The Bible is the Inspired Word of God
There is one true God
Jesus Christ is the Son of God
The Fall of Man
The Salvation of Man
The Ordinances of the Church
The Church and Its Mission
The Holy Spirit
The Final Judgment
The Bible
is the Inspired Word of God
The Old and New Testament are verbally inspired by God, the only written revelation
from God to man. The Bible is infallible and the authoritative rule of faith
and conduct for mankind (II Timothy 3:15-17, I Thessalonians 2:13 & Peter
1:21).
There
is one true God
God is called by many different names because of the different dimensions
of His personality, but God is one (Deuteronomy 6:4). God is super-dimensional
and eternally self-existent (Jn. 8:54-59). God is omniscient, omnipresent,
and omnipotent. He is the creator of the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1&2).
While God is one, He has revealed Himself in three persons: Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).
Jesus
Christ is the Son of God
Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity, the eternal Son of God.
The Scripture declares his virgin birth (Matthew 1:18-23); His sinless life
(Hebrews 7:26 & I Peter 2:22 & I John 3:4,5); His miracles (Acts 2:22
& 10:37-38); His substitutionary death on the cross (II Corinthians 5:21
& I Peter 2:24 & I Corinthians 15:4); His bodily resurrection from
the dead (Matthew 28:1-6 & I Corinthians 15:4); His exaltation to the
right hand of God (Acts 1:9,11 & Philippians 2:9-11).
The Fall
of Man
Man was created in the image of God (Genesis 2:26). However, by a voluntary
act of the will, Adam and Eve disobeyed God (Genesis 3:6). That first sin
had several repercussions. Man was excommunicated from the garden of Eden
(Genesis 3:23), a curse was pronounced (Genesis 3:14-19), the process of physical
death began (Genesis 2:17), and man died spiritually (Romans 5:12-19). Sin
separated humankind from God (Ephesians 2:11-18) and left man in a fallen
or sinful condition (Romans 3:23).
The Salvation
of Man
The only means of salvation is Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12 & John 14:6). He
died on the cross to pay the penalty of our sins (I Peter 2:24). He offers
each of us a pardon for our sins (Hebrews 9:26) and wants us to become children
of God (John 1:12).
When we put our faith in Christ, it triggers a spiritual chain reaction. We become the Temple of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 6:19). Our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life (Rev. 3:5). We become citizens of heaven (Phil. 3:20-21). We are given eternal life (John 3:16). We are adopted and become children of God (Gal. 4:4-7). Our sins are forgiven and forgotten (Heb. 8:12). We are credited with the righteousness of Christ (Rom. 4:4-5). We are born-again (John 3:3). God takes ownership of us (I Cor. 6:20). We receive an eternal inheritance (Ephesians 1:13-14 & I Peter 1:3-5).
The evidence of salvation is two-fold. The internal evidence is the direct witness of the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:16). The external evidence is the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23). We become a new creation (II Cor. 5:17) and are transformed into the image of Christ (II Cor. 3:18).
The Ordinances
of the Church
Baptism in Water
The Scripture teaches that all who repent and believe in Christ are to be baptized by immersion (Matthew 28:19). Baptism is a public profession of faith in Christ. It is symbolic of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It is a declaration to the world that we have died to sin and have been raised with Christ to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4).
Communion
The Lord's table consists of two elements: the bread and the cup. Those elements are symbolic of the body and blood of Christ. Communion is a memorial of Christ's sufferings on the cross and a celebration of our salvation. It is an opportunity for a believer to examine himself and experience forgiveness.
The Church
and Its Mission
The Church is the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-27) and has at least
a five-fold purpose: To Exalt God in worship (1 Cor. 12:13), to Embrace people
in fellowship (John 13:34-35), to Equip people for ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16),
to Encourage people in their faith (Romans 10:17), and to Expand God’s
kingdom throughout the world (Matthew 28:18-20).
The Holy
Spirit
The nine fruits of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) are the by-product of a Spirit-filled
life and evidence of spiritual maturity. The nine gifts of the Spirit are
different manifestations of the Spirit to build up the body (I Cor. 12:1-11).
We are instructed to diligently seek the gifts (I Cor. 12:31, 14:1), but they
must be exercised in an orderly way (I Cor. 14:26-33) in the context of love
(I Cor. 13:1-13).
The Final
Judgment
There will be a final judgment in which the dead will be resurrected and judged
according to their works (Matt. 25:31-46 & Romans 2:1-9). Everyone whose
name is not found written in the Book of Life, along with the devil and his
angels, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake of fire (Rev.
20:11-15). Those whose names are written in the Book of Life will be resurrected
and stand at the judgment seat of Christ to be rewarded for their good deeds
(I Cor. 4:5).