Member Affirmation of Faith
I. THE WORD OF GOD
We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; Mark 13:31; John 8:31, 32; John 20:31; Acts 20:32
II. THE TRINITY
We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three Persons; that these are equal in every divine perfection; and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption.
Genesis 1:1, 26; John 1:1, 3; Matthew 28:19; John 4:24; Romans 1:19, 20; Ephesians 4:5, 6
III. GOD THE FATHER
We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that he infallibly foreknows all that shall come to pass, that he concerns himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that he hears and answers prayer, and that he saves from sin and death all who come to him through Jesus Christ.
Luke 10:21,22; Matthew 23:9; John 3:16; 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Timothy 1:1,2 & 2:5,6; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6
IV. JESUS CHRIST
We believe in God the Son, Jesus Christ, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe he was begotten by the Father, not made; we believe in his virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in his substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for his people, and personal visible return to earth.
Matthew 1:18–25; Luke 1:26–38; John 1:1, 20:28; Romans 9:5, 8:32; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:21–23; John 20:30, 31; Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 1:4; Acts 1:11; Romans 5:6–8 & 6:9, 10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:28; I Timothy 3:16
V. THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe in God the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the Father and Son. He came to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who belong to Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ and that he is an abiding helper, teacher, and guide.
John 14:16, 17, 26 & 15:26, 27; John 16:9–14; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19; Galatians 5:22–26
VI. REGENERATION
We believe that man was created by God in his own image; that he sinned and thereby incurred physical, spiritual, and eternal death, which is separation from God; that as a consequence, all human beings are born with a sinful nature and are sinners by choice and therefore under condemnation. We believe that those who repent from sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become new creatures, delivered from condemnation, and receive eternal life.
Genesis 1:26, 5:2; Genesis 3; Genesis 2:17, 3:19; Ecclesiastes 2:11; John 3:14, 5:24; John 5:30, 7:13, 8:12, 10:26; Romans 9:22; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 19:3, 20, 20:10, 14 & 15, 21:18; Psalm 51:7; Jeremiah 17:9; James 1:14; Romans 3:19, 5:19; Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9; John 3:16, John 1:13; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8:1
VII. THE CHURCH
We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work, and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the task of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.
Ephesians 2:19–22; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:19–21; Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:23–25
VIII. CHRISTIAN CONDUCT
We believe that Christians should live for the glory of God and the well-being of their neighbors; that their conduct should be blameless before the world; that they should be faithful stewards of their possessions; and that in obedience to God’s commands they should seek to mature to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
1 Corinthians 10:31; Romans 12:1–3; Hebrews 12:1–2; John 14:15, 23-24; 1 John 2:3-6; 2 Corinthians 9:6–9; 1 Corinthians 4:2; Colossians 1:9–10
IX. THE ORDINANCES
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of the believer in water into the name of the triune God. We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ to commemorate his death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 28:18–20; Romans 6:3–5; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26
X. SEX AND MARRIAGE
We believe that God created humans as either male or female; God’s good design is a fixed matter of human biology, not individual choice. We believe that God instituted marriage to be between one man and one woman; God reserves the gift of sexual intimacy exclusively for marriage; and the marriage covenant is the only God-honoring relationship for procreation.
Genesis 1:27; 5:2; Matthew 19:4; Mark 10:6; Ephesians 5:31
XI. THE LAST THINGS
We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth to establish his kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal joy of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked.
Matthew 16:27; Mark 14:62; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Philippians 3:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 2 Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 15; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–10; Revelation 20:4–6,11–15