WHAT WE BELIEVE

All Saints Wick is part of the Church of England which, along with the Catholic Church, the Baptist Church, the Methodist Church, Community Churches and hundreds of other Church denominations, make up the Church that Jesus founded nearly 2000 years ago.

All Churches believe that God really exists. He made all of time and space and, even when time and space end, God will still be there.

Christians, unlike Jews and Muslims, also believe that, although there is only one God, he exists as three persons - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - and always has done.

Christians believe that 2000 years ago (around 5 or 6BC) the Son, came to earth. The Holy Spirit overshadowed a young woman called Mary and made her pregnant in a miraculous way. The child that was born was both God and man. His name was Jesus.

Jesus grew up to show us what heaven - the Kingdom of Heaven - was like. Everywhere he went it was as though the very life of the Kingdom was touching people’s lives. Their bodies were healed, their sins forgiven and they were drawn into a new relationship with God.

The religious authorities rejected Jesus and had him executed by crucifixion. Astonishingly, this too, was part of God’s plan, which the prophet Isaiah had written about 700 years earlier. (See the poem at the end)

Because Jesus was fully a man he suffered and was tempted just like us. As he hung on the cross he even knew the terrible darkness that sin can cause in our lives. So he fully understands us. He is not distant.

Because Jesus was God his sacrifice on the cross was enough to earn total forgiveness for all the sin of the world - everything. Just think, no matter how bad you have been, Jesus has already paid the price for you. Everything you have ever done - or will ever do - has been forgiven.

This is a wonderful free gift, but we each need to receive it for ourselves. If not, it’s like winning the lottery but not opening the envelope with the cheque inside.

When we receive Jesus’ forgiveness, something extraordinary happens. He puts that life of the Kingdom of Heaven right inside us. Jesus himself called it being born again - and that is just how it feels for many people.

Just as the Holy Spirit put a new life inside Mary, so he puts a new life in us. Our outlook on the world changes. We know there is purpose in life; our hope for the future becomes a ‘living’ hope - a hope that we know is part of God’s plan; and our fear of death vanishes because heaven is there inside us.

If you would like to talk to the someone about becoming a Christian, please click the link the the bottom of the page, fill in the form and submit it. Start to open that envelope with your winning cheque inside.

And we thought his troubles were