What We Believe
THE TRINITY
We believe that there is one living and true God[1], who eternally exists in three persons[2]: Father [3], Son [4], and Holy Spirit [5]. They are equal in every perfection [6]. In unity with one another [7], they carry out their distinct roles in the eternal covenant of redemption, the providential work of creating [8], sustaining [9], and saving the world [10].
THE WORD OF GOD
We believe that the Bible [11] is the Word of God [12], written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit [13], and is without error in its original form. It is the final authority in all matters of faith and life, and is a necessary means of our growth in Christ [14].
We believe the Bible is the true story of God’s working of salvation among us. Its purpose is to tell the promises of God and demonstrate His fulfillment of those promises in Christ as the way of salvation [15].
THE ETERNAL COVENANT OF REDEMPTION
God in His infinite wisdom [16], for His glory [17], and from the overflow of His love [18] covenanted to create and save a people for Himself [19].
God created Mankind in perfect relationship with Himself: in joy and perfection [20], under His authority [21]. Man rebelled against the authority of God and became sinful [22], corrupting the nature of humanity by his disobedience. Now all people are sinners by nature [23] and by choice [24] and are under condemnation without excuse [25].
But God, being rich in mercy and love, intervened for our salvation [26]. We believe that the eternal Son [27] came down from heaven and was incarnate among us as Jesus Christ. The Son voluntarily emptied Himself and became human [28], becoming like us in every way, except sin [29]. He was born of the virgin [30], Mary. He lived in perfect obedience to the law of God [31] and died in our place [32], taking our sins upon Himself, and giving to us His righteousness [33]. His death made atonement for our sins [34], His resurrection conquered death [35], and His ascension confirms that His sacrifice was sufficiently acceptable before God the Father [36]. Salvation is now freely offered to all [37]; anyone who repents [38] and believes [39] in Jesus will not perish but have eternal life.
We believe God the Holy Spirit is at work convicting the world of sin [40] and drawing people to salvation by enabling them to repent and believe in Jesus [41]. All who do are born again [42], adopted into the family of God [43], and made holy in the presence of God [44]. The Spirit indwells every regenerate heart with the power to say no to sin and yes to righteousness [45].
The Lord, knowing our situation more fully than we know ourselves, relates to us with mercy and understanding, helping us in our weakness [46]. In this, He carries us through our doubts [47] and fears [48], helps us in our fight against sin [49], and guarantees we will persevere in salvation until the end [50]. So, those in Christ can stand with confidence in this life, and look to eternity with confidence as well. Because of this confidence, those in Christ no longer live for themselves but for the Lord and others [51].
We believe that Jesus Christ will return to earth as the reigning King [52] to destroy the works of Satan [53], restore all things [54], and establish His rule and authority forever [55].
We believe in the resurrection of the dead [56] and the final judgment [57], whereby the righteous will enjoy the eternal presence of God and the wicked will be eternally separated from Him [58]. This judgment of the righteous and the wicked is not based on their performance, good or bad, but whether they have trusted in Christ as their Savior [59].
THE PEOPLE OF GOD IN THE WORLD TODAY
The people that God is saving for Himself are known collectively as the Church [60]. The Universal Church, which includes all the redeemed of all time, is a living spiritual body with Christ as its head [61]. This body is represented throughout the world in local churches, in which followers of Jesus have covenanted together for the sake of worshiping God [62] and encouraging each other towards love and good deeds [63].
While all members are accountable to each other and the Lord [64], special responsibility is laid upon the offices of pastor and deacon, pastors to prayer and the ministry of the Word [65], and deacons to a ministry of service [66].
In His kindness, the Lord has given to the Church two sacraments, in which we experience His grace and remember His work of salvation, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. As the sign of God’s covenant love for His people, all who trust in Christ should be baptized with water in the name of the triune God [67]. The Lord’s Supper should be celebrated regularly by all who follow Him, as a perpetual reminder of Christ’s sacrifice [68].
All followers of Jesus are citizens of the kingdom of God [69]. Having confessed Christ as Lord of their lives, all Christians live under His authority [70], seeking to love him with their whole being and to love all others as themselves [71]. Christians are called neither to withdraw from the world, nor to become indistinguishable from it [72]; but rather, they are to seek its welfare, do good for it, and pray earnestly to the Lord on its behalf [73]. Above all, followers of Jesus are to share the good news that salvation has come in Jesus [74].
REFERENCES
[1] Deuteronomy 6:4; James 2:19; I Corinthians 8:4,6; Romans 3:29-30; Isaiah 45:5; I Kings 8:60 [2] Matthew 28:19; Genesis 1:26; Isaiah 6:8 [3] Matt. 6:26, 30; James 1:27; I Peter 1:2-3; II Peter 1:17; II John 3; Jude 1; Galatians 1:1 [4] John 1:1; John 8:58; Hebrews 1:8; Isaiah 40:3/Matthew 3:3; John 20:28; Philippians 2:5-6; Colossians 1:15; Revelation 22:12-13; II Peter 1:1; Titus 2:13; Romans 9:5; Mark 2:8-10 [5] Acts 5:3-4; I Corinthians 12:6, 11; [6] John 1:18; Colossians 1:15; John 15:26 [7] John 6:38; John 10:30 [8] Hebrews 1:2; John 1:2-3; Genesis 1:2; Job 26:13; Job 33:4; Jeremiah 10:12; Colossians 1:16; Acts 17:24 [9] Hebrews 1:3; Isaiah 55:10-11; Acts 14:17; Job 5:10; Psalm 65:9-10; Job 14:5; Psalm 139:16 [10] Psalm 111:9; I Peter 1:2; Ephesians 1:4-5; II Timothy 1:9 [11] By Bible we mean the 66 books of the Old (39) and New (27) Testaments [12] I Thessalonians 1:5, 2:13; Jeremiah 30:4; Amos 3:1; II Samuel 23:2; Hebrews 1:1; Matthew 4:4 [13] II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; Acts 1:16 [14] II Timothy 3:15-17; Psalm 119:130 [15] John 5:39, 46; Luke 16:29,31; Luke 24:27 [16] Romans 16:27 [17] Romans 11:36 [18] I John 4:7-16 [19] Jeremiah 32:38-40; Genesis 17:7; I Peter 2:9-10 [20] Genesis 1:27-30; Genesis 2:7-8; Ecclesiastes 7:29 [21] Genesis 2:17 [22] Genesis 3:1-7 [23] Psalm 51:1; Romans 5:12; I Corinthians 15:22; Romans 3:10-18; Matthew 15:18-19 [24] Ephesians 2:3; Romans 3:23; I John 1:8 [25] Romans 5:18-19; Romans 6:23; Revelation 21:8; Galatians 5:19-21 [26] Ephesians 2:4-5 [27] Micah 5:2; John 1:1; John 8:58; Revelation 22:12-13 [28] Romans 1:2-3; Hebrews 2:14; Philippians 2:5-8; I John 4:9 [29] Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 2:17-18 [30] Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:31-35 [31] Isaiah 53:9; John 8:29, 46; John 14:31; Acts 3:14; II Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 7:26-28; I Peter 1:19; I John 3:5 [32] Isaiah 53:4-5; Mark 10:45; John 10:14-18; Romans 5:10; Galatians 3:13; Ephesians 5:2; I Peter 2:24 [33] II Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:19 [34] I John 2:2; Romans 3:25; Revelation 5:9 [35] Matthew 28:1-15; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12, 46-47; John 20:1-29; I Corinthians 15; Acts 2:32-33; Romans 1:4; Ephesians 1:19-21 [36] Acts 1:9-11; Luke 24:50-51; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 4:14 [37] John 3:16; Isaiah 45:22; Romans 10:13; Romans 5:18; I Timothy 2:4; Titus 2:11; II Peter 3:9 [38] Proverbs 28:13; Ezekiel 18:32; Matthew 3:1-2; Matthew 4:17; Luke 24:47-48; Acts 2:38; [39] Romans 3:28; Romans 5:1; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 2:8-9; Mark 1:15 [40] John 16:8-11; I Corinthians 2:14 [41] John 16:13-14; John 15:26; Titus 3:5; Ezekiel 26:27; I Peter 1:2; II Thessalonians 2:13; John 3:5 [42] John 3:5-7; Titus 3:5; James 1:18; I Peter 1:23 [43] John 1:12; Ephesians 1:5; Galatians 4:4-5; I John 3:1-2; Hebrews 12:7-8; Romans 8:15-17 [44] Romans 3:24, 28; Romans 4:1-5; Romans 5:1; Galatians 2:16; Titus 3:7 [45] Titus 2:11-14; Philippians 1:6; Philippians 2:12-13; Romans 8:13 [46] Psalm 103:14; Hebrews 4:14-16 [47] Mark 9:21-24; Jude 22; John 20:24-27 [48] Psalm 34:4; Psalm 27:1; Isaiah 41:13; Deuteronomy 3:22; Psalm 115:11; Matthew 10:26-28; Luke 12:32; I John 4:18 [49] Romans 6:6; Galatians 2:20; Titus 2:11-12; Ephesians 6:10-18; I Peter 4:1-2 [50] I Peter 1:3-5, Romans 8:29-39, Philippians 1:6, John 10:27-30, II Timothy 1:12, I John 5:13 [51] Galatians 2:20; Luke 9:23; Philippians 2:1-4 [52] I Thessalonians 4:16; Acts 1:11; Revelation 3:11; Revelation 22:7, 12, 20; Matthew 24:42 [53] I John 3:8; Hebrews 2:14; John 16:11; Colossians 2:15 [54] Revelation 21:1, 5; II Corinthians 5:17-19 [55] Revelation 11:15; Psalm 89:37; II Samuel 7:13, 16; Psalm 45:6; Daniel 2:44; II Peter 1:11; Revelation 1:6 [56] Isaiah 26:19; Daniel 12:2; John 6:39-40; Acts 24:25; Romans 8:11; I Corinthians 15:51-52; I Thessalonians 4:16-17 [57] Ecclesiastes 12:14; Matthew 12:36-37; Acts 17:31; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 20:12-13 [58] John 5:28-29; Matthew 25:32-33, 46; Romans 2:5-8; [59] Titus 3:5; I Corinthians 6:9-11; Romans 10:4; Romans 4:1-5; Philippians 3:9 [60] Ephesians 5:25-27; Matthew 16:18; I Corinthians 10:32 [61] Ephesians 1:22; Ephesians 5:23; Colossians 1:18; I Corinthians 12:12-26 [62] Acts 14:23; Romans 16:5; [63] Hebrews 10:24 [64] Galatians 6:1; I Corinthians 5:1-5, 9-12; Matthew 18:15-20 [65] Acts 6:2, 5; I Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9; Acts 20:28:31 [66] Acts 6:1-6, I Timothy 3:8-13 [67] Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; Acts 16:31-33; Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:12; Acts 18:8 [68] Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; I Corinthians 11:23-29 [69] Philippians 3:20; Hebrews 12:28; Luke 22:29-30; Ephesians 2:19; Revelation 21:1-4; Matthew 6:33 [70] Romans 14:8; Matthew 28:18; Ephesians 1:20-23; Philippians 2:9-10; Colossians 2:10 [71] Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:36-39; Luke 10:27; Mark 12:30-31 [72] John 15:19; John 17:14-16; I John 2:15; I Corinthians 5:9-10; Romans 12:2; James 1:27 [73] Jeremiah 29:4-7 [74] Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15; Romans 10:14-15; Acts 20:24; Psalm 105:1; I Peter 3:15; John 15:8; I Peter 2:9
