The Bible
I believe that the Holy Scriptures, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, are the divinely inspired Word of God and are without error in the original manuscripts. I accept the Bible to be the only infallible and complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men, and the only absolute authority for genuine faith and practice. (II Timothy 3:16-17, II Peter 1:20-21)
The Trinity
I believe in one God, Creator and Sustainer of all things, who eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I believe in the distinction of each person and work of the Trinity, while affirming that they are one in essence. (I John 5:6-12)
God the Father
I believe that God the Father is an infinite, self-existent, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. I believe that God concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men and women and saves from sin and death all who come to Him through His son Jesus Christ.
God the Son
I believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who took upon Himself human flesh through the miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He who is true God became true man, uniting two natures in one person forever. Christ lived a perfect, sinless life, died on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for our sins, rose bodily from the dead, and ascended into Heaven where He now serves as our High Priest, our only Mediator. He will return bodily and visibly to the earth as King of kings and will judge every human being who has ever lived.
God the Holy Spirit
I believe in the Holy Spirit who is of the same substance as the Father and the Son. I acknowledge and believe in His work in regeneration, sanctification, and preservation of the saints. The Holy Spirit is the person who convicts the world of sin, drawing sinners to Christ. I further believe that the Holy Spirit empowers believers for godly living and service through the provision of spiritual fruit and gifts. (Romans 8:16, Ephesians 1:13-14, II Corinthians 1: 21-22, I Corinthians 12, Galatians 5:22-23)
About humanity
I believe that humankind is God’s unique creation. God created male and female in His own image. Through the fall of Adam, physical and spiritual death entered the human race resulting in separation and alienation from God. I believe that mankind is totally depraved in his sin. Because in Adam the entire race fell, all persons are now born with a sinful nature and continue to sin by their own choices. Human beings are therefore spiritually dead and in desperate need of forgiveness of sin and restoration of fellowship with God yet are totally unable to accomplish this themselves.
Salvation
I believe that the atonement of Christ, by which in His obedience He offered a perfect sacrifice, propitiating the Father by paying for our sins and satisfying divine justice on our behalf according to God’s eternal plan, is an essential element of the Gospel. I believe that Christ’s saving work included His life, death and resurrection on our behalf (Gal. 3:13).
I believe that a person becomes a child of God by placing their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. In doing so their sins are forgiven, once for all, and they become a new creation in Christ. I believe that saving faith includes mental acceptance of the Gospel, acknowledgment of our own sin and need, and personal trust and reliance upon Christ and His work. I believe that, while all believers are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and are in the process of being made holy and conformed to the image of Christ, those consequences of justification are not its ground. God declares us just, remits our sins, and adopts us as His children, by His grace alone, and through faith alone, because of Christ alone, while we are still sinners (Rom. 4:5). It is entirely an act of the grace of God and not dependent on human effort. (Romans 2:28; 4:5; Galatians 2:16)
Heaven and Hell
I believe that God has appointed a day in which He will judge the world through Christ where everyone will give an account of his or her thoughts, words and actions. I believe in the reality of eternal separation and punishment for those without Christ, and eternal bliss and service for the believers; literal hell for the unsaved, and heaven for the believer. (Romans 14:12; 1 Peter 4:5, II Corinthians 10:5, Romans 12:3, Matthew 15:19, Matthew 12:36, Deuteronomy 15:9)
About the church
I believe that the church, the body of Christ, is composed of all persons, living and dead, who have been joined to Christ who is the Head of the church. Every true believer is baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:12-13). This relates believers to one another spiritually, regardless of denominational distinction. I believe that the Church is commanded by God to meet together on a regular basis as a local assembly for the purpose of encouragement and stirring one and other to love and good works (Hebrews 10:23-25). This local fellowship provides the context for corporate worship, prayer, teaching and the celebration of the Lord’s Supper.
About how we live as Christians
I believe that it is every Christian’s responsibility to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. (I Corinthians 6:20, Revelation 4:1, Romans 11:36). Each Christian should yield themselves to God allowing Christ to live His life through them and seek to live a blameless life before God, the church and the world. I believe that Jesus Christ commands His followers to proclaim the Gospel to all living persons (Luke 24:47; Matt. 28:18-19), evangelizing everyone everywhere, and discipling believers within the fellowship of the Church. A full and faithful witness to Christ includes the witness of personal testimony, godly living, faithful stewardship of all possessions and acts of mercy and charity to our neighbor. Without these the preaching of the Gospel appears insincere. (Colossians 4:6) I believe that each Christian should seek to be constantly filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18), to press on towards maturity in Christ, and to fulfill the call of God on their life.
About the Lord’s return
I believe that God’s redemptive purposes will be consummated by the physical, visible return of Christ to raise the dead, to judge the world according to the deeds done in the body, and to establish His glorious kingdom. The wicked shall be condemned to Hell and separated from God’s presence, but the righteous, in glorious bodies, shall live and reign with Him forever. I believe that it is not essential that we would hold the same beliefs regarding the sequence of end-time events, simply that Christ is returning for His own people.
