WHAT WE BELIEVE
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." 2 Tim. 3:16-17
The Triune God: We believe, as is the testimony of the Holy Bible, that God is both One and Triune. God’s Word reveals that there is only one God (Isaiah 43:10-11; Mark 12:29) and that He eternally exists in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; distinct yet perfectly one with each other (2 Cor. 13:14).
God the Father: We believe that God the Father is the Creator of heaven and earth, and the sustainer of all things. He created man in His own image and likeness, that according to His will mankind could be reconciled to Him through faith in His Only Son Jesus Christ. God the Father is spirit (John 4:24), invisible (1 Tim. 1:17), and no one can see Him and live (John 1:18; 1 Tim. 6:16). He is infinite, immutable, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, and eternally holy.
Jesus Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ is eternally God, and is the Word who was with God and was God in the beginning (John 1:1). We believe that Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God (1 John 4:9) was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:35). He was made flesh to dwell among us (John 1:14) and in Him the fullness of God dwells bodily (Col. 1:19, 2:9). Jesus is called Immanuel, which means “God with us” (Matt. 1:23). For a time, He became lower than the angels of heaven in order to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, and to redeem mankind through His atoning work on the cross of Calvary (Phil. 2:5-11). He lived a perfect, sinless life (1 Peter 2:22) and then became sin for us (2 Cor. 5:21), bearing our sins in His body on the cross; by His wounds we have been healed (1 Peter 2:24). This one act of righteousness finished by Jesus on the cross leads to justification and life for all who believe in Him (John 6:47; Rom. 5:18). He died for the sins of the world (1 Peter 3:18), was buried, rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Cor. 15:3-4), and lives forever as our interceder (1 Tim. 2:5) and Great High Priest (Heb. 4:14, 7:24-25).
Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit is eternally God, who was given to the Church, as promised, at Pentecost (Acts 2). The Holy Spirit has come into the world to reveal and glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to individuals. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement (John 16:8-11), and draws sinners to Christ, imparts new life to them, continually indwells them from the moment of spiritual birth and seals them until the day of redemption (Eph. 1:13-14). He gives believers the power and authority to act in the name of Christ (Acts 1:8) and conforms us to the image of Jesus through the process of sanctification. Spiritual gifts are imparted to the Church through the power and indwelling of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:4-11).
Bible: We attest and affirm that the Holy Bible, which contains the Old and New Testaments, stands alone as the infallible and inerrant Word of God, inspired by God, and that its authority is final and eternal. It cannot be added to, subtracted from or superseded in any regard. The Bible is the source of all Christian doctrine, instruction, correction, and reproof. It contains all that is needed for guidance in godliness and Christian conduct. We believe that the Bible is God’s very Word breathed out by Him for teaching, correction, and training in righteousness (2 Tim. 3:16). It is the ultimate authority on God’s will for us and was preserved through the ages; we believe it did not pass away (Matt. 24:35; 1 Peter 1:24-25; Isaiah 40:8). We believe the scriptural cannon to be closed.
Salvation: We believe that salvation for mankind is only possible through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). We believe in Jesus Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross, by which He paid in full measure the penalty for the sins of the whole world, making reconciliation to God possible through faith in His finished work on our behalf. After His death, Jesus was buried and then resurrected from the dead on the third day. The completion of this work is the salvation of mankind, and the only way by which we can be reconciled to God. God demonstrated His love for us in that while we were still sinners and His enemies, He sent His only Son to die for us (John 3:16; Rom. 5:8). We are justified and saved by grace alone as a free gift—because God was rich in mercy toward us (Eph. 2:4)—and not by works of righteousness that we’ve done (Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 3:24; Titus 3:5). Salvation is a free gift of God that cannot be earned, which is given to those who confess and believe in Jesus Christ (Rom. 10:9-10). We believe that salvation means to be saved from death and sin, and be granted eternal life with God (John 5:24, 28-29, 10:27-28; Rom. 6:23; 1 John 5:13).
Church: We believe that every person that has been saved and redeemed by the blood of Jesus through a true profession of faith in Christ, and subsequently been born again through the Holy Spirit, is a member of the body of Christ. We believe that the true Church is the spiritual house built by believers in Christ as living stones (1 Peter 2:5) comprised of the entirety of believers worldwide whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life. The purpose of the Church is to provide a place for Christians to fellowship with each other (Acts 2:42), to teach one another, to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Col. 3:16), and to reason the Scriptures together (Isaiah 1:18; Acts 17:2). The Church of Jesus Christ is not a physical entity or building, but the collection of believers worldwide who act as the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. We believe in the importance of Christians worshiping, fellowshipping and serving with the local body of Christ.