We hold onto the Holy Scripture,
both Old and New Testaments, as the foundation and basis of our
faith in God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.
† amen
Our Faith is best professed by reciting the following two Historic Creeds which
have remained to be the Universal Creed of all believers in Christ, since the
beginning.
The Apostles’ Creed
I believe in God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth;
And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord;
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, dead, and buried.
He descended into hell.
The third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven,
and is seated on the right hand of God the Father almighty.
From thence He shall come to judge the quick and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
The Nicene Creed
I believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible and invisible;
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of His Father before all worlds,
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God,
Begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father;
by whom all things were made;
who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary,
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered and was buried;
and the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures,
and ascended into heaven,
and sitteth on the right hand of the Father;
and He shall come again, with glory,
to judge both the quick and the dead;
whose kingdom shall have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord, and Giver of Life,
who proceedeth from the Father;
who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified;
who spake by the Prophets.
And I believe in one holy Catholic and Apostolic Church;
I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins;
and I look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
The Doctrinal Essentials
We affirm decision-making based on Scripture, tradition, and Godly wisdom.
The Holy Scriptures are self-attesting and the essence of Truth which require
our unreserved submission in all areas of our lives. The infallible and trustworthy
written Word of God is a complete and unified witness to God's redemptive
acts which culminated in the incarnation of the Living Word, the Lord Jesus
Christ. The Holy Bible, uniquely inspired by the Holy Spirit, is the supreme
and final authority in matters of faith and life.
The Word of God, Incarnate and written, provides the foundation for the following
which doctrines we affirm:
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We believe in one God, the sovereign Creator, sustainer
of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three Persons:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To Him be all honor, glory and worship forever!
-
Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is the Living Word become
flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His birth
of the Virgin Mary. He who is true God became true man, His two natures
are united in one person forever. He lived a sinless life and died on a
cross, a perfect sacrifice for our sins, according to the Scriptures. On
the third day He rose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where,
seated at the right hand of the Almighty Majesty on High, He mediates as
our High Priest and Head of the Church. Jesus Christ is the exclusive Messiah.
The only Way to salvation, the only Truth and the only Life in whom people
may put their trust and obtain eternal life.
-
The Holy Spirit has come to glorify Christ and to apply
the saving work of Christ to the hearts of sinful, repentant people. He
convicts us of sin and draws us to the Savior. Jesus baptizes His disciples
in the power of the Holy Spirit and empowers them through multiple infillings
to do the supernatural work of ministry in His Name. The Holy Spirit illuminates
the Holy Scriptures, instructs the hearts of believers, and guides us into
all truth.
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Being estranged from God and condemned by our total
depravity, our salvation is wholly dependent upon the work of God's unmerited
favor and graciousness. God credits His righteousness to those who put
their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, and thereby justifying
them in His Holy Presence. Only those who are born of the Holy Spirit and
receive Jesus Christ, in word and obedient action, as Savior and Lord,
become children of God, members of the Body of Christ and heirs of eternal
life.
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The one holy catholic and apostolic Church, the true
Church, is composed of all persons who, through saving faith in Jesus Christ
and the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, are united together in the
Body of Christ. The Church finds her visible, yet imperfect, expression
in local congregations where the Word of God is preached in its purity
and the Sacraments are administered in their integrity, scriptural discipline
is practiced, and loving fellowship is maintained to nurture the believers
in the life of Christ. For her perfecting, the Church awaits the return
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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Jesus Christ will come again to the earth - suddenly,
personally, visibly, and bodily - to judge the living and the dead, and
to consummate history and the eternal plan of God. We seek to faithfully
serve Christ in the world as His ambassadors as we joyfully anticipate
His appearing.
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