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The Old and New Testaments are God’s written revelation to man,
fully inspired by the Spirit of God to the very words penned by the human
authors (2 Pet. 1:20-21; 3:14-16).
Therefore all 66 books are inerrant and foundational as the final
authority in matters of doctrine, practice, and lifestyle (2 Tim. 3:14-17).
God is an infinite eternal Spirit (Deut. 6:4, 5, 13; Isa. 44:6;
Jer. 10:10; Jn. 4:24) who has revealed Himself through the Scriptures in three
Persons – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:16-17; 2 Cor. 13:14). God is the Holy One who lacks nothing in
power, wisdom, and love (Isa. 40:25-31; Rev. 4:8). God is the Creator of the heavens and the
earth and all that dwells in them (Gen. 2:1-3; Acts 17:24-29; Rev. 4:11). God alone determines and declares in His
Scriptures what is good, very good, not good, and corrupt (Gen. 1:25, 31; 2:18;
6:12; Jer. 17:10).
The Father is the true and living God (Jn. 5:26; 6:57; 7:28-29;
8:16-18). The Father is the One from
whom all things derive including salvation.
He is the giver of all good gifts, including His Son (Jn. 3:16-18; Eph.
3:14-17a; James 1:16-18). The Father
sets the times and the seasons by His own authority (Mk. 13:32; Acts 1:7;
3:19-21; 17:31). After the Father has
placed all things under His Son, the Kingdom of Christ will be handed to Him,
so that the Father may be the All in All (1 Cor. 15:24-28).
The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God (Jn. 1:1-2,
32-34; Jn. 8:58; Heb. 1:8; 1 Jn. 1:1-2), who became incarnate without sin born of the
virgin Mary through the Holy Spirit (Isa. 7:14; 9:6-7; Matt. 1:20-21; Lk. 1:35;
Jn. 1:14a; 1 Jn. 3:5). Jesus Christ is
true God and true man, the exact representation of God’s being (Jn. 1:14b; Col.
1:15; 2:9; Heb. 1:1-3). He died on the
cross, was buried, and three days later was raised from the dead (Acts 2:23-24,
31-32; 1 Cor. 15:3-4), ascended to heaven and is now seated at the right hand
of the Father (Acts 2:33-36). He is the
Head of the Church (Col. 1:18; 2:19) and ministers as our High Priest and
Advocate (Heb. 4:14-15).
The Holy Spirit is eternal and possesses all the attributes of
God (Ps. 139:7-8; Isa. 11:2; 63:11-14; Heb. 9:14). He indwells all those who have put faith in
Christ (Acts 2:38-39; Rom. 8:9). At
conversion the Spirit baptizes each one into the body of Christ, the Church (1
Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:27; Rom. 6:3). The
Holy Spirit fills, equips, and guides believers so they may obtain a full
maturity in Christ (Jn. 7:39; 1 Cor. 2:13; 6:19; Gal. 5:16-22; Acts 4:8). No particular spiritual gift is required to
be manifested so a believer may be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 2:19-22;
5:18-25; Acts 4:31).
The Heavens and the Earth and all that are within them were
created by the power and wisdom of God for His pleasure and glory (Rev.
4:11). Like the New Heavens and the New
Earth to come (2 Pet. 3:10-13), the present Heavens and Earth came to be in an
incredibly short period of time, six evenings and mornings (Gen. 1:31;
2:1-3). Each creative work of God during
the week was begun and finished within a day, establishing and demonstrating
God’s ability to do incredible works of salvation in a single day (Gen. 2:4-6;
Exod. 20:8-11; Isa. 37:36; Zech. 3:9, 10), such as Passover (Exod. 13:3), Red
Sea Crossing (Exod. 14:30), Atonement (Lev. 16:30), Cross (Lk. 23:43, 44),
Resurrection (Luke 24:7), Redemption (1 Cor. 15:51-52), and Second Coming
(Zech. 14:7; Matt. 24:30-31, 36).
Man was created in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:25-27;
James 3:9). Man was created from the
dust of the ground on the sixth day of creation apart from any process of death
(Gen. 1:27, 31; 2:7). On the same day
woman was taken from the side of man to become fellow-heir of life (Gen.
2:21-23). Through Adam’s disobedience
man became dead in trespasses and sins, born with a corrupt nature and is
incapable of turning to God for salvation apart from God’s grace (Gen. 3:19;
Jn. 6:65; Rom. 3:10-11; 5:12-21; Eph. 2:1-2).
Holy matrimony consists of one man and one woman, reflecting strengths
and roles of each gender (Gen. 2:24; 1 Cor. 11:7-10; Eph. 5: 22-33).
The Substitutionary Atonement of Christ is the only means of
redemption, for apart from the shed blood of Jesus there is no salvation (Lev.
17:11; Isa. 53:4-6; Rom. 3:25; 1 Cor. 1:30-31; Eph. 1:7; Heb. 10:10; 1 Pet.
1:18-19; 2:24; Rev. 5:9-10).
Justification by Grace through Faith in the death and
resurrection of Christ is the only means of salvation (Matt. 1:21; Acts
4:12). Sinners are not saved through any
of their own merit or works, but good works are an evidence of salvation (Gal.
3:11-14; Eph. 2:4-10; Phil. 2:12-13; Tit. 3:4-7). Christ who knew no sin became sin so that
those who believe in Him may be declared righteous by the Father (Rom. 3:21-24;
2 Cor. 5:21). Those who have been
justified by grace through faith are eternally secure in Christ (Jn. 5:24;
10:28-30), since they have been given the seal of the Holy Spirit to guarantee
their day of redemption (Eph. 1:13-14).
The Resurrection of Christ
is bodily and gives witness to the future resurrection (Matt. 28:1-10; 1 Cor.
15:1-11). The first resurrection is unto
life eternal for all those who believe in Him (1 Cor. 15:12-23; Rev. 20:4-6). The second resurrection, one thousand years
later, is for all who died in their sins unto condemnation (Rev. 20:4-6).
The Church is composed of all who are united by the Holy Spirit
with Christ (Acts 2:1-13; 1 Cor. 12:27-31; Eph. 2:14-22). The Church has two ordinances, Believer’s
Baptism (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:38-41) and the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 26:11-29; 1
Cor. 11:17-34). Believer’s baptism
signifies that one is identified with Christ in His death, burial, and
resurrection. It is a commitment to
follow Christ exclusively in the newness of life, having been cleansed from
past sins (Rom.
6:1-4; Tit. 3:5; 2 Pet. 1:9).
Holiness of the Believer
is both declared by God at the time of regeneration (Col. 3:12; 1 Pet. 2:4-5),
and the transformational goal to be formed into the likeness of Christ (Rom.
8:28-30; 1 Pet. 1:15; 1 Jn. 3:5-9). Two
natures are possessed by those who are born again, the first through natural
birth and the second through the Spirit (Jn. 3:3-8; Col. 3:5-10; 1 Pet.
1:22-23;
1 Jn. 3:9-10). The believer is to walk in the Spirit
producing the fruit of the Spirit, so as not to gratify the desires of the
flesh (Gal. 5:16-26; 1 Thess. 4:3-8).
Making Disciples through
the proclamation and the living out of the gospel of Christ is the mission of
the church (Matt. 28:18-20). Since all
are lost apart from faith in Christ, it is urgent that believers be committed
that all nations be given a witness of Christ’s love (Isa. 49:6; Acts 1:8; Rom.
1:18-20; Col. 1:24-29).
The Second Coming of Christ
will be personal, bodily, visible, and triumphant (Matt. 24:30-31; Acts 1:8-11;
1 Thess. 4:13-18; Tit. 2:13). No one,
but God, knows the time of His Coming (Mk. 13:32). Christ will establish the throne of David
upon the earth and reign in righteousness for one thousand years (2 Sam. 7:16;
Isa. 9:6-7; 61:1-5; 63:1-6; 65:1-25; Zech. 14:3-9; Lk. 1:32-33; Acts 3:17-23;
Rev. 20:1-6).
The Destiny of the Wicked,
the devil and his angels, and of all who are unbelievers is eternal punishment
called Hell (Matt. 25:41-43; Mk. 9:44, 48).
The devil, known as “Satan”, “the prince of the air”, and “the god of
this age” is the enemy of God and His saints (Eph 2:2; James 4:7; 1 Jn.
3:7-10). He and his cohorts were
defeated at the cross (Col. 2:15), yet he roams to and fro now seeing whom he
may devour (1 Pet. 5:8). Believers
overcome his schemes through faith in Christ and the sword of the Spirit, the
word of God (Eph. 6:10-18). At the
Second Coming the Devil will be tormented and restricted for one thousand years
from deceiving the nations, then will be released for a short time (Rev.
20:1-3), and finally sent to the lake of fire, also known as Hell (Rev.
20:7-10). All unbelievers will be judged
at the Great White Throne from where they will be consigned to eternal
conscious torment (Lk. 16:19-31; Rev. 20:11-15).
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