GOD
God is the eternal Creator and sovereign Ruler of the universe. His being, exists in oneness and at the same time has manifested, shown Himself to mankind in equal representation as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – but God is one.
(I John 5:7; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; Hebrews 3:7-11)
GOD THE FATHER
Father God reigns in sovereign power over His universe; and over humanity in love and with mercy and grace. He is the Giver of life, the Righteous Judge. God has and is all knowledge and wisdom.
(Genesis 1-2, Isaiah 43:10; 44:8, James 1:17, John 4:24)
GOD THE SON – JESUS
Jesus Christ is God, the Son of God; He is coequal with the Father and Holy Spirit. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin, and He lived a sinless human life. By the will of the Father, Jesus offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross; He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven and will return again someday to reign as King. He is God in a physical body; Jesus is fully God and fully human.
(John 1:1,14, 20:28; I Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 2:5-6; I Timothy 2:5)
GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT
God the Holy Spirit is coequal with the Father and the Son of God. He was present at creation of all things, and is present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in, indwells, every Christian from the moment of the new birth or salvation. He provides Christians with power for living and witnessing Christ, and in understanding of God’s Word.
(Genesis 1:2; John 14:26; 15:26; 16:8)
THE BIBLE
The Bible is God’s Word to us, the Scriptures were written by people through the guiding and inspiration of God. It contains the story of God’s ancient people, the good news of Jesus, and the narrative teachings and themes that serve our need for life’s meaning, guidance, and hope.
(II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26)
HUMANS
People are made in the image of God, having a soul, spirit, and body; and are eternal. People are the crown of God’s creation. All are marred by an attitude of self-focused desires, which is disobedience toward God; this is called “sin.” Sin separates us from God.
(Gen. 1:26-31, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21)
SALVATION
Salvation is God’s free gift to us by His grace, and is given by God when a person accepts Christ in faith. A person can never make up for sin by self-improvement or good works; only by the grace of God can one be saved from sin’s penalty. To repent from sin begins with a faith confession in Jesus Christ as Savior; at that time one is reconciled into an eternal relationship with God through Jesus Christ alone.
(Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22)
CREATION
God is the Divine Creator of all matter and life from nothing, ex nihilo.
(Genesis 1, Isaiah 40:8, Colossians 1:16)
THE WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
God identifies and enables believers by the work of the Holy Spirit in the following manner:
- Indwelling of God’s Holy Spirit: God has placed His Holy Spirit as a seal of recognition into those who are born again as a believer, a Christian, a disciple of Christ. (John 14:16-17, Rom 8:10-11, 1 Cor 3:16-17, 2 Cor 6:16, Eph 2:21-22, Heb 3:6, 1 Pet 2:5, 1 John 3:24, 4:12-15; 2 Tim 1:6-7)
- Fruit of the Spirit: A Christian is known by a lifestyle of bearing fruit; Scripture declares that the singular fruit of the Spirit is revealed by love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance – these virtues are evident where the Holy Spirit is living. (Matthew 22:34-37, Ephesians. 5:8-11, Galatians 5:22-23)
- Anointing: The Spirit’s anointing comes upon those born again of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s anointing empowers believers for efficient ministry, witnessing, and surrender to the will of God. (Isaiah 61:1-11, 1 John 2:27, James 5:14, 1 John 2:20)
- Spiritual Gifts: The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, and confirm the power of the Gospel. The Bible lists of these gifts are not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in various combinations. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of the gifts in their lives. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of Biblical parameters. (Hebrews 2:4; Romans 1:11, 12 :4-8; Ephesians 4:16; I Timothy 4:14; II Timothy 1:6-7; I Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; I Peter 4:10)
THE CHURH
The church is the global oneness of all who are saved, born again into the Body of Christ. The church is not a building, but consists of those who are born again of Spirit.
(Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23)
TWO SACREMENTS
Water Baptism – Is by full immersion of a believer in water as an act of obedience. symbolizing the believer’s faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48)
Communion – Communion or The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the body of Christ memorialize the death, burial, and resurrection until the return of Christ. (Matthew 26:26-29; I Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-25)
RESURRECTION
Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified body three days after His death on the cross. In addition, both the saved and the lost will be resurrected; they that are saved to the resurrection of life and they that are lost to the resurrection of eternal damnation.
(Luke 24:16, 36, 39; John 2:19-21, 20:26-28, 21:4; Acts 24:15; I Corinthians 15:42, 44; Philippians 1:21-23, 3:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18)
SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE
Each church is independent and must be free from any ecclesiastical or political authority, that therefore, church and state must be kept separate and having different functions and each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other.
(Luke 20:19-26, Romans 13)