We believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth. And in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried; He descended to the dead; the third day He rose again; He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; and He will come again to judge the living and the dead. We believe in the Holy Spirit; one holy church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting.
the word
We recognize the inerrant authority of the 66 canonized books of Holy Scripture, and acknowledge dependence upon the Holy Spirit for their accurate interpretation and application. We hold the Word of God (Logos) as the supreme authority in matters of faith and conduct.
jesus
 Jesus Christ is the Word (Logos) of God. He was with God in the beginning, and He pre-existed as one with God. "By Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth" (Col. 1:16). Jesus Christ is the Purpose of God found in all of creation. Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. In the beginning, it was the ultimate purpose of God for all things to be summed up in Christ (Eph. 1:10).
Jesus Christ pre-existed with God in the form of God. He is God and is with God (John 1:1). He emptied Himself to become fully a man that He might be the propitiatory sacrifice for the sins of mankind. Through His sacrifice made on the cross, all who believe in Him and His sacrifice have their sins remitted and are restored to the fellowship with God lost by man's transgression.
Because the first man, Adam, transgressed the command of God, the process of death entered him and all of his descendants. Therefore, all have sinned and are worthy of the sentence of death. Because of this, all must trust in the atoning sacrifice of Jesus for the remission of sins.
"There is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus" (I Timothy 2:5). All who seek restored fellowship with God must go through Jesus and cannot approach God through any other way.
The resurrection of Jesus' physical body after His crucifixion was literal, as will be the resurrection of both the just and the unjust on the Day of Judgment. For those of us who have been justified by faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on our behalf, this resurrection is for eternal life in fellowship with God. Those who are not justified by faith in Jesus are resurrected for an eternal judgment.
faithqworks
 True faith is of the heart and not just the mind (Romans 10:10).We believe all Christians are called into a life of separation from sinful practices, and that they should promote righteousness and godliness. Good works and godly practices are a fruit of true faith, and all men are called to repentance and holiness. However, good works and practices have no bearing on our acceptance, standing or approval with God, all of which were accomplished by the cross of Jesus Christ alone. Our chief and ultimate work is to "believe in Him whom He sent" (John 6:29).Sacraments
We acknowledge the ordinances of water baptism and of the Lord's Supper, however, neither are for the purpose of remission of sins. Water baptism is a visible representation of our death, burial and resurrection with Christ. The Lord’s Supper is a means of fellowship with the spiritual body of Christ. Both of these ordinances offer spiritual benefits, but the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross is the sole means of remitting sins.
We acknowledge the sacrament of marriage as being a holy union between one man and one woman.
We acknowledge the sacrament of ordination into ministry as being a means of grace by the endowment of power through the laying on of hands, however, this is eclipsed by the greater truth that all believers are a "royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9).
the spirit
We believe in the baptism of the Spirit and the accompanying gifts, power to witness, graces and fruit of the Spirit. We accept, acknowledge, encourage and seek all of the biblical gifts and ministries of the Holy Spirit as present and vital for the church to accomplish her full purpose today. We believe the Holy Spirit reveals Jesus.
We believe that physical, emotional and spiritual healing are all available through the person and work of Jesus Christ on the cross.
We believe that the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power (1 Cor.4:20).
the church
The chief purpose of man is to glorify God by enjoying Him forever. We believe man is to seek first the kindom of God, foremost by dwelling and walking in His presence.
We recognize that our knowledge and understanding of the Lord is limited, and our goal is to grow into a fuller recognition of Him (1 Cor. 13:12). We recognize that God is still restoring truths and light to His church, and therefore, we place no limit on further revelation. However, all revelation must be substantiated according to the Scriptures. We believe that all truth was ultimately revealed on the cross.
We recognize our interdependence upon the entire mystical body of Christ, of which we are only one small part; and we acknowledge that we are incomplete without unity.
We seek to promote sound doctrine, but recognize that division is not God’s preferred alternative to adversity or doctrinal dispute. We choose to extend liberty in all "non-essential" doctrinal matters.
|
