Credo

I Believe . . .

  1. GOD: I believe in the one true sovereign God, creator and sustainer of the universe, who is eternally existent in a triunity of three persons–Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:1,26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 48:16; Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 28:19; Colossians 1:17).
  2. JESUS CHRIST: I believe in the deity of Jesus, his virgin birth, his sinless life, his bodily resurrection, and his ascension to and exaltation in heaven (Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:1-3,14; John 10:30,14:9; Acts 1:9; I Corinthians 15:3-20; Hebrews 1:3, 4:15, 7:25-26; I John 5:20).
  3. THE BIBLE: I believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are verbally and wholly inspired of God and inerrrant in the original autographs. The Bible is the supreme and final authority in matters of faith and practice (Psalm 119:160; Matthew 5:18; John 10:35, 17:17; I Timothy 5:18; II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21; 3:16).
  4. MAN AND SIN: I believe that mankind, although originally created in the likeness and image of God, sinned and therefore incurred the penalties of spiritual and physical death. All persons are born with a sinful nature and therefore grow to be sinners in thought, word and deed (Genesis 1:27, 2:16-17, 3:7-8; Psalm 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9, Matthew 19:14; Romans 3:10-23, 5:12, 6:23; Ephesians 2:1).
  5. SALVATION: I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures as the penal substitutionary sacrifice, and that all people who truly believe the gospel are justified (i.e., declared righteous) before God on the basis of Jesus’ blood sacrifice, are indwelt and sealed by the Holy Spirit, and are saved for eternity (John 10:27-29, Romans 5:1, 8:1, 8:38-39; I Corinthians 6:19, 12:13, 15:3-4, II Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 1:7, 13-14; I Peter 3:18).
  6. THE CHURCH: I believe in the universal church which consists of all persons who upon trusting the gospel and person of Jesus Christ, are placed into union with him and all other believers by Spirit baptism. Believers should organize and assemble themselves in a local church to continue in the apostles’ doctrine; to participate in worship, fellowship, prayer and the ordinances of Believer Baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Table; and to carry out the Great Commission (Matthew 16:18, 28:19-20; John 17:20-22; Acts 2:42, 8:36-39; I Corinthians 10:32;, 11:23-32, 12:13; Ephesians 4:4-6, 5:23-32; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 10:23-25).
  7. THE FUTURE: I believe in “that blessed hope,” in the pretribulation rapture of the church, and in the personal and premillennial return of Jesus Christ to reign on earth. I believe in the bodily resurrection which results in the everlasting blessedness of the saved and the everlasting and conscious punishment of the lost (Isaiah 9:6-7; Matthew 25:41, 46; Luke 1:32, 16:19-31; John 3:36, Acts 1:6-11; I Thessalonians 4:13-5:11; Titus 2:13; Revelation 3:10; 20:4-15).
  8. THE SPIRITUAL LIFE: As the church awaits Christ’s coming, I believe Christians are called and empowered by the Holy Spirit to glorify God in life. Thus, mature spirituality is evidenced not in the exhibition of sign gifts, but in cultivating spiritual fruit and righteous living (Romans 6:11-13; I Corinthians 13:1-2; Galatians 2:20, 5:16-25; Ephesians 2:10,4:17-24, 5:18-21: Titus 2:11-12; I Peter 1:15; II Peter 1:5-7).
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