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)
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: 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 immoral and therefore sin. (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)
