| Love: Love
is the greatest (I Cor 13:13)! We are called to love God, one another, and
others (Mt 22:37-39, Jn 15:12). We love because He loved us first, and we
can be channels of His love (1 Jn 4:19, II Cor 5:20). Jesus loved people
where he found them, and we can do the same, bringing Jesus to people and
people to Jesus. We seek to do everything in love (I Cor 16:14), and if
we do this we are successful. If we cannot do something in love, there is
not much point in doing it at all (I Cor 13:1-3).
Light: We
live in the light with one another, in openness and honesty (1 Jn 1:5-9).
This means that we don't lie about our sins or needs (1 Jn 1:10), we don't
hide ourselves from one another in fear (Gen 3:10), we don't hoard knowledge
or power (II Kings 7:8,9), and we don't hold back our gifts (Mt 5:14-16).
When an issue needs to be addressed, we speak directly to the person concerned
(Mt 5:23-25) and we continue to pursue resolution (Mt 18:15-17) as far as
possible (Rom 12:18).
Liberty: We
allow people to be themselves (Gal 5:1). We value diversity (1 Cor 12:21).
We welcome change. We allow people to make their own choices (Philemon 14)
and we do not bully people, either aggressively or subtly, to make them
do what we want (3 John 9,10). We only forbid what God forbids (Luke 11:46)
but we recognise that freedom must be regulated by order and self-control
for the common good (Gal 5:13). We accept the bible as the final authority
for teaching or testing any doctrine or practice (II Tim 3:16).
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