WHAT WE BELIEVE
The Christian’s true statement of faith is the entire Bible. No creed or covenant is sufficient to describe “the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27), “the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3). However, we provide here a short overview of some important truths from God’s Word which we accept as His standard for both the believers’ belief and behavior. Of course, ultimately the Truth is a Person (Jn 14:6; Eph 4:21), and we rejoice in daily discovering more of Him.
THE BIBLE
We believe in the Bible as the revealed Word of God. “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him” (Prov 30:5). The Bible is inspired in every part, meaning that God gave His truth to holy men who, though they wrote in their own words, yet perfectly wrote what God wanted. “Knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet 1:20-21).
We have found the Bible to be exactly what we need, and all we need to guide us into salvation and for every area of Christian life and testimony: “the Holy Scriptures…are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:15-17; see also 1 Cor 2:7-14; Heb 4:12).
We take the Bible literally, that is, in its plain and obvious sense, unless otherwise indicated. We seek to understand it with the Holy Spirit’s guidance. Here is the Lord’s promise: “When He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (Jn 16:13-14; see also Jn 7:17; 1 Jn 2:20). The Bible is to be prayed in, meditated on, and lived out. “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God’” (Lk 4:4).
GOD
We believe that there is one God, the Creator of all: “You alone are the Lord; You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and everything on it, the seas and all that is in them, and You preserve them all. The host of heaven worships You” (Neh 9:6; see also Deut 6:4; Isa 45:5-7). Yet the Bible also tells us that this one God has made Himself known to us in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen” (2 Cor 13:14; see also Mt 28:19; Acts 10:38; Rom 8:8-10; 15:16, 30; 1 Cor 12:3-6).
Each Person of the Godhead is identical in attributes but unique in function. For example, we are taught to pray to the Father, the Giver of “every good gift and every perfect gift” (Jas 1:17), in the name (by the authority) of the Son (Jn 16:23-24), and with the aid of the Spirit (Rom 8:26). We also see the three distinctive roles of the Godhead in applying the value of Christ’s sacrifice to us: “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Heb 9:14). Although this is a great mystery, we are thankful for all we can know of God. As Job would express it, “Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways, and how small a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand?” (Job 26:14). May we join the psalmist and say, “Let my mouth be filled with Your praise and with Your glory all the day” (Ps 71:8).
This wonderful God may be known in a real and intimate way, for He has promised: “And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer 29:13). Romans 1:20 tells us that “the invisible things of [God] from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse.” Paul says, “This was so that they would seek God, if perhaps they might grasp for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27, Amp). Coming to know God is the essence of real life, as the Lord Jesus prayed to His Father: “And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (Jn 17:3).
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
We believe that the Lord Jesus is fully God, and that, since His birth in Bethlehem, He is also true Man: “For in Him [that is, Christ; see v 8] dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col 2:9; see also Heb 1:1-4). Entering humanity by the incarnation, He was begotten by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. “The angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God’” (Lk 1:35; see also Mt 1:23-25).
We believe Christ is perfect, and it is impossible for Him to sin since He ever was and ever will be God, and “God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” (Jas 1:13). “For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens” (Heb 7:26). (See also Jn 1:1; Php 2:6). Here is the three-fold testimony of Scripture: He “did no sin” (1 Pet 2:22, KJV); He “knew no sin” (2 Cor 5:21); “And in Him is no sin” (1 Jn 3:5).
We believe He has always existed, co-equal with the Father and the Spirit, that His life on earth was lived to perfection, and that His death was an infinite gift to provide salvation for the world. We believe His resurrection was bodily, as attested to by many witnesses (1 Cor 15:1-8), though now it was constituted “a spiritual body” (1 Cor 15:44). His resurrection not only defeated death and proved that His sacrifice fully satisfied God, but it guarantees for every believer the certainty of our own resurrection. As He said, “Because I live, you will live also” (Jn 14:19).
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that all who by faith receive the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior are instantly born again of the Holy Spirit (Jn 3:6), indwelt by Him (Rom 8:9), and “by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Cor 12:13). Now “if we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Gal 5:25), that is, be sensitive to and cooperative with His directives.
The Spirit has been given by the Father at the request of the Son to be our Comforter (Jn 14:16), to stir in us a desire to submit to Christ’s Lordship (1 Cor 12:3), to assure our hearts in the Lord (1 Jn 4:13), to assist us in prayer (Rom 8:26), to transform us to be like Christ (2 Cor 3:18), to teach us God’s Word (Jn 16:13-14), to give us guidance (Rom 8:14), and to equip us for service (Rom 12:4-11), among many other ministries. How much we owe to the gracious and tireless work of the Holy Spirit!
SIN & SALVATION
We believe that every part of our human nature has been damaged through the rebellion in the Garden of Eden, where our first parents, Adam and Eve, were tempted and led astray by Satan. All (except the Lord Jesus) are inherently damaged because of this sin, and all are guilty sinners for choosing to sin against God (Rom 3:23; 5:12). However, we do not believe the Bible teaches that all humans are guilty of Adam’s sin. Paul explained that those from Adam to the giving of the Mosaic Law were not guilty of Adam’s transgression; in fact, they were not guilty of any transgression at all (Rom 5:14). Transgression is breaking a prescribed law. However, they, and we, are all sinners—by inclination, choice, and practice—and all need a Savior.
Because of the damage sin has done to us, we believe that all sinners are unable to be saved from eternal punishment by their own righteousness, by good works, or law-keeping. It is “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:5; see Rom 3:23) “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God” (Eph 2:8).
We believe that God sovereignly rules over all, yet has given His creatures a will so they may freely choose either to obey or reject the gospel (Jn 3:36; 2 Thess 1:8). In love He has established the way to save us through the finished work of Christ on the cross of Calvary. By his sacrifice, Christ has made possible a complete and eternal redemption (Rom 3:24; Eph 1:7), which is given to all who believe. This provision is sufficient for all sinners, since “He died for all” (2 Cor 5:15). He offered Himself “for the sins of the whole world” (1 Jn 2:2, KJV). However, it is only efficient for those who place their trust in Him. It is “the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe” (Rom 3:22). The lament of the Lord Jesus over Jerusalem is clear evidence that He wanted them, but He let them have their way in rejecting His offer of salvation: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” (Mt 23:37).
We believe that the Spirit of God must initiate the work of conviction in our hearts, because by nature, “There is none who seeks after God” (Rom 3:11). But God’s Spirit has wonderful ways to make us curious, concerned, convicted, and converted! With how many does He initiate this work? Jesus said, “When He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (Jn 16:8). Yes, heaven’s light is “the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world” (1:9). Why then do people perish? The Lord Jesus explains: “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil” (3:18-19).
We believe in the immediate and eternal salvation of every person who truly believes on Christ. “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (Jn 1:12). This means that we rest by faith on His finished work. We believe this is the only righteous way in which a holy God can forgive sins, “to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Rom 3:26). Simply stated, “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (1 Jn 5:12). Christ’s amazing provision makes this possible: “To him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (Rom 4:5).
CHRIST’S RESURRECTION & EXALTATION
God proved He was satisfied with the work of Christ when he raised Him bodily from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in heaven. “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Php 2:9-11; see also Eph 1:20-21). There, God has declared the Lord Jesus Christ to be the only Head of the Church (Eph 1:20-23; Col 1:18). He is the Lord of the individual (Jn 13:13), the High Priest over the House of God (Heb 7:20-28; 10:21), the Advocate on behalf of His people (1 Jn 2:1), and the Judge of all (Acts 17:31).
HEAVEN OR HELL
Because Christ is raised, we also believe in the certain hope of the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust. The Bible teaches the eternal security of the saved and their everlasting blessedness with the Lord (1 Thess 4:17). The Bible also teaches the everlasting, conscious punishment of the lost (Rev 20:15). There are only two destinations. We plead with all who have not yet trusted the Lord Jesus for their salvation: “flee from the wrath to come” (Mt 3:7).
THE CHURCH
Because the early Church met together and “continued steadfastly in the apostle’s doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42), we believe these are still God’s desires for the Church today. We believe in the Great Commandment: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (Jn 13:34-35). And we believe in the Great Commission: “He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature’” (Mk 16:15). He gives us all we need to accomplish both of His great desires for us.
BAPTISM & THE LORD’S SUPPER
We believe that all who are saved are to give the witness of a good conscience before God (1 Pet 3:21), being baptized by immersion (Acts 8:36-39). By this we publicly identify with the Lord in His death, burial, and resurrection for us. The New Testament anticipates neither a baptized unbeliever nor an unbaptized believer. If you are a believer and not baptized, ask yourself, “What hinders me from being baptized?” (v 36).
The Lord’s Supper may be the most neglected meeting of the Church. All other gatherings are for our benefit—whether through teaching, prayer, or fellowship. But the Lord’s Supper, like the ancient burnt offerings, is all for the Lord. His dying request was, “‘Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes” (1 Cor 11:24-26). Before coming, we are to examine ourselves (1 Cor 11:28-32), and then come to “call Him to mind,” as the word “remember” means. Having cultivated thoughts of Christ all week with the Spirit’s aid, we then say, “Let my beloved come to his garden and eat its pleasant fruits” (Song 4:16).
THE LORD’S COMING
According to His certain promise, we believe in the personal, imminent, and premillennial coming of the Lord to the air to rapture, or catch away, the Church (1 Thess 4:13-17). “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly.’ Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev 22:20). By imminent, we do not mean He could return at any time, for His Father has set a time (Acts 1:7). Rather we mean that, as far as we are concerned, though the time of His return is unknown to us, there are no signs necessary to be fulfilled before He returns.
This is the next event on God’s calendar for the Church: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess 4:16-17; see also Acts 1:9-11; 1 Cor 15:20-23). What a reunion! And what a transformation! He “will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body” (Php 3:21). And “we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (1 Jn 3:2, KJV).
Following this, we believe that “we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body” (2 Cor 5:10). The Christian’s sins will not appear, since they were already judged at the cross in our Substitute. But “each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is” (1 Cor 3:13). Entrance into the Father’s House is based solely on our relationship as God’s beloved children, but our responsibilities in the kingdom will be related to our present faithfulness. We believe there will not only be a time of rewards, but also of rejoicing: “Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!” (Rev 19:9).
THE FUTURE OF THE WORLD
Following the Rapture of “those who are Christ’s at His coming” (1 Cor 15:23), the Bible describes a time of great tribulation on the earth, the latter half of which is called “the time of Jacob’s trouble” (Jer 30:7). This period will have three purposes. First, the Lord’s judgments will be righteously poured out on the earth (Dan 9:27; 12:1; 2 Thess 2:7-12; Rev 16). This will bring about the collapse of the final Gentile world empire, called “Babylon the Great” (see Rev 17–18). Second, it will be a time of great ingathering of souls who have not yet responded to the gospel, “a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues” (Rev 7:9-17). Third, like the three in the fiery furnace, the Jews will discover a fourth, like the Son of Man. Christ will reveal Himself to those awaiting the Messiah: “Then they will look on Me whom they pierced” (Zech 12:10). Then Isaiah 53 will spring up from their hearts to their lips: “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (vv 4-5). What a day that will be!
We also believe that, at the end of human history, Christ will establish His kingdom visibly on earth, reigning in righteousness (2 Thess 1:6-10) for 1,000 years (Rev 20:1-7). This will be the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel (Isa 65:17-25; Ezek 37:21-28; Zech 8:1-17), restoring them first to the Lord and then to the land promised to Abraham. Though temporarily set aside (Mt 21:43; Rom 11:1-26), like Ezekiel’s vision of dead bones coming to life (Ezek 37:1-14), God’s ancient earthly people will be elevated, as He promised: “the Lord will make you the head and not the tail” (Deut 28:13).
Then at the end of this Millennium of Paradise on earth, Satan will be loosed from the bottomless pit to lead one final battle against the Lord (Rev 20:7). We believe that Satan is a real and personal spirit-being, the arch-enemy of God and man. We know he will not win—his doom is foretold (v 20). After this, Christ will set up the Great White Throne in the heavens for the judgment of “the dead, small and great” (v 12). Believers will not be there because “there is…no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Rom 8:1). Then the present heavens and earth will pass away, and a new heaven and earth will be formed in which righteousness shall dwell. Thus the eternal Day of God will be ushered in (2 Pet 3:10-13). He promises, “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind” (Isa 65:17). “And thus we shall always be with the Lord” (1 Thess 4:17). Will you be there?