Beliefs And Teachings - The Nature Of God

Question 1

Plymouth Brethren

Answer 1

• a denomination that focuses on very much on the holiness of God and His purity. They believe only those who are part of the Brethren are able to truly know the oneness of God. The Brethren live, as far as possible, live separate from the rest of the world to remove themselves from evil. “If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them…the world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.”

Question 2

Amish

Answer 2

• the Amish live in their own communities, separating themselves from the pollution of sin in the world. They believe that whilst God in His love has provided salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus, they also believe that they must practise life of salvation by works.

Question 3

Hillsong

Answer 3

• hillsong church focuses on the grace of God for forgiveness, and does not believe that anything a person has done can lead to salvation as a reward. Hillsong churches believe that Gods forgiveness is a revelation of His benevolence and it is a gift.

Question 4

Free churches

Answer 4

Free churches such as baptist churches teach that God is directly accessible by all believers. They do not believe that priests are necessary to intercede between humans and God in any way, unlike the Catholic Churches where priests do fulfill this role. The free church emphasis is on the personal and accessible nature of God. This relationship they believe is exhibited in Jesus’ teaching for example when he teaches the disciples to pray using the phrase ‘abba’ to speak to God.