We believe God is the sovereign creator and ruler of the
universe. He exists eternally in three persons: Father,
Son and Holy Spirit. God, as Father, reigns over all of
His universe with providential care. He is all-powerful,
all-loving, all-knowing, and all-wise. He is fatherly in
attitude toward all men but is Father, indeed, to those
who have become children of God through Jesus Christ, who
will deliver them into the Father's hands. (Genesis 1:1;
1 Chronicles 29:10; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 6:9; Acts 1:7;
Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 15:24;
Ephesians 4:6)
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the only Savior and Lord
of mankind. Apart from Him there is no salvation. We believe
that the Lord Jesus Christ became man without ceasing to
be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born
of a virgin, in order that He might reveal God and redeem
sinful man. This redemption He accomplished by voluntarily
giving Himself as a sinless, substitutionary sacrifice on
the cross, thereby satisfying God's righteous judgment against
sin. After substantiating the accomplishment of that redemption
and justification by His bodily resurrection from the grave,
He ascended to the right hand of His Father, where He intercedes
on behalf of those who trust Him. (Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1,
2, 14, 18; Romans 3:24-26, 8:34)
The Holy spirit is the initiator and enabler for the Christian
life. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Person
who convicts the world of sin (righteousness and judgment),
that He alone brings new life to those who are spiritually
dead; that He baptizes (or places) all believers into the
one true Church, which is the Body of Christ; that He indwells
them permanently, seals them unto the day of final redemption,
bestows spiritual gifts upon them, fills (controls) those
who are yielding to Him. Every believer is called to life
so in the power of the indwelling Spirit that he will not
fulfill the lust of the flesh but will bear fruit to the
glory of God. (John 3:3-8; 14:16-17; 16:7-11; 1 Corinthians
12:7-11, 13; Ephesians 4:30; 5:18)
We believe the Bible is the authoritative Word of God,
the only rule of faith and practice, providentially preserved
without error. That "all Scripture is given by inspiration
of God." (2 Timothy 3:16) We understand this to mean
that the whole Bible is inspired in that holy men of God
"were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21)
to write the very words of Scripture. We believe that this
divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts
of Scripture as it appeared in the original manuscripts.
We believe that the whole Bible in the originals is therefore
without error. We believe that all the Scriptures center
about the Lord Jesus Christ in His person and work, in His
first and second coming, and hence that no portion, even
of the Old Testament, is properly read or understood until
it leads to Him. We also believe that all Scripture was
designed for our practical instruction. (Luke 24:27, 44;
John 5:39; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11; 2 Timothy 3:16)
Man is a sinner; therefore alienated from God, and under
His wrath and curse. Although man was created in the image
of God, he fell into sin and is lost. This is true of all
men, and except a man be born again by the Holy Spirit,
he cannot see the kingdom of God. (Genesis 1:26-27; John
3:3; Romans 3:10, 23)
Salvation is by God’s grace, freely given through
faith, and not earned by any merit of man. It cannot be
gained or made more secure by meritorious works, but is
freely bestowed upon all who put their faith in the finished
work of Jesus Christ. All who so trust the Savior are forgiven
of their sins and born into the family of God by the regenerating
work of the Holy Spirit. (John 1:12; Acts 16:30-33; Romans
10:9-10; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-9)
The Ten Commandments are the summary of man’s duty
to God and to his fellow man (Matthew 22:37-40).
