The Bible
The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, written by human authors by divine inspiration, are the Word of God, the source of Christian beliefs and the final and supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. Inspired by God, the Bible is truth without mixture of error in the original manuscripts.
mankind
God made man and woman in His image that He might have fellowship with us. Being estranged from God by our disobedience, we are, as sinful people, incapable of a right relationship to God apart from divine grace.
god
In the Scriptures, God reveals Himself as the living and true God, Creator of all things. Perfect in love and righteous in all His ways, this one God exists eternally as a Trinity of persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Many world religions speak of god and gods. These gods, upon closer examination, are gods that require “works” and good deeds by people in order for them to find their god. The true God seeks us first, and helps us turn from our sin and follow Him by His grace, and by His strength.
Jesus
The only Mediator between God and all human beings is Jesus Christ our Lord, God’s eternal Son, who as man fully shared and fulfilled our humanity in a life of perfect obedience. Jesus, fully divine and equal with the Father, became fully man, lived a sinless human life, and then offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross.
Salvation
By His death in our place, Jesus revealed divine love and upheld divine justice, removing our guilt and reconciling us to God. Having risen bodily from the dead and ascended into heaven, He rules as Lord over all and intercedes for us as our Great High Priest. All who, by grace through faith, turn from self-rule to Jesus Christ are forgiven by God and freed from the penalty of sin. No sin is beyond God’s ability or willingness to forgive. Salvation, given by grace (His unmerited power and favor), is not attained through self-improvement or good works. The person who believes that Jesus rose from the dead and who confesses that Jesus is Lord of his life is saved and is made a new spiritual creation.
Holy Spirit
God sent the Holy Spirit to empower us to know Jesus and live for Him, and He empowers us to make disciples of Jesus. The Holy Spirit leads Gods followers into the ways of God by reminding us of all Jesus said and did. The Holy Spirit, equal with the Father and the Son of God, lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation and provides every Christ follower with power for living, for understanding spiritual truth, and for guidance in our lives. Scripture calls all Christ followers to seek to be constantly filled with the Holy Spirit and to daily live under His loving presence. We believe that the Holy Spirit comes bearing gifts. The gifts of the Holy Spirit (Romans 12, I Corinthians 12, 14, Ephesians 4) have never ceased in operation, and are available to believers to encourage and build up the church; as the Holy Spirit chooses to give them. Christ followers supremely regard the fruit of the Spirit’s presence in the lives of believers. (Galatians 5)
The Church
God, by His Word and Spirit, calls us to believe we are sons and daughters and calls us into the fellowship of Christ’s body. Thus He creates the one holy, universal and apostolic church, united in the bonds of love, endowed with the gifts of the Spirit and summoned by Christ to preach the Gospel, to carry on the ministry of reconciliation, to demonstrate His love, presence, and powerto the world.
Jesus' Return
We believe that Jesus will come again to the earth, and we live each day in hope filled expectation of his return. God’s redemptive purpose will be consummated by the return of Christto establish His glorious kingdom. Those who are apart from Christ shall be eternally separated from God’s presence, but the redeemed shall live and reign with Him forever.
Beloved
God is love, and He wishes for His followers to love as He loves. This includes loving our families, friends, neighbors, as well as our enemies. The life of a believer focuses around believing rightly how loved we are. “This is love, not that we have loved God, but that He has loved us and offered Himself as a propitiation for our sin. We love because He loved us first.” I John 4
Great Commission
We believe our primary purpose in life is to enjoy and glorify God, and to reveal His goodness to the nations. God yearns for people from every family, culture, and nation to worship Him, and He chooses to communicate that love for the nations through us, His disciples. (Matthew 28, 2 Corinthians 5).