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Statement
of Faith
God
We believe there is one God: the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He
exists eternally in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit, who are co-equal.
Gen.
1:1-2,26; Ex. 3:14; Ps. 90:2; Matt. 28:19; John 8:58;10:30; Acts 5:3-4;
2 Cor. 13:4; 1 Tim. 2:5; 6:15-16
Jesus
Christ
We believe Jesus Christ is the one and only eternal Son of God, deity,
who entered the world as a human conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of
the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, and gave His life on the
cross as a representative and substitutionary payment for the sins of
the world. On the third day He conquered death and rose bodily from the
grave, appeared to men, and ascended to heaven. He will return again
bodily to earth to reclaim His followers, judge all the peoples of the
earth, and establish His Kingdom.
Isa.
9:6; Matt. 1:22,26; John 1:1,15; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Cor. 15:3,4; Eph. 1:7;
Phil. 2:5-7; Col. 1:17,19; 2:9; 2 Tim. 2:4-6; Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:3,8
Holy
Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is God, sent by the Father to minister on
earth by convicting people of their need for Christ, baptizing, sealing
and indwelling all who put their faith in Christ at the time of their
conversion, and gifting, guiding, filling, and empowering believers to
know God and serve Him effectively.
Gen.
1:2; John 14:16-17; 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:19; 12:4-13; Gal. 5:25;
Eph. 1:13; 4:6,30; 5:18; 2 Thess. 2:13; Titus 3:5; 1 Pet. 1:2
The
Bible
We believe the Bible is the Word of God. It was verbally inspired by
God, infallible and inerrant in its original form, delivered by the
Holy Spirit through human authors, and is the sole, final authority in
all matters of faith and practice.
Ps.
119:105; John 17:17; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:19-21
Humanity
We believe humanity is the capstone of God's creation, made in the
image of God for the purpose of knowing God and enjoying Him forever.
Through Adam's sin all people became separated from God, incapable of
fulfilling their purpose and powerless to change their condition or
restore themselves to God.
Gen.
1:26-31; 3:1-23; Ps. 8:3-6; Isa. 64:6-7;Rom. 3:9-20; 5:12; 6:23
Salvation
We believe salvation is a gift from God to humanity, offered solely on
the basis of God's unmerited love for man through the death, burial,
and resurrection of Jesus Christ on their behalf. An individual
receives the gift of salvation by admitting their inability to please
God, repenting of their sin, and entrusting themselves through faith to
Christ's payment alone. The provision and maintenance of this
relationship rests entirely with God and cannot be earned, affected, or
maintained by people's efforts or actions.
John
1:12; 3:16; 14:6; Acts 16:31; Rom. 4:5; 5:1,8; 6:23; 10:9-10; 2 Cor.
5:21; Eph. 2:8-9; 1 Pet. 2:24
Eternity
We believe people will exist forever, either eternally separated from
God or in eternal union with God in Heaven. At physical death each
person's eternal destiny is sealed, and their spirit goes immediately
to hell or heaven. Every individual will be bodily resurrected and
judged by Christ, with their final destination based solely on whether
the person was restored to God through faith in Christ's provision for
their sin.
Dan.
12:2; John 3:16-17; 5:21-29; Rev. 20:11-15; 21:1-4
The
Church
We believe Jesus Christ established the church as His primary method
for building His Kingdom until His return. The universal Church is the
body of Christ, comprised of all true believers on earth, and is
organized through local communities of believers who unite for the
three-fold purpose of exaltation, edification, and evangelism. Through
the church all Christians are to follow the ordinances of believers
baptism and regular participation in the Lords Supper (Communion) until
His return. All believers are to discover, develop, and use their
spiritual gifts to help accomplish the church's mission.
Matt.
16:18; 26:26-28; 1 Cor. 11:23-26; Eph. 1:22-23; 4:4; 5:25-32; Col. 1:24
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