Beliefs

What I believe:

  1. The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments comprising the established canon of 66 books, are verbally inspired by God and are the revelation of God to humanity. They are the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct. [2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21]
  2. God has chosen to reveal Himself as the eternally self-existent “I AM,” the Creator of time and space, and the Redeemer of humanity. He has further revealed Himself as a relationship of three persons within one being, that is, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (commonly called the Trinity). [Exodus 3:14; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10-11; Matthew 28:19; Luke 3:22; John 8:54-59]
  3. The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. He has always existed as part of God (part of the Trinity), but, at the appointed time, became a human being both 100% human and 100% divine at the same time. Regarding His human existence, the Scriptures declare His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His substitutionary work on the cross, His bodily resurrection from the dead, and His elevation to the right hand of God the Father. [Matthew 1:23; Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22; Acts 2:22; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:39; 1 Corinthians 15:4; Acts 1:9; Acts 1:11; Acts 2:33; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:3]
  4. Humanity was created good, upright and in perfect relationship with God; the only creation of God to bear His image, for God said, “Let us make man in our own image, after our likeness.” However, humanity voluntarily rebelled and sinned against God, thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which separated humanity from God. [Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 2:17; Genesis 3:6; Romans 5:12-19]

  5. The only hope that humanity has of restoring it’s relationship with God is through the gift of His only Son, Jesus Christ. A person receives Jesus Christ by trusting in Him as Lord, and sorrowfully turning from their sin. By doing so, the Holy Spirit renews their spirit, makes them part of God’s family, and gives them eternal life. The Holy Spirit remains in the person as an ever present reminder of their new relationship with God. The evidence of this new relationship will be seen by that person making new decisions and actions that honor God.

    [Luke 24:47; John 3:3; Romans 10:13; Ephesians 2:8; Titus 2:11; Titus 3:5-7; Romans 8:16; Ephesians 4:24; Titus 2:12]

  6. The two ordinances established by Jesus Christ: 1) The ordinance of water baptism is commanded by the Scriptures. All who repent and believe in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord should be baptized. By doing so they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and have also been raised with Him to walk in newness of life. 2) The Lord’s Supper, consisting of bread and the fruit of the vine, is a memorial of Jesus’ suffering and death, a prophecy of His second coming, and is encouraged for all believers to partake in until Jesus returns. [Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 10:47,48; Romans 6:4; 2 Peter 1:4; 1 Corinthians 11:26]
  7. The promised infilling of the Holy Spirit in a believer’s life for the purpose of being God’s “witnesses…to the end of the earth.” Usually accompanied by spiritual gifts, ministries, and manifestations distributed by the Holy Spirit, this working equips believers with God’s dunamis (power) to be bold witnesses for Christ. This infilling should be sought after by every believer, as commanded by the Lord Jesus, and should become a continual working as the believer yields himself to the control of the Lord Jesus. [Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; Acts 8:12-17; Acts 10:44-46; Acts 11:14-16; Acts 15:7-9; Romans 6:13; Romans 8:13; Romans 12:6-8; Galatians 2:20; Ephesians 4:11-12; Philippians 2:12,13]
  8. The resurrection of those who have died believing in Christ as their Lord, along with those believers who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord. [1 Thessalonians 4:16,17; Romans 8:23; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 15:51,52]
  9. The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on earth for one thousand years. [Zechariah 14:5; Matthew 24:27; Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7; Revelation 19:11-14; Revelation 20:1-6]
  10. There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whoever 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 the 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; Revelation 20:11-15; Revelation 21:8]
  11. “We are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.” [2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21; Revelation 22]