The Bible
The Bible, in all 66 books, is the revelation of God to mankind. Every word is equally inspired by God, written by men as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. The Bible is inerrant in the original manuscripts, infallible, and the final authority for believers. While there may be multiple applications to any passage of Scripture, there is only one interpretation. It is the responsibility of believers to diligently study the passage to discover the one true meaning, trusting the Holy Spirit to make the appropriate applications.
God
There is only one true, eternal God, existing in three distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. While one and equal in essence, each person is unique in function..
- The Father: The first Person in the Triune Godhead, He is Father of all mankind as Creator, but Spiritual Father only to those who believe through His Son, Jesus Christ. Not only has He created all that exists, He also upholds and sustains all. He declares righteous and adopts all who come to Him in faith through Jesus.
- The Son: Jesus, the second Person in the Triune Godhead, is both fully God and fully man. He forever became the God man when He was born of a virgin. He lived a sinless life while on this earth. He voluntarily submitted to the Father’s will by dying on the cross to pay for the sins of those who trust in His atoning sacrifice. He rose bodily from the dead on the third day and ascended back to Heaven, where He sits at the Father’s right hand to be our intercessor. One day in the future, as He promised, He will return bodily to bring His Church back to be with Him forever.
- The Holy Spirit: The third person in the Triune Godhead, the Holy Spirit possesses all the attributes of personality and deity. The Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus, convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, draws unbelievers to repentance and faith, gives new spiritual life to those who believe on Jesus, brings the new believer into union with the Church, the Body of Christ, permanently indwells and seals at the moment of salvation, gives spiritual gifts for the building up of the Body of Christ, sanctifies, fills, guides, teaches, comforts, and empowers for service.
Man
God created mankind, male and female, in His image, free of sin, to fellowship with and enjoy Him forever. Man was created with a rational nature, volition, self-determination, and a moral responsibility to God. Tempted by Satan, Adam chose to rebel against His Creator. His sin brought the sentence of physical and spiritual death on himself and all mankind. All mankind are sinners by nature, choice, and divine declaration. All mankind are in need of a Savior.
Salvation
Jesus Christ died for our sins, was buried and rose again the third day, according to the Scriptures. Salvation is found in Him alone. There is no other way to God. All who come to Him in repentance and faith, by grace apart from any works, are forgiven of their sin and declared righteous by the Father, given new life and permanently sealed by the Holy Spirit, and begin a journey of growth and obedience by the grace of God. The purpose of God is to conform every believer to the image of His Son, Jesus. That process will be fully realized when the believer gets Home to Heaven.
The Church
The one universal Church, the Body of Christ, is comprised of all who have been born again, baptized into that Body at salvation by the Holy Spirit. Jesus Christ is the Head of that Church. The Body of Christ is expressed in local congregations around the world. True believers are commanded to assemble with other believers in these local churches. There they are taught the Word of God, they pray together, share in true fellowship, baptize new believers, participate in the Lord’s Table, and corporately praise God. The Church, comprised of all believers, has been given a commission from our Head, the Lord Jesus. He commanded that we make disciples in all nations.
The Future/Eternity
Believers expectantly await the glorious, personal, visible return of the Lord Jesus to this earth to bring them to their eternal Home. This reality causes them to watch and pray, living in a manner that brings glory to Jesus and won’t cause them to shrink back in shame at His appearing. When He returns, He will bodily raise the dead, some to eternal damnation in a real place called Hell, and some to eternal glory in a real place called the new Heaven and new Earth.