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Statement of faith

Scripture
The Holy Bible was written by men inspired by God and is the record of God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, and therefore it is wholly without error. It reveals the depths of God’s love and the principles by which God judges us; therefore it is and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried. It is sufficient as our only infallible rule of faith and practice.  It is our ultimate source of truth for living and practice.
   

1 Cor. 2:7-14  |  2 Peter 1:20-21  |  1 Cor. 2:13  |  1 Thess. 2:13  |  2 Tim. 3:16-17  |  Matt. 5:18  |  Matt. 24:35  |  John 10:35  |  Heb. 4:12  |  Ps. 119:89

 

God

There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.
 

Deut. 6:4, Is. 45:5-7, 1 Cor. 8:4, Matt. 28:19, 2 Cor. 13:14, 1 Tim. 2:4,

 

God The Father

God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all-powerful, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become His children through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men.
 

       Ps. 145:8-9, 1 Cor. 8:6, Gen. 1:1-31, Eph. 4:6, John 1:12, Rom. 8:15, Gal. 4:5, Heb. 12:5-9

Jesus, God The Son

Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ, He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself human nature with its demands and necessities, and identifying Himself completely with mankind, yet without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body, and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, fully God, fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission as King of King and Lord of Lords. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.
 

John 10:30, John 14:9, John 1:3, Col. 1:15-17, Heb. 1:2, Phil. 2:5-8, 1 Tim. 2:5

 

God the Holy Spirit 

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination, He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He is active in the world.  He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Savior and effects regeneration. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the assurance of God to bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

 

1 Cor. 2:10-13, Eph. 4:30, Matt. 28:19, Acts 5:3-4, Acts 28:25-26, 1 Cor. 12:1-6, Heb. 10:14-15, John 16:7-14

 

Humanity 
Mankind was created by God in His own image. Man disobeyed God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan, man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence; whereby all men inherited a sin nature. Only the grace of God can bring a man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God. Because mankind was created in the image of God, every man possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.

 

Gen. 2:7, James 3:9, John 3:36, Rom. 3:23, Rom. 6:23, 1 Cor. 2:14, Eph. 2:1-3, 1 Jn 1:8
 

The Gospel
We believe that the gospel is the good news of Jesus Christ - God's very wisdom.  Utter folly to the world, even though it is the power of God to those who are being saved, this good news is Christological, centering on the cross and resurrection:  the gospel is not proclaimed if the Christ is not proclaimed, and the authentic Christ has not been proclaimed if his death and resurrection are not central (the message is "Christ died for our sins...[and] was raised").  The gospel is not centered on works, efforts, rules, human tradition, rituals, or various laws, but on Christ's death and resurrection alone, as Christ bore our sin to death, arose, defeating death and sin itself, enabling us to walk out of self-enslavement and live in the liberty and freedom of grace.  

Salvation
Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense, salvation includes regeneration, repentance, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

Regeneration 
Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.

Repentance
Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the confession of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Savior.

Justification 
Justification is God's gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness, of all sinners who repent, believe, and follow in Christ. Justification brings the believer unto a relationship of peace and favor with God.

Sanctification
Sanctification is the experience, beginning in regeneration, by which the believer is set apart to God's purposes, and is enabled to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in him. Growth in grace should continue throughout the regenerate person's life.

Glorification 
Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.  This is the final process, when we sit in the heavenlies with the exalted Christ.  

 

Rom. 3:23-25, Rom. 5:8-10, John 3:16, Eph. 1:7, Rom 10:9-10,13, Matt. 1:21, John 1, John 5:24, Rom. 8, Gal. 2:20, Eph. 2:8-22, Phil. 2:13


Eternal Security  
Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity. Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by self–effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security.

 

Rom. 5:9-10, Rom. 8:28-39, Eph. 1:4-20, 2 Thess. 2:13-14, 2 Tim. 1:12, John 10:28
 

Eternity 
People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and hell are real places of eternal existence.

 

Acts 24:15, Heb. 9:27, 1 Thess. 4:13-17, Rev. 20:15, Rev. 21:8




 

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