Principles of Beliefs
GOD: I believe in one God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
(Matthew 5:16, 45; 6:1, 4, 8, 9; James 1:17; John 1:1; 14:9; Genesis 1:2; John 4:24; 14:16-20; 2 Peter 1:21) and in God the Father Almighty, Creator of all things visible and invisible. (Genesis 1:1; Acts 17:24-28; Hebrews 11:3)
JESUS: I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s one and only Son, my one and only Savior.
(John 1:14; 1 John 4:9; John 3:16; 2 Peter 3:18). Who was born both fully human and fully divine, conceived of the Holy Spirit and the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life. (Matthew 21:11; John 19:19; John 1:14; Romans 5:15-17; Colossians 2:9; 1 John 1:1; Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:26-38) Who suffered and was crucified.
(Luke 23:1-46) Who died and was buried, and Who rose again bodily from the dead on the third day. (Luke 23:44, 24:8; John 20:24-29; 1 Corinthians 15:3-8)
Who ascended into Heaven and now sits at the right hand of the Father (Luke 22:69; Acts 1:1-9; Colossians 3:1) and Who will return to earth to judge both the living and the dead. (Matthew 24:36-42; John 14:1-3; Acts 1: 10-11; 10:39-42;1 Peter 4:5)
HOLY SPIRIT: I believe in the Holy Spirit, who is a personal and active part of the triune God...
(John 16:5-15; Acts 1:7-8; Romans 8:26-27), and who indwells every Christian, (1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; 2 Timothy 1:14), who indwells us in order to develop within us the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:16-26), and also to release through us the gifts of the Spirit (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12.)
SCRIPTURES: I believe in the Bible – God’s Holy Word as inspired Scripture.
(Mark 12:36; John 14:26; 16:12-15; Acts 1:16; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13; 2 Timothy 3:14-16; 2 Peter 1:20-21) and accept the Bible as the final authority for all matters of faith and practice. (Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 5:18; 24:35; Romans 15:4 Hebrews 4:12)
HUMANITY: I believe that people created by God willfully sin against God and are consequently lost and without hope apart from Jesus Christ.
(Acts 4:12; Romans 3:23) and that salvation – the forgiveness of sins – cannot be earned, but is given to us only through the blood of Jesus Christ and by God’s grace. (Matthew 26:28; Romans 5:1-11; 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-10; Hebrews 10:19-22; 1 Peter 1:18, 19; 1 John 1:7)
SALVATION: I believe that people must respond to God by admitting our sin and our need for God’s grace...
(Romans 3:23; Titus 3:3-7), believing and confessing the truth about Jesus (Matthew 10:32; Romans 10:9, 10) turning away from sin (repenting – Luke 24:45-47; Acts 3:19; 17:30), trusting Jesus as Savior and Lord (Romans 10:11-13; Philippians 2:11), being baptized (immersed) into Christ (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:1-4) and striving to live a life of obedience in the Great Commandment and the Great Commission (Matthew22:37-40 & Matthew 28:18-20) to exalt King Jesus (Colossians 1:15-20) and expand God’s Kingdom (Matthew 6:33)
COMMUNION: I affirm the early church’s practice of celebrating the Lord’s Supper...
as a proclamation of the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and agree to make this celebration a centerpiece of the church’s public worship gatherings. (Acts 2:42; 20:7, I Corinthians 11:24-30)
THE CHURCH: I believe in the church of Jesus Christ, founded on the Day of Pentecost, consisting of all Christians everywhere...
(Matthew 16:13-18; Acts 2:14-47) and in the mission of the church.
MISSION: I believe the church is to expand God’s kingdom...
(Matthew 6:33) by making disciples of all nations, baptizing them, and teaching them to obey all of Jesus’ commands, (Matthew 28:18-20)
MARRIAGE: I believe that God created the human race, male and female, and marriage is a lifelong...
exclusive relationship between one man and one woman and that all intimate sexual activity outside the marriage relationship, whether heterosexual, homosexual, or otherwise, is not part of God’s original plan for humanity. (Gen. 2:24-25; Ex. 20:14, 17, 22:19; Lev. 18:22-23, 20:13, 15-16; Matt. 19:4-6, 9; Rom. 1:18-31; I Cor. 6:9-10, 15-20; I Tim. 1:8-11; Jude 7)
