WHAT WE BELIEVE

The Bible

• God has spoken in the Scriptures so as to reveal Himself and His will for man
• God inspired men to write the Bible and guided them in their thoughts and even choice of words so that the final outcome is a book that is both inerrant and infallible.
• Despite the many translations of the Bible down through the ages, God in His Providence has preserved the Truth of His Word so that we might have full confidence in it.
• The Bible is the final authority for what we believe and practice.

God

• God is holy – completely pure and spotless – and all together different from us.
• God has revealed the Truth about Himself in the written Word and through the Living Word, Jesus Christ.
• God is one God who exists in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
• God is both a merciful and loving God; but He is also just and “will not leave the guilty unpunished” (Exodus 34:7).
• God’s glory and our enjoyment of Him is the end to which all must strive.

Man

• Man was created in the image or likeness of God, but with the first act of rebellion (eating the forbidden fruit), that image was seriously marred and in need of restoration.
• Man is born with a sin nature – one that is wholly disposed to ignore God’s laws and do as he pleases. (Original Sin)
• Man’s sin extends, not just to his actions, but to the very attitudes and thoughts of the heart.
• Because of his sin, man naturally falls under the wrath and displeasure of a holy God.
• Because of his sin, man does not measure up to God’s standards (which is perfection – Matt. 5:48) , and therefore is not considered “good” by God (Romans 3:10)

Salvation

• Man cannot save himself, i.e. make himself worthy of God’s love and approval.
• God sent His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross so as to pay the penalty of our sin so that He could offer eternal life to man freely as a gift.
• Salvation is all of grace; it is a free gift of God that must be received by faith alone (Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8,9)
• A person is saved when he repents of his sin (willing to turn from sin and obey Christ) and puts his trust alone in Christ and what He did on the cross for his salvation.
• A person can become a Christian by sincerely expressing in prayer his/her desire to:
• Transfer his trust from self to Christ
• Receive the resurrected and living Christ
• Receive Christ as Savior
• Receive Christ as Lord
• Repent of sin (turn from anything he knows is displeasing to the Lord)
• The following is a sample prayer that can be prayed in order to become a Christian: “Lord Jesus Christ, I know I am a sinner and do not deserve eternal life. But, I believe You died and rose from the grave to purchase a place in heaven for me. Lord Jesus, come into my life; take control of my life; forgive my sins and save me. I repent of my sins and now place my trust in You for my salvation. I accept the free gift of eternal life. Amen.”

Once Saved – Always Saved?

• The Bible makes it clear that those who have received forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ are adopted into God’s family and can never lose their salvation (John 10:28,29)
• The work that God begins in a person’s life at conversion is a work that He will bring to completion (Philippians 1:6)
• BUT, having said that, it’s important to realize that genuine faith in Christ always results in a transformed life. “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:17). A person who professes to know Christ (i.e. be a Christian) but whose life does not change so as to manifest the fruit of godliness, knows nothing of the grace of God in His life.
• Every true believer is called to a life of holiness – a life in which he pursues what is good and pleasing to the Lord rather than his own lusts (cf. 1 Peter 1:14; Ephesians 1:4)
• A person who professes to know Christ and follows Him for a time, but does not continue on this course of obedience, is one who has only deceived himself. (cf. 1 John 2:3,4)

The Church

• The church is a “covenant community” consisting of all those who have professed faith in Christ along with their children.
• The church is the “body of Christ” and as such sustains a special relationship – a mystical union - to Christ who is her Head. Therefore, one may not neglect the body without dishonoring Christ, the Head.
• One becomes a member in the church of Jesus Christ when he /she is receives the gift of eternal life, i.e. becomes a Christian.
• The church, despite it’s imperfection, is still the means by which God’s kingdom work is advanced in this world and His Truth is preserved.

Mission

• Christ calls people into a vibrant relationship with Himself so that He might lavish His grace upon them, and subsequently send them out to share this grace with others. We are to be His witnesses (Acts 1:8)
• The Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20 provides the marching orders for those who profess to know Christ. We are to make disciples of all the nations.
• The mission of the believer begins where God in His Providence has placed him/her. We must begin on the local level, but think globally.