I believe that the Bible, in its entirety and as originally composed, is the inerrant word of God written, every assertion in the Bible being true in the sense intended by its authors. It is the sufficient and final authority for God's people.
I believe that there is no perfect English version of the Bible, but that any copy of the Bible is profitable and remains the inerrant, infallible word of God, to the extent that its translation communicates clearly and accurately the meaning of the words chosen by the biblical authors.
I believe that there exists only one God, the self-sufficient Creator and Ruler of the universe, and this one God is eternally three Persons: the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. We know Him only as He has revealed Himself to us. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, and unchanging in His attributes and purposes.
I believe that God ordains or consciously permits all things that come to pass, so that history is the perfect outworking of God's will from eternity, and that His will is not arbitrary but wise and holy. While evil displeases Him, He uses it to accomplish His own ends, chief among which is to glorify Himself and demonstrate His compassion through His merciful plan of redemption.
I believe God created all things as described in the Book of Genesis. He created each species of life separately, and finished His work by creating Adam from the dust, and Eve from Adam, from whom are descended all humanity.
I believe that God created man in His own image, and that man fell of his own accord, whereby we all have inherited a corrupt nature so that we are opposed to Him apart from the awakening power of His Holy Spirit.
I believe the most basic unit of civilization is the family, whose health and prominence in society are of particular interest to the church. As such, the church ought to preserve not only the institution of life-long marriage, the convictions of sexual morality, and respect for life, but also the distinctive personalities and roles of men and women in church and family.
I believe that Jesus Christ, though eternally God the Son, became man in His incarnation, being begotten of Mary's substance while she was a virgin, and that He lived a sinless life and willingly gave up His life to provide the only acceptable atonement for sins. He was then physically raised from the dead on the third day and later ascended to heaven. Christ, being one person but having both a divine nature and a human nature, is now seated at the right hand of the Father until He returns to redeem His people and judge His creation.
I believe that Christ in His passion paid the penalty for all the sins of His people for all time, by which we are justified, so that there is no further sacrifice for sins, and no human effort before or after death can atone for sins. His death was of such infinite worth that no one who comes to Him will be turned away. Christ secured their forgiveness, and indeed all their spiritual blessings, by paying the penalty for their sins on the cross and rising from the dead. He presently intercedes for His people in heaven and will return so that they will be with Him forever.
I believe that all have sinned of their own accord and are willingly enemies of God until graciously awakened by the Holy Spirit through the proclamation of the gospel, whereby they are born again and with their new heart respond in saving faith. Forgiveness is bestowed in a moment on the basis of saving faith alone, directly from God and not through a church, sacrament, or mere prayer. The righteousness in which we stand before God is that accomplished by Christ, not any merit of our own.
I believe that saving faith is agreement with God concerning His testimony about sin, salvation, and Christ, manifesting itself as a deliberate and conscious trust in Jesus Christ both as Savior for forgiveness and as Lord for the guidance and direction of one's life. Saving faith always produces repentance, whereby the sinner hates and turns from his sins to God to pursue obedience to Him. From the moment of conversion, the Holy Spirit dwells within all believers as the guarantee that they will persevere as servants of God throughout life and eternity, and they have assurance of salvation by observing their changed life as the Spirit works in them to produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
I believe that Christian growth is empowered by the Holy Spirit but requires effort and steadfastness in Bible intake, prayer, meditation on the Scriptures, and other Christian disciplines. Spiritual maturity manifests itself in gradual conformity to the righteous character of Christ and in the exercise of one's abilities for the glory of God. This process of sanctification is incomplete until the believer meets Christ at death.
I believe that while suffering and self-denial are an indispensable part of the Christian life, we should not pursue asceticism, mysticism, or legalism. But neither is prosperity God's will for every believer, or God's promise to any. The blessings of our inheritance are spiritual and eternal, and so each Christian should fix his eyes on things above and devote his time on earth to pursuing God's will for his individual life.
I believe the Holy Spirit empowers believers for worship and ministry, by His own determination distributing to them gifts for the building up of the church. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit also protects the believer from internal demonic oppression. The miraculous and revelatory gifts granted to the apostles and prophets of the early church are not active today, that foundation having already been laid. God's miracles in this age are not localized in any particular believer or ministry, and His guidance does not consist in special revelation that is contrary to, or in addition to, the timeless message of the Bible.
I believe the church is God's institution. Its only authority is the sixty-six books of the Bible and its only mediator is Jesus Christ. The church consists in local bodies of believers that glorify Him through worship and the ministry of being salt and light for the world through its task of evangelism, discipleship, and social responsibility. All Christians should have the church as the center of their fellowship and ministry, and are charged with the indiscriminate, worldwide proclamation of the gospel. I believe the spiritual health of the church and of every believer depends both on upholding the teachings of the Bible and on an active personal relationship with its Author. There is no healthy Christian life in isolation from the church.
I believe that the unity of the church consists not in a single hierarchy but in its common faith. Churches of like faith and practice may voluntarily associate to accomplish their purposes, but there is no person or organization with divinely vested authority over more than one local church. All believers stand before God on equal ground, but God calls pastors to shepherd the local church with servant-hearted authority.
I believe God has entrusted the church with two sacred ordinances, baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism is the total immersion of a new believer in water as a picture of his cleansing from sin by the Holy Spirit and of his death, burial, and resurrection with Christ. It is through baptism that a believer openly professes loyalty to Christ and enters into membership in the church. The Lord's Supper is the entire congregation's sharing of bread and of the fruit of the vine, to memorialize the death of Christ and the believer's own partaking of Christ's sacrifice when he was saved. It also anticipates our fellowship with Christ and with one another upon His return. Forgiveness of sins comes through faith alone and is not accomplished through or dependent upon baptism or the Lord's supper.
I believe that civil government has no legitimate authority over religious faith and practice or other matters of conscience, nor has God granted civil authority to the church. Churches may support the government in carrying out its God-given tasks, and the state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. The church may and should hold its members under discipline, but exercise of that discipline may not extend beyond dismissal from the church in hope of the offender's repentance. The church may be vigilantly patriotic, but must not become provincial, as its ultimate task is the worldwide proclamation of the glory of God in Christ, which is not the sole property of any nation. The gospel of the church is that God calls all men everywhere to repent and believe, and that conscious faith in Christ is the only way to salvation.
I believe that the end will come at a time unknown and unexpected, a time of great tribulation for the whole world, during which time God will protect the church from His wrath on its enemies. This time will end when Christ's return brings the glorification of all the saints, the final defeat of His enemies, and the establishment of His physical kingdom on earth. Christ's earthly reign will be followed by a day of judgment, from which unbelievers will go away to eternal punishment in hell, and believers will spend eternity with God in the new heavens and the new earth.
