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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)
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