What We Believe
The Bible
The Bible with its two covenants, the old and the new, is the life-giving word of God. It is the revelation of God to humanity, the infallible and sure rule of faith and life. We believe in the inspiration of the Bible, that is, that the power of God’s Spirit influenced the minds of the biblical authors such that their writing is free from all error.
2 Peter 1.19-21 “And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
And the Apostle Paul says: 2 Tim 3.16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
1 Peter 1.25 “but the word of the Lord stands forever. And this is the word that was preached to you.”
Psalm 119.89 “Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.”
God
We believe in God, the one true God, the eternal, self-existent, sovereign over everything, creator of heaven and earth, and redeemer of human souls. He dwells in light unapproachable. No one has ever seen him, but the Son near to the Father’s heart has made him known. We believe that our Lord God is one Lord in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The three persons share equally in all the divine characteristics. Each one of the three is distinguished from the others by his office while at the same time the three are united in nature and harmony, they are one God, not three gods.
Matthew 28.19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
John 4.24 “God is spirit.”
Job 22.21 “Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.”
John 17.3 “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God.”
Deuteronomy 6.4-5 “The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
Jesus Christ
We believe in the Lord Jesus the Messiah, the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, of equal status and dignity with the Father. Jesus is the one…Colossians 1.14-15 “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” Colossians 1.17-18 “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church.”
Hebrews 1.3 “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. He is the eternal Word of God, born of the blessed virgin, Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit.” John 1.1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Matthew 1.20 “...because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew 1:23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.”
John 1.14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
And the particular purpose of this miraculous divine incarnation is indicated by the name of the Son: Matthew 1.21 “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (The name “Jesus” conveys the sense, “savior,” in the original Hebrew.)
He lived out his message and ministry here on earth without sin. 1 Peter 2.22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” Acts 10.38 “He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. The Lord sealed his mission among us suspended on a wooden cross, bringing life to those who believe in him and becoming for them the source of eternal redemption.”
1 Corinthians 15.3-4 “...that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.
His resurrection was publicly demonstrated by multiple appearances.
Luke 24.5 “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”
He confirmed to his disciples that he was (and is!) alive and that he would be with them forever, until the end of time.
The Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit, coequal with the Father and the Son in status and dignity, for God is by nature spirit (John 4.24). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of holiness, the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of truth which strengthens us. The Holy Spirit is eternal as well as omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He works with the Father and the Son and was present with them in creation.
Hebrews 9.14 “Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God.” 1 Corinthians 2.10 “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” Job 33.4 “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”
The Spirit plays a vital role in human salvation for he convicts us of sin and helps us receive Christ as our savior. John 3.5-6 “Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.’” John 16.8 “When he (the Spirit) comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.”
The Holy Spirit lives in every believer, entering his or her heart at the moment of rebirth. Galatians 4.6 “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’” Romans 8.16 “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
Jesus had promised to send the Holy Spirit after his ascension to heaven: John 14.16 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.” The Greek term here translated Counselor is Paraclete, that is someone called upon to advocate for another.
The Spirit is the source of fruit (or virtues) which he gives to the believer when they accept Jesus as Lord. Galatians 5.22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control...”
Humankind
God made people from the dust of the earth, in his image, male and female. Genesis 1.26 “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…’” God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
However, mankind fell by his own willful sin. And thus we brought upon ourselves physical death as well as spiritual death, the separation from God. Romans 5.12 “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.”
Romans 6.23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” In his mercy, the Most High did not wish mankind to remain bound—due to his disobedience—with the chains of darkness. God sent his Son, Jesus, to redeem us, paying the just penalty of our sin. John 1.12 “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Romans 8.1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Only Jesus Christ can save mortals from eternal destruction. Acts 4.12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” This salvation from the power of sin and eternal destruction is prepared for every person who by faith accepts the atoning work of Christ. John 3.16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
The Blessed Hope
Titus 2.11-14 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”
By ‘blessed hope’ we mean the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9.28 “so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
The Second Coming of Christ is a promise to every believer as the evangelist John records: 14.2-3 “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
1 Thessalonians 4.16-18 “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.”
For, brothers and sisters, the coming of the Lord is ‘at the door,’ the Lord is near; let us act in good faith and take up the armor of righteousness. He comes again to judge the living and the dead. 1 Peter 4.7 “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.”
2 Peter 3.9-10 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.”
Every one of us will give an account of himself to God, we certainly will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 1 John 3.3 “Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.”
The Bible with its two covenants, the old and the new, is the life-giving word of God. It is the revelation of God to humanity, the infallible and sure rule of faith and life. We believe in the inspiration of the Bible, that is, that the power of God’s Spirit influenced the minds of the biblical authors such that their writing is free from all error.
2 Peter 1.19-21 “And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.”
And the Apostle Paul says: 2 Tim 3.16-17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
1 Peter 1.25 “but the word of the Lord stands forever. And this is the word that was preached to you.”
Psalm 119.89 “Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.”
God
We believe in God, the one true God, the eternal, self-existent, sovereign over everything, creator of heaven and earth, and redeemer of human souls. He dwells in light unapproachable. No one has ever seen him, but the Son near to the Father’s heart has made him known. We believe that our Lord God is one Lord in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The three persons share equally in all the divine characteristics. Each one of the three is distinguished from the others by his office while at the same time the three are united in nature and harmony, they are one God, not three gods.
Matthew 28.19 “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
John 4.24 “God is spirit.”
Job 22.21 “Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.”
John 17.3 “Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God.”
Deuteronomy 6.4-5 “The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.”
Jesus Christ
We believe in the Lord Jesus the Messiah, the Son, the Second Person of the Trinity, of equal status and dignity with the Father. Jesus is the one…Colossians 1.14-15 “in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.” Colossians 1.17-18 “He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church.”
Hebrews 1.3 “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. He is the eternal Word of God, born of the blessed virgin, Mary, by the power of the Holy Spirit.” John 1.1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Matthew 1.20 “...because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.”
Matthew 1:23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.”
John 1.14 “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
And the particular purpose of this miraculous divine incarnation is indicated by the name of the Son: Matthew 1.21 “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (The name “Jesus” conveys the sense, “savior,” in the original Hebrew.)
He lived out his message and ministry here on earth without sin. 1 Peter 2.22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” Acts 10.38 “He went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him. The Lord sealed his mission among us suspended on a wooden cross, bringing life to those who believe in him and becoming for them the source of eternal redemption.”
1 Corinthians 15.3-4 “...that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.
His resurrection was publicly demonstrated by multiple appearances.
Luke 24.5 “Why do you look for the living among the dead?”
He confirmed to his disciples that he was (and is!) alive and that he would be with them forever, until the end of time.
The Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit, coequal with the Father and the Son in status and dignity, for God is by nature spirit (John 4.24). The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of holiness, the Spirit of God, and the Spirit of truth which strengthens us. The Holy Spirit is eternal as well as omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. He works with the Father and the Son and was present with them in creation.
Hebrews 9.14 “Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God.” 1 Corinthians 2.10 “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.” Job 33.4 “The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.”
The Spirit plays a vital role in human salvation for he convicts us of sin and helps us receive Christ as our savior. John 3.5-6 “Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.’” John 16.8 “When he (the Spirit) comes, he will convict the world of guilt in regard to sin and righteousness and judgment.”
The Holy Spirit lives in every believer, entering his or her heart at the moment of rebirth. Galatians 4.6 “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father.’” Romans 8.16 “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.”
Jesus had promised to send the Holy Spirit after his ascension to heaven: John 14.16 “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.” The Greek term here translated Counselor is Paraclete, that is someone called upon to advocate for another.
The Spirit is the source of fruit (or virtues) which he gives to the believer when they accept Jesus as Lord. Galatians 5.22-23 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control...”
Humankind
God made people from the dust of the earth, in his image, male and female. Genesis 1.26 “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, in our likeness…’” God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.
However, mankind fell by his own willful sin. And thus we brought upon ourselves physical death as well as spiritual death, the separation from God. Romans 5.12 “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.”
Romans 6.23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” In his mercy, the Most High did not wish mankind to remain bound—due to his disobedience—with the chains of darkness. God sent his Son, Jesus, to redeem us, paying the just penalty of our sin. John 1.12 “Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” Romans 8.1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Only Jesus Christ can save mortals from eternal destruction. Acts 4.12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” This salvation from the power of sin and eternal destruction is prepared for every person who by faith accepts the atoning work of Christ. John 3.16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
The Blessed Hope
Titus 2.11-14 “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”
By ‘blessed hope’ we mean the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Hebrews 9.28 “so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”
The Second Coming of Christ is a promise to every believer as the evangelist John records: 14.2-3 “In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
1 Thessalonians 4.16-18 “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.”
For, brothers and sisters, the coming of the Lord is ‘at the door,’ the Lord is near; let us act in good faith and take up the armor of righteousness. He comes again to judge the living and the dead. 1 Peter 4.7 “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.”
2 Peter 3.9-10 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.”
Every one of us will give an account of himself to God, we certainly will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. 1 John 3.3 “Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.”