Statement of Faith
I. Bible
We believe in the full inspiration and inerrancy of the Old and New Testaments. The Bible alone, and in its entirety, is the Word of God written, and is without error in its original manuscripts. What the Bible says, God says; therefore, it is our only standard for faith and practice.
2 Tim. 3:15-17, 2 Peter 1:19-21, John 8:31-32
II. God
We believe in the one triune God who is revealed in the Bible. He exists eternally in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Who are of one substance and equal in power and glory. He is the Creator, Redeemer and Sovereign Ruler of the Universe, and is perfectly holy, just and loving.
Deut 6:4, John 1:1, Acts 5:3, Isaiah 40, Acts17:16ff, Psalm 139, Exodus 34:6-7
III. Man
We believe that man was created in the image of God. Through disobedience mankind is separated from God, and without God he is without hope. Man's salvation is the total work of God's grace. To all who believe in their hearts and confess that Jesus Christ is their Savior and Lord, He solemnly bonds Himself to bring them from the state of separation and sin to the state of reconciliation and glory.
Eph. 2:1-10, Rom. 3:23, Rom. 6:23, Rom. 5-8, Rom. 10:9-10
IV. Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the eternal, only begotten Son of God the Father. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He is true God and true man, and is the only Mediator between God and man. To affect salvation, He lived a sinless life and died on the cross as sinful man's substitute, shedding His blood for the remission of sins. On the third day, having triumphed over sin, death and Satan, He rose from the dead, glorified, in the body which had been buried. He ascended to the right hand of the Father where He reigns now, over the whole universe, as King of kings and Lord of lords. He shall come again to earth to consummate His saving work and to judge all men.
Col. 1:13-20, Luke1:30ff, Col. 2:9, Phil. 2:5-11, Eph. 1, John 1:1-18, Col. 2:15, I Cor. 15, Heb. 9:27-28
V. The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit came forth from the Father and the Son. His ministry on the earth is to convince men of the reality of sin, righteousness, and judgment; to make alive ("regeneration") those who were formerly dead in trespasses and sins; to indwell, assure, cleanse, teach, comfort, strengthen, and guide those who have committed their lives to Christ's Lordship; to express the character of Christ through Christian people by producing, with their cooperation, the fruit of the Spirit in their lives; and to express the power of Christ through Christian people by entrusting them, through no merit of their own, with His supernatural gifts. It is the explicit will of Christ Himself that believers should be baptized in the Holy Spirit.
John 14:16-17, John 15:26, John 16:7-15, Eph. 2:1-5, Titus 3:5-7, Gal. 5:22-25, Eph. 1:13-14, Eph. 5:18 Acts 4:31, I Cor. 12, Acts 8:15-10, Acts 8:44-48, Acts 19:1-6, John 1:33, Acts 1:4-5, Acts 2:38-39
VI. Salvation
Man, through no merit of his own but by the free grace of God, receives the forgiveness of his sins, becomes a new creature in Christ, and receives eternal life when (1) he repents, i.e. turns from his independence and self-determinism, takes responsibility for his disobedience to God, and by an act of his free will seeks forgiveness from God and submits his whole being to the government of Jesus Christ; and (2) he wholeheartedly believes in the redemptive work of Christ, which was accomplished on the cross and verified in the resurrection, as a work done for him personally.
Rom. 10:9-10, 2 Cor. 5:10-21, Eph. 2:4-10, Eph. 1:3-14, Acts 2:37-39, John 3:3-16
Having turned to God in penitent faith in the Lord Jesus, a believer is accountable to God for living a life separated from sin and characterized by the fruit of the Holy Spirit. It is his responsibility to grow in grace, edify the Body of Christ, and contribute by word and deed to the universal spread of the Gospel.
Titus 2:11-14, 2 Peter 3:18, Gal. 5:13, Gal. 5:22-25, 2 Peter 1:5-11
VII. The Church
We believe in the Universal Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is comprised of every individual from every age who has been, or ever will be, born again into Christ. We also believe in local churches, which are comprised of bodies of baptized believers in specific geographic areas who have been led by the Spirit to bind themselves together to live under the Lordship of Christ. Since the Church is one, as God is One, local churches should seek to walk in harmony with the Church Universal.
Heb. 12:1-2, I Cor. 12:12-27, Eph. 2:11-22, Eph. 4:1-16, I Tim. 3:15, Matt. 16:18-19, Acts 2:41ff, Eph. 1:22-23
VIII. Christ's Return and Final Judgment
We believe that at some time in the future Jesus Christ will personally and visibly return to earth to gather His Church, to complete the establishment of His Kingdom on earth, and to judge all men. We believe Christians should expectantly look for His appearing, giving full attention to obedience until He comes. We believe that at the end of the age all who have died will be resurrected. The righteous in Christ shall enter into full possession of eternal life in the presence of God; and those outside of Christ shall be condemned to eternal death.
2 Peter 3:3-14, 1 Thes. 4:11-18, 2 Thes. 1:6-10, 2 Peter 3:3-14, John 5:25-29, Rev. 20:11ff, 1 Cor. 3:13ff, 2 Cor. 5:10
Complete Statement of Faith in PDF Format