We believe in the one living and true God. There are three persons within this
unity of one essential nature, power, and eternity—the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit both holy and loving, eternal, unlimited in power, wisdom and
goodness, the Creator and Preserver of all things.
Gen. 1:1; 17:1; Ex. 3:13-15; 33:20; Deut. 6:4; Ps. 90:2; Isa. 40:28-29; Matt.
3:16-17; 28:19; John 1:1-2; 4:24; 16:13; 17:3; Acts 5:3-4; 17:24-25; 1 Cor.
8:4, 6; Eph. 2:18; Phil. 2:6; Col. 1:16-17; 1 Tim. 1:17; Heb. 1:8; 1 John
5:20.
We believe the Father is the source of all that exists, whether of matter or
spirit. With the Son and the Holy Spirit, He made man, male and female, in His
image.
Ps. 68:5; Isa. 64:8; Matt. 7:11; John 3:17; Rom. 8:15; 1 Pet. 1:17.
We believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God. He was conceived by
the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, truly God and truly man. He died
on the cross and was buried to be a sacrifice both for original sin and for
all human transgressions, and to reconcile us to God.
Ps. 16:8-10; Matt. 1:21, 23; 11:27; 16:28; 27:62-66; 28:5-9; 28:16-17; Mark
10:45; 15; 16:6-7; Luke 1:27, 31, 35; 24:4-8, 23; John 1:1, 14, 18; 3:16-17;
20:26-29; 21; Acts 1:2-3; 2:24-31; 4:12; 10:40; Rom. 5:10, 18; 8:34; 14:9; 1
Cor. 15:3-8, 14; 2 Cor. 5:18-19; Gal. 1:4; 2:20; 4:4-5; Eph. 5:2; 1 Tim. 1:15;
Heb 2:17; 7:27; 9:14, 28; 10:12; 13:20; 1 Pet. 2:24; 1 John 2:2; 4:14.
We believe in the Holy Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son, and is
of the same essential nature, majesty, and glory, as the Father and the Son,
truly and eternally God. He is the giver of grace to all, and is particularly
the effective Agent in conviction for sin, in regeneration, and in
sanctification. He is ever present, assuring, preserving, guiding, and
enabling the believer.
Job 33:4; Matt. 28:19; John 4:24; 14:16-17; 15:26; 16:13-15; Acts 5:3-4; Rom.
8:9; 2 Cor. 3:17; Gal. 4:6.
We believe that the books of the Old and New Testaments constitute the Holy
Scriptures. They are the inspired written Word of God. The original
manuscripts are superior to all human authority, and have been transmitted to
the present to direct and edify the community of faith.
Ps. 19:7; Matt. 5:17-19; 22:37-40; Luke 24:27, 44; John 1:45; 5:46; 17:17;
Acts 17:2, 11; Rom. 1:2; 15:4, 8; 16:26; 2 Cor. 1:20; Gal. 1:8; Eph. 2:15-16;
1 Tim. 2:5; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Heb. 4:12; 10:1; 11:39; James 1:21; 1 Pet. 1:23; 2
Pet. 1:19-21; 1 John 2:3-7; Rev. 22:18-19.
We believe that the two great commandments which require us to love the Lord
our God with all the heart, and our neighbors as ourselves, summarize the
divine law as it is revealed in the Scriptures.
Lev. 19:18, 34; Deut. 1:16-17; Job 31:13-14; Jer. 21:12; 22:3; Micah 6:8;
Matt. 5:44-48; 7:12; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 6:27-29, 35; John 13:34-35; Acts
10:34-35; 17:26; Rom. 12:9; 13:1, 7-8, 10; Gal. 5:14; 6:10; Titus 3:1; James
2:8; 1 Pet. 2:17; 1 John 2:5; 4:12-13; 2 John 1:6.
We believe that humanity's creation in the image of God included ability to
choose between right and wrong. Thus individuals were made morally responsible
for their choices. But since the fall of Adam, people are unable in their own
strength to always do right. Through Jesus Christ, though, the grace of God
makes possible what humans in self-effort cannot do. It is bestowed freely
upon all, enabling all who to turn to Jesus will be saved.
Gen. 6:5; 8:21; Deut. 30:19; Josh. 24:15; 1 Kings 20:40; Ps. 51:5; Isa. 64:6;
Jer. 17:9; Mark 7:21-23; Luke 16:15; John 7:17; Rom. 3:10-12; 5:12-21; 1 Cor.
15:22; Eph. 2:1-3; 1 Tim. 2:5; Titus 3:5; Heb. 11:6; Rev. 22:17.
We believe that Christ's offering of Himself, once and for all, through His
sufferings and death on the cross, provides the perfect redemption and
atonement for the sins of the whole world, both original and actual.
Isa. 52:13-15; 53:1-12; Luke 24:46-47; John 3:16; Acts 3:18; 4:12; Rom. 3:20,
24-26; 5:8-11, 13, 18-20; 7:7; 8:34; 1 Cor. 6:11; 15:22; Gal. 2:16; 3:2-3;
Eph. 1:7; 2:13, 16; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; Heb. 7:23-27; 9:11-15, 24-28; 10:14; 1 John
2:2; 4:10.
We believe in the bodily resurrection from the dead of all people—of the just
unto the resurrection of life, and of the unjust unto the resurrection of
damnation. The resurrection of Christ is the guarantee of the resurrection,
which will occur at Christ's Second Coming. The raised body will be a
spiritual body, but the person will be whole and identifiable.
Job 19:25-27; Dan. 12:2; Matt. 22:30-32; 28:1-20; Mark 16:18; Luke 14:14;
24:1-53; John 5:28-29; 11:21-27; 20:1-21,25; Acts 1:3; Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 6:14;
15:1-58; 2 Cor. 4:14; 5:1-11; 1 Thess. 4:13-17; Rev. 20:4-6, 11-13.
We believe that for men and women to appropriate what God's preeminent grace
has made possible, they must voluntarily respond in repentance and faith. The
ability comes from God, but the act is an individual choice.
Mark 1:15; Luke 5:32; 13:3; 24:47; John 3:16; 17:20; 20:31; Acts 5:31; 10:43;
11:18; 16:31; 20:21; 26:20; Rom. 1:16; 2:4; 10:8-10, 17; Gal. 3:26; Eph. 2:8;
4:4-6; Phil. 3:9; 2 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 2:25; Heb. 11:6; 12:2; 1 Pet. 1:9; 2
Pet. 3:9.
We believe that when one repents of personal sin and believes in the Lord
Jesus Christ, that at the same moment that person is justified, regenerated,
adopted into the family of God, and assured of personal salvation through the
witness of the Holy Spirit.
Hab. 2:4; Acts 13:38-39; 15:11; 16:31; Rom. 1:17; 3:28; 4:2-5; 5:1-2; Gal.
3:6-14; Eph. 2:8-9; Phil. 3:9; Heb. 10:38.; John 1:12-13; 3:3, 5-8; 2 Cor.
5:17; Gal. 3:26; Eph. 2:5, 10, 19; 4:24; Col. 3:10; Titus 3:5; James 1:18; 1
Pet. 1:3-4; 2 Pet. 1:4; 1 John 3:1.; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:5, 7; Eph. 1:5.; Rom.
8:16-17; Gal. 4:6; 1 John 2:3; 3:14, 18-19.
We believe that although good works cannot save us from our sins or from God's
judgment, they are the fruit of faith and follow after salvation and
regeneration.
Matt. 5:16; 7:16-20; John 15:8; Rom. 3:20; 4:2, 4, 6; Gal. 2:16; 5:6; Eph.
2:10; Phil. 1:11; Col. 1:10; 1 Thess. 1:3; Titus 2:14; 3:5; James 2:18, 22; 1
Pet. 2:9, 12.
We believe that the Christian Church is the entire body of believers in Jesus
Christ, who is the founder and only Head of the Church.
Matt. 16:18; 18:17; Acts 2:41-47; 9:31; 11:22; 12:5; 14:23; 15:22; 20:28; 1
Cor. 1:2; 12:28; 16:1; 2 Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:9-10,
21; 5:22-33; Col. 1:18, 24; 1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1; 1 Tim. 3:15; Heb.
12:23; James 5:14.
We believe that water baptism and the Lord's Supper are the Sacraments of the
church commanded by Christ and ordained as a means of grace when received
through faith.
Matt. 3:13-17; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 3:5, 22, 26; 4:1-2; Acts 2:38-39, 41;
8:12-17, 36-38; 9:18; 16:15, 33; 18:8; 19:5; 22:16; Rom. 2:28-29; 4:11; 6:3-4;
1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27-29; Col. 2:11-12; Titus 3:5.; Matt. 26:26-28; Mark
14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; John 6:48-58; 1 Cor. 5:7-8; 10:3-4, 16-17; 11:23-29.