|
|
Statement
of Faith
We believe
in the one living and true God,
sovereign of the universe; both creative and
administrative, holy in nature, attributes, and purpose.
Within this unity there are three
distinct persons of one essential nature, power and
eternity - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
(Genesis
1; Leviticus 19:2; Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Isaiah 5:16;
6:1-7; 40:18-31; Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19-20; John
14:6-27; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14;
Galatians 4:4-6; Ephesians 2:13-18)
We
believe in Jesus Christ, the Second Person of
the Triune Godhead; that He was eternally one with the
Father; that He became incarnate by the Holy Spirit and
was born of the Virgin Mary, so that two whole and
perfect natures that is to say the Godhead and manhood,
are thus united in one Person very God and very man, the
God-man. We also believe that Jesus Christ died for our
sins, and that He truly arose from the dead and took
again His body, together with all things appertaining to
the perfection of man's nature, wherewith He ascended
into heaven and is there engaged in intercession for us.
(Matthew 1:20-25; 16:15-16; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:1-18;
Acts 2:22-36; Romans 8:3, 32-34; Galatians 4:4-5;
Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:12-22; 1 Timothy
6:14-16; Hebrews 1:1-5; 7:22-28; 9:24-28; 1 John 1:1-3;
4:2-3,15)
We
believe in the Holy Spirit, the Third Person of
the Triune Godhead, that He is ever present and
efficiently active in and with the Church of Christ,
convincing the world of sin, regenerating those who
repent and believe, sanctifying believers, and guiding
into all truth as it is in Jesus. (John 7:39; 14:15-18,
26; 16:7-15; Acts 2:33; 15:8-9; Romans 8:1-27; Galatians
3:1-14; 4:6; Ephesians 3:14-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:7-8; 2
Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 John 3:24; 4:13)
We
believe in the plenary inspiration of the Holy
Scriptures, by which we understand the 66 books of the
Old and New Testaments, given by divine inspiration,
inerrantly revealing the will of God concerning us in
all things necessary to our salvation, so that whatever
is not contained therein is not to be enjoined as an
article of faith. (Luke 24:44-47; John 10:35; 1
Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Peter 1:10-12;
2 Peter 1:20-21)
We believe
that Jesus Christ, by His sufferings, by the shedding of
His own blood, and by His meritorious death on the
Cross, made a full atonement for all human sin, and that
this Atonement is the only ground of salvation, and that
it is sufficient for every individual of Adam's race.
(Isaiah 53:5-6, 11; John 1:29; 3:14-17; Acts 4:10-12;
Romans 3:21-26; 4:17-25; 5:6-21; 1 Corinthians 6:20; 2
Corinthians 5:14-21; Galatians 1:3-4; 3:13-14;
Colossians 1:19-23; 1 Timothy 2:3-6; Titus 2:11-14;
Hebrews 2:9; 9:11-14; 13:12; 1 Peter 1:18-21; 2:19-25)
We
believe that the human race's creation in
Godlikeness included ability to choose between right and
wrong, and that thus human beings were made morally
responsible; that through the fall of Adam they became
depraved so that they cannot now turn and prepare
themselves by their own natural strength and works to
faith and calling upon God. But we also believe that the
grace of God through Jesus Christ is freely bestowed
upon all people, enabling all who will to turn from sin
to righteousness, believe on Jesus Christ for pardon and
cleansing from sin, and follow good works pleasing and
acceptable in His sight. (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:16-17;
Deuteronomy 28:1-2; 30:19; Joshua 24:15; Psalm 8:3-5;
Isaiah 1:8-10; Jeremiah31:29-30; Ezekiel 18:1-4; Micah
6:8; Romans 1:19-20; 2:1-16; 14:7-12; Galatians 6:7-8;
Job 14:4; 15:14; John 3:6; Romans 3:10-12;
5:12-14, 7:14-25)
We
believe that repentance, which is a sincere and
thorough change of the mind in regard to sin, involving
a sense of personal guilt and a voluntary turning away
from sin, is demanded of all who have by act or purpose
become sinners against God. The Spirit of God gives to
all who will repent the gracious help of penitence of
heart and hope of mercy, that they may believe unto
pardon and spiritual life. (Isaiah 55:6-7; Jeremiah
3:12-14; Ezekiel 18:30-32; 33:14-16; Luke 3:1-14;
13:1-5; 18:9-14; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 5:31; 17:30-31;
26:16-18; Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:8-11; 1
Thessalonians 1:9; 2 Peter 3:9)
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. Regeneration, or the new birth, is that gracious
work of God whereby the moral nature of the repentant
believer is spiritually quickened and given a
distinctively spiritual life, capable of faith, love,
and obedience. Adoption is that gracious act of
God by which the justified and regenerated believer is
constituted a son of God. Justification, regeneration,
and adoption are simultaneous in the experience of
seekers after God and are obtained upon the condition of
faith, preceded by repentance; and that to this work and
state of grace the Holy Spirit bears witness. (Luke
18:14; John 1:12-13; 3:3-8; 5:24; Acts 13:39; Romans
1:17; 3:21-26, 28; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 6:11; 2
Corinthians 5:17-21; Galatians 2:16-21; 3:1-14, 26;
4:4-7; Ephesians 1:6-7; 2:1, 4-5; Philippians 3:3-9;
Colossians 2:13; Titus 3:4-7; 1 Peter 1:23; 1 John 1:9;
3:1-2, 9; 4:7; 5:1, 9-13, 18)
We
believe in the Church, the community that
confesses Jesus Christ as Lord, the covenant people of
God made new in Christ, the Body of Christ called
together by the Holy Spirit through the Word. God calls
the Church to express its life in the unity 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 organizes itself in culturally
conditioned forms; exists both as local congregations
and as a universal body; sets apart persons 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;
Jeremiah 31:33; Matthew 8:11; 10:7; John 17:14-26;
20:21-23; Acts 1:7-8; 2:32-47; 6:1-2; 13:1; 14:23;
Romans 2:28-29; Galatians 5:6, 13-14; 6:1-5, 15;
Ephesians 4:1-17; 5:25-27; Philippians 2:1-16; 1
Thessalonians 4:1-12; 1 Timothy 4:13; Hebrews 10:19-25;
1 Peter 1:1-2, 1 John 4:17)
We
believe that Christian baptism, commanded by our
Lord, is a sacrament signifying acceptance of the
benefits of the atonement of Jesus Christ, to be
administered to believers and declarative of their faith
in Jesus Christ as their Savior, and full purpose of
obedience in holiness and righteousness. Baptism may be
administered by sprinkling, pouring, or immersion,
according to the choice of the applicant. (Matthew
3:1-7; 28:16-20; Acts 2:37-41; 8:35-39; 10:44-48;
16:29-34; 19:1- 6; Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:26-28;
Colossians 2:12; 1 Peter 3:18-22)
We
believe that the Communion Supper instituted by
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is essentially a New
Testament sacrament, declarative of His sacrificial
death, through the merits of which believers have life
and salvation and promise of all spiritual blessings in
Christ. It is distinctively for those who are prepared
for reverent appreciation of its significance, and by it
they show forth the Lord's death till He come again. It
being the Communion feast, only those who have faith in
Christ and love for the saints should be called to
participate therein. (Exodus 12:1-14; Matthew 26:26-29;
Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:17-20; 1 Corinthians 10:14-21;
11:23-32)
We
believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will come
again; that we who are alive at His coming shall not
precede them that are asleep in Christ Jesus; but that,
if we are abiding in Him, we shall be caught up with the
risen saints to meet the Lord in the air, so that we
shall ever be with the Lord. (Matthew 25:31-46; John
14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; Philippians 3:20-21; 1
Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 9:26-28; 2
Peter 3:3-15; Revelation 1:7-8; 22:7-20)
We
believe in the resurrection of the dead, that
the bodies both of the just and of the unjust shall be
raised to life and united with their spirits - "they
that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and
they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of
damnation." We believe in future judgment in which every
person shall appear before God to be judged according to
his or her deeds in this life. We believe that glorious
and everlasting life is assured to all who savingly
believe in, and obediently follow, Jesus Christ our
Lord; and that the finally impenitent shall suffer
eternally in hell. (Genesis 18:25; 1 Samuel 2:10; Psalm
50:6; Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2-3; Matthew 25:31-46;
Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-31; 20:27-38; John 3:16-18;
5:25-29; 11:21-27; Acts 17:30-31; Romans 2:1-16;
14:7-12; 1 Corinthians 15:12-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2
Thessalonians 1:5-10; Revelation 20:11- 15; 22:1-15)
|
