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We Believe In:
The Holy Trinity
The Lord our God is one Lord, truly the almighty Creator
of all things, existing eternally in unity of three persons – Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit. A God of infinite power, and goodness; the Maker and Preserver of
all things, both visible and invisible. And in unity this Godhead is joint
partakers of the same nature and majesty of God.
Genesis 1:1-2; Deuteronomy 4:39; 6:4; Isaiah 40:18-31; Matthew 3:16-17;
Matthew 28:19; John 4:24; John 14:6-27; I Corinthians 8:6; II Corinthians 13:14;
Galatians 4:4-6; Ephesians 2:18; I Peter 1:2
The
very Son of God Who is the Word of the Father, and eternal God of one substance
with the Father. He took man’s nature in the womb of the virgin Mary so that the
two whole and perfect natures (the Godhead and manhood) were joined together in
one person, never to be divided. He truly suffered, was crucified, dead, and
buried to reconcile us to His Father, and to be a sacrifice, not only for
original guilt, but also for actual sins of men.
Matthew 1:20-25; 16:15-16; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:14; Acts 2:22-36; Romans 8:3;
32-34; I Corinthians 15:3-4; Galatians 4:4-5;
Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:12-22; Hebrews 1:1-5; 7:22-28; 9:24-28; I John
1:1-3; 4:2-3; 9-10; 15.
The Virgin Birth
Jesus
Christ came into the world, as the prophets predicted, through a human mother
but the Heavenly Father. Thus, the Adamic nature (sin nature) was not present in
Jesus. In other words, because God the Father is the Father, Jesus was born
sinless. This was important because the Lamb that would become our substitute
would have to be unblemished in every way. So, Jesus not only lived a sinless
life, He was born sinless.
Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:20-21; Luke 1:31, 34-35; John 1:1, 14;
The Person and Work of the
Holy Spirit
The
indwelling presence and transforming power of the Holy Spirit gives all
believers a new life and a new calling to obedient service. The Holy Spirit was
sent from the Father and the Son (Jesus) and is of one substance, majesty, and
glory, with the Father and the Son. He is eternally God. He convinces the world
of sin, regenerates those who repent and believe, sets apart believers, and
guides us into all truth as it is in Jesus.
Joel 2:28; John 7:39; 14:15-18, 26-27; 15:26; 16:7-15; Acts 2:33; 5:3-4;
15:8-9; Romans 8:1-27; II Corinthians 3:17; Galatians 3:1-14; 4:6;
Ephesians 3:14-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8; II
Thessalonians 2:13; I Peter 1:2; I John 3:24; 4:13.
The Unique
Divine Inspiration and Authority of the Bible
The
original manuscripts of the Bible are the inerrant Word of God, verbally
inspired. This means that the power of the Holy Spirit came on authors of Holy
Scripture, in order to guide them even in the use of the words they used, and to
preserve them from all error and from all omission. We understand the Holy
Scriptures to be the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments revealing the
character, nature, and the will of God concerning all things necessary to our
salvation and life.
Psalm 119:89; Isaiah 40:8; Luke 24:44-47; John 10:35; I Corinthians 15:3-4;
II Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; I Peter 1:10-12; II Peter 1:20-21.
The Genesis
Account of Creation
The Book of Genesis teaches that all things find their origin
in God, Who created by His own will instantaneously every living thing after its
kind. The beginnings of all doctrines, in one way or another, are founded in the
this book, as well as, all human institutions are found in the book of
beginnings.
Genesis 1:1, 2; Nehemiah 9:6; Job 38:4-7; Psalm 100:3; 102:25; 139:13-16;
148;4; Isaiah 43:1; John 1:3, Acts 17:24; Romans 11:36; Ephesians 3:9;
Colossians 1:16-17; Revelation 4:11
Justification by Faith
We believe that
justification is the gracious and judicial act of God by which He grants full
pardon of all guilt and complete release from the penalty of sins committed, and
acceptance as righteous, to all who believe on Jesus Christ and receive Him as
Lord and Savior. Because of what Jesus has done, we have peace with God and we
stand in a place of high privilege as He has drawn us close to Himself and made
us friends.
Genesis 15:6; Romans 5:1, 18; I Corinthians 6:11; Galatians 3:24
The Church
We believe in the unity
of all believers in all times and all cultures, who have been redeemed by the
blood of Jesus Christ. The Church belongs to Jesus Christ and is manifest in
worshiping and witnessing communities that confess Jesus Christ as Lord. The
Church is a covenant people of God who are made new in Christ, and are called
together by the Holy Spirit through the Word. God calls the Church to express
the life and fellowship of the Spirit; in worship through the preaching of the
Word, observance of the sacraments, and ministry in His name; by obedience to
Christ and mutual accountability. The mission of the Church in the world is to
continue the redemptive work of Christ in the power of the Spirit through holy
living, evangelism, discipleship, and service. The Church is a historical
reality, which exists both as local congregations and as a universal body. It
sets apart people called of God for specific ministries. God calls the Church to
live under His rule in anticipation of the consummation at the coming of our
Lord Jesus Christ.
Exodus 19:3-8;
Jeremiah 31:33; Matthew 8:11, 10:7; 16:13-19, 24; 18:15-20; 28:19-20; John
17:14-26; 20:21-23; Acts 1:7-8; 2:32-47; 6:1-2; 14:23; Romans 2:28-29; 10:9-15;
11:13-32; 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 3:5-9; 7:17; 11:17-33; 12:12-31; Galatians 5:6,
13-14; 6:1-5, 15; Ephesians 4:1-17; 5:25-27; Philippians 2:1-16; 1 Thessalonians
4:8-12; 1 Timothy 4:13; Hebrews 10:25; 1 Peter 1:1-2; 2:4-12, 21; 4:10-11; 1
John 4:17; Revelation 5:9-10
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