What We Believe           

1. We believe the Bible, both Old and New Testaments as originally given, is the inspired Word of God and is doctrinally free from error. It is therefore the final authoritative guide for faith and conduct.
(Deuteronomy 8:3, 2 Samuel 22:31, 2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21)

2. We believe that there is only one God, eternally co-existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
(Deut. 6:4, Isaiah 6:3, John 1:1, 2 Cor. 3:17)

3. We believe in God the Father, Who has revealed Himself as the Creator and preserver of the universe. (Genesis 1:1, Deuteronomy 32:6b, Malachi 2:10, Romans 1:20) God created people in His image to live in relationship with Him. Because of our sin, we lost fellowship with God and the entire human race has become totally depraved; that is, self-centered sinners who oppose God and who by nature are unable to trust, fear or love Him. Apart from God and subject to the devil we are all condemned to eternal death under the wrath of God.
(Rom. 1:28-32, 3:23 & 8:7-8)

4. We believe in Jesus Christ, the divine, eternal and only begotten Son of God. To reconcile us to the Father He became fully human, being conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, and lived a sinless life. We believe in His substitutionary and atoning death for the sins of the world. We believe in His bodily resurrection from the dead, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal, visible return to the world in power and glory: He will judge the living and the dead and make an eternal separation between believers and unbelievers; and His kingdom shall have no end. (John 3:16-18, Gal. 4:4-5, Matt. 25: 31-46)

5. We believe in the person and deity of the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4, 2 Cor. 3:17). He convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment, and dwells within all believers to renew, sanctify, instruct and comfort us; empowering us to spread the Gospel of Christ to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8) We believe in all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, and that all true Christians are gifted by the Spirit to fulfill their role in the Body of Christ.
(1 Cor. 12:1-31, 1 Peter 4:10)

6. We believe that we personally experience God's presence through the following means: the Holy Scriptures, the sacraments, worship and prayer.

a. By the Holy Spirit, God's Word accomplishes its purpose: convicting us of our sin and inviting us to receive God's grace in Christ. His Word is alive and active, and continues to speak to us every day.
(Isaiah 55:11, Romans 10:17, Hebrews 4:12)

b. The sacraments of Baptism and Communion, having superseded the Old Testament practices of circumcision and Passover, provide us with tangible experiences of God's forgiveness and mercy (Col. 2:11-12, 1 Cor. 5:7-8 & 11:23-26). We agree with Luther that "the sacraments are the Gospel in sign language."

c. By Christ's sacrifice we are allowed the same privileges as the Old Testament High Priest: to enter into the holy of holies. As we come into the very presence of God through worship and prayer we experience firsthand for ourselves His love, forgiveness, mercy and grace. (Hebrews 10:19-22, 1 Peter 2:9, Rev. 5:9-10)

7. We believe the Church consists of all who believe on Jesus Christ as Savior, and extends beyond denominational, ideological and cultural differences (Romans 14:5-8, Gal. 3:26-28, Colossians 2:16-17, Philippians 3:15-16). The local congregation is an assembly of believers in a certain locality among whom the Gospel is preached and the sacraments are received. Together with all believers we make up the Church Universal, which is the Body of Christ.

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