BELIEFS

 THE SCRIPTURES ARE SUFFICIENT

We believe the Bible, including the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament, as the written Word of God. The Bible is infallible and inerrant in the original writings. It is the self-disclosure of God to all humankind and leads us to salvation in Jesus Christ. Being given by God, the Scriptures are divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit. Each book is to be interpreted in accordance with its context, purpose and responded to in obedience to the Lord. All believers are commanded to study, meditate, and apply the Scriptures to every aspect of their lives. The Scriptures have supreme authority in all matters of Christian life and practice. They are totally sufficient, don’t need to be added to, or altered by tradition, extra-biblical revelation, or worldly wisdom. Therefore, all creeds, confessions, and theology must be tested by the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12, 13).

GOD IS ONE

We believe there is only one true God; He is eternal, infinite, almighty, perfect in holiness, truth and love. He eternally exists in three distinct persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Co-eternal and co-equal in power, honor, and glory. In the unity of the godhead, these three persons mutually submit, love, and honor one another. This one true and living God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things, and therefore, worthy of all adoration, glory and worship. One God in three persons — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — is the foundation of Christian faith and life (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Jude 1; 1 Peter 1:2).

HUMANITY REBELLED

God made humankind, male and female, the crown and glory of His creation, and image bearers of God, in order that humankind would glorify and enjoy God forever. By succumbing to the temptation of Satan, humanity rebelled against God. Therefore, being alienated from God, becoming subject to God’s wrath, and totally depraved. Apart from the grace of God humanity is incapable of returning to God and freeing themselves from their corrupt nature. This depravity is pervasive. It affects every aspect of humanity, the mind, will, and affections. Unregenerate humans live under the power of sin and Satan. They are enemies of God and in need of being reconciled to God. Fallen humanity regardless of their achievements are without God and hope apart from Christ (Genesis 1:26, 27; Genesis 3:1-15; Romans 3:9-18; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12; Colossians 1:21).

THE GOSPEL IS GOOD NEWS

The gospel is the good news of God revealed in the birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. The heart of the gospel is the substitutionary atonement of Jesus Christ; whereby He died for our sins and brokenness. Jesus rose triumphantly three days after His death, conquering sin, death, and Satan. In glory, He ascended to the right hand of the Father. Christ’s substitutionary and propitiatory sacrifice satisfied the demands of God’s justice and pacified the wrath of God. It also displays the power, wisdom, love, and grace of God. Christ’s crucifixion fulfilled God’s plan to reconcile sinners to Himself and restore all of creation.

Salvation is exclusively found in Jesus, there is no name under heaven by which we must be saved. All of doctrine finds its pinnacle in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This salvific work was planned by the Father, accomplished by Jesus, and applied by the Spirit. Everything that we do must be centered and rooted in what Jesus has accomplished through the cross and resurrection (Genesis 3:15; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Acts 4:12; Romans 1:16, 17; 3:22, 23; Colossians 1:20, 22).

THE GOSPEL DEMANDS A RESPONSE

All of humanity is held responsible by God to respond to the gospel. The only and proper response to the gospel is faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ. This faith must be accompanied with repentance from sin, and this radical change wrought in us by God must lead to good works. We are not saved by our works; works cannot save us. Justification is by grace through faith alone, rooted in the merit of Jesus. We believe that all the redeemed are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever and that salvation cannot be lost. Therefore, this transformative gospel is to be proclaimed to all the nations (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; John 6:37-40; Titus 3:5; Romans 8:30, 38-39).

SANCTIFICATION IS CONFORMITY TO CHRIST

The Holy Spirit is the active agent in our sanctification and seeks to produce His fruit in us as our minds are renewed and we are conformed to the image of Christ. Although we are positionally set apart by God, indwelling sin is still a reality and we need to grow in grace and the knowledge of the Lord. This progressive process is the continued work of God transforming our desires, empowering us to keep His commandments and live distinctly in the world. All believers are exhorted to walk in holiness and persevere in the faith knowing they will stand before God one day for every word, thought, and deed. The spiritual disciplines, especially prayer, confession, Bible study, and worship are vital means of grace to produce Christlikeness in us. As we pursue holiness, we await the completion of our sanctification when sin will be totally eradicated. Nevertheless, believers do not persevere in their own strength but by the promise and power of God do they persevere (Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 2:12, 13; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7; Hebrews 10:10, 14).

SPIRITUAL GIFTS ARE GIVEN BY THE SPIRIT

In addition to effecting regeneration and sanctification, the Holy Spirit sovereignly distributes gifts to all believers. The promise of the Spirit’s indwelling presence is freely available to all who believe in Jesus Christ. The baptism of the Holy Spirit happens at the moment of salvation, yet the Holy Spirit desires to continually fill each believer subsequent to conversion with His power, enabling us for Christian life and witness. We believe the purpose of imparting these supernatural gifts is to edify the Body of Christ and to participate in God’s mission in the world. All believers are empowered by the Spirit to operate in these grace gifts for the common good, service, and mission. All the gifts of the Holy Spirit are in operation today, they are to be desired, practiced, and developed in the context of community. We believe that it is a privilege and responsibility of all believers to minister in their unique gifts given to them by the grace of God. However, the gifts of the Spirit are not an indication of a hierarchy but are for building up the Body into maturity in Jesus and to compel believers towards mission (Romans 12:1-8; 1 Corinthians 12, 14:1; Ephesians 4:7-8, 11-16; 1 Peter 4:10).

THE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST

God by His Word and Spirit creates the church, through calling people from the whole human race into one covenant community, the Body of Christ. By His Spirit, He leads, protects, and sustains this new humanity. We believe that the universal church, the Body and Bride of Christ, is made up of all who are disciples of Jesus. It is not an institution or a certain denomination, but a living spiritual organism. The Church exists to worship and glorify God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit by serving Him and faithfully doing His will in the earth. This involves a commitment to see the gospel preached and churches planted in the entire world as a testimony to all nations. The ultimate mission of the Church is worship and the means by which this is accomplished is the making of disciples through the preaching and embracing of the gospel. The Church is the chief means of society’s transformation, as the Kingdom of God is expressed and reflected through God’s Church, society is transformed. All members of the universal Church are to be a committed part of a local church. Within this context, all believers are called to live as the people of God and reflect the Kingdom of God. After conversion, redeemed men and women are to be added to a local church, an assembly of professing believers in Jesus Christ who devote themselves to worship, study of the Word, observance of the ordinances, fellowship, and prayer. In the context of the local church, God’s people are to be nurtured and equipped for the work of ministry for the good of the church and the world (Ephesians 1:22, 23; 5:25–27; 1 Corinthians 12:12–14; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Acts 13:1–4; 15:19–31; 20:28; Romans 16:1,4; 1 Corinthians 3:9, 16; 1 Corinthians 5:4–7, 13; 1 Peter 5:1–4).

THE SACRAMENTS ARE GOD-GIVEN

We believe that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are ordained by the Lord Jesus himself. Baptism is connected with our entrance into the new covenant community. Subsequent to conversion, believers are immersed into water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit as a beautiful emblem of abandoning the old and the embracing of the new life in Christ. It signifies our union with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection, our cleansing from sin, and our commitment and inclusion in Christ’s Body, the Church, by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Lord’s Supper is our remembrance of Christ’s death and resurrection, and it looks forward, with hope, to his promised return. These sacraments together are simultaneously God’s pledge to us, divinely ordained means of grace, our public vows of submission to Christ, and they anticipate his return and of the consummation of all things (Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 2:41, 42; Acts 18:8; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26).

GOD WILL RESTORE ALL OF CREATION

The Restoration of all things includes the visible, personal and glorious return of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the dead, the translation and glorification of those alive in Christ, the judgment of the just and the unjust, and the fulfillment of Christ’s Kingdom in the new heavens and the new earth.

In the Restoration, Satan with his hosts and all who are without Christ will be finally and eternally separated from the loving presence of God, suffering eternal punishment. Those in Christ will be resurrected with their glorious bodies into eternal blessedness and reign with God forever. The marriage between the Lamb and His bride, the Church will take place. The Church will enter into the eternal presence of God, offering up eternal worship, praise, and glory. God’s people will forever exult and delight in the wonder and glory of God. Jesus will make all things new, where the redeemed will be with the Lord in the new heavens and the new earth. Then the anticipated expectation of creation will be fulfilled. The whole earth will be restored to God’s original intent (Micah 4:1-5; Matthew 24:30-31; Acts 1:10-11; Romans 8:22-23; Ephesians 1:10; Colossians 1:21; Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 21:5; Revelation 22:12, 20).