Our Statement of Faith What We believe

Sermons by Eli Hofer
03/14/01
08/22/01
08/11/02

The Writings of Ulrich Stadler
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The Church and the Narrow Path

Things Hutterite

To Vote or not to Vote

Two Ways

Way of the Lord

Which Kingdom?

Our Statement of Faith

What We believe

1. We know that God created the heavens and earth. We give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever. We give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. We give thanks to the Lord of lords. His love endures forever. He alone does great wonders, His love endures forever. In wisdom He made the heavens, His love endures forever. He spread out the earth upon the waters, His love endures forever. He made the great lights, His love endures forever. He made the sun to govern the day, His love endures forever. And He made the moon and stars to govern the night; His love endures forever. (Psalm 136)

2. We know that God created all human beings. We are to be like Him, to bring Him joy by living a life of love. We are to love God above all things. We are not to love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:15-17) We are to love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:7-8)

3. We know that God loves us. If we return that love, then we are acceptable to God and will live with Him forever. Let all who take refuge in the Lord God be glad; let us ever sing for joy. The Lord spreads His protection over us, that those who love His name may rejoice in Him. (Psalm 5:11)

4. We know that God has tried several plans to win people to Him. His first plan was the Garden of Eden. But that failed and eventually God regretted having made human beings. (Genesis 6:6) So He wiped out most humans in the great flood, saving only Noah who was a good man and "walked with God". (Genesis 6:9) So God started over again with Noah and his sons, telling them to multiply and fill the earth. (Genesis 9:1). God raised up Abraham and formed a chosen people from his descendants, the Jews. But they too all too often failed to live according to the Lord’s desire. So the Lord God decided to send His Son to live among the people that He created and teach them about the Kingdom of God. (Matthew 4:17) "They will respect My Son", He said. (Matthew 21:36-38 NIV, also Mark 12:5-7, Luke 20:12-14) Unfortunately, they not only did not show Him the respect that was due Him, but He was violently and shamefully treated; abused, tortured, and murdered in a most cruel and painful way. (Luke 20:15-16) So that is why the Lord God took His kingdom away from those miserable people and gave it to others who He found willing to receive it. (Matthew 21:43) Those people who are enjoying God's kingdom are now scattered all over the world and are expanding it by spreading His message of peace and love wherever they go. We can see how God's kingdom really is filling the whole world with its message of peace, just like He said it would. (Daniel 2:44)

5. We know that God loves us so much. He sent us His Son Jesus, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16) Whoever accepts, believes and lives as taught by Jesus is pleasing to God and will share eternal life with Him, but whoever rejects the Son by disobeying Him will not see that life, for God's wrath will remain on him. (John 3:36) Jesus told us, "If you love me, you will obey what I command... Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him." (John 14:15, 21 NIV) The apostle Peter told us about Jesus: "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness". (1 Peter 3:24 NIV) The apostle John told us about Jesus: "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world." (1 John 2:2 NIV)

6. We know that no one can really see and truly value the Kingdom of God until he is born again, born from above. (John 3:3, Matthew 13:44-46) And no one can actually enter the Kingdom of God until he has repented of his sins and has his clean heart immersed in the Holy Spirit of God. (John 3:5, Matthew 3:11, Acts 1:8, Matthew 12:43-45, Luke 11:24-26)

7. We know that God placed us here on earth so that we would have the opportunity to show Him that we freely choose to live to please Him. (John 3:21) Jesus taught us how to live a life pleasing to God, He gave us many commands (over a hundred) that we must obey in order to please God. (1 John 2:3-6, Matthew 7:21-27) Jesus told His ministers to teach the people to obey ALL that He had commanded. (Matthew 28:20) He died on the cross for us, showing us the way to the Father not only by His teachings but also by His deeds. We too must die to self and live the humble lifestyle taught by Jesus. (Matthew 10:38, 16:24, Mark 8:34, Luke 9:23) We will do that freely because we know and have experienced His great love for us. We know that we, the members of the Body of Christ, are to love one another and be in complete unity, just as God the Father is in Jesus and Jesus is in the Father. We know that we are to be in unity with God so that the world may believe that God has sent Jesus into the world. We know that Jesus has given us the glory that God the Father has given Him, in order that we may be one as Jesus and the Father are one: Jesus in us and God the Father in Jesus. We are to be in such complete unity that the world can recognize that God has sent Jesus to us and that God loves us even as He loves Jesus. (John 17:21-24) Amen!

8. We know that we are children of God. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Because we have this hope in Him we seek to be pure, just as He is pure. Sinning is breaking a law of God including those laws given by Jesus. No one who lives in Him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him. Whoever does what is sinful is of the devil. No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. (1 John 3:1-14, 2:3-6)

9. We know that the world hates us. This will be shown in various ways, including avoidance, persecution and shunning. Jesus told us, "If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." (John 15:18-19 NIV, also 17:14, 1 John 3:13) If the world loves and accepts us, we do not belong to God. We are strangers and aliens in the world; this world is not our home. (1 Peter 2:11, Hebrews 11:13)

10. We know that a distinguishing characteristic of true Christians is their love for others. (John 13:34-35) We are to love others and not do them any harm. A follower of Christ will remain true to Christ’s teachings which include non-resistance to evil people and doing good to those who hate us. (Matthew 5:38-47, Luke 6:27-35) Therefore we do not work in positions that would violate these requirements for God’s people, nor do we support those who do. We can not be in the military, police or government offices as the very nature of these occupations require violence to Christ’s teachings on love. We can not be involved in a war effort of any sort; we can not work in any job that involves the support of war including the making of weapons of war. We do believe that all governmental authority is established by God. (Romans 13:1-7) Therefore we must obey the government and its laws unless they conflict with the laws of God. We can not vote for public officials because doing so makes us their partner in sin when they violate the laws of God. The world will hate us for this but we want to remain pure in God’s eyes by our separation from the world and its evil ways.

11. We know that in this life there are the two kingdoms as described in the Bible, the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan. (1 John 5:10, Luke 4:5-7) We know that in God's kingdom love prevails whereas in Satan's kingdom hatred prevails. Therefore we seek to follow carefully the teachings of Christ and the example of the early Church which lead us to renounce all things worldly (I John 2:15) including the possession of property as commanded by Jesus. (Luke 12:33, Luke 14:33, Matthew 19:21, 6:19-34, Acts 2:44-47, 4:32-5:11) We know that brotherly community is the highest command of love. (John 13:34-35, Acts 4:32) This way of living is called the Way of the Lord in the Bible. (Acts 18:25, also Acts 9:2, 18:26, 19:9, 19:23, 22:4, 24:14, 24:22) Since Satan is the god of this world (1 John 5:19, Luke 4:5-7), his members will persecute those who seek to be members of the Kingdom of God, who live according to the strict teachings of Jesus.

12. We know that God is always with us. (Matthew 28:20) We are always with you, Father God; you hold us by our right hand. You guide us with your counsel, and afterward you will take us into glory. Whom have we in heaven but you? And earth has nothing we desire besides you. Our flesh and our heart may fail, but God is the strength of our heart and our portion forever. Those who are far from you will perish; you destroy all who are unfaithful to you. But as for us, it is good to be near God. We have made the Sovereign Lord our refuge; we will tell of all your deeds, O God! (Psalm 73:23-28)

Last updated 03/15/2007

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