What We Believe

God

God is the Creator, Sustainer and Ruler of the universe. God is all-knowing, all-powerful and everywhere present. He has eternally existed in three Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God, distinguishable, but indivisible. God is perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. (Gen. 1:1, 26-27; Acts 15:18; Mark 10:27; Psa. 139:7; Matt. 3:16-17; 28:19; 1 Tim. 3:16; Eph. 4:4-6; Rev. 4:8; Psa. 18:30)

Jesus Christ

Jesus the Christ was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. As such, He is fully God, and fully human. Jesus lived a sinless life, worked miracles, and taught the way of God in truth. He offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all mankind by dying on a cross. He arose bodily from the dead three days later to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He personally appeared to His disciples. He ascended back into heaven where He is exalted and seated at the right hand of the Father. He will literally and visibly return to earth to reign as King of kings and Lord of lords. (Matt. 1:22-23; John 1:1, 14; Rom. 9:5; Heb. 4:14-15; 1 Cor. 15:1-8; Rom. 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; Heb. 10:12-14; 1 Tim. 6:13-16)

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. He draws people to Jesus and glorifies Him. He lives within every Christian from the moment of salvation.  He provides the Christian with power for holy living and understanding of spiritual truth.  As we submit ourselves to His control, He reproduces the life of Jesus within us and sets us apart from the selfishness, greed, immorality and pride of this present world system. (John 16:7-14; Acts. 1:8; 1 Cor. 3:16; Gal 5:16-25)

The Bible

The Bible is inspired by God. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the guide for Christian belief and living. No person or institution has authority to alter or annul its eternal truths. (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:19-21; Psa. 19:7-9; 119:105, 160; John 12:47-48; 17:17; Rev. 22:18, 19)

Mankind

Humans were created in the image and likeness of God. We were created to fellowship with God and be like Him in character. But we have sinned; we have disobeyed God. Now we have a natural tendency toward sin. Sin separates us from God and brings us under condemnation. (Gen. 1:27; Rom. 3:23; 5:12; Isa. 59:1, 2; John 3:18)

Salvation

We cannot attain divine righteousness by our own effort or merit. Forgiveness of sins is offered as a gift. As a gift, salvation can be accepted or rejected. Salvation is only offered through the Person and work of Jesus Christ. He shed His blood at Calvary as payment for our sins. The moment a person turns from sin to follow Jesus (repentance), and calls on the Lord in faith for salvation, he or she is forgiven of all sin, becomes a child of God and is granted everlasting life. Salvation should produce a lifestyle that gives evidence of God’s grace. (Pro. 20:9; Isa. 64:6; Rom. 6:23; John 14:6; Acts 4:10-12; Rom. 5:8, 9; Mark 1:14, 15; Rom. 10:9-10, 13; Eph. 2:8-10; Jam. 2:17, 18)

The Devil

God originally created Lucifer as an angelic being. Pride led him to rebel against God.  He and the angels who rebelled with him were cast out of heaven. He seeks to deceive, steal, kill and destroy. Satan and his angels will be cast into the lake of fire. (Isa. 14:12-15; John 10:10; Rev. 20:10)

Resurrection, Judgement & Eternity

Mankind was created to live forever. Sin caused both spiritual and physical death. When Jesus returns, the bodies of all who are in Christ, whether dead or alive, will be changed from mortal to immortal. The saved will be in union and fellowship with God forever. The unsaved dead will also be raised. They will be separated from God forever. All will be judged by the Lord, and rewarded or punished according to their works (John 5:28-29; 1 Thes. 4:16-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-54; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 20:11-15)

The Church

The church is the world-wide spiritual body, of which Christ is the head. It is made up of every believer and follower of Jesus from all nations, cultures and languages. The church is united under the Lordship of Jesus by God’s Spirit. We are to walk in love toward one another to fulfill our Lord’s desire that we would be one, so people will know and believe that God the Father sent Jesus and that we are His disciples. (1 Cor. 12:12, 13; Eph. 1:22; Eph. 4:1-4; John 13:35; 17:20-23)

The church is also the local assembly of believers. As Christians, we gather under God-ordained leadership to fulfill our responsibilities as members of God’s covenant family. These responsibilities include worship, prayer, instruction, fellowship and accountability, serving, giving and encouraging and loving one another (Acts 14:23; 1 Cor. 16:1, 2; Eph. 5:18-21; 1 Thes. 5:11-13; Heb. 10:24, 25; Jas. 5:14-16; 1 Pet. 4:10; Rev. 2 and 3).

Marriage & Family

God created and blessed marriage and the family unit. In love and wisdom, God designed marriage to be a covenant relationship between one man and one woman, husband and wife. This is the pattern established by God, affirmed by Jesus and taught in Scripture. Both male and female are created in God’s image and bring unique and complementary qualities into the marriage. God designed the physical union of sex to bond a husband and wife and for reproduction. The marriage relationship pictures the relationship between Christ and His church.

God declares life from the womb, before birth. Children are a blessing from the Lord. The loving commitment of marriage provides a foundation and atmosphere in which to bring up children in the ways of the Lord. (Gen. 1:27, 28; Gen. 2:21-25; Matt. 19:3-6; Jeremiah 1:5; Luke 1:15; Psalm 127:3; Eph. 5:31-6:4)

God has also commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between one man and one woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sin- ful perversion of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. Such sinful pattern if not repented shall be a barrier to membership and leadership in this body of believers. (Gen. 2:24; 19:5; 26:7-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-32; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9-11; 1 Thes. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)