We are united by a common statement of faith.
God
1. We believe in
one God,
Creator of all things ,
holy,
infinitely perfect , and
eternally existing in a
loving unity of
three equally divine Persons: the
Father, the
Son, and the
Holy Spirit. Having
limitless knowledge and
sovereign power, God has
graciously purposed from eternity to redeem
a people for Himself and
to make all things new for
His own glory.
The Bible
2. We believe that
God has spoken in the Scriptures,
both Old and New Testaments,
through the words of human
authors.
As the verbally inspired Word of God ,
the Bible is without error in the original writings,
the complete
revelation of His will for salvation, and the
ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should
be judged. Therefore,
it is to
be believed in all that it teaches,
obeyed in all
that it requires, and
trusted in all that it
promises.
The Human Condition
3. We believe that
God created Adam and Eve in His image, but
they sinned when tempted by Satan.
In union with Adam,
human beings are
sinners by nature and by choice,
alienated from God, and
under His wrath.
Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued,
reconciled
and
renewed.
Jesus Christ
4. We believe that
Jesus Christ is
God incarnate,
fully God and
fully man,
one Person in two natures.
Jesus—Israel's promised Messiah —was conceived through the Holy Spirit and
born of the virgin Mary.
He
lived a sinless life,
was
crucified under Pontius Pilate,
arose bodily from the dead,
ascended into heaven and
sits at the right hand of God the
Father as our High Priest and
Advocate.
The Work of Christ
5. We believe that
Jesus Christ, as our representative and
substitute,
shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient
sacrifice for our sins.
His atoning death and
victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.
The Holy Spirit
6. We believe that
the Holy Spirit, in all that He does, glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ.
He convicts the world of its guilt .
He regenerates
sinners, and
in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and
adopted as heirs in the family of God.
He also
indwells,
illuminates ,
guides,
equips and
empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.
The Church
7. We believe that
the true church comprises all who have been justified by God's grace through faith alone in
Christ alone.
They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ,
of which
He is the Head.
The true church is manifest in
local churches,
whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances,
baptism and
the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the
gospel.
Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church
in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.
Christian Living
8. We believe that
God's justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying
power and purpose.
God commands us to love Him supremely and others
sacrificially and
to live out
our faith with care for one another,
compassion toward the poor and
justice for the oppressed.
With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name,
we,
are to combat the spiritual forces of evil.
In obedience to Christ’s
commission, we are to make disciples among all people,
always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.
Christ's Return
9. We believe in
the personal, bodily and
premillennial return of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God,
requires constant expectancy and,
as our blessed hope,
motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.
Response and Eternal Destiny
10. We believe that
God commands everyone everywhere to
believe the gospel
by turning to Him in repentance and
receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that
God will raise the dead bodily and
judge the world ,
assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal
conscious punishment, and
the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord ,
in the new heaven and the new earth ,
to the praise of His glorious
grace. Amen.
