GOD

The God revealed in the Bible is the one and only living and true God. He is holy, sovereign, self-existent and self-sufficient (Deuteronomy 6:4; John 5:39, Isaiah 43:10, 11; Isaiah 6:3; Psalm 135:6; Exodus 3:14).

God is the Creator of all things and sustains all things according to His desire and power (Genesis 1; Hebrews 11:3; Psalm 104; Colossians 1:16, 17).

God reveals Himself as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (the Trinity); each being equal in nature, essence, and being, yet possessing distinct personal characteristics suitable to His person and work (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Peter 1:2).

God has a purpose for everything, which will be accomplished according to His eternal decrees for His glory (Isaiah 46:10-13; Ephesians 1:3-5, 11; Matthew 24:35; 1 Corinthians 10:31).

THE BIBLE

The Bible is the only inspired, inerrant, infallible, and authoritative Word of God. It is completely sufficient concerning all matters of belief and living (Proverbs 30:5a; 2 Peter 1.20, 21; Hebrews 4:12, 13; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17).

The Spirit and the Scriptures draw us into a personal saving knowledge of God in Christ, establish the content of our faith, and direct us in the conduct of our daily lives (John 6:44; 1 Corinthians 2:12-14; Romans 6:17; John 16:13-15; 2 Timothy 3:16, 17).

Nothing is to be added to or taken away from the Scriptures, It is the standard by which all knowledge is tested (Deuteronomy 4:7, 8; 12:32; Revelation 22:18, 19; Galatians 1:8; Colossians 2:8).

Each of us is to correctly handle the Word of God, recognize its basic unity, and use Scripture to interpret Scripture (i.e., Joel 2:28-32 with Acts 2:16-24; Genesis 15:6 with Romans 4:1-3; 2 Timothy 2:15; 2 Peter 3:15, 16; 2 Corinthians 4:2).

SALVATION

Man’s Need

In the beginning all God’s creation was good. Through unbelief and rebellion man fell from a position of fellowship with God into disgrace, deserving condemnation to Hell. Everyone has inherited Adam’s sinful nature and are dead in their own sin and cannot in themselves respond to the gospel for salvation (Genesis 1, 2, 3; Romans 3:10-12, 5:12-21, 8:6-8; Ephesians 2:1-9).

God’s Provision

Jesus Christ, being fully God and fully man, was sent by the Father to be the only mediator between God and man. Born of a virgin, He lived a perfect life of obedience to His Father, fulfilling all His purposes. In doing so, He revealed to man the mercy, grace, and truth of God, teaching man the new way of life (Hebrews 1:1-3; John 1:14; Acts 2:23,36; 1 Timothy 2:5; Luke 1:26-28; 1 Peter 2:21,22; John 14:6, 17:4).

Jesus Christ gave up His life by death on the cross according to God’s sovereign purpose. Christ, being without sin, paid God’s just penalty for sin on behalf of those the Father has chosen to redeem. Christ’s bodily resurrection from the dead removed the curse of death from His people forever (Acts 2:23; Romans 3:23-26; 1 Peter 1:18-21; John 20:25, 27; 1 Corinthians 15:54-58).

Christ sent the Holy Spirit to make the Savior known to those whom God the Father had chosen, enabling them to receive the free gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.  Jesus now dwells in the Father’s presence, interceding on their behalf and enabling them to grow in obedience to Himself (Acts 1:8,9; John 16:7-13; Ephesians 2:4-8; Romans 3:21-26; Ephesians 1:18-21; Hebrews 7:24,25; 2 Corinthians 10:5).

Man’s Response to God’s Grace

All who respond by faith to the gospel are declared righteous by means of Christ’s righteousness credited to them. They are reconciled to God through the forgiveness of sin by Christ’s substitutionary death on their behalf (Romans 3:21-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; Romans 6:23; Romans 5:9-11).

Growth in conformity to the image of God is a vital part of the believer’s life. Being re-created to do good works, believers will grow in the grace of God and follow Jesus Christ as Lord (2 Corinthians 3:17, 18; Ephesians 4:11-13; Ephesians 2:10; Romans 6:1,2, 11-14; 2 Peter 3:18).

All those whom God has redeemed will be preserved by God until He chooses to take them to be with Him forever (John 10:28, 29; Philippians 1:6; John 14:1-3).

THE CHURCH

All those with faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are united by the indwelling Holy Spirit into one spiritual and physical body called the church, of which Jesus Christ is the head (1 Corinthians 1:1, 2; Romans 12:5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:13b-14; Colossians 1:18).

All believers possess a common dignity, calling, and privilege of communion before and with God. All are called to serve God and one another with our various gifts and callings (1 Peter 2:9, 10; Romans 12:1, 2; 1 Corinthians 12:7; Galatians 6:9, 10).

LAST THINGS

God has appointed a day when Jesus Christ will return in glory to judge the world in righteousness. His justice will be displayed in the resurrection to eternal punishment and separation from God forever of all unbelievers, and  the gathering of all believers in resurrection to everlasting life in the presence of the Lord (Matthew 24:36; John 5:28,29; Matthew 25:31; Revelation 21:3, 8; Mark 13:26,27; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10).