| THE
SCRIPTURE
The sole basis
of our beliefs is the Bible, the 66 books of the Old and New
Testaments. It was uniquely, verbally, and fully inspired by the
Holy Spirit and was written without error in the original
manuscripts. It is the supreme and final authority in faith and
life in every age.
GOD
There is but
one God, infinite in power, wisdom, justice, goodness and love,
the Creator of the universe, eternally existing in three
persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit— each of whom possesses
all the attributes of Deity and the characteristics of
personality.
MAN
God created man
in His own image, and man, as he was origin-ally created, was
innocent before God. But man chose to sin by disobeying God, and
therefore was alienated from his Creator and came under divine
condemnation. Thus all human beings are born with a corrupted
nature and without spiritual life, and are totally incapable of
pleasing God in and of themselves.
JESUS CHRIST
God the Father,
by His own choice and out of love for sinful men and women, sent
Jesus Christ into the world to reconcile sinners to Himself. Jesus
Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. He
was God in the flesh, both true God and true man.
Jesus Christ
lived a sinless life and voluntarily suffered and died as our
substitute to pay the penalty for our sins, thus satisfying
God’s justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in
Him alone. He rose from the dead in the same body, though
glorified, in which He lived and died. He bodily ascended into
heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, where He,
the only mediator between God and man, makes intercession for His
own. He will return to earth personally, visibly and bodily to
judge all men and establish His kingdom.
SALVATION
Men and women
are freed from the penalty for their sins not as a result,
in whole or in part of their own works, goodness or religious
ceremony, but by the undeserved favor of God alone. God declares
righteous all who put their faith in Christ alone for their
salvation.
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THE
HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit
has come into the world to reveal and glorify Christ, to convict
men and women of their sins, and to impart new life to all who
place their faith in Christ. He indwells believers from the moment
of spiritual birth, seals them until the day of redemption, allots
spiritual gifts to them for ministry, and empowers them to live a
life pleasing to God.
ASSURANCE
All who are
born again of the Spirit can, through the sure promises of God, be
fully assured of eternal life from the very moment they put
their faith in Christ. This assurance is not based upon any kind
of human merit, but upon the finished work of Christ, who
completely paid for their sins and upon the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit, who is the deposit guaranteeing their inheritance.
THE
RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD
At physical
death, the believer enters immediately into eternal, conscious
fellowship with the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his or her
body to everlasting glory and blessing. At physical death, the
unbeliever enters immediately into eternal, conscious separation
from the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his or her body to
everlasting suffering, judgment and condemnation.
BAPTISM AND THE
LORD’S SUPPER
Jesus Christ
has instructed those who believe in Him to be baptized in water as
a symbol of their new birth in Christ. Baptism is only for those
who have personally believed in Christ. Our practice is to baptize
by immersion. The Lord also instituted the Lord’s Supper as a
remembrance of His suffering, death and resurrection. Neither
baptism nor the Lord’s Supper have any merit in helping a person
obtain eternal life.
THE CHURCH
All true
believers make up the church worldwide and should assemble
together in local churches for worship, prayer, fellowship and
teaching to become conformed to the image of Christ and to become
equipped to carry out the "Great Commission" that Christ
gave His followers in Matthew 28:19-20.
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