The Word of God
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully
inspired and without error in the original manuscripts,
written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and
that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith
and conduct (2
Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Hebrews 4:12).
The Trinity
We believe that there is one living and true God,
eternally existing in three persons, that these are
equal in every divine attribute, and that they execute
distinct but complementary roles in the work of
creation, providence and redemption
(Mark 1:10-11; Romans 1:1-4).
God the Father
We believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal
spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We
believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the
affairs of people, that He hears and answers prayer, and
that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him
through Jesus Christ
(Exodus 3:13-15; John 3:16).
Jesus Christ
We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son,
conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin
birth, sinless life, miracles and teachings. We believe
in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily
resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual
intercession for His people, and personal visible return
to earth (Isaiah
53:4-5; Matthew 1:20-23; Matthew 28:6; John 14:6; Romans
1:1-4; Ephesians 2:8-9).
The Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the
Father and Son to convict the world of sin,
righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate,
sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ.
We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer
in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and
guide (John 14:15-17;
John 16:5-11; 1 Corinthians 2:15-16; 1 Corinthians
12:4-7).
Regeneration
We believe that all people are sinners by nature and by
choice and are, therefore, under condemnation. We
believe that those who repent of their sins and trust in
Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are regenerated by the
Holy Spirit. Persons who have been genuinely
regenerated ("saved" "born again") enter into a secure
life with Christ, and are called to surrender the
entirety of their persons to Him and to serve Him
(John 3:3, 5-8, 16; John
11:25; John 14:6; Romans 8:1, 38-39; Ephesians 1:13-14;
2:8-10).
The Church
We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual
body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated
persons are members. We believe in the local church,
consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ,
baptized on a credible confession of faith, and
associated for worship, work and fellowship. We believe
that God has laid upon the members of the local church
the primary task of giving the Gospel of Jesus Christ to
a lost world (Matthew
16:18; 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; Colossians 3:15-17).
The Ordinances
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two
ordinances to the local church: baptism and the Lord's
Supper. We believe that the Christian baptism is the
immersion of a believer in water into the name of the
triune God. We believe that the Lord's Supper was
instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death. We
believe that these two ordinances should be observed and
administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ
(Matthew 28:19; Mark
1:9-11; Romans 6:3-11; Ephesians 4:3-6; 1 Peter 3:21;
Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34).
The Last Things
We believe in the personal and visible return of the
Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His
kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the
final judgment, the eternal joy of presence with the
Lord for the righteous, and the tragically endless
suffering of the wicked
(Acts 1:11; 1 Corinthians
15:12-32; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
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