THE TRIUNE GOD

We affirm our belief in one God, infinite Spirit, creator, and sustainer of all things, who exists eternally in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These three are one in essence but distinct in person and function. (Deut. 4:35; 6:4; Isa 44:5-8)

GOD THE FATHER

We affirm that the Father is the first person of the Triune Godhead and the source of all that God is and does. From Him the Son is eternally generated and from Them the Spirit eternally proceeds. He is the designer of creation, the speaker of revelation, the author of redemption, and the sovereign of history. (Gen 1:26; 3:22; Is 48:16; Matt. 28:18–19; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3–4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Tit 3:4-7; Heb. 1:1–3; Rev. 1:4–6)

GOD THE SON

We affirm that the Lord Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity, eternally begotten from the Father. He is God. He was conceived by the Virgin Mary through a miracle of the Holy Spirit. He lives forever as perfect God and perfect man: two distinct natures inseparably united in one person. (Matt 1:22, 23; John 1:1, 2, 14; Phil 2:6, 7; Col 1:15-20; Rom 5:9; Titus 2:13; 1 John 5:20)

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

We affirm that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, proceeding from the Father and the Son and equal in deity. He is the giver of all life, active in the creating and ordering of the universe; He is the agent of inspiration and the new birth; He restrains sin and Satan; and He baptizes simultaneous to salvation, indwells and sanctifies all believers. We affirm that the Holy Spirit distributes spiritual gifts to every believer for the edification of the body of Christ and that these gifts are distributed by God’s sovereign design. (Mt. 28:19; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor. 12:11, 18; 2 Cor. 3:18; 1 Cor. 6:19; 12:13; Eph 1:13; Tit 3:5; 1 Pet 1:2; 1 Cor. 12:1-31)

THE SCRIPTURE

We affirm that the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, though written by men, was supernaturally inspired by God so that all its words are the written true revelation of God; it is therefore inerrant in the originals and authoritative in all matters. It is to be understood by all believers through the illumination of the Holy Spirit, its meaning determined by the historical, grammatical, and literary use of the author’s language, comparing Scripture with Scripture. We believe that God’s Word has been preserved in many translations throughout the world (Ps 119:160; Jer. 15:16; Ps 19:7-11; Zech 7:12; Mt. 24:35; John 10:35, John 17:17; 2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:3-4, 2 Pet 1:20, 21)

CREATION

We affirm that all things were created by God. Angels were created as ministering agents, though some, under the leadership of Satan, fell from their sinless state to become agents of evil. The universe was created in six literal days and is continuously sustained by God; thus it both reflects His glory and reveals His truth. Human beings were directly created, not evolved, in the very image of God. As reasoning moral agents, they are responsible under God for understanding and governing themselves and the world. (Gen. 1:1; Gen 1:1-31; Gen 2:1-3; 18-25; Ex 20:11; Ps 90:2; 148:1-5; Is 14:12-14; Ezek 28:12-17; Luke 10:18; Rev. 12:8-10; Gen 3:14,15; Gen 3:1-19; Rom 1:20; Eph 3:9; Ps 8:3; 19:1; Heb 1:3; 11:3; Heb 1:14; Rev 7:11-12; Job 1:6-7; Luke 10:18; Col 2:15; Heb 1:6,14)

MAN

We affirm that man was created in the image of God having personality (ability to think, decide and feel). We affirm that Adam, the first man, willfully disobeyed God, bringing sin and death into the world. As a result, all persons are sinners from conception, which is evidenced in their willful acts of sin; and they are therefore subject to eternal punishment, under the just condemnation of a holy God. (Gen 1:26, 27; Rom 3:10-23; Eph 2:1, 2; 2 Cor. 5:17)

THE WORK OF CHRIST

We affirm that Jesus Christ offered Himself as a sacrifice by the appointment of the Father. He fulfilled the demands of God by His obedient life, died on the cross in full substitution and payment for the sins of all, was buried, and on the third day He arose physically and bodily from the dead. He ascended into heaven where He now intercedes for all believers. (1 Pet. 3:18; Rom. 3:24; 1 Cor. 15:3-5; Rom. 8:34; 1 Jn 2:1, 2)

SALVATION

We affirm that each person can be saved only through the work of Jesus Christ by faith alone in Him as Lord and Savior. The believer is declared righteous, born again by the Holy Spirit, forgiven of all sin, and assured of heaven. (John 1:12,13; Acts 16:31; Rom 3:21-25; Eph 1:7, 1 John 2:2; 2 Peter 3:9; Eph 2:1, 2; Rom 5:18; 6:23, 2 Cor. 9:15, Tit 3:3-8; Jn. 6:37-49; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38, 39; Eph. 2:8-10; Titus 3:5)

SANCTIFICATION

We affirm that the Holy Spirit indwells all who are born again conforming them to the likeness of Jesus Christ. This is a process completed only in Heaven. Every believer is responsible to live in obedience to the Word of God in separation from sin. (1 Cor. 1:2; 6:11; John 17:17; 2 Cor. 3:18; 7:1; Eph. 4:24; 5:25–27; 1 Thess. 5:23; Phil 2:12; 13; Heb. 10:10, 14; 12:10; Rom 6-8; Gal 5:16-24; Eph 4:21-24; 1 John 3:1-3; Eph 5:26-27; Jude 24-35; Father: John 15:2; John 17:17; 1 Thess. 5:23; Christ: Gal 2:20; Eph 5:26-27; Col. 1:22; Heb 13:12;Heb 2:11; Heb 10:10; Holy Spirit: 2 Cor. 3:18; Rom 8:13; Eph 1:17; Rom 5:5; Gal 5:22-23)

THE CHURCH

We affirm that the universal church is the body of Christ composed of all born again believers. We affirm that a local church is an assembly of baptized believers, under the discipline of the Word of God and the lordship of Christ, organized to carry out the commission to evangelize, to teach, and to administer the ordinances of believer’s baptism and the Lord’s Table. It functions through the ministry of gifts given by the Holy Spirit to each believer. (Matt 28:18-20; Luke 22:14-20; 1 Cor. 1:2; 11:23-26)

FUTURE THINGS

We affirm that the return of Christ for all believers is imminent. It will be followed by seven years of great tribulation, and then the coming of Christ to establish His earthly kingdom for a thousand years. The unsaved will then be raised and judged according to their works and separated forever from God in hell. The saved, having been raised, will live forever in heaven in fellowship with God. (Rev 20:1-7; I Thess. 4:13-18; Tit 2:13, 14; Rev 19:11-21; 20:1-15; Mt. 25:46; Jn. 5:28, 29; 11:25, 26; Rev. 20:5, 6, 12, 13)

WITNESS AND SERVICE

We affirm the responsibility of each believer, motivated by the love of Christ, and empowered by the Holy Spirit, to witness for Christ, that the Great Commandment and the Great Commission of our Lord Jesus Christ to give the Gospel to every creature throughout the world are still incumbent on every believer. We believe in the will, power and providence of God to meet our every need in His service likewise to live sacrificially for the proclamation of the Gospel into the entire world. (Matt 6:33; Matt 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 9:6-8; Phil 4:19)