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God I Believe
I Believe In God
What We Believe
1. THE BIBLE: We believe the entire Bible all 66 books of the combined
Old and New Testaments are verbally inspired by God and are inerrant in
the original writings. Through the providence of God, the Word of God
has been protected and preserved, and is the only infallible and
authoritative rule of faith and practice (2 timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter
1:20-21)
2. GOD I BELIEVE 2:
We believe that there is only one true, living sovereign, hotly
and eternally existent God. He exists in three co-equal persons-Father,
son, and Holy Spirit-each being a distinct person and with a distinct
function, but all of one essence and all possessing the same nature,
perfection, and attributes. The triune god is the creator and sustainer
of all things, the source of all truth, and is worthy of worship,
confidence, and obedience (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Genesis 1:31
I believe in God Christ
3. JESUS CHRIST: We believe that Jesus Christ is God. He was conceived
by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed
many miracles, shed His blood on the cross as a vicarious substitute,
was buried, bodily resurrected, ascended to the right hand of the
Father, and will return literally, visibly, and personally in glory and
power (John 1:1-3,14 ; Matthew 1:18-25; Philippians 2:5-9; Colossians
15:1-8; Acts 1:11)
3a. The Resurrection
WE BELIEVE in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ (Luke 24:39-43.
John 20:24-29).
3b. Christ's Ascension and Beyond
WE BELIEVE that Christ Jesus ascended to the Father arid is presently
engaged in preparing a place for His people arid interceding for them
(John 14:1-6, Romans 8:34).
3c. Christ's Return
WE BELIEVE in the visible, bodily return of Christ Jesus to the earth
and to rapture His Church (Bride) and judge the world (Acts 1:10, 11, I
Thessalonians 4:13-18, II Thessalonians 1:7-10, James 5:8, Revelation
1:7).
3d. Believe Jesus Is God
WE BELIEVE that Jesus is God come in the flesh and that He is both
divine and human (Luke 1:26-38, John 14:1-3. Acts 2:36, Acts 3:14, 15,
Philippians 2:5-12, John 1:1, 14).
4. THE HOLY SPIRIT: We believe that the Holy Spirit is God, co-equal and
co-existent with the Father and the Son. He is the chief convector of
sin, the chief agent of regeneration and sanctification. The Holy Spirit
indwells every believer and empowers every believer to live a godly life
(John 14:16-19; 16:7-15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 8:9, 11; Titus
3:5).
5. THE TRINITY
WE BELIEVE in the One God revealed in three Persons: The Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16, 17, Matthew28:9, John 17).
6. MANKIND: We believe that in the beginning God created mankind in His
image, and is not in any sense the product of evolution. Mankind was
originally created with the ability to live perfectly for God's glory
(Genesis 1:17, 31).
6a. Apart From God...
WE BELIEVE that man, in his natural state, is a sinner, lost, undone,
without hope, and without God (Romans 3:19-23, Galatians 3:22, Ephesians
2:1,2, 12).
7. SIN AND SINNERS: We believe that Adam, the first man, sinned by willful
disobedience. This act of open rebellion resulted in the fall of all
mankind; therefore, all people have sinned and lost their ability to
live for the glory of God. Mankind's fall has incurred both physical and
spiritual death on all until there is forgiveness and salvation by the
grace of God (Genesis 3:1-24; Romans 3:10-23; 5:12-21; 6:23).
8. SALVATION I BELIEVE IN GOD: We believe the salvation of lost and sinful mankind is a
free gift of God's grace apart from human works, based solely upon
Christ's vicarious and atoning death, effected by the regenerating work
of the Holy Spirit, and received only through faith in the person and
finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross (Ephesians 2:8-10; 2
Corinthians 5:21).
9. ETERNAL SECURITY: We believe that since God gives us eternal life
through Christ, the believer is secure in that salvation forever. Our
salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the
efforts of the believer (John 10:29-30; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 1
John 5:11-13).
9a. ETERNITY: We believe man was created to exist forever. He will
either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or in union with God
through salvation. To be eternally separated from God is hell. To be
eternally with God is heaven. Heaven and hell are places of eternal
existence (John 3:16; 2:25; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15).
10. THE CHURCH: We believe that the church is the body of Christ and the
family of God. It is made up of saved and baptized believers, who
regularly join together on the Lord's Day for worship, fellowship, and
ministry (Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Hebrews 10:25).
11. EVANGELISM: We believe that it is the responsibility and privilege
of every Christian to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ and to seek
to make growing disciples (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8).
11a. The Great Commission
WE BELIEVE that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim
the Gospel to all nations (Matthew 28:18-20) so that there might be a
great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language
group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ (Revelation 5:9).
12. BAPTISM AND LORD'S SUPPER: Jesus instructed His followers to
remember His death and resurrection. He gave tie church two visible
symbols (called "ordinances") as reminders. These two ordinances are
baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism by immersion is an act of
obedient identification with Jesus as Lord. God I believe it serves as an outward sign
of conscious confession of repentance and faith. The Lord's Supper is an
ongoing symbol remembering our Lord's death, burial, resurrection, and
promised return (Matthew 26:26-29; 28:18-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32).
13. GOD I BELIEVE ORDINANCES:
WE BELIEVE that the two ordinances of the Church are WATER BAPTISM and
COMMUNION (The Lord's Supper).
13b. Water Baptism: Immersion in water in the Name of the Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:15, 16, Matthew 28:19, 20, Acts 8:38, Romans
6:1-4). A symbol of identification with Jesus Christ in His death,
burial, and resurrection.
13c. Communion: A memorial of the death, resurrection, and Second Coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ (Luke 22:13-20).
14. IN THE WORLD, BUT NOT OF THE WORLD
WE BELIEVE that believers should seek, as the early disciples did, to
practice the separated life from the world and unto Christ and to set
standards of conduct, which shall exalt our Lord and His, Church (Romans
12:1-3,11 Corinthians 6:17, Galatians 6:14, Ephesians 5:11, Colossians
3:17).
15. INTIMATE RELATIONSHIPS
WE BELIEVE that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be
engaged in outside of marriage between a man and a woman (Deuteronomy
22:22). We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism,
bisexuality, bestiality and incest are sinful perversions of God's gift
of sex (I Corinthians 6:9-1 1).
16. STEWARDSHIP
WE BELIEVE that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God's
wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church with
his time, talent and treasure (Malachi 3:8). We believe that God has
established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian
should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the
support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of
the Gospel (II Corinthians 8 & 9). We believe that a Christian
relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once
the gift has been made.
17. SATAN
We believe in the personality and depraved character of Satan, who is
the great enemy of God and man. We believe that he, along with the
company of demonic beings serving him, works out his evil plans through
the ungodly world system, limited only by the sovereign rule of God. We
believe that he was judged by Christ at the cross and will ultimately
meet his doom in the lake of fire, where he will remain eternally. Matt.
4:3-11; Gen. 3:1; John 8:44; Rev. 12:9,10: II Cor. 4:4; I John 5:19; Job
1:6-12; I John 3:8; Rev. 20:10.
17b. Angels and Demons
We believe in the reality and personality of angels. We believe that God
created an innumerable company of these sinless, spiritual beings who
were to be His servants and messengers (Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 148:2;
Hebrews 1:14). We believe in the existence and personality of Satan and
demons. Satan is a fallen angel who led a great company of angels into
rebellion against God (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:12-15). He is the
great enemy of God and man, and the demons are his agents in his unholy
purposes. He and his demons shall be eternally punished in the lake of
fire (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).
18. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
We believe that God expects every believer to live a life of obedience,
in which every area of his life is brought under the lordship of Jesus
Christ and the fruit of the Spirit becomes increasingly evident in his
life. The goal of the Christian life is to be conformed to the image of
Christ. This life is characterized supremely by self-giving love for God
and for others. The life and character of Christ, which grows through
the Holy Spirit, is noticeably distinct from the life of the world. A
believer who resists the gracious working of the Holy Spirit and fails
to grow in obedience is chastened in infinite love by his Heavenly
Father so he may learn obedience. John 14:21; II Cor. 10:4,5; Gal.
5:22,23; II Cor. 3:18; Matt. 22:37-40; I John 2:15-17; Heb 12:5-14.
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