THE TRIUNE GOD
There is one living and true God: infinite, eternal, almighty, and perfect in holiness, truth, and love. In the unity of the godhead there are three co-existent, co-equal and co-eternal persons - God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6.4, Psalm 90.2, Matthew 28.19)
GOD, THE FATHER
God the Father is the Creator of all. By his word and for his glory, he freely and supernaturally created the world from nothing. Through the same Word of his power he sustains all creatures. He sovereignly rules over all and His plans and purposes cannot be thwarted. He is faithful to every promise, wisely and powerfully working all things together for good to those who love him, and in his unfathomable grace gave his Son Jesus Christ for mankind’s redemption. He made man for fellowship with himself and intended that all creation should be to the praise of his glory. (Genesis 1:1, Numbers 23:19, Psalm 115:3; 135:6, Isaiah 43:7; 46:8-11, Daniel 4:35, Romans 8:28, Ephesians 1, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Hebrews 11:3)
GOD, THE SON (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 fully God and fully man. He was always with God and is God. Through him all things came into being and were created. He was before all things, and in him all things hold together by the word of his power. He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born of 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 sacrificial death on a cross. By his death in our place, he revealed the divine love and upheld divine justice, removing our guilt and reconciling us to God. On the third day he rose from the grave, victorious over death and sin. For a period of forty days he appeared to over five hundred witnesses, performing many convincing proofs of his resurrection. He then ascended into heaven where, at God’s right hand, he intercedes for his Church and rules as Lord over all. He is the Head of his body, the Church. (Luke 1:31-35, John 1:1-3; 3.16, Acts 2:32-33; 4.12, Romans 8:34, 1 Corinthians 15, Colossians 1:15-20; 2:15, 1 Timothy 2:5)
GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is fully God, equal with the Father and Son. His ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, to seal the work of salvation, and to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. Through the proclamation of the gospel He draws men to repentance of their sins and confession of Jesus Christ 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 takes up residence in every Christian. He leads the Church into a right understanding and rich application of the truth of God’s Word. The Holy Spirit equips and empowers all believers through spiritual gifts for Gospel ministry and the building up of the Church. These gifts are divine provisions necessary to spiritual growth and effective ministry, and they are to be faithfully developed, and selflessly exercised. (Genesis 2:7, Psalm 104:30, John 3:5-8; 16:7-8, Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 2:11; 12-14, Galatians 5:22, 1 Thessalonians 5:19, 1 Timothy 4:14, 2 Timothy 1:6-7, Titus 3:5-6, 1 John 4:1-6)
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 the only essential and infallible record of God’s self-revelation, and leads us to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. Because Scripture has been given by God, it is all inspired (“breathed out”) by him. As originally given, in the original autographs, 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 Scripture and diligently apply its truth to their lives. God’s Word is the only authoritative and normative rule and guide of all Christian life, practice, and doctrine. It is totally sufficient and must not be added to, superseded, or changed by later tradition, extra-biblical revelation, or worldly wisdom. (Deuteronomy 29:29, Acts 17:11, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, James 1:22, 2 Peter 1:16-21, Revelation 22:18-19)
MANKIND
God made mankind, male and female, in His own image, as the crown of His creation, that man would worship God and have fellowship with Him forever. Tempted by Satan, mankind voluntarily rebelled against God and disobeyed. Estranged from his Maker yet responsible to Him, mankind became subject to divine wrath. Inwardly depraved and a held captive to the power of sin, mankind is incapable of returning to God apart from a special work of saving grace. Despite the effect of the curse, every person still bears the image of God (imago dei) and is therefore an object of His love and worthy of dignity and respect. (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:25; 3:1-24; 6:5, Psalm 51:5, Mark 7:20-23, Romans 3:10-23; 5:8-21, Ephesians 2:1-3)
THE GOSPEL
The truth that God saves sinners is The Gospel, or The Good News. This Good News is in response to the bad news that we are incapable of living according to God’s moral standard. God demands what he deserves - perfect obedience from the heart. This means that, as sinners by nature, we are condemned already. However, God graciously reconciles us to Himself through faith in Christ’s sinless life, substitutionary death and victorious resurrection. The believer is then forgiven of sin that separates from God and sealed with the Holy Spirit for eternal life. This Gospel has the power to save the sinner and to sanctify the believer - miraculously transforming our hearts, our churches and our communities. This Gospel transformation extends to all of creation which longs for God to usher in the reversal of the curse brought upon the earth and her inhabitants by sin. We will enjoy communion with God eternally in a renovated and perfectly restored new heavens and new earth and uninterrupted by sin - Eden regained to the glory of God! (Acts 4:12, Romans 3:21-26; 4.5; 8:23, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Timothy 2:5, 1 John 2:2)
REPENTANCE of sin - OUR RESPONSE TO THE GOSPEL
The recognition of our sinfulness and of God’s kindness are what lead us to repentance. This change in thinking regarding our sin is a miraculous regenerating work of God who sovereignly grants repentance by opening spiritual eyes and ears to perceive our need for a Savior. There is no sin so grievous which God is not wholly inclined to forgive when we see our sin for what it is and humbly confess our inability to meet his holy standard. Christians are continually compelled to seek forgiveness, in light of God’s grace and because of our love the Lord. (Psalm 145:18, Matthew 4:17; 28:18-20, Mark 1:15, Luke 15:11-32, John 16:8, Acts 2:38; 20:21, Romans 2:4; 3:23, Ephesians 1:3-14; 2:8-10, 1 Corinthians 6:11, 2 Timothy 2:25, Titus 3:3-7, Hebrews 10:22)
justification by faith - OUR INHERITANCE IN THE GOSPEL
Salvation is the free gift of God and is provided by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. All who put their trust in Christ’s sinless life, substitutionary death and bodily resurrection for the forgiveness of their sins are saved and given eternal life. This faith is a gift of God and as a result, the perfect righteousness of Christ is transferred to them and they are justified (declared righteous in him) and reconciled to God. By faith in Jesus Christ, The Christian’s inheritance is seen in our relationship to God as Father and our future glorification as adopted children and joint-heirs with Christ. (John 3:16, Romans 5:18-19; 8:17-30, 2 Corinthians 3:17; 5:17-21, Galatians 4:7, Ephesians 2:8-10; 3:20, Colossians 2:13-14, 2 Timothy 2:12)
SANCTIFICATION - OUR TRANSFORMATION BY THE GOSPEL
God, the Holy Spirit, is the active agent of our sanctification and produces his fruit in us as he softens our hearts, renews our minds and conforms us into the image of Christ. Though indwelling sin remains, we grow in our knowledge of and our love for the Lord, freely keeping his commands and endeavoring to live in a way that would please 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. While Christians are to work out their salvation with fear and trembling, it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Therefore, assurance of salvation rests, not in our good works, but in God’s promise to complete the saving work he began and welcome us into eternity with him. (Ezekiel 11:19, Romans 8:28-30; 12:2; 14:12, 1 Corinthians 1:8-9, 2 Corinthians 3:17-18, Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 4:11-13, Philippians 1:6; 2:12-13, Colossians 3:9, 1 Thessalonians 4:1, 1 Timothy 4:7, Hebrews 10:22-23, Jude 24)
THE CHURCH
Jesus Christ builds his Church by his Word and the Spirit, calling people from every nation, tribe and tongue into God’s Kingdom Family. The Church is made up of all people, throughout all time, who have put their trust Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and eternal life. This redeemed community exists to glorify God and make disciples of all peoples everywhere. Members of the Church universal are to live out their union in Christ with other Christians as meaningful members of a local church where they live. Christ has given spiritual gifts for the equipping of His body, the church, that it might mature and be equipped for the work of the ministry. In this way, every local church becomes an embassy for the Kingdom of Heaven on earth, and every Christian an ambassador. (Isaiah 43:7, Matthew 16:18; 28:19, Acts 2:42-47, 1 Corinthians 10:31, 2 Corinthians 5:19-21, Ephesians 4:11, Hebrews 10:25, Revelation 7:9)
BAPTISM AND COMMUNION
For our continual reminder and edification, Christ has given the Church two ordinances to practice which powerfully picture his work for us and in us. (Matthew 26:26-29; 28:19, Acts 2:38, Romans 6:3-4, 1 Corinthians 11:17-32, 12:13, 1 Peter 3:21)
Believer’s baptism is an outward demonstration of a person’s spiritual union with Christ in the likeness of his death, his burial and his resurrection. It signifies that he have been forgiven, died to sin, and raised to walk in the newness of life. In obedience to Christ’s command, a Christian is immersed in water in the name of the Father, the name of the Son and the name of the Holy Spirit.
Communion (The Lord’s Supper) proclaims the breaking of Christ’s body and the shedding of His blood on our behalf. This ordinance is to be observed regularly and corporately in remembrance of God’s gracious provision in the Gospel. In this commemoration of Christ’s loving sacrifice, the elements of bread and wine (juice) are to be received with an attitude of self-examination and anticipation of his imminent return.
FINAL THINGS
We eagerly await the visible, personal and glorious return of Jesus Christ when the dead in Christ will rise and the church will be caught up to meet him in the air, he will judge the just and the unjust, and usher in his everlasting kingdom. Satan, with his fallen angels, and all those who reject Christ as Savior will be separated from the benevolent presence of God to endure conscious, eternal punishment. The redeemed, in glorious bodies, will be united to Christ and rule with him forever in the new heavens and the new earth. The dwelling place of God will be with man and they will enjoy eternity in God’s presence, giving him unending praise and glory. He will wipe away ever tear from their eyes, and death will be no more and neither will there be any mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away, and He will make all things new. (Acts 1:11, Romans 8:18-23, 1 Corinthians 15:50-55, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5.11, 2 Thessalonians 1:9-10, Revelation 21:1-4; 22:12-13)