The Scriptures
The Holy Scriptures consisting of the 66 books of the Old and New Testament were written by men and divinely inspired by God. The entirety of Scripture is infallible and inerrant; without contradiction or error. The Scriptures are authoritative and provide the ultimate standard for truthfulness and conduct. The Scriptures are sufficiently clear in such a manner where the teachings are able to be understood by all who seek the Holy Spirit and are willing to follow it. The Scripture reveals God and testifies of his work. Through the Spirit, the living Word convicts hearts and reveals the intentions of man’s heart. (2 Tim 3:15-17, 2 Pet 1:19-21, Heb 4:12)
The Triune God
There is one and only one living and true God. God is eternal, uncreated, and holy. God is all powerful, all knowing, and self-existent. Although God is transcendent, He has made himself known to man, primarily through the Scriptures and Jesus, but also through creation. God has eternally existed as three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each person of the Trinity is distinct, but co-equal and co-eternal. (Deut 6:4, Matt 3:16, Jn 10:30, Acts 5:3).
God: The Father
God is a good father who reigns over all creation. He created the heavens and the earth with his words. In his common grace he provides for both the godly and the ungodly. God disciplines his true children in love, so that they would turn away from evil. Through faith in Jesus, believers may approach God as Father and cry out to him in prayer. (Gal 4:6)
God: The Son
Jesus Christ is the eternal, begotten Son of God; and is fully human and fully divine. He has existed before the foundation of the world and upholds the world through his power. In his incarnation he was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born to the virgin Mary. He experienced temptation but lived in perfect obedience. During his life, Jesus performed miracles and gave teachings. He voluntarily endured persecution and was delivered over to Pontius Pilate for execution on a cross in accordance with the Scriptures. On the third day after his death he was resurrected and is now exalted at the right hand of God. (Matt 1:18, Jn 10:18, Phil 2:6-11)
God: The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and Son together is worshipped and glorified. The Holy Spirit empowered and spoke through the prophets of the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit plays an active role in convicting the world, illuminating truth, comforting the believer, empowering evangelism and granting spiritual gifts to the Church. Through the blood of Jesus, each believer has become a temple of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit dwells inside him or her. (Jn 14:15-31, Jn 16:8, 1 Cor 12:11)
Man
Man is a unique creation of God, made in His image. God created them male and female and gave them instruction and purpose. Man has been created to honor God and to take care of all of creation. Adam, the first man, sinned against God by breaking His instruction and that transgression has cursed all of creation. Although man has the moral capacity to resist sin, man has been bound by sin and the heart has been darkened. Every man will die for their sins, and without God’s grace and mercy, all men can expect the judgement of eternal condemnation for their sin. (Gen 1:26-27, Gen 3:17, Rom 6:23, Heb 9:27)
Salvation
Salvation comes through repentance and faith in the work and life of Christ. A follower of Jesus believes that man has failed God’s standards of holiness and Jesus Christ’s death on the cross serves as a substitution for the judgement that man rightfully deserved. Salvation is impossible except through Jesus Christ and faith in the gospel. Through faith, God has granted eternal life to the believer and has adopted the believer into the family of God. Saving faith is apart from any works, so that no man may boast. God demonstrated his love for the sinner, by sending his Son to die when a person was an enemy of God. Saving faith is a gift of God and God’s predestination is not dependent on any future knowledge of good works but is the demonstration of his mercy and grace. The genuineness of the salvation can be determined by the believer’s perseverance to the end. (Jn 14:6, 2 Cor 5:21, Eph 1:3-5, 2:9,1 Jn 2:9)
Sanctification
Sanctification is the process by which a believer is transformed into the likeness of Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. Sanctification is the will of God and comes through the truth which leads to transformation. Sanctification happens in both the heart and in the mind, which lead to a changed lifestyle. Sanctification is a fruit of salvation and is evidence of the work of the Holy Spirit in the believer’s life. (Jn 17:17, Heb 12:14, 1 Pet 1:16)
Church
The Church is the body of Christ, constituted by believers in Christ. The Church is the people of God and the bride of Christ. The church is founded upon Jesus’ blood and is constituted of men and women regardless of ethnicity, nationality or socioeconomics. Christ has headship over the church and the church submits to the Word of God. The church should gather for the purpose of worship, fellowship, prayer, and study of the word. (Acts 2:42-44, Gal 3:28, Col 1:18)
Prayer
The church should actively seek for God’s kingdom to come and for God’s will to be done on Earth as it is in heaven. The church understands that there is an active enemy that prowls around like a lion. Through intercessory prayer the church engages in spiritual warfare against an enemy that seeks to steal, kill, and destroy. Biblically, prayer has changed impossible situations and demonstrated the power of God. (Matt 6:10, Acts 12:5, Eph 6:12)
Evangelism / MISSION
Believers are called to preach the gospel to all people and all nations, teaching them to obey all that Jesus has commanded. Through word and deed, all Christians are called to partake in sharing the gospel and be light and salt in the world. Christians should hope for salvation, because the gospel is the power of salvation, but also expect persecution, because Christ suffered. The church ought to participate in inter-cultural missions through either sending or going to fulfill the great commission. (Matt 5:13-16, Matt 28:16-20, Rom 10:14)
The Gifts of the Spirit
The Gifts of the Spirit have not ceased, and the Holy Spirit continues to give believers gifts according to His will and the faith of the recipient. Believers should eagerly seek the gifts of the Holy Spirit. The gifts should be tested according to the Word of God and should be practiced in accordance to the instruction of the Scriptures. The gifts should not promote disorder, but instead serve to edify the Church and convict non-believers. (1 Cor 12:1-31, 14:1-40, 1 Tim 4:14)
Sacraments: The Lord’s Supper
The Lord’s Supper was instituted by Jesus before his death and practiced by the believers in the New Testament. The bread and wine represent the broken body and blood of Jesus. The communion should be practiced regularly in remembrance of Christ’s work within the fellowship of believers. Every Christian should partake cautiously, understanding that God may judge those who take the elements in an unworthy manner. (Lk 22:19, 1 Cor 11:23-32)
Sacraments: Believer’s Baptism
Every believer, after repentance and confession of Christ as Lord should be baptized by immersion in a body of water. Baptism symbolizes the death that a Christian has with Christ and the resurrection as a new creation through Christ’s resurrection. The Church is commanded to go and make disciples by baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Baptism ought to be a public declaration of one’s faith and a sign of willing obedience to Christ. (Matt 28:16-20, Acts 2:38, Rom 6:3-4)
Marriage
God created marriage and it is the covenant made between one man and one woman before God. Through consummation man and woman become one flesh. Marriage provides unique insight into the love and union of Christ and the church. Divorce is unbiblical except in the case of adultery and abandonment. Both man and woman are created in the image of God but have been given distinct and complementary responsibilities in the household and in the church. (Gen 2:24, Matt 19:3-9, Eph 5:22-32)
Children
All children are a blessing of God and should be treated as such. Life begins at conception and the termination of a child in the womb is murder. God forms a child in the mother’s womb, and from the womb children may carry the Spirit of God. Parents have the primary responsibility of instructing their children in the ways of the Lord through the Word of God. Parents are called to lovingly and graciously discipline their children. Children are called to honor and obey their parents. (Deut 6:7, Psa 139:13, Prob. 13:24, Lk 1:41, Eph 6:5)
Eschatology