The Bible

I believe that the Bible is the special revelation of God to humanity. The Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter; and that all Scripture is totally true and is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation. I believe in the inerrancy and verbal plenary inspiration of Scripture.

Exodus 24:4; 1 Kings 8:56; Nehemiah 8:8; Psalms 12:6; 18:30; 119:89,140,152,160; Isaiah 40:8; 55:8-11; Jeremiah 36:1-10; 23:29; Matthew 5:17-18; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 17:17; 20:30-31; Acts 17:11; Romans 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21; 1 John 5:13

God

I believe that God eternally exists in three persons—the Father, the Son, and the
Holy Spirit—and that these three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfection.

Deuteronomy 4:35; 6:4; Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 86:10; Isaiah 43:10-11; 44:6; 45:18,21; 46:9; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:18-20; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; 10:30; 1 Corinthians 8:4,6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 4:6; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Hebrews 1:1-3; James 2:19

The Father

I believe in God the Father who is holy, righteous, and is all powerful, all knowing, and all loving. He has infinite wisdom of events past, present, and future. He reigns with providential and loving care over His universe, His creatures, and guides the flow of human history according to the purposes of His grace.

Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 9:15-16; 15:11ff; 34:6-7; Leviticus 22:32; Deuteronomy 32:6; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Psalm 19:1-3; Isaiah 44:24-28; 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 6:9ff; 7:11; 23:9; John 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 12:9-10; 1 Peter 1:17

Jesus Christ

I believe in Jesus Christ who is eternally God the Son. He was born of a virgin as both God and man, lived a sinless life, died to atone for the sins of human beings, was buried, arose from the grave, ascended into heaven and will return again to earth in power and glory.

Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; 53:1-12; Matthew 1:20-21; 26:64; Mark 10:45; Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1-14; Acts 1:10-11; Romans 5:6-10; 1 Corinthians 15:1-19; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:6-11; 1 Timothy 2:4-6; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Hebrews 4:15; 7:25; 1 Peter 3:18; Revelation 19:11-16

The Holy Spirit

I believe in the Holy Spirit who is the eternal third person of the one triune God. He is the divine helper, assistant, counselor and instructor. His work is to reveal Christ, convict of sin, lead to repentance, guide, comfort, strengthen, and lead believers toward maturity.

Genesis 1:2; 6:3; 1 Samuel 16:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7ff.; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; Luke 1:35; 4:18-19; 11:13; 12:12; John 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 10:44; 13:2; 16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11,14-16,26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11,13; Galatians 4:6; 5:16,22-23; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; Revelation 22:17

Human Beings

I believe that human beings are the special creation of God, made in His image. Because of the sin of the first man, Adam, the human race is a fallen race and therefore all are sinners in need of salvation.

Genesis 1:26,27,31; 2:7; 3:1-7; 6:5; Psalm 8:3-8; 14:1-3; 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 16:26; John 8:34; Romans 3:10-19; 5:12-14; 8:6-7; Ephesians 2:1-3

Salvation

I believe that salvation is a gift of grace calling for repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in the finished work of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. Every person who is truly saved has personal access before the Father and is eternally secure in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Genesis 3:15; Exodus 6:2-8; Jeremiah 31:33; Ezekiel 34: 11-16,30-31; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; Luke 1:68-69; 2:30-32; John 1:11-14; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 10:9,27-29; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Romans 1:16; 3:23-26; 4:3; 5:1-2,6-11; 6:23; 8:18,29-39; 10:9-10,13; 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18,30; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-13,18; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 5:9; 9:24-28; Revelation 3:20

Baptism

I believe that baptism is by immersion and is a visible testimony to God’s inner work of salvation. Baptism follows salvation as an act of obedience to Jesus Christ’s command.

Matthew 3:13-17; 28:19-20; Acts 2:41; 8:35-38; 16:30-33; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12

The Church
I believe that all those who have been redeemed by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ form the Body of Christ, the universal church. I also believe in the local church as the body of believers in a geographic locale who meet together to worship and serve God, study His Word, faithfully and joyfully live according to the truths of His Word, and work together to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Matthew 16:18; 18:15-17; Acts 2:41-47; 5:11,40-42; Romans 16:5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Galatians 1:13; Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:11-16; Colossians 1:18,24; Hebrews 10:25; 1 Peter 2:5

The Great Commission
I believe that the explicit message and mandate of our Lord Jesus Christ is to make disciples of all nations and that the greatest responsibility and privilege of the church is to serve as ambassadors and witnesses for Christ.

Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20