BELIEFS
What do we believe, teach, and confess?
Beliefs
We affirm the beliefs about God in the three ecumenical creeds. These creeds are known as The Apostle’s Creed, The Nicene Creed, and The Athanasian Creed. I personally like:
The Nicene Creed
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father; by whom all things were made; who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man, and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again with glory to judge the living and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified; who spoke by the Prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church. I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen
The Holy Bible
The Holy Scriptures consist of the 39 books of Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament. These Scriptures are God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16-17) and are written by approximately 40 authors over a span of 1,500 years. Each author was inspired by God the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:20-21). The Bible is authoritative, infallible, inerrant, and sufficient for what we need to know about God and godly living (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Peter says this gift from God is more sure than even the Transfiguration of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:16-19)!
Human Beings
Human beings are made in the image of God to care for them (Psalm 8:4-6) and to show His glory (Psalm 100:3). However, Adam, created from the dust of the earth (Genesis 2:7), and Eve, created from Adam’s rib (Genesis 2:21-22), rebelled against God and brought sin and a curse into the world (Genesis 3:6). Now, while human beings are still created in the image of God, they are also created in the image of Adam (Genesis 5:3) and have inherited a sin nature from him (Romans 5:12).
Satan and demons
There is an adversary, Satan or the devil, who rebelled against God in heaven and took a third of the angels with him (Revelation 12:7-12). Satan, as a serpent, tempted and deceived Eve into eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:1-5). Satan is still tempting and deceiving people in our world by twisting Scripture and perverting God’s creation (1 Peter 5:8). There are even doctrines of demons (1 Timothy 4:1) that have infiltrated the minds of people and the local church. Knowing the truth of God’s Word is essential in destroying this deception and these strongholds (2 Corinthians 10:5-7).
Sin
All human beings are born in sin. This means they are sinful by nature and justly deserve God’s present and eternal punishment for their sins. People are unable to earn salvation from God (Ephesians 2:8-9) or come to God on their own (John 1:12-13; 1 Corinthians 2:14). They stand condemned (John 3:17) as children of wrath (Ephesians 2:3) before our holy (Isaiah 6:3), righteous (Psalm 145:17), and just God (Romans 3:26).
Salvation
Jesus Christ, truly God and truly Man, though He was tempted in every way, lived a sinless life, was crucified for the sins of the world, died, and was buried. Three days later He rose bodily from the dead for people’s justification. People are saved when they hear this truth, repent of their sins, and believe. They are granted repentance, eternal life, forgiveness of sins, and adoption as sons and daughters of God by grace through faith in Christ.
Repentance
Repentance is a gift from God given to those who hear the gospel (Acts 11:18). Repentance is acknowledging before God that you are a sinner, turning from your sin, your good works, the world, and the devil, and turning to God alone for salvation and forgiveness. Repentance is ongoing in the life of a Christian and is evidenced by obedience to God and His Word (1 John 1:8-10).