The Essentials We Believe
1. The Scriptures
• We believe that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God."
2 Timothy 3:16
• We understand this to mean that the whole Bible is inspired in that holy men
of God "were moved by the Holy Spirit" to write the very words of Scripture.
2 Peter 1:21
• We believe that this divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts of
Scripture as it appeared in the original manuscripts.
• We believe that the whole Bible in the originals is therefore without error.
• We believe that all the Scriptures center on the Lord Jesus Christ in His person and
work, in His first and second coming. Therefore, all Scripture, even the Old
Testament if properly read and understood, will lead to Him.
• We believe that all Scripture was designed for our practical instruction.
Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11; 2 Timothy 3:16
2. The Triune Godhead
We believe in the one true and living God, the Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer and Ruler
of all things. He is infinite, eternal, unchangeable, and is revealed to us as the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
3. God The Father
God as Father, reigns over all of His universe with providential care. He is all powerful,
all knowing, all loving, and all wise. He is fatherly in attitude toward all men but is the
Father, indeed, to those who have become children of God through Jesus Christ, who
will deliver them into the Father’s hands.
Genesis 1:1; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 6:9; Acts 1:7;
Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Ephesians 4:6
4. God The Son
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without
ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, in order
that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. This redemption He accomplished by
voluntarily giving Himself as a sinless, substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, thereby
satisfying God’s righteous judgment against sin. After substantiating the
accomplishment of that redemption/justification by His bodily resurrection from the
grave, He ascended to the right hand of His Father where He intercedes on behalf of
those who trust Him.
Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1, 2, 14, 18; Romans 3:24-26, 8:34
5. God The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Person Who convicts the world of sin
(righteousness and judgment), that He alone brings new life to those who are spiritually
dead; that He baptizes (or places) all believers into the one true church, which is the
Body of Christ; that He indwells and seals them unto the day of final redemption,
bestows spiritual gifts upon them, fills (controls) those who are yielding to Him. Every
believer is called to live so in the power of the indwelling Spirit that he will not fulfill
the lust of the flesh but will bear fruit to the glory of God.
John 3:3-8, 14:16-17, 16:7-11; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, 13; Ephesians 4:30, 5:18
6. Creation
We believe that man was created directly by and in the image of God. We believe that
God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, by direct act.
Genesis 1:1; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17
7. Man
Although man was created in the image of God, he fell into sin and is lost; this is true
of all men, and except a man be born again by the Holy Spirit, he cannot see the
kingdom of God.
Genesis 1:26-27; John 3:3; Romans 3:10, 23
8. The Devil-Satan
We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the reason of the fall of
man, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal punishment in the lake of fire.
Matthew 4:1-3; Acts 5:3; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10
9. Atonement For Sin
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures
as a substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe on Him are redeemed by His
shed blood. We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord Jesus
Christ and His ascension into heaven; He is our High Priest and Advocate.
John 1:1-3, 14; 3:1-7, 16; Hebrews 10:4-14; 1 John 2:2
10. Salvation
We believe that salvation is the gift of God’s grace. It cannot be gained or made more
secure by meritorious works, but is freely in the finished work of Jesus Christ at
Calvary. All who so trust the Savior are forgiven of their sins and born into the family
of God by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit.
John 1:12; Acts 16:30-33; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-9
11. The Christian Walk
We believe that we are called with a holy calling, to walk not after the flesh, but after
the Spirit, and so to live in the power of the indwelling Spirit that we will not fulfill the
lust of the flesh.
Romans 6:11-13, 8:2, 4, 12, 13; Galatians 5:16-23; Ephesians 4:22-24;
Colossians 2:10; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 1 John 1:4-7, 3:5-9
12. The Great Commission
Until the return of Christ, it is the Christian’s duty and privilege to seek the fulfillment of
Christ’s Great Commission and to minister in His name to a needy world. We are to be
instruments of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit ministers redemption and reconciliation in
the world.
Matthew 25:31-46, 28:18-20
