...IN A TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY WORLD

Most errors in beliefs (and subsequently, practices) stem from an incomplete and/or faulty understanding of God. Recognizing this, we strive to present God as He has revealed Himself in the Bible.

First, we recognize that He is the Creator of all things (the universe and everything within it). He owns all things and has total dictatorial rights over everything. His commands are not up for debate, nor are they optional to obey. God has revealed His will for His creatures "in many portions and in many ways" (HEB 1:1).

Second, we recognize that He is Triune in nature, meaning that He exists as three distinct, yet inseparable Persons: Father, Son, and Spirit. In JOH 14:16 and 2CO 13:14 (among others) we see a reference to each Person, and in various passages we see each Person referred to as God (the Father: EPH 4:6; the Son: 2PE 1:1; the Spirit: ACT 5:3,4). While this is a mystery to us, it is accepted as God's revelation of Himself.

Third, we recognize that He is Personal in relation to us. He made the first move in establishing contact after creating this world, writing down what He did and giving that written record (GEN 1:1-2:4) to Adam. Throughout human history God has spoken to humanity through His messengers, and has also taken the extraordinary step of living among us in the life of Jesus of Nazareth. (HEB 1:1-3)

Fourth, we recognize that He is lovingly Concerned for us. He created man with the freedom to choose; a dangerous power if misused. But He also gave directions to Adam in using his free will, warning him that disobedience would result in death (GEN 2:16,17). Even after Adam disobeyed, God continued to work with man rather than annihilate or ignore him. The ultimate expression of His love is allowing His Son, Jesus, to be a substitutionary sacrifice for sin.

God created us that we may both glorify Him and also enjoy living in close fellowship with Him. Though Adam's sin broke that relationship, God has been laboring from then to bring about both an understanding of the seriousness of rebellion against Him and a path of restoration of a relationship with Him.

We see that from the beginning humanity has known about God, and can deduce that as humanity spead out and increased upon the earth, that knowledge was corrupted, replaced, or simply not trasmitted to the following generations, resulting in new and different ideas arising among humans as to the working of the world and their relationship to it.