let’s talk about jesus

I write about a broad range of biblical subjects, deeply rooted in and flowing from this focused centre; that “one man died for everyone.” I believe that it’s this truth about Jesus that makes our hope, as Christians, visible to others; as part of a collective world-wide community of faith – the universal church; gospel-called and gospel-commissioned people, living in the glorious light of Jesus Christ.

A brief summary of what I believe can be found below. You’ll find many of these beliefs further expanded on in various articles throughout the site. If you have any questions about any of these subjects or you’d like to chat about anything in particular, please don’t hesitate to get in touch and say hello!

i believe

that the Bible is God’s inspired Word. It is accurate, authoritative and applicable for our life.

Acts 17:11, 2 Timothy 3:15-16, 2 Peter 1:20-21, 1 Corinthians 2:13, 1 Peter 1:10-11, Matthew 22:29, John 5:39, Luke 24:45

i believe

in one eternal God, who is the creator of all things. He is completely wise, faithful, loving and holy.

Isaiah 44:6-8, Isaiah 46:9-10, Mark 12:29-32, Ephesians 4:6, Nehemiah 9:6, Psalm 124:8, Micah 7:18-19, Malachi 3:6, 1 John 4:8, 1 Peter 1:15-16

i believe

in God’s only Son, Jesus Christ, the Word-made-flesh, sent into the world to reconcile the world to God. Born to a virgin, and conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, He lived a sinless and exemplary life, died on the cross and rose again, having conquered sin and death.

Matthew 3:16-17, John 1:14, Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23, Luke 2:10-12, Mark 5:7, Acts 13:33, Hebrews 5:5, Matthew 2:15, 1 John 5:10, Galatians 4:4, Isaiah 11:2, Romans 5:10, Colossians 1:20-22, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, Ephesians 2:15-18, Ephesians 1:3-10, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 2:17, Hebrews 7:26

i believe

that Jesus Christ, glorious in immortality, now sits at God’s right hand, with all power given to him. He is to be worshipped and honoured as king.

Matthew 28:17-20, John 3:35, Ephesians 1:20-21, John 13:3 Matthew 11:27, Isaiah 9:6, 1 Corinthians 15:25, Isaiah 22:22, Psalm 110:1-4, Luke 1:32-33, Hebrews 2:9, Philippians 2:9-10, Hebrews 1:9, Mark 16:5-7, Romans 6:4, 1 Corinthians 15:20, Revelation 1:17-18, John 1:49, John 12:13, Matthew 2:2, Zechariah 9:9, Matthew 14:33, Luke 24:52, Hebrews 1:2, John 9:38, 1 Peter 3:22

i believe

in the Holy Spirit, by which all things were created and by which all life is sustained. God is revealed through the Holy Spirit, the gracious purpose of salvation has and is being outworked through the Holy Spirit, and men and women are empowered and transformed as ‘new creations’ by the Holy Spirit.

Genesis 1:1-2, Acts 17:24-28, 2 Peter 1:19-21, Acts 7:51, Psalm 106:7-8, Romans 15:19, 1 Corinthians 6:14, Ephesians 1:19-22, Acts 2:32-33, 43, John 3:3,5, Revelation 2:7, 2 Corinthians 3:3, Romans 12:2, John 16:13, 1 Corinthians 2:10, Galatians 4:6, 30, Acts 20:28, 1 Corinthians 12:11, 1 Corinthians 2:12, John 14:16, Luke 11:13, Matthew 10:19-20, Matthew 3:11, Acts 2:1-4, Acts 10: 44-45, Acts 13:2

i believe

that the ‘kingdom of God’ is the complete expression of God’s purpose from the beginning – to fill the earth with His glory and sovereignty – and that this reality, revealed in the person of Jesus Christ, will be fully realised when Jesus returns to earth.

Numbers 14:21, Micah 4:1-3, Isaiah 6:3, Daniel 2:44, Daniel 7:18, Psalm 93:1-2, Psalm 103:19, Psalm 145:11-13, Isaiah 9:6-7, Mark 11:10, Micah 5:2, Luke 4:43, Luke 10:9, Matthew 3:1-2, Luke 11:20, Habakkuk 2:14, Luke 17:21, Psalm 72:19

i believe

that the gospel is the good news that in Jesus, who is both saviour and king, God is saving, rescuing, atoning, justifying, ruling, and reconciling people for the glory of His name and in pursuit of His purpose.

Genesis 3:15, Genesis 12:3-4, 2 Samuel 7:12, Matthew 1:21, Mark 1:14, Luke 2:11, Luke 24:27, John 1:45, John 8:56,  Galatians 3:8, Acts 3:25-26, Acts 4:12, Acts 8:12, Acts 13:23, Act 28:30-31, Colossians 1:13, 2 Corinthians 4:6, 1 Timothy 1:15,

i believe

that humanity was created with purpose; to be like God and a true reflection of Him in every way.

Genesis 1:27, Psalm 57:2, Ephesians 2:10-12, Isaiah 43:7, Numbers 14:21, Romans 8:28, Acts 13:36, Colossians 1:16, Job 42:2, Psalm 33:11, Isaiah 46:10-11, Matthew 6:10, 1 Timothy 2:4, Isaiah 6:3, Psalm 19:1, Romans 1:20-21, Isaiah 61:1-3, Ephesians 1:4-6, Revelation 5:9

i believe

that men and women were created equal, made in the image of God.  I affirm the full and equal participation of both men and women within the church, to the glory of God.

Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:22-24, 1 Corinthians 11:7, 1 Corinthians 12:27, Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 5:19-20, 2 Corinthians 3:6, 1 Corinthians 11:11, Exodus 1:17-18, Exodus 2:1-3, Exodus 15:20-21, 2 Kings 22:14; Luke 2:36-38, Luke 10:38-40, Romans 16:1-24, Luke 24:48-49 Acts 1:8, 2 Corinthians 3:6, 5:20, 1 Peter 2:9-10, 2 Timothy 2:2, Revelation 1:6, Romans 16:1-24, Romans 16:3-5, Philippians 4:2-3

i believe

that sin entered the world through the disobedience of humans and that the sentence of death, the consequence of sin, was passed to all humanity. Sin and death separate each of us from God and His purpose for our lives. Sinful thoughts and actions spring from the human heart alone, and we each bear responsibility for the sins we commit.

Genesis 2:17, Genesis 3:19, 2 Samuel 14:14, 2 Corinthians 1:9, Romans 7:18-23, Romans 5:12, 1 Corinthians 15:22, Romans 6:23, Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8

i believe

humans were created from the same elements and compounds that make up all life and are animated by the life-giving spirit of God. At death, our bodies return to dust, and our life-force returns to God.

Genesis 3:19, Psalm 90:3, Psalm 103:15-16, Ecclesiastes 3:19, Ecclesiastes 9:10, Genesis 2:7, Genesis 1:20, 21, 24, Ezekiel 18:4, 20, Ecclesiastes 12:7, Psalm 146:3-4

i believe

that God is for us; He loves us and wants to reconcile and transform us so that we can live the life of purpose for which He created us.

Psalm 46:1-3, Matthew 10:29-31, Romans 8:28-29, Ephesians 1:4-5, Ephesians 2:10, 1 Timothy 2:3-4, 2 Peter 1:3-4, Psalm 94:14, Romans 8:38-39, John 3:16, Romans 5:8, 1 John 3:16-18, Matthew 7:8-11, Luke 15:4-7, 1 John 4:16

i believe

that to receive forgiveness of our sins and reconciliation with God; we must repent, believe in Jesus Christ as our saviour and king, be baptised, and submit to His will for our lives. There are no other means by which we can be saved.

Isaiah 59:2, Isaiah 53:6, Acts 3:19, Galatians 5:19-21, Romans 5: 12-21, Hebrews 7:25, Matthew 4:17, Mark 1:15, Mark 16:15-16, Acts 2:38, Acts 4:12, Acts 17:30, 1 Peter 3:21, Colossians 2:12, Romans 6:4, John 3:16, 2 Peter 3:9

i believe

that we are saved by grace through faith alone and not by works.

John 3:16-17, 2 Timothy 1:9, Titus 3:5, Ephesians 2:5, 8-9, Acts 15:11, Romans 3:24, Romans 5:1-2, Romans 6:23, Romans 9:16, Romans 10:9-10, Hebrews 11:6

i believe

that to live the reconciled lives that God intends for us; we need to be renewed by the power of the Holy Spirit. In the same way that the Holy Spirit was present at creation, so He is present in each believer’s life, ‘creating them anew’ in Jesus.

John 3:3-8, Genesis 1:2, 2 Corinthians 4:6, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21  John 1:13, John 3:3, Titus 3:5, Ephesians 4:23-24, 1 Corinthians 2:12-14, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Matthew 29:19, Acts 1:8, Romans 6:1-10, Colossians 2:12, Ephesians 1:13-14, John 14:26, Romans 8:26, 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Galatians 5:22-23, Romans 8:9,  1 Corinthians 6:11, 15-20, 2 Corinthians 4:16, Micah 3:8, 1 Corinthians 3:16, Acts 5:32, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Ephesians 3:16-19, Matthew 3:11, Ephesians 5:18, John 6:63, 1 Peter 1:23-25

i believe

in the power and significance of the local church and the necessity of believers to meet together for fellowship, prayer and the ‘breaking of bread’.

Matthew 16:18, Matthew 18:17, 1 Corinthians 1:9, Acts 2:42-46, Acts 5:42, Acts 11:23, Acts 14:22, Acts 20:7, 24, 28, Ephesians 2:20, 1 Corinthians 3:9, 1 Corinthians 10:16, 1 Corinthians 12:12, 2 Corinthians 5:20, 2 Corinthians 3:6, 1 Peter 2:5

i believe

that the mission of the church, as ‘people of the kingdom’, is to embody and witness together to the reality of the kingdom of God, through the power of the resurrected king, and to draw people to that kingdom, to the glory of God.

Matthew 5:14-16, Matthew 28:19, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:32, Acts 4:33, Acts 13:47, Romans 15:8-9, 1 Corinthians 10:16, 1 Corinthians 12:12, 2 Corinthians 4:13-15, 2 Corinthians 5:20, 2 Corinthians 6:1, Philippians 2:15, 1 Peter 1:15-16, 1 Peter 2:12, 1 Peter 3:15, Hebrews 10:24-25, Colossians 1:6, 13

i believe

that Jesus Christ will return to earth again, as he promised; to fully reveal the kingdom of God, to restore all of creation and to reward the faithful, those who are living and those who are resurrected at his return.

Job 19:25-27, Matthew 16:27, Mark 16:19, John 14:3, Acts 1:11, Acts 3:21, Philippians 3:20, Hebrews 9:28, 1 Corinthians 1:7, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 2 Timothy 4:8, Titus 2:13, Revelation 22:12

i believe

in the literal resurrection of our physical bodies at the return of Jesus Christ to the earth.

Isaiah 25:98, Hosea 13:14, John 3:16, John 11:25-26, 1 Corinthians 6:14, 1 Corinthians 15:19-23, 26, 55, 1 Thessalonians 4:14, 2 Timothy 1:10, Romans 6:5-6, Romans 8:11, 1 Peter 1:13, Revelation 1:5, Revelation 20:14, Revelation 21:4

i believe

that our eternal existence as inheritors of God’s kingdom is determined by our response in this life to God’s grace, as expressed through our faith, hope and love.

Matthew 25:44-46, John 3:5, Acts 26:20, James 2:17-24, Galatians 5:6, 1 Thessalonians 1:3, Hebrews 6:19, 1 Peter 1:21, 1 Corinthians 13:8-13, 1 Timothy 3:13, 1 John 3:17, Galatians 5:22-25, Romans 14:17, Colossians 3:12, Romans 5:2-5, 1 Timothy 1:5, Romans 12:9-21