Beliefs
"In essential beliefs we have unity. In non-essential beliefs we have diversity. In everything, we show charity."What We Believe
About Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived and experienced temptation as a human being but never sinned—finally offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying an eternal soul death on the cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again to earth for the final deliverance of His people and to reign forever as King of kings, and Lord of lords. (Matt. 1:22, 23; Isa. 9:6; John 1 :1-5,14; Jn. 5:22;10:30;14:1-3,9; Col. 1:15-19; Rom. 6:23; 2Cor. 5:17-19; Luke 1:35; Phil. 2:5-11; Hebrews 2:9-18; 8:1,2; 1Cor. 15:3,4)
About The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and Jesus Christ, the Son. He was present and active with the Father and the Son in Creation, incarnation, and redemption. He was the source of inspiration for the writers of Scripture. He filled Christ’s life with power. He is present in the world to make men and women aware of their need for Jesus Christ and continues to live within their hearts from the moment that they have accepted Christ. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He gives spiritual gifts to every believer when they are saved to be used in building up the body of Christ, the church. (Gen 1:1,2; Luke 1:35; 4:18; Acts 1:8; 10:38; 2Pet. 1:21; 2Cor. 3:18; Eph. 1:13, 14; 4:11, 12; 5:18; Gal. 5:25; John 14:16-18, 26; 15:26,27; 16:7-13)
About the Bible: The Bible is God’s Word to us. Human authors under the supernatural guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote it. It is the standard of character, the test of experience, the authoritative revealer of doctrines, and the trustworthy record of God’s acts in history. Because the Bible is inspired by God, it is the infallible revelation of His Will for the human race. (2Pet. 1:20, 21; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17; Ps. 119:15, 160; Prov. 30:5,6; Isa. 8:20; John 17:17; 1Thes. 2:13; Heb. 4:12)
About Human Beings: Man and woman were made in the image of God with individuality, the power and freedom to think and to do—to be like Him In character. Human beings are the supreme objects of God’s creation. And while they have tremendous potential for good, they have been marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin” which has resulted in making them subject to death. This attitude was the result of the disobedience of our first parents and as a consequence, all of their descendants share this fallen nature and its consequences. We are born with weaknesses and tendencies to evil—a spirit of independence from God. But God in Christ has reconciled the world to Himself and by His Spirit restores His character and image within the human race. (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:7,15; Gen. 3; Ps. 8:4-8; 51:5, 10; Acts 17:24-28; Isa. 59:1,2; 53:6; Rom. 3:9-18, 23; 5:12-17; 2Cor. 5:19,20; 1John 4:7,8,11 )
About Salvation: In infinite love and mercy God made Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, so that in Him we might be made the righteousness of God. Led by the Holy Spirit we sense our need, acknowledge our sinfulness, repent of our transgressions, and accept God’s free gift of Salvation. We are adopted as His sons and daughters and delivered from the lordship of sin. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works. Trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness we are saved not only from sin’s penalty but also from sin’s power. (2Cor. 5:17-21; John 3:16; Gal. 1:4; 4:4-7; 3:13, 14, 26; Titus 3:3-7; John 3:3-8; 16:8; 1Pet. 1:23; 2:21,22; Rom. 10:17; 3:21-26; 5:6-10;8:1-4; 14-17; 12:2; Lk. 17:5; Mk. 9:23,24; Eph. 2:5-10; Col. 1:13,14; Heb. 8:7-12; 2Pet. 1:3,4; Eze 36:25-27)
About Death: The wages of sin is death. But God, who alone is immortal, will grant eternal life to His redeemed. Until that day, death is a temporary state of unconsciousness while the person awaits the resurrection. The Bible calls this intermediate state a “sleep”. When a person dies, his body returns to the dust of the ground, and his spirit (breath) returns to God. The spirit is not a conscious entity that survives apart from the body. (1Kings 2:10; 11:43; 14:20, 31; 15:8; Job 14:10-12; Ps. 13:3;146:4; Eccl. 9:5, 6, 10; 12:7; Matt. 9:24; 27:52; Mark 5:39; John 5:28, 29; 11:11-14; 1Cor. 15:51, 52; 1Thes. 4: 13-17; 2Pet. 3:4)
About the Second Coming of Christ: The second coming of Christ is the blessed hope of the church, the grand climax of the gospel. Jesus’ coming will be literal, personal, visible, and worldwide. When He returns, the righteous dead will be resurrected, and together with the righteous living will be glorified and taken to heaven. But the unrighteous will all die. The almost complete fulfillment of most lines of prophecy, together with the present condition of the world, indicates that His coming is imminent. The time of that event has not been revealed; therefore we are exhorted to be ready at all times. (Titus 2:13; Heb. 9:28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; Matt. 24; Luke 21; Mark 13; Rev. 1:7; 14:14-20; Matt. 26:64; 1Thes. 4: 13-18; 5:1-6; 2Thes. 1:7-10; 1Cor. 15:51-54; 2Tim. 3:1-5.)
About the Sabbath: After the six days of Creation, God rested on the seventh day and instituted the Sabbath for all people as a memorial of Creation. The fourth commandment of God’s unchangeable law is a reminder to all people of all generations to observe the seventh-day Sabbath as a day of rest, worship, and ministry in harmony with the teaching and practice of Jesus-the Lord of the Sabbath. It is a celebration of God’s creative and redemptive acts. The Sabbath is a day of delightful communion with God and one another. It is a symbol of our redemption in Christ, a sign of our sanctification, a token of our allegiance, and a foretaste of our eternal future in God’s Kingdom. The Sabbath is God’s perpetual sign of His eternal covenant between Him and His people and is observed from evening to evening, sunset to sunset. (Gen. 2:1-3; Ex. 20:8-11; 31:13-17; Luke. 4:16; Isa. 56:5,6; 58:13,14; Matt. 12:1-12; Eze. 20:12, 20; Deut. 5:12-15; Heb. 4:1-11; Lev. 23:32; Mark 1:32)