THE ESSENTIALS WE BELIEVE
Articles of Faith
1. All Scripture is verbally inspired as originally written and therefore infallible and inerrant (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:21; Matthew 5:18; 1 Corinthians 2:13).
2. There is one living and true God who exists in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
• The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God. (1 Corinthians 3:6; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1, 14; Hebrews 1:8-10; Acts 5:3, 4)
3. The Lord Jesus Christ was born of a virgin. (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38).
4. Christ rose bodily from the dead and ascended unto God the Father. (Matthew 28; Mark 16; 1 Corinthians 15; Romans 1:4).
5. Christ will return.
• First, for the “dead in Christ” who will be resurrected bodily; and for those who are alive at His coming. This resurrection not only precedes His return to earth to reign 1,000 years, but also precedes the Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 5:9).
• Then to reign 1,000 years on the earth (Revelation 20:1-6; 2 Timothy 2:12).
6. All men inherit a depraved nature and are lost sinners in need of salvation. (Romans 3:9-19; Ephesians 2:1-3)
7. God has provided salvation through offering His Son on the cross of Calvary and allowing His Blood to be shed to atone for our sins. (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:22)
8. We are saved and justified when we recognize ourselves as sinners and we put our trust in Christ as the Son of God and His finished work on the cross of Calvary. Salvation is by grace through faith plus nothing. (Romans 3:24, 4:5; Ephesians 2:8, 9).
9. Once saved, we cannot be lost; we are eternally secure in Christ. (John 3:16; Philippians 1:6; John 10:27-29; Romans 8:38, 39).
10. Two orders given to the Church (the body of believers) by Jesus Christ.
• We should regularly and consistently remember the Lord’s death for us in the Lord’s Supper (1Corinthians 11:23-32).
• All believers, and only believers, should be baptized by immersion (Acts 2:41; 19:4, 5; Matthew 28:19, 20)