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Our Core Beliefs
GOD
God spoke everything into existence and He sustains everything in heaven and on earth. God is eternal, having no beginning nor ending. His Word, the Bible, describes Him as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He is all Powerful, all Knowing, Present everywhere at all times, He is Unchanging, He is Holy and Highly Exalted above His creation.
(Biblical References: Genesis 1:1-31; Matthew 3:16-17; John 1:1-3; Acts 2:32-33; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 15:4)
JESUS
Jesus is known as God's Son because He was born of God the Father by the Holy Spirit and His virgin mother, Mary. We were originally created not to die. But sin enter the world through our first parents, Adam and Eve. As a result death came to them and subsequently to all of us. Jesus, being eternal, was given a body so He could die on a cross for our sins. Thus taking upon Himself the curse of death for us all. And having been resurrected in bodily form after 3 days, Jesus gives us a free gift of eternal life for all who would obey God.
(Biblical References: Acts13:32-33; Romans 3:23-26; Hebrews 5:7-9)
HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit plays a crucial role in our salvation from our sins. Jesus taught that we cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven, that is, be saved from eternal death resulting from our sins, unless we are born again of water and the Spirit. The Holy Spirit works to convict sinners of their guilt for sinning against God. And it is always through the Word of God, the Bible, that He does this. The Holy Spirit is our Comforter, our Advocate, Who is given to us when we are saved through the full obedience to God's will.
(Biblical References: John 3:5, 16:8-11, 13; Romans 1:16, 10:17; Acts 2:36-38; Titus 3:5)
THE BIBLE
Think of the Bible as Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. It is God's love letter to us. It is a composition of 66 books authored by God through some 40 different inspired composers over a span of 1,500+ years. And yet it reads as if only One Person wrote it. It is divided into the Old Testament (the covenant before Christ Jesus) and the New Testament (the life of Christ and ministry of the Church). Only by hearing the Word of God, the Bible, can we come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ.
(Biblical References: 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Romans 1:6, 10:17; Ephesians 5:26)
SALVATION
Salvation means to be rescued or saved from impending peril. Our situation is we all have sinned against God. We are all by nature children of wrath. Therefore, the wrath of God is the impending peril from which we must be saved. However, God loves us so much that He has provided us a free way to escape His impending wrath. It is a free gift that comes with instructions on how to implement this gift. The Bible makes it clear that we must believe in God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit to be saved. That faith can only come through accepting the truth of God's Word and obeying it. This leads us to turn from our sinful ways and turn to God, seeking His face and His favor. This is described in the Bible as repentance. Following this He requires us to openly confess (acknowledge) to the world that Jesus Christ is Lord to glory of God the Father. The final seal of our salvation is when we follow Jesus' example in baptism. As He came up from being immersed in water the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove. And His Father's voice was heard from heaven saying, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Though sinless, Jesus was immersed in water (baptized) by John, Jesus' kinsman, to fulfill all righteousness. In other words to do what is right for the right reason. That standard holds true for us sinners with one exception, baptism saves us from our sins and the impending wrath of God. And like Jesus, we are officially recognized as sons and daughters of God the Father and sealed with the promised Holy Spirit while our sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus Christ, which the Bible says is a participation in His death at baptism. And just as Jesus rose from the dead we too are raise out of the watery grave of baptism to live a new life by the indwelling Holy Spirit. All that remains is to live a faithful life while we grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(Biblical References: 1 Thesssalonians 1:9-10; John 3:16-18; Luke 12:8-9, 13:1-5; Acts 2:36-41, 3:19; Matthew 3:13-17; Romans 6:1-14)
HEAVEN AND
HELL
Heaven is the spiritual realm of God, since God is spirit. He is surrounded and worshipped by a myriad of created spiritual beings known as angels. Along with the angels are the souls of those who were obedient to God's will at the time of their deaths. They await the uniting of their souls with their resurrected bodies when Jesus returns to earth to gather to Himself those who are still alive and obedient to God, that is the church - the Bride of Christ). Together we will all be caught up (raptured) to meet the Lord Jesus in the clouds to begin an eternity with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit in a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.
(Biblical References: Matthew 6:9-15; Acts 17:24; 1 Thesssalonians 4:13-18; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1 )
Hell, on the other hand, is a place prepared for the devil, that is, Satan, and his angels who rebelled against God and lost their place in heaven. This will happen at the same time as the "rapture". For God will destroy the heavens and the earth with fire. And sadly, the living and the dead who are disobedient to God will be judged. And anyone's name who was not found written in the Book of Life will be given an eternal body and thrown into the lake of fire, which is the second death, also called hell where the devil and his angels will be cast.
(Biblical References: Matthew 10:28; Luke 16:19-31; 2 Peter 2:4-22; Revelation 20:10-15)