Jesus
Christ is the eternal Son of God. Jesus
perfectly revealed and did the will of
God, taking upon himself the demands and
necessities of human nature and
identifying himself completely with
mankind, yet without sin. He offered
himself as the perfect sacrifice for the
sins of all humanity by dying on the
cross. He arose from the dead after
three days to demonstrate God's power
over sin and death. He ascended into
heaven and is now exalted at the right
hand of God. He is the only mediator and
reconciler between God and man. He will
return in power and glory to judge the
world and rule as King of kings. (Matt.
1:22-23; John 1:1-5; Phil. 2:5-11; Col.
1:13-22; Col. 2:9; 1 Thess. 4:14-18).
God the Holy
Spirit
The Holy
Spirit enables men to understand the
truth of the Gospel. He exalts Christ.
He convicts of sin, righteousness, and
of judgment. He calls men to the Savior
and seals the believer until the day of
redemption. He is present in the life of
every believer enlightening them and
empowering them to be used by and to
know the eternal God. (John 16:7-13;
Acts 1:8; Eph. 1:13; Eph. 5:18).
The Bible
The Holy
Bible was written by men divinely
inspired by God. It has God for its
author, salvation for its end, and
truth, without any mixture of error, for
its matter. It is the inerrant,
infallible Word of God and the supreme
standard by which all human conduct,
creeds, and religious opinions should be
tried. (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20;
Psalms 119:105).
Mankind
Man was
created by God in His image and is the
crowning work of creation. In the
beginning, man was without sin and
endowed by His Creator with freedom of
choice. Man chose to rebel against God
and brought sin into the human race;
whereby all humanity has inherited a sin
nature and an inclination toward sin.
(Gen. 1:27, Romans 3:23).
Salvation
Salvation
is God's free gift to each of us. It
cannot be earned. It must be received
through the repentance of sins, faith in
Christ, and the receiving of Jesus as
one's eternal Master. (Rom. 6:23; Eph.
2:89; Rom. 10::9-10; Rom. 10-13).
Eternity
God
created mankind for the purpose of
living and fellowshipping with Him
forever. All who have experienced
forgiveness and salvation through Christ
Jesus will continue to exist eternally
in the presence of God in heaven. Those
without forgiveness and salvation will
be eternally separated from God in hell.
(John 3:16; Matt. 25:31; Rom. 6:23; Rev.
20:15).
Baptism
Baptism is
by immersion after conversion and a
symbol of a relationship with Jesus
Christ. Baptism does not make one a
believer, but is rather a reflection of
one's obedience to Christ Jesus. (Matt.
28:19-20: Mark 1:9-11; Acts 8:35-39).
The Church
The New
Testament Church of Jesus Christ is a
local body of baptized believers who are
covenanted together by the fellowship of
the gospel. The church observes two
ordinances: baptism and the Lord's
Supper. The church is an autonomous body
operating through democratic processes
under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. The
Bible also speaks of the church as the
body of Christ, which includes the
redeemed of all ages. (Matt. 16:15-19;
Matt. 18:15-20; Acts 1:21-26; Acts
6:1-6, Eph. 1:22-23).
