What We Believe

We believe that God exists eternally in three separate persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three persons share the same undivided divine substance. The persons of the Trinity have different roles but the same purpose and are equally worthy of all glory, honor and power. The inner life of the Trinity is characterized by mutual and glad submission to one another, each person working to glorify the others. The one-ness and three-ness of the God-head must be kept in tension for error occurs if one is emphasized over the other (Matt 3:13-17; Jn 14:23-26, 16:13-15; 2 Cor 13:14)

 

We believe that God the Father is the Creator and sustainer of all creation and that his deepest desire is for his name to be glorified. He is all powerful, all knowing, and everywhere present. He actively guides the course of world history to bring it to his desired end, and he is passionate about redeeming his creation. He is morally perfect, ethically just, and is perfectly loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, gentle, faithful, and self-controlled (Gen 1-2; Lev 19:2; 1 Sam 2:3; Ps 139:7-12; Ps 147:5; Isa 43:13; Isa 46:8-11; Gal 5:22-23; Rev 4:11).

 

We believe that God the Son is the second person of the Trinity. He became incarnate in the person of Jesus of Nazareth in order to provide salvation for humanity. He is the agent of creation and the head of the church. He fulfills the offices of prophet, priest, and king. He has both a divine nature and a human nature, with these two natures being separate, not mixed. After his resurrection the body he had while on the earth was transformed into the same kind of glorious body which we will have when we live with him in eternity (Jn 1:1-18; Rom 3:21-31; 4:25; Eph 5:23; Phil 2:1-11; Col 1:15-17; Heb 2:14-18, 4:7-10).

 

We believe that God the Holy Spirit is the third person of the God-head. He is a person (he is referred to in Scripture by personal pronouns), he can be grieved, and quenched. He convicts us in regards to sin, regenerates Christians that we might believe, and teaches us how to live in a way that honors Christ. He also intercedes for us, grants us spiritual gifts, and helps us distinguish between true and false doctrine. Furthermore, he is a seal guaranteeing our salvation. He also produces his fruit in us that we might produce it towards others. Moreover, he gives us power to resist sin and live for God (Jn 3:5-8, 14:26, 16:8; Acts 13:2; Rom 8, 8:26-27; 1 Cor 12:4-11; Gal 5:22-23; Eph 1:13-14, 4:7-16, 4:30; Titus 3:5; 1 Jn 2:20).

 

We believe that God created the universe and everything in it perfectly. At one time humanity was by nature good and enjoyed perfect harmony with God and with one another. However, as a result of the fall, people are now born with a sinful nature and are subsequently deserving of God’s justice. The penalty for people’s sin is eternal separation from God – a problem for which there is no human remedy (Gen 1-3, Ps 5:5; Isa 59:1-2; Rom 1:18-32, 3:23, 6:23; Eph 2:3).

 

We believe that faith in Jesus Christ apart from works is the only way for one to be saved. God the Father sent his Son in the person of Jesus of Nazareth to die as a sacrifice for the sins of the entire human race. God placed all of his wrath on Jesus at the cross so that whoever trusts in him may be forgiven and included in God’s family. Through his sacrificial death Jesus satisfied divine justice on our behalf. God then raised Christ from the dead in order to vindicate him and also that he might always live to intercede for us (Jn 14:6; Rom 1:16-17, 3:21-31, 4:1-25; Gal 2:19-21; Eph 2:8-9).

 

We believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God. The Bible is God’s self disclosure to humanity concerning who he is and how he relates to his creation. We could not know God except that he has graciously condescended to us in order to reveal himself. The Bible instructs us how we may be saved, and provides teaching as to how we may live lives which please the Lord (2 Tim 3:16; 1 Pet 1:20-21).

 

We believe that Christ commanded us to practice Baptism and the Lord’s Supper until he comes again at the end of the age (Matt 28:18-20; Lk 22:14-23; 1 Cor 11:23-26).

 

We believe that the church is a community of people who have been redeemed by Christ who gather to corporately worship the Lord. The church is engaged in the cosmic struggle between God and the devil, for it is God’s representative on earth. The church is a community of God’s representatives whose function it is to build God’s Kingdom by adopting his will for their lives and urging others to do so. The end of all these activities is to bring glory to God and to cause all people to worship him with their entire lives (Matt 16:13-20; Phil 2:12-18; 1 Pet 2:9-10).

 

We believe that at the end of the age Christ will return and judge the earth. The righteous he will welcome into eternal joy and fellowship with himself, but the wicked will be cast from his presence into eternal conscious torment. At his return there will be a physical resurrection, although at that time the bodies of the saints will be like Christ’s resurrected body (Matt 25:31-46; 1 Cor 15:12-58; 1 Thess 4:13-5:11; Rev 20:11-21:8).