I had been a christian for barely two years, and my faith had not yet developed.  While I still hold these points to be true in principle, my view in some areas has changed somewhat, as I have matured.  However, I present it here in it's original form.  CS