The Bible
I believe the Bible to be the inerrant (John 10:35) Word of God (2 Tim. 3:16), written in its completeness (Rev. 22:18-19) by men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 1:19-21).
The Trinity
I believe God exists as three personalities in the Trinity (Isa. 48:16-17) with separate functions (1 Pet. 1:2), subservient in duties where God the Father is the Authority, Jesus as the Son of God serves the Father (John 17:4), and God the Holy Spirit is sent by the Son (John 15:26), are equal with God (John 5:18, Acts 5:3-4), and exist in unity (John 10:30, 14:9, Deut. 6:4).
God
I believe that God is Creator (Gen. 1:1), infinite in being (Ps. 90:2), eternal in power and divine in nature (Rom. 1:20), is the sustainer of all things (Heb. 1:3), self-existent as found in His name “Jehovah” (Exod. 3:13-15), unchanging (Jas. 1:17), three Persons (John 14:16-17), separate in function (Heb. 9:14), yet one God (Isa. 45:5).
Jesus
I believe that Jesus Christ is the Word of God made flesh (John 1:14), one with the Father (John 10:30), equal with God (John 5:18), possesses a unique relationship with the Father as His only begotten Son (John 3:16, Ps. 2:7), born of a virgin birth (Isa. 7:14, Matt. 1:22-23, Luke 1:27, 34), conceived by the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:18, 20), sent by the Father (John 3:34-35) to live a sinless life (2 Cor. 5:21) and die for the sins of the world (John 3:16) for man’s salvation (Acts 4:12). In nature, He is pre-existent (John 8:58), eternal (Heb. 13:8, Rev. 1:18) and is completely God (John 1:1) as well as man (John 1:14).
The Holy Spirit
I believe the Holy Spirit to be the third person of God active in the world today in its present ministry. The Holy Spirit works to convict the sinner of unbelief (John 16:8), restrains Satan and his demons (2 Thess. 2:7), regenerates man (Titus 3:5, John 3:5), places him in the body of Christ at baptism (1 Cor. 12:13), indwells (1 Cor. 6:19) and seals him (Eph. 1:13-14), as part of the believer’s inheritance. Believers are to live a life continually filled by the Spirit (Eph. 5:18) for service, producing in him the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23), while sanctifying the believer (2 Cor. 3:18, Phil. 1:6), illuminating Scripture (John 16:13), interceding in his prayer life (Rom. 8:26-27), and imparting spiritual gifts (1 Cor. 12:7-11) to serve the church (Eph. 4:11).
Salvation
I believe that salvation is an undeserving gift of God out of His own goodness and by no means contingent on our own works (Eph. 2:8) in response to sin. Jesus assumed the role of a voluntary substitutionary sacrifice (John 10:17) by laying down his own sinless life for everyone (1 John 2:2) so that we may be redeemed by his blood (1 Pet. 1:18-19) as God’s one and only provision for salvation (John 3:16, 14:6). In order to experience salvation, man must put his faith in Christ (2 Tim. 3:15) by repenting (Mark 1:15, Acts 2:38), believing He was resurrected from the grave three days dead “ . . . and was raised to life for our justification” (Rom. 4:25), and confess Him as Lord (Rom. 10:9). In so doing, the believer is declared righteous (2 Cor. 5:21), and regenerated by the Holy Spirit becoming “born again” (1 Peter 1:23) as a “new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17) and given a new nature (2 Pet. 1:4). Having been adopted as a son of God (Gal. 3:26), the believer enjoys the security of eternal life (John 17:2), never to be separated from the love of God again (Rom. 8:33-39).
Angels
I believe angels are incorporeal beings (Ps. 104:4) created holy, allowing them to fellowship with God (Matt. 18:10). These beings possess intellect (2 Sam. 14:20), emotion (1 Pet. 1:12), a will (Rev. 22:9), great strength (2 Kgs. 19:35), and are never to experience death (Luke 20:36, Ps. 103:20). As God’s messengers, they are charged to carry out various works of service (Luke 16:22, Rev. 22:8, Dan. 6:22, 1 Kgs. 19:8, Judg. 6:12, Acts 5:19) as well as worshipping Him (Isa. 6:3, Rev. 5:12).
Demons
I believe that not all angels chose loyalty to God and so exist as demons (Jude 6). Instead, they followed Satan and were thrown out of heaven (Rev. 12:4), no longer possessing a sinless nature (2 Pet. 2:4). As part of Satan’s kingdom (Matt. 12:24-26), they also have the power to indwell consenting humans (Matt. 8:16) through possession. Demons, destined for defeat and “eternal fire” (Matt. 25:41), are joined with Satan in a spiritual battle against all believers (Eph. 6:12).
Satan
I believe that Satan was an angel of God cast down from heaven due to his rebellion and desire to take His place, seeking to rule over heaven, earth, and all other angels, to assume a glory exceeding God’s, in an attempt to be like Him (Isa. 14:12-14). Satan now works in opposition to God (Matt. 13:37-39) by endeavoring to imitate Him (Isa. 14:14) and deceptively gain access to destroy the church (Acts 20:29-30) as part of his nature (John 10:10), while blinding the eyes of the unbeliever (2 Cor. 4:4, Luke 8:12).
The Church
I believe the church is an assembly of confessing baptized (Acts 2:41) believers (Rom. 10:9) indwelt by the presence of Jesus Christ (Matt. 18:20), devoted to Scripture (Acts 2:42), subjecting themselves to its authority and discipline (Acts 6:4), and maintaining their persistence in its preaching (Acts 5:42), as they fulfill the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20). The church also administers the ordinances of baptism into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27-28) in identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:4-6), as well as administers the Lord’s Supper (Mark 14:22-25, Matt. 26:26-29). As a result, there will be an emergence of spiritual gifts in the body of Christ (Rom. 12:6-8, 1 Cor. 12:28, Eph. 4:11).
Baptism
Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water (Acts 2:41, Acts 8:36-39) in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt 28:18-19) as an act of obedience (Matt. 3:13-17) and faith (Col. 2:12) following the example of Christ. Immersion identifies the believer with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and symbolizes death to sin, burial of the old self, and raised to live a new life (Rom. 6:4-6).
Communion
Communion is an ordinance of the church symbolizing the blood that was shed and body of Christ that was broken for the forgiveness of sins (Matt. 26:27-29). By partaking of the fruit of the vine and bread (Mark 14:22-25), the believer remembers Christ’s sacrifice (Luke 22:19-20), until the day of His return (1 Cor. 11:24-26).
Second Coming
I believe that Jesus Christ will return for all believers (1 Cor. 15:51, Rev. 3:10) to be caught up in the clouds (1 Thess. 4:17) prior to seven years (Dan. 9:27) of great tribulation (Matt. 24:21). His judgment (Rev. 14:7) will bring wrath (Zeph. 1:15, Rev. 6:17) but not without saving a great multitude (Rev. 7:9-17) before judging all nations at His second coming (Matt. 25:32). He will bind Satan and usher in His millennial kingdom (Rev. 20:2). At the end of this reign, the Great White Throne Judgment will be pronounced over the unsaved dead according to their works, (Rev. 20:12) where they will suffer eternal punishment (Matt.25:46) in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14) and the righteous will enjoy eternal life (Matt. 25:46) and fellowship with God (Rev. 22:4, John 14:3) in heaven.
Jesus’ virgin birth, death, and resurrection.
Jesus was born of virgin birth by Mary through the Holy Spirit (Mat.1:18). Born sinless (Heb. 4:15), He suffered death on the cross only to be resurrected three days dead from the grave (1 Cor. 15:3-4) and will someday return for His own (Jn. 14:3).
