The Scriptures |
The Old and New Testaments of the Bible are God's direct revelation to man of Himself, His will, and His truth. The entire revelation was given supernaturally by God and is free from error and fault. It is the final authority for doctrine and life.
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God
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God is the direct creator and sustainer of the universe. He is one God existing in three persons (the Trinity). All three - the Father, the Son, and the Spirit - have existed and do exist for eternity and are equal in divine nature.
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Jesus Christ
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Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. He willingly took on literal humanity according to His Father's will. He came to seek out and to save the lost, to be our perfect example, and to recieve the full punishment for the sins of humanity.
He was born of a virgin, and He was literally and physically raised from the dead. He is the authority of every believer, and someday He will reign as King over the earth. |
Sin and Judgment
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Because of Adam's original sin, mankind is inherently sinful. People tend toward selfishness, rebellion toward God, unnatural and harmful pleasure, and pride. Mankind not only is born with sinful tendencies, but also actively chooses to sin.
Someday God will judge all men according to His Word, and those who are found to be sinful will be punished in Hell for eternity. The earth and its inhabitants are currently under the curse of sin and therefore experience death, sickness, tragedy, and injustice. |
Salvation
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When Jesus Christ died on the cross, He made it possible for all mankind to be saved from their sin.
All humans are sinful and deserving of judgment. We do not have the ability in ourselves to stop sinning or to atone for the sins we've already committed. In his death, Jesus took the full punishment for the sin of all mankind - He was our substitute, being punished by God in our place. God invites us to receive His free gift of salvation through faith in the death, resurrection, and lordship of Jesus Christ. At the moment of genuine faith, a person is born again by the Spirit of God. At the moment of rebirth, a person receives full and unconditional forgiveness of the punishment for his sin. God receives him as His child and offers him freedom from the power of sin in his life. When a believer dies, his soul immediately goes to Heaven to be with God. Someday God will bring full restoration to the earth, renewing it from all the effects of sin. God's children will then live forever with Him, free from the presence of sin. |
The Church
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Those who receive Christ become part of the body of believers called the Church. The Church operates today through local churches - assemblies of believers, acting as individual bodies, with God-ordained and God-gifted leaders.
The Spirit of God lives in the heart of every member of the church and equips him with specific abilities to serve in the Church. The Church exists to continue Jesus' work on earth, to edify believers, and to proclaim the truth. |