In presenting our beliefs, we keep in mind the following three principles:
In all essential beliefs—we have unity.
In all non-essential beliefs—we have liberty.
In all our beliefs—we show love.
Our essential beliefs are as follows:
About God
We believe in the Trinity, omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient, of one substance and of three persons: God – our Father-Creator; Jesus Christ the only begotten Son of God, God in flesh, human; and the Holy Spirit – God as our Sustainer and Comforter.
About God the Creator
God is the Creator of heaven and earth and daily sustains all creation. God rules over all and, together with the Son and the Holy Spirit, is the only Sovereign. God’s plans and purposes cannot be thwarted. God is faithful to every promise and through unfathomable grace gave His Son, Jesus Christ, for our redemption. God made all things to bring joy and glory to God and intends for people to live as children of God.
About God the Son
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Eternally existing as God, Jesus became human, fully-God and fully-man; He was supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of people by dying on a cross. He rose from the dead after three days demonstrating His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven victorious and will return to earth again someday to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
About God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is present in the world to make humanity aware of their need for the Savior, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit lives in every believer from the moment of conversion. The Holy Spirit provides the Christ-follower with strength for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right and gives every believer gifts for service, empowering them for ministry. As followers of Jesus, we seek to live with the Holy Spirit’s help moment-by-moment as we journey through life.
About the Bible
The Bible is God’s self-revelation to creation. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. The Bible is God-breathed, and it is wholly true.
About Human Beings
God made human beings in the image of God as the pinnacle of God’s creation. People were created to honor God and to enjoy a relationship with Him, but they rebelled and alienated themselves from God. This rebellion resulted in inward depravity of all humans that is expressed in sinful attitudes and actions. All of us are marred by sin and are incapable of living out the full humanity for which we were created. Broken and sinful people, whatever their character or achievements, are lost and without hope apart from God’s salvation.
About Salvation
Salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it by faith. We can never make up for our sins by self-improvement or good works. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ alone as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty. Through Christ’s atonement for sin, an individual is reconciled to God, becomes a child of God, is forgiven of his/her sin, and is regenerated by the Holy Spirit. The natural response of faith in Jesus is to turn from our self-ruled life and follow Jesus as Lord. Followers of Jesus are empowered by the Spirit to grow in relationship with Jesus, to become more like Him, and to carry out His ministry. This part of God’s work in us is called sanctification. Ultimately, all believers will be glorified with Christ, sharing in His victory over sin and death.
About the Church
The universal church, the body of Christ, consists of all those who have genuinely believed in Christ for their salvation, regardless of church or denominational affiliation. All members of the universal church are to be a vital and committed part of a local church. We believe that the local church is a gathering of believers in Jesus Christ who are joined together for the purposes of worship, prayer, observance of the ordinances, teaching, care, confession, relationships, training, serving, and evangelism. The local church should be a witness to the contemporary world. In order to fulfill the mission of evangelism and discipleship of all nations, each local church should creatively adapt its ministry, worship, and teaching to the particular context in which God has placed the church.
About the Sacraments
Jesus Christ commanded His followers to observe the sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion (the Lord’s Supper) until He returns.
Baptism: Water Baptism serves as a public identification with Jesus—a visual and symbolic demonstration of a person’s connection to Christ’s death, burial and resurrection. It signifies that the former way of life has been put to death and that he/she is now a new creation of God.
Holy Communion: The Lord’s Supper symbolizes the breaking of Christ’s body and the shedding of His blood as a payment for sins. As we celebrate the Lord’s Supper with an attitude of faith and self-examination, we publicly remember the death of Christ, receive spiritual nourishment for our souls, and signify our unity with other members of Christ’s body. The Lord’s Supper is enjoyed by believers repeatedly as a sign of continued participation in the salvation benefits of Christ’s death.
About Eternity
People were created to live forever. We long for the future, physical, visible, personal, and glorious return of Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the dead and the translation of those alive in Christ, the judgment of the just and the unjust, and the fulfillment of Christ’s kingdom in the new heavens and the new earth. Those whose hope is in Christ will live forever in glorified bodies without sorrow or suffering. These will reign with Christ, serving Him and giving Him unending praise and glory. Then the whole earth will worship the God Who makes all things new.