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CSBC is a church family who believes that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. It tells the truth about God, our world and ourselves. It shows God's plan of salvation for the sinners that He loves through Jesus Christ.
The heart of the matter
For many people, the question 'What is a Christian?' is a confusing one. You may have learned about Jesus and the Bible in school or from attending church, but maybe you can't see the point of it all. Maybe you have doubts about the validity of the Christian message, or the reliability of the Bible? Maybe you want answers to questions like: 'How can God love us when there is so much suffering?' or 'Surely science proves God is not there?'
This section explains a little about what we believe and why we believe it. It should take about 10 minutes to read through and then if you want to get back to us please feel free to use the 'Contact Us' form to send a question or your feedback.
Intro
The sort of questions mentioned above all have good and convincing answers, but they don't make sense until we think about some bigger questions first. Why are we here? What is the meaning of life? Is there a God and can I talk to him? We believe that all these questions were answered decisively when Jesus came into the world.
Jesus taught that the world and everything in it belongs to God. What we do with the world is important. God has not lost interest. Right from the creation of the world Jesus was involved and in charge: "For by Him all things were created...things in heaven and on earth...all things were created by Him and for Him." (1 Colossians 1 v16). We believe that Jesus lived on earth, was put to death on a cross and rose again - defeating death. We believe that Jesus is God and that we should recognise Him as our master and our God. It is believing this that makes a person a real Christian.
But we are rebels!
We believe that God created us and wants us to have a relationship with Him. We believe that the creator of the universe knows and wants what is best for us.
But... we all reject Him, wanting to control our own lives, wanting to be independent - free from rule and authority. We want to be in charge of our own destiny. We think it doesn't matter!
It is this rebellion, rejecting God which gives us a self-centred approach to our lives. It is this rebellion that allows some to murder, steal or commit adultery. The same rebellion causes pride, jealousy or selfishness. This rebellion is what the Bible calls Sin. Sin matters because it wrecks our lives and our world now. It also has eternal consequences so if we don't sort it out now we'll be facing some serious problems.
How to stop the rebellion
God in His love and mercy urges people everywhere to turn back and obey Him. This is what is known as repentance. "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6 v 23). When we turn away from our sin we are not punished for our rebellion, as we ought to be. We are accepted as if we'd never been rebels at all. When Jesus died He took the punishment we deserve for our rebellion. He loves us so much that He was willing to give His life for us. In this way God is both just and able to accept us back.
A new beginning is possible
When a person stops rebelling and allow Jesus to rule in their life, the relationship with God is restored. They look the same and may feel the same but changes begin to happen. Becoming a Christian is like stepping from darkness into light. You don't lose your identity, but you become a more complete person - more as God intended you to be.
So what is a Christian?
As Christians we believe that Jesus has the right to rule our lives. We have recognised that we rebelled against God and deserve to be punished. We believe that Jesus died on the cross taking the punishment our sins deserve. We have responded to God's call to submit to Him and we know that we have been forgiven.
We can see God changing us and making us new and we trust God with our lives. If you're interested in reading more about being a Christian click on the link below.
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