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We believe that the one true God exists eternally in three persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-and that these, being one God, are equal in deity, power, and glory. We believe that God not only created the world but also now upholds, sustains, governs, and providentially directs all that exists and that He will bring all things to their proper consummation in Christ Jesus to the glory of His name. (Ps. 104:1-35, 139:1-24; Mt. 10:29-31, 28:19; Acts 17:24-28;2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 1:9-12, 4:4-6; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:1-3; Rev. 1:4-6)
We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man; born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and offered Himself as a penal, substitutionary sacrifice for sinners. By His blood shed at the cross, He obtained for us eternal redemption, the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. He was raised bodily on the third day and ascended to the right hand of the Father, there to make intercession for the saints forever. (Mt. 1:18-25; Jn. 1:1-18; Rom. 8:34; 1 Cor. 15:1-28; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:10-14; Eph. 1:7; Phil. 2:6-11; Col. 1:15-23; Heb. 7:25, 9:13-15, 10:19; 1 Pet. 2:21-25; 1 Jn. 2:1-2) We believe that only the original sixty-six books of the Bible are the inspired and, therefore, inerrant Word of God. (Mt. 5:18; Jn.10:35, 17:17; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21) We believe that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. No ordinance, ritual, work or any other activity on the part of man is required or accepted in order to be saved. This saving grace of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, also sanctifies us by enabling us to do what is pleasing in God's sight in order that we might be progressively conformed to the image of Christ. Even so, faith without works is dead. (Jn. 1:12-13, 6:37-44, 10:25-30; Acts 16:30-31; Rom. 3:1-4:23, 8:1-17, 31-39, 10:8-10; Eph. 2:8-10; Phil. 2:12-13; Titus 3:3-7; 1 Jn. 1:7, 9, James 2:17) We believe that water baptism and the Lord's Supper are the two ordinances of the Church to be observed until the time of Christ's return. They are not a means of salvation, but are channels of God's sanctifying grace and blessing to the faithful in Christ Jesus. (Mt. 26:26-29,28:19; Rom. 6:3-11; 1 Cor. 11:23-34; 1 Pet. 3:21) We believe in the literal second coming of Christ at the end of the age when He will return to earth personally and visibly to consummate His kingdom. (Ps. 2:7-9, 22:27-28; Jn. 14:12,17:20-26; Rom. 11:25-32; 1 Cor. 15:20-28, 50-58; Eph. 4:11-16; Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Thes. 4:13-5:11; 2 Thes. 1:3-12; Rev. 7:9-14) We believe that Adam was originally created in the image of God, righteous and without sin. As a consequence of his disobedience, Adam's posterity is born subject to both imputed and inherent sin, and all humans are therefore, by nature and choice, the children of wrath, justly condemned in the sight of God, wholly unable to save themselves or to contribute in any way to their acceptance by God. (Gen. 1:1-3:22; Ps. 51:5; Isa. 53:5; Rom. 3:9-18, 5:12-21; Eph. 2:1-3) | |||||||
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