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STATEMENT OF BELIEVES
God, by the testimony of Scripture, is one divine Being in three eternal, co-essential, yet distinct Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He is the one true God, eternal, immutable, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent. He is Creator of heaven and earth, Sustainer of the universe, and Source of human salvation. Though transcendent, God has a direct and personal relationship with human beings. God is love and infinite goodness. (Matthew 28:19; Mark 12:29; Ephesians 4:6; 1 Timothy 1:17; 1 John 4:8; 5:20; Titus 2:11; John 16:27; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Corinthians 8:6) Jesus is the Word, by whom and for whom God created all things. As God manifest in the flesh for our salvation, he was begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, fully God and fully human, two natures in one Person. Jesus is the Son of God and Lord of all, worthy of worship, honor and reverence. As the prophesied Savior of humanity, He died for our sins, was raised bodily from the dead, and ascended to heaven, from where He mediates between humanity and God. He will come again in glory to reign as King of kings over all nations in the Kingdom of God. ( John 1:1 ; Colossians 1 : 16; 1 Timothy 3:16; John 3:16; Matthew 1:20; Acts 10:36; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Hebrews 7:25; Revelation 19:16) The Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead, is the Comforter promised by Jesus Christ, sent from God to the Church. The Holy Spirit lives in us, transforming us through repentance, sanctification, and continual renewal. The Holy Spirit is the Source of inspiration and prophecy throughout the Scriptures, the Source of unity and communion in the Church, the Provider of gifts for salvation and for the work of the gospel, and the Christian's constant Guide into all truth. (John 14 : 16; Acts 2 : 4; Matthew 28 : 19; John 14 : 17,23; 1 Peter 1 : 2; Titus 3 : 5; 2 Peter 1 : 21; 1 Corinthians 12 : 13; 2 Corinthians 13 : 14; 1 Corinthians 12 : 8-11; Acts 20 : 28; John 16 : 13) The Church, or the Body of Christ, consists of all who have faith in Jesus Christ and in whom the Holy Spirit abides. The Church is commissioned to preach the gospel, to teach all that Christ commanded, to baptize, and to nurture the flock. In fulfilling its mission, the Church is directed by the Holy Scriptures, led by the Holy Spirit, and looks continually to Jesus Christ, its living Head. (1 Corinthians 12:13; Romans 8:9; Matthew 28:19-20; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22; Acts 2:1-47)
Faith is belief and trust in God as our righteous, omniscient, and omnipotent Lord and our gracious, merciful, and faithful Savior. Faith includes the conviction, based on natural and scriptural evidence, that God exists, that He rewards those who seek Him, and that He gives eternal life to all who are in Jesus Christ. Faith is enabled by God's grace. Faith is the substance of things hope for, the evidence of things not seen. (Romans 10:17; Hebrews 11:6; Ephesians 2:8-9; James 2:17-18; Romans 6:23; Hebrews 11 : 1 KJV
Grace is the free, unmerited favor God bestows on a sinner who repents. In its broadest sense, grace is expressed in every act of God's self-disclosure. By grace, a person comes to know God and Jesus Christ, is justified, and is saved. Through faith in Christ, the Christian remains always under grace. (Romans 3:24; 5:2, 15-17, 21; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:7)
The gospel is the good news about salvation by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ. It is the message that Christ died for our sins, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to his disciples. It is the good news that the kingdom of God has been inaugurated by the saving work of Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 1:14-15; Acts 8:12; 28:30-31; Luke 24:46-48; 1 Corinthians 15:4-5)
Humanity was made mortal, male and female, in the image of God, and endowed with mental and spiritual faculties. God formed the first man, Adam, of the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life. He formed the first woman, Eve, from Adam's own body. They were given dominion over all the earth and the freedom to choose whether to obey their Creator. Because they chose sin, they and their descendants became alienated from God and can be reconciled only by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ and his saving work. The destiny of the saints is to inherit eternal life in glory through Jesus Christ in the kingdom of God. (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:7, 22; Romans 5:9-21; 1 Peter 1:3-9; Romans 6:23)
The Inheritance of the Believer
The inheritance of the believer is salvation
and eternal life as an immortal child of God in communion with the
Father and Jesus Christ. This inheritance is reserved in heaven and will
be bestowed at the second coming of Christ. The resurrected saints will
reign with Christ in the kingdom of God.
Justification is God's gracious act of pronouncing a believer righteous in His sight. It follows repentance and is made possible through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ and acceptance of him as Lord and Savior. (Romans 3:20, 24-31; 4:1-8; 5:1, 9; Galatians 2:16)
The kingdom of God in the broadest sense is God's supreme sovereignty. God reigns in the Church and in the life of each believer who is submissive to his will. The kingdom of God will be established over the whole world after the return of Jesus Christ and will increase to encompass all things. (Luke 17:20-21; Daniel 2:44; Mark 1:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Revelation 11:15; 21:3, 22-27; 22:1-5)
Repentance is a change of mind and attitude toward God. It follows conviction by the Holy Spirit and is grounded in the Word of God. Repentance entails an awareness of personal sinfulness, accompanied by a positive response to God's call. Repentance toward God leads to faith in Jesus Christ and a converted life sanctified by the Holy Spirit. (Acts 2:38; Romans 2:4; 10:17; 2 Timothy 2:25; 2 Corinthians 7:9-11; Matthew 3:8; Romans 12:2)
Jesus Christ, as he promised, will return to earth to judge and reign over all nations in the kingdom of God. His second coming will be visible, and in power and glory. This event inaugurates the resurrection of the dead and the reward of the saints. (John 14:3; Revelation 17:14; Acts 1:11; Revelation 1:7; Matthew 24:30; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)
Salvation is deliverance from the bondage of sin and death, and the restoration of human fellowship with God. It is the gift of God, by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, not earned by personal merit or good works. God gives salvation, not only for the present life, but for eternity, to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. (Romans 6:18, 22-23; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Peter 1:4; Romans 8:21-23)
Sanctification is the state of holiness imparted to the believer through the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Though all Christians sin, the Holy Spirit leads them in a life characterized by repentance, obedience, and Christian growth -- that is, a converted, or changed, life evidenced by the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Sanctification is made possible by God's grace, through faith in Jesus Christ. (1 Peter 1:2; 1 John 1:8; 3:6, 9; Romans 6:22; Galatians 5:22-23; Romans 5:1)
The Holy Scriptures comprise the canonical books of the Old and New Testaments. They are the inspired Word of God, the foundation of truth, and the accurate record of God's revelation to humanity. The Holy Scriptures constitute ultimate authority in all matters of doctrine, and embody the infallible principles that govern all facets of Christian living. (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; John 17:17)
Sin is lawlessness, that is, a state or condition of rebellion against God. From the time sin entered the human race through Adam and Eve, humanity has been under its yoke -- a yoke that can only be removed by God's grace through Jesus Christ. The sinful condition of humanity is manifested in the tendency to consistently choose self and self-interests over God and God's will. Sin causes alienation from God, and suffering and death. Since all humans are sinners, all humans need the salvation God offers through his Son. (1 John 3:4; 5:17; Romans 1:20-21; 5:12; 7:24-25; Mark 7:21-23; Galatians 5:17-21; Romans 6:23; 3:23-24)
The evening before Jesus was crucified, he took bread and wine, saying, "This is my body. . . . This is the new covenant in my blood." At our Lord's Supper service, we participate in the new covenant as we partake of bread and wine in remembrance of our Savior, who gave his body for us and shed his blood so that we might be forgiven. The ceremony may include the washing of feet, which represents our spiritual cleansing in Christ and points us to the Christian life of humility and service in love. (Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; John 13:1-17; Philippians 2:1-8) |
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