God is an uncreated spirit -the Creator, Redeemer and Ruler of the universe. He has always existed in three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.
Jesus Christ is the Son of God, co-equal with the Father. He lived a sinless human life, teaching people the true potential of a human life surrendered to the Spirit of God and offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on a cross. He became alive again after being dead three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He’s the Head of the church and the only way to God and eternal life. He went to heaven and now “sits at the right hand of God” until the time He will return to judge the earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God. He is present in the world to make people aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth and guidance in doing what is right. The Christian seeks to live under His control daily.
The Bible is God’s message to all people. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, to reveal God’s character, to show us the true nature of humanity and to teach us how to fully live life both now and for eternity. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. The original documents did not contain any errors. God has provided an avalanche of evidence to support what He claims in the Bible. God also communicates through the Holy Spirit, prayer, circumstances and His church, but these will never conflict with the truth He’s already communicated in the Bible.
Humans are made in the image of God to enjoy fellowship with Him and other people. Humanity is the supreme object of God’s creation. Although humans have tremendous potential for good, we are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called sin. This attitude separates us from God and renders us incapable of regaining a right relationship with God through our own effort alone. We can only reach our highest potential by being reconciled to God.
Salvation is being right with God. It means having your sins forgiven rather than punished. It means that God’s Spirit lives within you and helps you become a real person. It means you will enjoy living in the presence of God forever after you die. Salvation is God’s free gift to everyone who puts his or her faith in Jesus.
People can never make up for their sin by self-improvement or doing good deeds. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can a person be saved from sin’s penalty, which is death. The Bible says we are saved by grace through faith. Therefore to become a follower of Christ, one needs to admit to God that he or she is a sinner in need of God’s grace and forgiveness. That person needs to pledge in faith that they want to stop sinning and start living like Christ. Through faith they must accept that Jesus paid the penalty for their sin by dying on the cross and that they are being saved because Jesus came back from the dead. After that, just like the Bible says, each believer should be “buried with Christ in baptism” and raised to live a new life as a Christ-follower.
The Christian life is the best way to live. God desires for people to live the highest quality life possible. Once one becomes a Christian, it’s like getting married to Jesus. We fall in love with Him and want to do the things that please Him. We begin a long process of getting rid of sin and becoming more like Jesus. However, the only way possible to live like a spouse of Jesus is through God’s power within us. So we seek to practice a daily dependence on God’s Spirit to enable us to do what is right.
The Church is a divinely instituted body, given the mission of strategically and effectively pursuing God’s purpose on earth. Each local church is God’s primary means of bringing His people to spiritual maturity and equipping them for the work of ministry. The church is a gathering place for love, support, encouragement, accountability, service, worship, growth and mission with people who share a common bond in Christ.
Jesus is the Light of the world. Christians must not keep the Light to themselves. We are commanded to let the Light shine to everyone. It is the responsibility of every Christian to share the Good News with those God brings us into contact with. Therefore, we should practice sharing our faith in Christ and inviting friends to church.
Marriage is defined in the Bible as a covenant, a sacred bond between one man and one woman, instituted by and publicly entered into before God.
People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell.
