What We Believe
1. THE DIETY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Scriptures declare:
a. He was born of a virgin (Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:31, 35);
b. He lived a sinless life (Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22);
c. He performed miracles (Acts 2:22; 10:38);
d. His death on the cross served as a substitutionary atonement for all humanity (1 Corinthians 15:3);
e. He was bodily resurrected from the dead (Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:39; 1 Cor. 15:4.
f. He appeared, after the crucifixion and resurrection, to various believers
(1 Corinthians 15:3-8; Matthew 28:9-10, 16.; Mark 16:9- 20; Luke 4:13; John 20:11-21, 25);
g. He has been exalted to the right hand of God (Acts 1:9, 11; 2:33;
Phil. 2:9-11; Heb. 1-3).
2. THE CHURCH AND IT’S MISSION
The Church is the body of Christ, which God inhabits through the Spirit. The Church has received a divine mandate to fulfill the great commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is a necessary part of the Church, as his/her name is written in heaven (Eph. 1:22, 23; 2:22; Heb. 12:23).
3. THE MINISTRY
A scripturally-called and divinely commissioned ministry has been provided by our Lord for the threefold reason of leading the Church in 1) evangelization and the discipleship of the world (Mark 16:15-20); 2) worship of God (John 4:23, 24); and 3) building a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son (Ephesians 4: 11, 16), through the work of the five-fold ministry gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher.
4. SCRIPTURE INSPIRED
The Scriptures, which include the Old and New Testaments, are inspired by God. The Scriptures reveal God to humanity. The Scriptures are without error, and they serve as the authoritative rule of faith and conduct for humanity (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21).
5. THE ONE TRUE GOD
The one true God has revealed Himself as self-sufficient and existing for all eternity--past, present, and future. He revealed Himself as the Creator of heaven and earth and as the Redeemer of humanity. The One True God exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All three persons are coequal to each other and unified with each other yet have different functions (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10-11; Matthew 28:19; Luke 3:22).
The Lord Jesus Christ, with respect to divine and eternal nature, is the only Begotten of the Father, but with respect to His human nature, is the Son of Man. He is both God and man, illustrated by the name Immanuel, "God with us" (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23; 1 John 4:2, 10, 14; Revelation 1:13, 17). This name Immanuel illustrates Jesus' successful bridging of eternity with time as the Son of God and the Son of Man in one body (Matthew 1:21-23; 2 John 3, 9; 1 John 2:22-23; 3:8; 4:1-5; Hebrews 1:1-13; 7:3; 12:2; John 1:1-2, 14, 18, 29, 49).
The Lord Jesus Christ, as God and man, having by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Father, the majestic God Most High; having been made Lord and Christ over angels, principalities and powers, He sent the Holy Spirit that we, in the name of Jesus, might bow our knees and confess with our mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father; thus we are to honor the Son as we would the Father (Hebrews 1:3; 1 Peter 3:22; Acts 2:32-36; Romans 14:11; 1 Corinthians 12:24-28).
6. THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is the divine, eternal Spirit of God. He inspired holy men to write the Scriptures which are completely without error. Through illumination He enables men to understand the person and work of God in Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to salvation in Christ, and brings about the new birth experience. At the moment of salvation He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and gives spiritual gifts to the Church by which they serve God. He seals the believer through faith in Christ unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the mature image of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the Christian and the church in worship, evangelism, and service (Gen. 1:2; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 2:10-14; 12:3-11, 13; and Eph. 4:11-16).
7. THE FALL OF HUMANITY
Although Adam and Eve were created good and upright in God's image and likeness, they voluntarily transgressed. This fall produced within them both physical death and spiritual death, which includes separation from God (Genesis 1-3; Romans 5:12-19).
8. THE SALVATION OF HUMANITY
Jesus Christ's shed blood is the only hope humanity has for redemption.
a. Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The hope of eternal life is granted to those washed through regeneration and renewed by the Holy Spirit so that they are justified by grace through faith, and as a result, become heirs of God (Luke 24:47; John 3:3; Romans 10:13-15; Ephesians 2:8; Titus 2:11; 3:5-7).
b. The Spirit directly witnesses to an inward evidence of salvation (Romans 8:16). The outward evidence of salvation to all men is a life of holiness (Ephesians 4:24; Titus 2:12) and an outward manifestation of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).
9. THE ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH
a. Baptism in water. Baptism by immersion is commanded in the Scriptures. All who repent and believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. Thus, they declare to the world that they have died with Jesus Christ and that they also have been resurrected with Him to a new life (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 10:47-48; Romans 6:4)
b. Holy Communion. The Lord's Supper, consisting of the elements--bread and fruit of the vine--symbolizes the expression of our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:4), yet at the same time demonstrates a spiritual reality of belonging to the Body of Christ. The Lord's Supper memorializes His suffering and death (1 Corinthians 11:26); prophesies of His second coming (1 Corinthians 11:26); and is commanded for all believers "till He comes!" (Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:14-23).
10. SANCTIFICATION
Sanctification is an act of separation to God and from evil (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 13:12). Holiness is an essential teaching of the Scriptures, which we are able to obey through the power of the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 12:14).
Sanctification is realized in believers as they recognize and reckon by faith their identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by submitting to the Lordship of Christ and the rule of the Holy Spirit (Romans 6:1-11, 13; 8:1-2, 13; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 2:12-13; 1 Peter 1:5).
11. THE BLESSED HOPE
The resurrection of those who have died in Christ and their transformation together with those who are alive and remain in Christ upon the coming of the Lord is the blessed hope of the Church. Jesus will return after the gospel has been preached to all nations (Matthew 24:14; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-5:10; 16-17; Romans 8:23; Titus 2:13; 2 Thessalonians 2; 1 Corinthians 15:52; Revelation 10:1-4; 14:14-21; 19-21; Mark 13:27; Luke 21:27; Zephaniah 1:14 - 2:3 (and other minor prophets); Daniel 9, 12.
12. THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF JESUS CHRIST
The Second Coming includes Christ's visible return to rule on earth during a thousand years of peace (Micah 4:3-4; Revelation 20:1-6). This millennial reign will be initiated with the Day of the Lord, or His Second Coming--where all of God's enemies are defeated (Revelation 19:1 - 20:6).
13. THE FINAL JUDGMENT
Saints and sinners will be judged. If a person's name is not found in the Book of Life, that person will be punished eternally with the devil and his servants in the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20; 20:11-15).
14. THE NEW HEAVENS AND THE NEW EARTH
New heavens and a new earth will be for believers (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21; Isaiah 65:17-19).