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A
SUMMARY OF OUR CONFESSION OF FAITH
1.
We believe that the Bible alone and in
its entirety is the verbally inspired, infallible revelation
of God’s Word, being without error in anything it teaches;
all human opinions, church traditions, and alleged revelations
of the Spirit must be judged by the Bible as our final standard
and authority.
2. We believe that there is but one only, the living
and true God, who is an all-sufficient and sovereign Spirit,
incomprehensible, eternal, unchangeable, infinite in knowledge,
power, and perfection, being most holy, just, and gracious.
In the unity of God there exist three Persons, the same in substance,
equal in eternity, power, and glory, although distinguished
by their personal properties: the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit.
3. We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ, being the eternal
Son of God and one substance with the Father, took on human
nature and became a man, being born of a virgin, so that He
continues to be God and man, in two entire distinct natures
and one Person forever. We believe that He lived a sinless life,
performed mighty miracles, was put to death as our substitutionary,
atoning sacrifice, rose bodily from the dead, ascended to the
right hand of the Father, and will personally return in visible
power and glory to judge the world.
4. We believe that God created all things from nothing,
by the power of His Word, in the space of six days. In particular,
man was created as the image of God and morally upright, but
through the original disobedience of our first parents, Adam
and Eve, the human race fell into sin and misery, being spiritually
separated from God. Because all have sinned by breaking God’s
law, all are now condemned by God and deserve everlasting punishment.
5. We believe that man, being spiritually dead in sin’s
guilt and pollution, can do nothing to merit the favor or forgiveness
of God, but that God of His own mercy promises to pardon and
accept those who trust in the person and work of His Son, Jesus
Christ, the only Savior of men. Salvation is thus not based
upon our own self-righteous works, but upon the imputation to
us of Christ’s perfect righteousness; it comes by God’s grace
alone, appropriated through repentance and living, active faith.
This faith is God’s gift, exercised by those who have been born
again by the power of the Holy Spirit.
6. We believe that all those who have been redeemed by
Christ and renewed by the Holy Spirit have the indwelling, enlightening,
and encouraging of Christ’s Spirit to break the power of sin
decisively within them and enable them more and more to demonstrate
holiness in all areas of life in accordance with God’s Word.
Christians thus commit themselves to follow a new pattern of
behavior, to be rid of self-centeredness, to love God and their
neighbors, to obey the Lord’s commands, to demonstrate the fruit
of the Spirit, to endure persecution, and to witness to others.
All who have saving faith in Jesus Christ are spiritually united
with each other. The universal church of Christ (not confined
to any one nation or denomination) acknowledges Jesus Christ
as its only Head, and leads God’s people in worship, nurture,
apostolic doctrine, evangelism, fellowship, the sacraments,
and discipline.
7. We believe that upon physical death all men undergo
God’s judgment: believers spiritually enjoy the blessed presence
of God, while unbelievers are spiritually banished from Him
to everlasting, conscious suffering. In the future Christ shall
return for final judgment and divide mankind; there will be
a resurrection of both the just and the unjust, one unto everlasting
life, the other to everlasting damnation. God’s people shall
then live forever in glorified bodies in a new heavens and earth
wherein righteousness dwells.
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