01. THE SCRIPTURES
The sixty six books of both Old and New testaments are the inspired Word of God, without error in the works of the original writings, the complete revelation of God’s will for the salvation of men, and the divine and final authority for all Christian faith and practice (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 Cor. 2:13).
02. GOD
There is one God, the Creator and Preserver of all things, infinite in being and perfection. He exists eternally in three Persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Who are co-equal (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; He b. 1:1-13; Col. 1:15, 19).
03. JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is very God and very man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a perfect, sinless life. He died on the cross, a sacrifice for our sins, according to the Scriptures. He rose bodily from the dead and ascended into heaven, where He is now our High Priest and Advocate at the right hand of the Majesty on High (Luke 2:3-35; Phil. 2:5-8; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Heb. 1:3).
04. THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the God-head Who regenerates (that is, gives new life to anyone who, dead in sins and trespasses, exercises saving faith in Jesus Christ – Rom. 8:11; Jn. 6:63a); indwells (that is, resides in everyone who truly believes in Jesus Christ – Jn. 14:16,17; Rom. 8:9,11,15; 1 Cor. 6:19); baptizes (that is, places every true believer into the Body of Christ, thus joining each believer to Christ in a mystical union – 1 Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:26,27; Rom. 6:3,4); seals (that is, by the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in the believer, the divine mark of ownership is eternally placed to indicate that the one indwelt is God’s own eternal possession – Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30); and fills those who believe (that is, empowers those yielded to God in daily conduct and service – 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 5:18; Gal. 5:16,33-25; Col. 3:17). The Holy Spirit’s ministry is to glorify God in the life of the believer as He guides, instructs, empowers, and gives spiritual abilities for service (Jn. 3:3-6; 1 Cor. 6:19; 12:13; Eph. 5:18; Acts 1:8).
05. ANGELS
God originally created an innumerable company of sinless, spirit-beings, known as angels. They are messengers of God to help His people in all ages. One angel, high in rank, however, sinned through pride. He is known as Satan. A great company of other spirit beings followed suit in Satan’s fall. They became active agents of Satan known as demons (Is. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:11-19; 1 Tim. 3:6).
06. MAN
Man was created in the image of God and likeness of God, but in Adam all mankind fell into sin with the result that all men are sinners by nature and action. All men are depraved and without hope apart from the grace of God (Gen. 1:26,27; 2:17; 6:5; Rom. 3:10-19; Jn. 3:6,16).
07. SALVATION
Salvation is received by faith alone in the God-man, Jesus Christ, apart from works. Christ died as a substitutionary sacrifice to redeem us from our sins if we believe in Him. His shed blood and His resurrection provide the only ground of justification and salvation. Only those who receive Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit and are truly Christians, even children of God (Acts 4:12; Jn. 3:7; 2 Cor. 521; Jn. 1:12).
08. ASSURANCE AND ETERNAL SECURITY
Everyone who truly believes in Jesus Christ’s atoning work and has appropriated this benefit personally to life is assured of salvation both now and forever. Those so assured are eternally kept saved due to the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit unto the day of redemption (Col. 2:2; 1 Jn. 5:13; Heb. 6:11; 10:22; Jn. 5:24; 10:28; Rom. 8:29; Heb. 7:25; 1 Jn. 2:1,2).
09. SANCTIFICATION
That is, believers’ setting apart unto God is three-fold: positional at the point of conversion; progressive on a daily basis as we walk the Christian pilgrim way; and ultimate which is experience in the hereafter when each believer enters into the presence of the Lord (Jn. 17:17; 2 Cor. 3:18; 7:1; Eph. 4:24; 5:25-27; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 10:10,14; 12:10; 1 Jn. 2:15-17; 3:2).
10. THE CHURCH
The Church, embracing all true believers, is the Body and Bride of Christ, formed by the baptism of the Holy Spirit (that is, the placing of individual believers in the Body of Christ). The local church is intended to be a local organized representation of the mystical Body of Christ, and should be composed only of true believers
(Eph. 1:22-23; 1 Cor. 12:13; Phil. 1:1; Eph. 1:20-23; 4:3-10, 30; Col. 3:14-15).
11. ORDINANCES
The Ordinances of the Church are the Lord’s Supper and Water Baptism by immersion which are to be observed by the Church during the present age. Neither of these is a means of salvation (Matt. 28:19; Lk. 22:19-20; Acts 8:36-38; 10:47-48; 16:32; 18:7-8; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).
12. CHRISTIAN LIFE AND SERVICE
Men are saved unto good works (Eph. 2:10; Titus 3:8) and faith without works is dead (Jas. 2:17). Therefore, Christians are called to a holy life of service and testimony in the power
of the Holy Spirit, which service includes the propagation of the Gospel message to the whole world. The Holy Spirit bestows by His own sovereign will, diverse grace gifts upon all who believe in Christ for enablement in service for God’s glory. Christians will give account of, and receive rewards for their faithful service at the judgment seat of Christ (Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 3:12-15; 2 Cor. 5:9-10; Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 12:4-11; Eph. 4:11; 1 Pet. 1:15-16).
13. SPIRITUAL GIFTS
These are bestowed freely as determined by the Holy Spirit on believers and not by the will or desire of man. These grace (unmerited favor) gifts are meant for the edification of the Body of Christ and for service to the glory of God. In this age God has given for the building up of the Church the following grace gifts among others: faith, administration, care, prayer, pastor/teacher, evangelist, wisdom, knowledge, discernment (Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 12:4-11; Eph. 4:11). Some of the Spiritual gifts listed in Scripture, for example, tongues, healing, etc.’ were sign gifts. However, an undue emphasis on possession of any of those sign gifts as a means or prerequisite for salvation is unscriptural and is rejected (Jn. 6:3-16; Jn. 16:13-14; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 14:1-40).
14. THE BLESSED HOPE
The blessed hope of the Church is the personal imminent and pre-millennial second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, which is the rapture of the believers, both the living and the dead. This hope must have a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believers (Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Titus 2:11-14; 2 Pet. 3:11).
15. THE TRIBULATION
In the end times shall come a period of divine judgment upon the whole world which, day after day, continues to ripen for judgment (Matt. 24:15-21; Jer. 30:7; Dan. 9:27; Rev. 6:1-19, 21).
16. RESURRECTION
All the dead will eventually resurrect bodily at the end times, the believers into everlasting blessedness and joy with their Lord, the unbelievers into judgment and everlasting conscious punishment (Jn. 11:25-26; Lk. 16:19-26; 23:42; 1 Cor. 15:20-22; 2 Cor. 5:8; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; rev. 20:11-15).