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SCRIPTURE
The Bible, the sixty‐six books of the Old and New Testaments, is Godʹs written revelation, divinely given through human authors who were inspired by the Holy Spirit. Its content is entirely true and is to be the supreme and final authority for faith and practice in the church and in the life of the Christian.
2. GOD
The Bible reveals God to be the one and only true and living God. He is perfect in all his attributes, and thus truly omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, timeless, and self‐ existent. God exists, in his being, as one God revealed in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These Persons are co‐existent, co‐equal, and co‐eternal, yet distinct in office and activity.
A. GOD ‐ THE FATHER
God the Father is a personal being, who is perfect in His holiness, power, knowledge, love, and wisdom. He concerns himself mercifully in the affairs of his creation, hearing and answering prayers, saving from sin all who come to him through Jesus Christ. He is worthy to receive all glory and adoration.
B. GOD ‐ THE SON – JESUS CHRIST
Jesus is both fully God and fully human, in undiluted and unconfused union. He is Christ, the Son of God. Born in the flesh of a virgin, lived a life without sin, in perfect obedience to the Father, died on the cross to provide people the appointed means of forgiveness of sin and eternal salvation, rose bodily from the dead, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return in power and glory.
C. GOD ‐ THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine and equal with the Father and Son. In Him, all true Christians are baptized into Christ, indwelt beginning at the moment of salvation, empowered for bold witness and effective service as they yield to Him, and uniquely gifted for the building up of the church. The Holy Spirit convicts individuals of sin, progressively grows believers into the likeness of Christ, and secures them until the final day of redemption.
3. HUMANITY
God created human beings, male and female, in His image and for His glory. Yet every human being has willfully disobeyed God—an act known as sin—thus inheriting both physical and spiritual death. All human beings are born with a sin nature and are inclined toward sin. Only by the grace of God through Jesus Christ can they experience salvation.
4. SALVATION
All human beings are born with a sin nature, relationally separated from God, under the just condemnation of God, and in need of a Savior. That salvation comes only through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, as a person repents of sin and receives God’s grace of the forgiveness of sin and eternal life. Salvation is instantaneous and is wholly of God by grace, on the basis of the finished work of Jesus Christ, and not on the basis of human works.
5. SANCTIFICATION
Sanctification, which is a setting apart unto God, is positional, progressive, and ultimate and begins at the moment of salvation. Positionally, it is already complete since the believer is in Christ and is set apart unto God as Christ is set apart unto God. Since the believer in this life retains their sinful flesh, there is need for progressive sanctification as the believer grows in the likeness of Christ by the power of the Spirit. Ultimately, the child of God will be set apart from sin in their practice as they are now in positionally, when they are joined with Christ for eternity.
6. THE CHURCH
The church consists of all true believers of Jesus Christ who are brought into the fellowship of Christ’s body, with Christ as the Head. As members of the body of Christ, all believers are called to join themselves to a local church. The local expression of the church is an assembly of believers in Jesus Christ who voluntarily join together in one locale for the purpose of worship, biblical instruction, prayer, service, fellowship, all to the glory of God.
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordinances to be valued and observed in the local church. They are visible signs representing spiritual truths; they do not accomplish salvation. Baptism is a one‐time ordinance where the believer is immersed in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Baptism signifies the believer’s union with a crucified, buried and risen Savior, and the believer’s death to sin, burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. The Lord’s Supper is a repeated ordinance, which memorializes the meaning and significance of the death of Christ, and anticipates his return.
7. LAST THINGS
God has appointed a set time for the consummation of the present age, though He has not revealed its exact time. Allowing for a diversity of end‐time views, we believe the following are essential: Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; Christ will judge all men in righteousness. A solemn separation will take place: the unrighteous will be assigned to endless punishment and the righteous to endless joy in a new heaven and new earth. This judgment will fix forever the final state of people in heaven or hell in accordance with God’s righteousness.