We affirm our belief in the one eternal God, All-Powerful, Creator and Lord of the world, who governs all things according to the purpose of His just and loving will. God is of one substance and one glory with the Son and the Holy Spirit. The revelation of the Bible shows God in three persons in one divine unity, co-equal and co-eternal, in divine fellowship and community, a mystery to be apprehended rather than comprehended. 

God is over all, in all, and works through all with all-transcending wisdom and knowledge. God has revealed Himself as calling out from the world a people for Himself, and as sending His people into the world as witnesses, servants, ambassadors, and reconcilers, for the manifestation of His reign—the kingdom of God, the building up of Christ’s body, and the glory of His Name.  In love, God seeks fellowship with His people as His children, both actively now through the Holy Spirit and prayer, and eternally in the Resurrection.  (Isa. 40:28; Hab. 2:14; Matt. 28:19; Eph. 1:11; Acts 15:14; John 17:6, 18; Eph. 4:12; 1 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 12:2; I 20-28; II Cor. 4:7

We affirm that Jesus Christ is both Lord and Christ, the very image of God and the Son of God.  He is the Word of God made flesh that lived among humanity in the flesh and in history, and revealed and displayed the true nature of God through his life and ministry. He is eternally our Savior, providing total salvation from sin and ultimately from the evil of this world. 

We also affirm Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born to a virgin named Mary. He lived his life fully as a human, though he was always fully one with the Father, and he committed no sin. He was baptized around age thirty by the Baptizer John, after which God’s Spirit came upon him. He was led by the Holy Spirit to be tempted forty days in the wilderness, but he overcame the temptation of Satan. 

After this, he began his ministry in Galilee which extended to Judea and across Roman Palestine. After about three years, he traveled to Jerusalem and declared himself the Chris—the Jewish Messiah—but was rejected by the leaders. Having been betrayed by one of his disciples, Judas Iscariot, he was captured and illegally tried by the Jewish Sanhedrin. He was then tried before the both the Jews and Romans before being given over to death by execution on a Cross.

We affirm Jesus suffered and died by crucifixion, as was prophesied in the Old Testament, that he rose from the dead on the third day, and later ascended into heaven to sit at the right of the Father. The death of Jesus served as a sacrifice to save us from the punishment for sins and a work to purge our conscience from the power of sin. The resurrection of Jesus was as the first of those who would rise again with glorified bodies to eternal life. 

Through the resurrection, God judged the world wicked, and affirmed Jesus as the one and only means of salvation. We affirm the bodily ascension of Jesus to the throne of God, where he intercedes for his people, and his bodily return before the general resurrection where he will administer the final judgment to the righteous and the wicked.

That Jesus is both Lord and Christ expresses both his fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy for a Prophet, Priest, and King to rule over a people of God’s choice, gathered from all the nations, and as Ruler over all the world, under which every nation is accountable. It is in the mission of the Gospel to make his kingdom known.  (Gal. 1:6-9;Rom. 1:18-32; I Tim. 2:5,6; Acts 4:12; John 1:1,14, 3:16-19, 4:42; II Pet. 3:9; II Thess. 1:7-9; Matt. 11:28; Eph. 1:20,21; Phil. 2:9-11)

We affirm the divine inspiration, truthfulness and authority of both Old and New Testament Scriptures in their entirety as the only written Word of God, without error in all that it affirms, and the only infallible rule of faith and practice. We also affirm the power of God’s Word to accomplish His purpose of salvation. The message of the Bible is addressed to all humanity in all generations. It is not set forth in one language but is translatable to all.  God’s revelation in Christ and in Scripture is unchangeable. It is the canon of the canon in the tradition and history of the Church. Through it the Holy Spirit speaks today and illumines the minds of God’s people in every culture to perceive God’s one truth freshly through their own eyes.  (II Tim. 3:16; II Pet. 1:21; John 10:35; Isa. 55:11; 1 Cor. 1:21; Rom. 1:16, Matt. 5:17,18; Jude 3; Eph. 1:17,18; 3:10,18)

The list of the canonical scriptures are as follows: Old Testament – Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, 2 Kings, 1 Chronicles, 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi;  New Testament – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 Thessalonians, 2 Thessalonians, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, Hebrews, James, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, Jude, Revelation.

Humanity was created good and upright; for God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” However, Humanity by voluntary transgression fell and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God. As a result of humanity’s transgression, we are trapped in the idolatry of our passions and sin infects our nature and sinfulness constantly pervades our actions. (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:17, 3:6; Romans 5:12-19; 7:14-24).

Humanity’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God.

a.  Conditions to Salvation: Salvation is received through the drawing of the Holy Spirit and the response of repentance toward God and faith in and through the Lord Jesus Christ. By washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, one becomes an heir of God according to the hope of eternal life. (Luke 24:47; John 3:3; Romans 10:13-15; Ephesians 2:8; Titus 2:11, 3:5-7).

b.  Evidence of Salvation: The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit (Romans 8:16). The outward evidence to everyone else is a life of righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24; Titus 2:12).

(a)   Baptism in Water: The ordinance of baptism is a sacrament of grace commanded in the Scriptures. All who repent and believe on Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. Thus, they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they also have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 10:47-48; Romans 6:4).  Baptism may be accomplished through the forms of immersion, sprinkling, or pouring.

(b)  Holy Communion: The Lord’s Supper, consisting of the elements – the bread and the fruit of the vine – is the sacrament expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Peter 1:4); a memorial of His suffering and death (I Corinthians 11:26), and a prophecy of His second coming (I Corinthians 11:26); and is enjoined on all believers till He returns.

Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of dedication unto God (Romans 12:1-2; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 13:13). The scriptures teach a life of holiness without which no man shall see the Lord (Hebrews 12:14). By the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to obey the command, “Be ye holy, for I am holy.” (I Peter 1:15-16). Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing our individual identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 6:1-11, 13, 8:1, 2, 13; Galatians 2:20; 1 Peter 1:5, Philippians 2:12-13.)

The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit is an integral part of the Church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven. (Ephesians 1:22, 23, 2:22; Hebrews 12:23)

Since God’s purpose concerning man is to seek and to save that which is lost, to be worshipped by humanity, and to build a body of believers in the image of His Son, the primary reason for being is:

(a)  To be an agency of God for evangelizing the world. (Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16).

(b)  To be a corporate body in which people may worship God. (1 Corinthians 12:13).

(c)  To be a channel of God’s purpose to build a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son. (Ephesians 4:11-16; I Corinthians 12:28, 14:12).

(d)  The Church exists expressly to give continuing emphasis to this reason-for-being in the New Testament apostolic pattern by teaching and encouraging believers to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This experience:

a. Enables them to evangelize in the power of the Spirit with accompanying supernatural signs. (Mark 16:15-20; Acts 4:29-31; Hebrews 2:3-4).

b. Adds a necessary dimension to worshipful relationship with God. (1 Corinthians 2:10-16, 1 Corinthians 12, 13, 14).

c. Enables them to respond to the full working of the Holy Spirit in expression of fruit and gifts and ministries as in New Testament times for the edifying of the Body of Christ. (Galatians 5:22-26; 1 Corinthians 14:12; Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 Corinthians 12:28; Colossian 1:29).

A divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for the threefold purpose of leading the Church in; (1) Evangelization of the world (Mark 16:15, 20), (2) Worship of God (John 4:23,24), and (3) Building a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son. (Ephesians 4:11-16).

Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement, and is the privilege of all believers. (Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:16-17; James 5:14-16).

The resurrection of those who are dead in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the Church. (I Thessalonians 4:16-17; Romans 8 23; Titus 2:13; I Corinthians 15:51-52).

The bodily return of Christ as affirmed by the orthodox historic creeds involves the final judgment at which the dead are raised and the righteous and wicked receive their just reward. The responsibility of the church is to evangelize and occupy until Christ returns through a tangible witness to the Kingdom of God in every generation.  (Acts 1:11; 1 Cor. 15:12-57; Revelation 20:11-15, 21:8

There will be a final judgment at which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast, and the false prophet, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake, which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Matthew 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 19:20).

We, according to God’s Promise, look for the New Heavens and the New Earth wherein dwells righteousness and justice. (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:22)