What I Believe
THE SCRIPTURES
I believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally inspired word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Matt. 5:18; John 16:12-13).
ABOUT GOD
I believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; co-eternal in being, co-eternal in nature, co-equal in power and glory, having the same attributes and perfections (Deut. 6:4; 2 Cor. 13:14).
ABOUT JESUS CHRIST
I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man (John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35). I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, substitutionary sacrifice and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Rom. 3:24; 1 Peter 2:24; Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3–5). I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, he fulfills the ministry as Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 7:25, 9:24; Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1–2).
ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT
I believe that it is the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8–11; 2 Cor. 3:6; 1 Cor.12:12–14; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 5:18).
ABOUT HUMANITY
I believe that all people are created in the image of God to have fellowship with him but became alienated in that relationship through sinful disobedience. As a result, people are incapable of regaining a right relationship with God through their own efforts (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23, 5:12; Eph. 2:1–3, 12).
ABOUT SALVATION
I believe that the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross, provides the sole basis for the forgiveness of sin. Therefore, God freely offers salvation to those who place their faith in the death and resurrection of Christ as sufficient payment for their sin (Eph. 1:7, 2:8–10; John 1:12; 1 Peter 1:18–19).
ABOUT ETERNAL SECURITY
I believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37–40, 10:27–30; Rom. 8:1, 38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4–8; 1 Peter 1:5). I believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word which clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11–15).
ABOUT SPIRITUAL GIFTS
I believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry. (Romans 12:3-8; I Corinthians 12:4-11, 28; Ephesians 4:7-12)
I believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing Ire temporary. I believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayer of believers for physical healing. (II Corinthians 12:12; I Corinthians 13:8; Hebrews 2:3-4; Mark 16:17-20; I Corinthians 1:22, 14:21-22).
ABOUT THE CHURCH
I believe that the New Testament church is a local assembly of baptized believers who have voluntarily joined themselves together to carry out the Great Commission. The Lord is doing His work in this world through local churches. The establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)
I believe in the autonomy of the local church, free of any external authority or control. Christ is the only head of the church and the Pastor is the under-shepherd. (Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28; Romans 16:1, 4; I Corinthians 3:9,16; 5:4-7,13; Heb. 13:7, 17; I Peter 5:2)
I believe that the ordinances of baptism by immersion in water and the Lord’s Supper are the Scriptural means of testimony for local churches in this age. (Matthew. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42, 18:18; I Corinthians 11:23-26)
ABOUT THE FAMILY
I believe God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption. Marriage is the uniting of one natural-born man and one natural-born woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church, and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel for sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God’s pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents. (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:18-25; Ex. 20:12; Deut 6:4-9; Prov. 1:8; 6:20-22; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-12; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Col. 3:18-21; Heb. 13:4)