We
believe that the Bible as originally written was verbally and plenarily
inspired, is the product of Spirit-controlled men, and, therefore, is
truth without any mixture of error. We believe the Bible to be the
center of true Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all
human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tried. (2 Timothy 3:16,
17; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
The Trinity
We
believe that there is but one true God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7;
I Corinthians 8:4), an infinite, all-knowing Spirit (John 5:24),
perfect in all His attributes, one in essence, eternally existing in
three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; 2
Corinthians 13:14).
God the Father
We
believe that God the Father, the first person of the Trinity, orders
and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace (Psalm
145:8,9; I Corinthians 8:6). He is the Creator of all things (Genesis
1:1-31; Ephesians 3:9). As the only absolute and omnipotent ruler in
the universe, He is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption
(Psalm 103:19; Romans 11:36). He is glorious in holiness and worthy of
all possible honor, confidence, and love.
God the Son
We
believe that Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, possesses
all the divine excellencies, and in these He is co-equal,
consubstantial, and co-eternal with the Father (John 10:30; 14:9).
We believe that God the Father created "the heavens and the earth and
all that is in them" according to His own will, through His Son Jesus
Christ, by whom all things continue in existence and in operations
(John 1:3; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:2).
We
believe that in the incarnation (God becoming man), Christ was
supernaturally born of a virgin and surrendered only the prerogatives
of deity but nothing of the divine essence, either in degree or kind.
In His incarnation, the eternally existing second person of the Trinity
accepted all the essential characteristics of humanity and so became
the God-man (Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 2:9; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew
1:23-25; Luke 1:2-35).
We
believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through
the shedding of His blood and sacrificial death on the cross and that
His death was voluntary, vicarious, substitutionary, propitiatory, and
redemptive (John 10:15; Romans 3:24,25; 5:8; I Peter 2:24). We believe
that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical
resurrection from the dead and that He is now ascended to the right
hand of the Father, where He now mediates as our Advocate and
High-Priest (Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:38,39; Acts 2:30, 31; Romans 4:25;
8:34; Hebrews 7:25; 9:24; and I John 2:1).
God the Spirit
We
believe the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father
and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the
creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains
the evil one until God's purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin,
of righteousness and of judgment; that He bears witness to the truth of
the gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the new
birth; that He seals, bestows gifts, guides, teaches, witnesses,
sanctifies, baptizes the believer into Christ, and indwells and
empowers the believer. (Genesis 1:1-3; Matthew 28:19; John 14:16,17,26;
1:8-11; I Corinthians 6:19).
Man
We
believe that man was created in innocence under the laws of his Maker;
but, by voluntary transgression, Adam fell from his sinless and happy
estate; all men sinned in him, in consequence of which, all men are
totally depraved, are partakers of Adams' fallen nature, and are
sinners by nature and by conduct, and, therefore, are under just
condemnation without defense or excuse. (Genesis 3:1- 6, 24; Romans
1:18-32; 3:10-19; 5:12,19)
Salvation
We
believe that, in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that
the new birth is a new creation in Jesus Christ; that it is
instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth, the one dead in
trespasses and in sin is made a partaker of the divine nature and
receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is
brought about by our sovereign God in manner above our comprehension,
solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth,
so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; that its proper
evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance, faith, and newness
of life. (John 3:3,6,7; Acts 16:30-33; Romans 6:23; 2 Corinthians 5:17;
Ephesians 2:1, 5; 2 Peter 1:4; I John 5:1).
Sanctification
We
believe that every believer is sanctified (set apart) unto God by
justification and is therefore declared to be holy and is therefore
identified as a saint. This sanctification relates to our standing
before God and is instantaneous and should not be confused with
progressive sanctification. (Acts 20:32; I Corinthians 1:2, 30; 6:11; 2
Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 2:11; 3:1; 10:10, 14; 13:12; I Peter 1:2).
We believe that the cross of Christ is not only essential to being
sanctified to God by justification, but it is essential also to
progressive sanctification (being conformed to the likeness of Christ).
As the believer enters in or appropriates his identification with
Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection and reckons himself dead
to sin and alive to God, he begins to live out his new identity ("in
Christ"). Progressive sanctification (growth in Christlikeness)
continues as the believer denies the self-life by daily nailing it to
the cross and allowing Christ to live through him.
The Church
We
believe in the unity of all true believers in the Church which is the
Body of Christ and was established on the Day of Pentecost and that all
believers, from Pentecost to the Second-Coming of Christ, both Jews and
Gentiles, are added to this Church by the Holy Spirit at the moment of
salvation. We believe that this Church is manifested through the local
church, which is a congregation of baptized believers associated by
covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel. (Acts 15:213-18;
20:17-28; I Timothy 3:1-7; Ephesians 1:22,23; 4:11; 5:23,24; Colossians
1:18).
The Devil or Satan
We
believe in the personality of Satan; that he is the unholy god of this
age and the ruler of all the powers of darkness and is destined to the
judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. (Matthew 4:1-11;
Revelation 20:10).