Elder in Charge               : Eld Mark Mugisha

BELIEFS (continued from last Sabbath)

6. Creation:

God is Creator of all things, and has revealed
in Scripture the authentic account of His
creative activity. In six days the Lord made
"the heaven and the earth" and all living things
upon the earth, and rested on the seventh day
of that first week. Thus He established the
Sabbath as a perpetual memorial of His
completed creative work. The first man and
woman were made in the image of God as the
crowning work of Creation, given dominion
over the world, and charged with responsibility
to care for it. When the world was finished it
was ``very good,'' declaring the glory of God.
(Gen. 1; 2; Ex. 20:8-11; Ps. 19:1-6; 33:6, 9;
104; Heb. 11:3.)

7. Nature of Man:

Man and woman were made in the image of
God with individuality, the power and freedom
to think and to do. Though created free beings,
each is an indivisible unity of body, mind, and
spirit, dependent upon God for life and breath
and all else. When our first parents disobeyed
God, they denied their dependence upon Him
and fell from their high position under God.
The image of God in them was marred and
they became subject to death. Their
descendants share this fallen nature and its
consequences. They are born with weaknesses
and tendencies to evil. But God in Christ
reconciled the world to Himself and by His
Spirit restores in penitent mortals the image of
their Maker. Created for the glory of God, they
are called to love Him and one another, and to
care for their environment. (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:7;
Ps. 8:4-8; Acts 17:24-28; Gen. 3; Ps. 51:5;
Rom. 5:12-17; 2 Cor. 5:19, 20; Ps. 51:10; 1
John 4:7, 8, 11, 20; Gen. 2:15.)
To be continued next Sabbath.