God is Triune

There is one God: infinite, eternal, almighty and perfect in holiness, truth and love. In the unity of the godhead, there are three Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, co-existent, co-equal, and co-eternal. The Father is not the Son and the Son is not the Holy Spirit, yet each is truly Deity. One God — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — is the foundation of Christian faith and life.

(Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; 1 Timothy 1:17; 6:15, 16; Daniel 4:34, 35; Isaiah 44:6, 8; 45:5, 21; Matthew28:19; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians. 4:4-6; John 1:1, 14; Acts 5:3, 4; Titus 1:13; Hebrews 1:8-12; Genesis 1:1; Matthew 28:18,19; John 18:5-15; John 14:26; Acts 2:33)

God the Father

God the Father is the Creator of heaven and earth. By His word and for His glory, He freely and supernaturally created the world out of nothing. Through the same word He daily sustains all His creatures. He rules over all and, together with the Son and the Spirit, is the only Sovereign God. His plans and purposes cannot be thwarted.

He is faithful to every promise, works all things together for good of those who love Him and in His unfathomable grace gave His Son Jesus Christ for mankind’s redemption. He made all things for the praise of His glory and intends for man, in particular, to live in fellowship with Himself.

(Genesis. 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; Leviticus 22:2; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Psalm 19:1-3; Isaiah 43:3; Jeremiah10:10; Matthew 6:9; 23:9; 28:19; John 4:24; 17:1-8; I Timothy. 1:17; Hebrews. 12:9; I Peter 1:17)

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is the eternal Word made flesh, supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. He is perfect in nature, teaching and obedience. He is fully God and is fully man. He was always with God and is God. (Matthew 1:18, 25; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:27-35; John 1:1)

Through Him all things came into being and were created. He was before all things and in all things hold together by the word of His power. He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born over all creation and in Him dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily. He is the only Savior for the sins of the world having shed His blood and died a vicarious death on Calvary’s cross.

By His death in our place, He revealed the divine love and upheld divine justice, removing our guilt and reconciling us to God. Having redeemed us from sin, the third day He rose bodily from the grave, victorious over death and the powers of darkness and for a period of 40 days appeared to over 500 witnesses performing many convincing proofs of His resurrection.

He ascended into heaven where, at God’s right hand, He intercedes for His people and rules as Lord over all, awaiting His return. He is the Head of His body, the church, and should be adored, loved, served and obeyed by all.

(John 1:1, 2, 14-18; Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:34, 35; Hebrews 1:2, 3, 8-12; 4:15; 7:26; Colossians 1:15-19; 2:9; 1 John 2:2; 4:14; John 3:16; Isaiah 53:3-6; Matthew20:28; 1 Peter 4:18; Romans 3:23-26; Hebrews 7:26, 27; 10:5-12; Matthew 28:1-6; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-29; Acts 1:3, 8-11; 2 Timothy 2:8; 1 Corinthians15:1-11; Hebrews 2:14, 15; Revelation1:17, 18; Romans5:6-11; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:23-25; Ephesians 1:19-23; Colossians 1:15-20; Revelation 5:1-14; 1 Corinthians1:22; John 14:21, 23, 24)

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, convicts the world of sin, righteousness judgment. Through the proclamation of the gospel, He persuades men to repent of their sins and confess Jesus as Lord. By the same Spirit a person is led to trust in divine mercy.

The Holy Spirit unites believers to Jesus Christ in faith, brings about the new birth and dwells within the regenerate. The Holy Spirit has come to glorify the Son who in turn came to glorify the Father. He will lead the church into a right understanding and rich application of the truth of God’s Word. He is to be respected, honored and worshipped as God the Third Person of the Trinity.

(Genesis 1:2; Romans 1:3; 8:2, 6; John 16:7-11; 1 Corinthians 2:8-13; 12:3; Ephesians 3:16-19; John 3:5-8; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:2; John 16:13-15; 14:17, 25, 26; Acts 5:3, 4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Matt. 28:19; Gal. 5:16-25; Ephesians1:13, 14)

The Scriptures

We accept the Bible, including the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament, as the written Word of God.

The Bible is an essential and infallible record of God’s self-disclosure to mankind. It leads us to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Being given by God, the Scriptures are both fully and verbally inspired by God. Therefore, as originally given, the Bible is free of error in all it teaches.

Each book is to be interpreted according to its context and purpose and in reverent obedience to the Lord who speaks through it in living power. All believers are exhorted to study the Scriptures and diligently apply them to their lives.

The Scriptures are the authoritative and normative rule and guide of all Christian life, practice and doctrine. They are totally sufficient and must not be added to, superseded or changed by later tradition, extra-biblical revelation or worldly wisdom.

Every doctrinal formulation, whether of creed, confession or theology, must be put to the test of the full counsel of God in Holy Scripture.

(2 Timothy 3:14-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; Matthew 5:17, 18; John 10:34, 35; 1 Corinthians 14:37; Psalm 1:2; 19:7-11; 119:11, 89, 105, 140; Acts 17:11; James 1:18-25; 2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Peter 3:14-17; Galatians 1:8, 9.)

Man

Man was created by God in His own image, as the crown of creation, that man might have fellowship with Him. (The word "man" is here used to denote humanity and includes men, women and children.) In the beginning, man was innocent of sin. Tempted by Satan, man rebelled against God, which brought sin into the human race. Man fell from his original innocence and incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death; whereby his posterity inherits that sinful nature from Adam. Being estranged from his Maker, yet responsible to Him, He became subject to divine wrath, inwardly depraved and, apart from a special work of grace, utterly incapable of returning to God.

This depravity is radical and pervasive. It extends to his mind, will and affections. Unregenerate man lives under the dominion of sin and Satan. He is at enmity with God, hostile toward God, and hateful of God. Fallen, sinful people, whatever their character or attainments, are lost and without hope apart from salvation in Christ. Only the grace of God can regenerate man, bring him into God's holy fellowship, and enable him, through the ATONING work of the Lord Jesus Christ, to fulfill His purpose in God. The prospect of the unrepentant and unbelieving person is existence forever in conscious torment eternally separated from God, and that of the believer in Christ is everlasting joy in God's presence.

(Genesis 1:26, 27; 9:6; James 3:9; Psalm 8:3-8; Genesis2:8; 3:1-13; Romans 5:12-14; Genesis 3:23, 24; Romans5:6-14; 1 Corinthians 15:22; Genesis 6:5; Psalm 51:5; 58:3; Isaiah 53:6; John 3:3, 19, 20; 8:34; 2 Peter 2:12, 18, 19; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Philippians 3:18, 19; Romans 3:9-18; 8:7; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12; 4:17-19; Isaiah 64:6)

Satan

We believe that Satan is the instigator of evil and a real spirit being, not simply the personification of evil. He is a fallen angel who, under the sovereign permission of God, has been given temporary rulership of the earth. He was utterly defeated at the cross, but the execution of his judgment has been postponed by God until the appointed time when he will be cast into the eternal lake of fire. In the meantime, he deceives the world and seeks to establish his counterfeit kingdom on earth to discredit and blaspheme God and to tempt, accuse, attack and destroy believers. He can be resisted by the believer through faith and reliance on the power of the Holy Spirit.

(Genesis 3: 1-5; Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Job 1-2; 1 John 5:19; 2 Corinthians 11:14; 1 Timothy 3:6; 1 Peter 5:8-9; James 4:7; Revelation 12:9; 20:1-3, 7-10)

The Gospel

Jesus Christ is the gospel. The good news is revealed in His birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension. Christ’s crucifixion is the heart of the gospel, His resurrection is the power of the gospel and His ascension is the glory of the gospel.

Christ’s death is a substitutionary and propitiatory sacrifice to God for our sins. It satisfies the demands of God’s holy justice and appeases His holy wrath. It also demonstrates His mysterious love and reveals His amazing grace.

Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man. There is no other name by which men must be saved. At the heart of all sound doctrine is the cross of Jesus Christ and the infinite privilege that redeemed sinners have of glorifying God because of what He has accomplished.

Therefore, we want all that takes place in our hearts, churches and ministries to proceed from and be related to the gospel.

(Luke 2:10, 11; 2 Corinthians 4:3-6; 1 Corinthians 2:2; 15:1-4; Acts 8:32-35; John 20:30 cf. 17:2, 3; 1 Timothy1:15; 2:16; Luke 24:45-47; Romans 1:1-4; 3:21-26; 5:15-21; 6:1-4; Acts 1:6-11; 1 John 2:2; 3:9, 10; Philippians2:5-11; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:5, 6, 10; Ephesians 1:3-14)

Mans Response to the Gospel

The proper response to the gospel is belief and faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ, a faith that is naturally accompanied by repentance from sin. Biblical repentance is characterized by a changed life, the fruit of the Spirit, repentance, and good works. While neither repentance nor works can save anyone, they serve as evidence that one is willing to deny himself, pick up his cross and follow Christ.

(Matthew 16:24-26; Acts 3:19; Mark 1:15; Romans 10:9-11; James 2:14-26)

Mans Inheritance Through the Gospel

Salvation, the free gift of God, is provided by grace alone, through faith alone, because of Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. Anyone turning from sin in repentance and looking to Christ and His substitutionary death receives the gift of eternal life and is declared righteous by God as a free gift.

The righteousness of Christ is imputed to him. He is justified and fully accepted by God. Through Christ’s atonement for sin an individual is reconciled to God as Father and becomes His child. The believer is forgiven the debt of his sin and, via the miracle of regeneration, liberated from the law of sin and death into the freedom of God’s Spirit.

A.) Regeneration, or the new birth, is an instantaneous 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, only by God's enabling grace, in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

B.) Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace. Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. It is characterized by a godly sorrow leading to a changed life, and saving faith is evidenced by kingdom service or works. While neither repentance nor works save, unless a person is willing to deny himself, pick up his cross, and follow Christ, he cannot become his disciple. Faith itself is a gift of God that enables man to repent and respond positively to the grace lavished upon him with a heart of worship and adoration. Faith evokes a commitment of one's entire personality and life to Jesus as Lord and Savior. (Ephesians 1:3-6; Romans8:28-30; 9:10-24; 2 Thessalonians 2:13, 14; 1 Corinthians 1:26-29; Luke 24:46, 47; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 5:31; 16:31; 20:20, 21; 26:17, 18; Romans 3:26-28; 4:4-8; 5:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Galatians 5:6; James 2:14-26; Luke 9:23-29.)

C.) Justification is God's gracious and full acquittal of all who repent and trust in Jesus Christ, whereby He declares them righteous in His sight. In justification, a series of imputations take place. To impute is to think of something as belonging to someone else in such a way that it actually does. In the same way that Adam’s sin was imputed to man, the believer’s sin is imputed to Christ on the cross (2 Corinthians5:21) and thus the guilt of his sin removed. Furthermore, the righteousness of Christ is imputedto the believer in this exchange, thus providing the holy perfection required by God for acceptance. justification is a legal exchange which brings the believer into a right relationship with God. Justification is always the gracious act of God toward the believer, received by faith alone, and not as a result of good works.

Justification, which is not progressive, is the starting point and foundation of a life of progressively becoming more and more holy (sanctification).

(Ephesians 2:8, 9; Romans 3:27, 28; Titus 3:4, 5; Galatians 3:10-14; John 3:13-18; Romans 4:4; 5:10, 11, 18-21; 6:23; 8:3, 4; 2 Corinthians 5:20, 21; Philippians 3:8, 9; 1 Cor. 1:30; Ephesians 1:5-7; Galatians 4:4-7; Romans 8:1-8, 14-17; 1 John 1:9; Hebrews 9:14; 10:12-18; Colossians 2:13, 14; John 3:3-8; Titus 3:5.)

D.) Sanctification is the experience, beginning in REGENERATION, by which the believer is set apart from evil and unto God's purposes, his spirit witnessing with the Holy Spirit that he is a son of God. The outward evidence to all men of sanctification is a life of righteousness, true holiness, good works, and fruit of the Holy Spirit. A man born of the Spirit will no longer live a life of habitual sin, will love the brethren, and will have power to overcome the world. All believers are exhorted to persevere in the faith knowing they will have to give an account to God for their every thought, word and deed. The spiritual disciplines, especially Bible study, prayer, worship and confession, are a vital means of grace in this regard. Nevertheless, the believer's ultimate confidence to persevere is based in the sure promise of God to preserve His people until the end which is most certain.

(Romans 6:1-14; 8:1-16; Galatians 5:16-25; 1 Peter 1:2; Rom. 12:1, 2; Ephesians 4:20-24; Colossians 3:1, 2; Romans 8:29; Ephesians 5:1, 2, 18; 2 Peter 1:3-11; 3:18; 1 John 5:3; Phil. 2:14, 15; Matthew 5:16; 1 Peter 2:11, 12; Titus 2:1-14; Matthew 24:13; Hebrews 2:1; 4:11; Romans 5:3; James 1:12; 5:10, 11; Luke 8:15; Acts 14:22; 2 Timothy 3:10-15; Philippians3:12-16; Matthew 12:33-37; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 4:1-5; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Hebrews 4:12, 13; Acts 17:11; Psalm 1; 19; Colossians 3:16; Luke 18:1-8; 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Ephesians 6:18; Matthew 6:9-13; Acts 2:46, 47; Ephesians 5:18-20; Colossians 3:16, 17; James 5:15, 16; Jude 1:1, 20-24; John 10:27-29; Jeremiah 32:38-41; 1 Peter 5:10, 11; Hebrews 13:20, 21; Philippians 2:12, 13; 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 24.)

E.) Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed. "Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we shall be. We know that, when He appears, we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him just as He is." (1 John 3:2)

(Genesis 3:15; Matthew 1:21, 4:17, 16:21-26, 27:22 - 28:6; John 1:11-14, 3:3-21, 5:24, 10:9-29, 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 15:11, 16:30, 31; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4, 3:23-25; 5:8-1O, 6:1-23; 10:9-13; 1 Corinthians 1:18·; 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-22; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-22.)

Sanctification

The Holy Spirit is the active agent in our sanctification and seeks to produce His fruit in us as our minds are renewed and we are conformed to the image of Christ. Though indwelling sin remains a reality, as we are led by the Spirit, we grow in the knowledge of the Lord, freely keeping His commandments and endeavoring to so live in the world that all people may see our good works and glorify our Father who is in heaven.

All believers are exhorted to persevere in the faith knowing they will have to give an account to God for their every thought, word and deed. The spiritual disciplines, especially Bible study, prayer, worship and confession, are a vital means of grace in this regard.

Nevertheless, the believer’s ultimate confidence to persevere is based in the sure promise of God to preserve His people until the end, which is most certain.

(1 Peter 1:2; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 1:3-4)

Empowered by the Spirit

The Holy Spirit also empowers believers for Christian witness and service. While all genuine believers are in-dwelt by the Holy Spirit at conversion, the New Testament indicates the importance of an ongoing, empowering work of the Spirit subsequent to conversion as well. Being indwelt by the Spirit and being filled with the Spirit are theologically distinct experiences. The Holy Spirit desires to fill each believer continually with increased power for Christian life and witness, and believers should seek this filling as a regular and recognizable blessing for the Christian life. "As each one (i.e., every born again Christian) has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God" (John 16:5-15; Acts 1:4, 8; I Corinthians 12:1-31; 2 Peter 1:3).

Scripture instructs us to not be uninformed concerning spiritual gifts (1Corinthians 12:1) by teaching each believer of their reality for today, their purpose, and how the gifts are to be used in love for the edification of His people (1 Corinthians 12:31; 14:1).

In addition, the scriptures encourage us to live a surrendered life to the Lord's will and the Spirit's power. Because the Holy Spirit is He who manifests gifts for His purposes, He may sovereignly manifest any one or more gifts of the Spirit at any particular time in and through the life of any believer. We do believe that the canon of Scripture is complete and closed. Therefore, the gift of prophecy in the New Testament church is not equal to the Old Testament prophecy or to New Testament Apostleship (both of which involve speaking God’s actual, authoritative words.) New Testament prophecy is using human words to speak things that God spontaneously brings to mind in the context of the gathered church. It is therefore imperfect, should be “weighed” by those present, and rejected if unbiblical.

All words of prophecy are to be tested against Scripture, which is the only final and absolute authority in a believer’s life. We also affirm that prayer for the sick and anointing with oil are taught in Scripture and are privileges for the Church in this present age. Further, we believe that the gifts of the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, faith, healing, effecting of miracles, distinguishing of spirits, prophecy, tongues, interpretation of tongues, helps, administration, service, exhortation, giving, and mercy still function in the church today. The normal Christian life for every believer is to walk in the Spirit, understand what his/her gift(s) are, and in obedience to God and under the authority of elders use them for His glory and the common good of the brethren.

The gifts are essential in the mission of the Church in the world today and should be earnestly desired and practiced in an orderly manner.

The Church

God by His Word and Spirit creates the church, calling sinful men and women out of the whole human race into the fellowship of Christ’s body. By the same Word and Spirit, He guides and preserves that new redeemed humanity.

The church is not a religious institution or denomination. Rather, the church universal is made up of those who have become genuine followers of Jesus Christ and have personally appropriated the gospel.

The church exists to worship and glorify God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It also exists to serve Him by faithfully doing His will on the Earth. This involves a commitment to see the gospel preached and churches planted in the entire world for a testimony.

The ultimate mission of the church is the worship of God and the ministry of reconciliation. The means by which this is accomplished is the making of disciples through the preaching and embracing of the gospel. When God transforms human nature, this then becomes the chief means of society’s transformation.

Upon conversion, newly redeemed men and women are added to a local church in which they devote themselves to teaching, fellowship, the Lord’s Supper and prayer.

(Matthew 16:18; 28:19, 20; Acts 2:40-47; 13:1-3; 14:27; 15:41; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Galatians 1:2; Colossians 4:16; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 1 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:8-13; 2 Timothy 2:2; 4:5; Hebrews 3:12, 13; 10:23-25; 1 Corinthians 14:31-35; 1 Timothy 2:8; Acts 20:28-31; 1 Peter 5:1-5; Hebrews 13:7, 17; 1 Thessalonians 5:12-14; 1 Peter 4:10, 11; Romans 12:3-13.)

Marriage

Our beliefs about marriage and sexuality – as with all topics – are based on Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16). God created human beings in his image, male and female (Genesis 1:26). We all have sinned and fallen short of God’s standards in one way or another (Romans 3:23). Yet His forgiveness, grace, and mercy extend to each of us who turn from our sin and ask for it (Ephesians 2:4-5).

Marriage is a picture of Christ’s relationship with His Bride – the Church (Ephesians 5:22-23). It is defined from the beginning of Scripture as a lifelong commitment between a man and a woman (Genesis 2:24) and reaffirmed by Jesus as God’s exclusive design for sexual expression (Matthew 19:4-5).

God designed sexual intimacy for the marriage relationship between a husband and wife and does not endorse or condone it in any other context. Consequently, any sexual expression outside of heterosexual marriage is prohibited by Scripture (1 Thessalonians 4:3-5).

Ordinances of the Church

Water baptism is only intended for the individual who has received the saving benefits of Christ’s atoning work and His disciple. Therefore, in obedience to Christ’s command and as a testimony to God, the church, oneself and the world, a believer should be immersed in water in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Water baptism is a visual and symbolic demonstration of a person’s union with Christ in the likeness of His death and resurrection. It signifies that his former way of life has been put to death and vividly depicts a person’s release from the mastery of sin.

As with water baptism, the Lord’s Supper is to be observed only by those who have become genuine followers of Christ. This ordinance symbolizes the breaking of Christ’s body and the shedding of His blood on our behalf and is to be observed repeatedly throughout the Christian life as a sign of continued participation in the atoning benefits of Christ’s death.

As we partake of the Lord’s Supper with an attitude of faith and self-examination, we remember and proclaim the death of Christ, receive spiritual nourishment for our souls, and signify our unity with other members of Christ’s body.

The Consummation

The bodily resurrection of those who have died in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the Church. While we acknowledge many different end-time interpretations of Scripture, we confess that God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting and conscious punishment. The righteous, in their resurrected and glorified bodies, will receive their reward and will dwell in inexpressible joy forever with the Lord.

We are (1) to love His appearing and look with anticipation for His return. (Titus 2:13) Also, (2) "We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwells righteousness." (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21,22) We acknowledge that if Christ himself said that no man knows the day or the hour of His appearing, we are not wiser than Christ himself (Matthew 24:36), and (3) we humbly agree that we are to keep our lamps trimmed (be spiritually prepared in our own consecration to Jesus Christ) in readiness for His imminent return (Matthew25:1-13).

(Matthew 16:27; 18:8-9; 24:27-44; 26:64; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 3; 17:22-17; 21:27-28; John 15:24-28; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Phil 3:20-21; Col. 1:5; 3:4; I Thessalonians 4:14-18; 5:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7; 1 John 2:28; Jude 14; Revelation 3:11; 20:1 to 22:13)