God |
We believe in God as
revealed to us in Holy Scriptures as Father, Son
and Holy Spirit. He is One God in three persons.
He created, redeemed and sanctified us. |
The
Father |
We believe that God
the Father, in love, created the universe and all
there is, from nothing. In love He sustains His
creation and desires an intimate relationship with
all people. |
The
Son |
We believe that because
of His love for us, God became a human being, Jesus
Christ. Being fully divine and fully human, He lived
the perfect life of a servant, and in His death
on the cross Jesus suffered the punishment we deserve
for our sin. In His death and because of His bodily
resurrection, Jesus won for us victory over death
and the power of the devil. Only through the death
and resurrection of Jesus Christ can we experience
forgiveness of sins, be made acceptable to God and
gain eternal life in heaven. |
The
Holy Spirit |
We believe that God
the Holy Spirit works in the lives of people and
brings them to faith in Jesus Christ. He desires
to be so fully active in believers that they are
filled with His presence and are empowered with
His gifts to witness to Jesus Christ and do the
work of the Church. |
The
Bible |
We believe that the
Bible is the living Word of God, divinely inspired
by God, without error, and therefore the only source
of true teaching and final standard for evaluating
all teaching and doctrine. In the pages of the sixty-six
books of the Old and New Testament God reveals His
character and will, our own sinful nature, and His
offer of forgiveness and eternal life in Jesus Christ.
|
Sin |
We believe that sin
separates us from God. Sin is our rebellion against
God and is what we do in thought, work and deed,
that is contrary to His will. We are born sinful,
are naturally self-centered, and in daily need of
forgiveness. |
Grace |
We believe that we enter
into a relationship with God, not by anything we
do, but solely by what God has done for us through
Jesus Christ. Knowing that we are sinners, we trust
completely on God's grace, which is His unearned
merit and favor, to save us from condemnation and
to give us eternal life and a home with Him. |
Faith |
We believe that our
primary call from God is to believe in Jesus Christ
as our Savior from sin and as the Lord of our life
and, thus, be saved eternally. Faith is knowing
and accepting as true what the Bible says of God
and relying in Him and trusting on Him with firm
confidence. |
Good
Works |
We engage in actions
of love and mercy as a demonstration of God's love
within us. We do this, not to win God's approval
or salvation, but because we are thankful for the
gift of eternal life, which we have already received
as a free gift in Jesus Christ. |
Holy
Baptism |
We believe and have
experience that through The Sacrament of Holy Baptism,
which is commanded by Jesus, God adopts us as His
children. We affirm the practice of baptizing infants,
as well as adults, because all human beings are
born with a sinful nature. |
Holy
Communion |
We believe that in The
Sacrament of The Holy Communion God offers us His
grace and His love. As He promised, Jesus is truly
and really present in, with and under the bread
and wine of the Sacrament to give us forgiveness
for our sins and strength for our faith. |
Prayer |
We believe that because
Jesus Christ died for our sins, we have the privilege
of praying directly to God as part of a growing
and continuing relationship with Him. Prayer is
our opportunity to thank and praise God, to seek
His help in time of trouble and need, and to determine
His way and will for our lives. Since prayer is
a two-way communication in which we listen to God,
as well as speak to Him, regular reading of the
Bible is an integral part of daily prayer. |
The
Church |
We believe that those
who believe in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are
the Church, the Body of Christ in the world. God
empowers those in the Church with differing gifts
for the purpose of serving Him and others. |
The
Return of Jesus |
We believe that Jesus
Christ, as He promised, is coming back to earth
at a time known only to God. His is coming to judge
the living and the dead and to fulfill His promise
to give all believers eternal life. |
Heaven |
We believe that at the
time of death the soul of the believer is at once
received into the presence of Christ and that, at
the Last Day, the believer will live with Christ,
in body and soul, in eternal joy and glory. |