I regard these beliefs as essential to Christian faith and practice:
I believe that there is one living and true God, who eternally exists in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory; that He has revealed Himself to be perfect in love, holiness and righteousness; that He created all, upholds all, and governs all. (Matthew 12:25-27; John 1:1-2; 10:30; 14:26; 15:26).
I believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are given by divine inspiration and are the written Word of God, the final authority for the lives of believers in every culture and age, and the infallible rule of faith and practice; they are to be interpreted according to their context and purpose and in reverent obedience to the living Word, who speaks through them in the power of the Holy Spirit; the primary purpose of the Scriptures is to lead to faith in Jesus and salvation in His name. (Psalm 119:89; Isaiah 40:8; John 5:39-40; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12).
I believe in God the Father, an infinite personal Spirit, perfect in wisdom, power and love; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men through His providence and His power; that He hears and answers prayers; that He has created all and is able to recreate all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 19:1, 102:25-27; Matthew 7:11; Ephesians 1:3-6).
I believe in Jesus Christ, God’s one and only Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit, both true God and true man; I believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, and fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah; I believe in His miracles, teaching, atoning death, bodily resurrection, and ascension into heaven; His continual intercession for His people and His personal, visible return to earth. (Matthew 1:20-23, 5:15-18; Romans 1:4; 1 Corinthians 15:1-17; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 2:4, 4:15, 7:25, 10:19-20).
I believe in the Holy Spirit, who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify and empower for ministry all who believe in Christ; I believe the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and He is an abiding Helper, Teacher, Gift-giver and Guide; I believe that through the indwelling Holy Spirit we can experience a progressive liberation from the bondage of Satan, the world and sin; that He brings a present though partial reality of the Kingdom of God, as He acts in and through our lives with sovereign supernatural power. (John 16:7-15; Acts 1:8, 2:38-39; Romans 8:5-16; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11; 2 Corinthians 3:17-18; Galatians 3:2-5, 5:16-25).
I believe that man (man and woman) was created in God’s image, was tempted by the devil, and subsequently rebelled against God; men and women are now fallen in nature, and evidence this condition in sinful deeds; thus they are sinners by nature and choice and therefore under condemnation; God regenerates those who repent of their sins and confess Jesus Christ as Lord, declares them righteous (justification), forgives them of their sins, adopts them as His children, indwells them with the Holy Spirit, as a guarantee of their future resurrection and inheritance with Christ, incorporates them into His body, and empowers them for His service. (Genesis 3:1-13, 16-19; Romans 5:12-19, 7:14-25, 8:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:17-18; Galatians 4:4-7; Ephesians 2:8-10; James 1:18).
I believe that the believer possesses great authority through Christ over the powers of spiritual darkness led by Satan, the ruler of this world; I believe we actively exercise this authority as we pray, do spiritual warfare, walk by faith, exercise spiritual gifts, and progress to spiritual maturity in Christ; I believe that Satan and demons are personal, intelligent beings, who have been defeated in their rebellion by Christ, who will destroy them eternally when he returns to bring His Kingdom to earth. (Matthew 12:28; Luke 9:1-2; 2 Corinthians 4:4-5, 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:10-17; Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 Peter 5:8-9).
I believe in the universal Church, the living spiritual body of which Christ is the Head, and all regenerated persons are members; I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ committed two ordinances to the church: baptism and communion; though I practice only believers baptism by immersion, I recognize and respect the variation of practice of these ordinances and affirm the unity of the Body; I believe that communion should be open to all believers, leaving it to them to decide their own readiness to participate. (Matthew 16:18-19; Luke 22:14-20; Acts 2:38-41; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Corinthians 11:23-31).
I believe in the personal, visible return of Christ to earth to raise the dead, judge the world, consummate his Glorious Kingdom, and bestow eternal blessing on the righteous; this is the hope of the Church. (Matthew 24:30; Luke 9:1-2; 2 Corinthians 4:4-5, 10:3-5; Ephesians 6:10-17; Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14-15; 2 Peter 3:8-9).
I believe that all who have been baptized into Jesus Christ by water and Spirit are thereby obligated and enabled to obey God’s word and repent when they sin; those who confess Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord should pursue a life of obedience and holiness; those who persist in sin should be warned and, if merited, disciplined. (Matthew 18:15-17; 1 Corinthians 10:13; Romans 6:5-11; 1 John 3:4-10).
