The Triune God. We believe in one God who eternally exists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These Persons are equal in every divine perfection. God is perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. He is the Creator of all things, and he sustains and sovereignly rules over them. He is worthy to receive all glory and honor.
Revelation. We believe God has graciously revealed his existence and power in creation, and he has supremely revealed himself in his Son, Jesus. We believe God is also a speaking God who has inspired the words of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments. These writings are the Word of God. They are without error in the original manuscripts and have complete authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
Creation of Humanity. We believe God created human beings, male and female, in his own image. As children of God, people were created to love God and enjoy fellowship with him. As his representatives on earth, humans were made to glorify God through their care and governance of creation, their love for one another, their portrayal of the union between Christ and his Church in the marriage of man and woman, and their fruitfulness.
The Fall. We believe humanity was created sinless, but through the transgression of the first man, Adam, that original blessedness was forfeited. As a result, all of creation is subjected to futility, and apart from God’s gracious intervention, all human beings are now alienated from God, corrupted in every aspect of their being, and condemned to death.
The Plan of God. We believe God from eternity past determined in grace to save sinners and to redeem for himself a people from every tribe, language, people, and nation. He has also promised to restore his fallen creation. We believe God so loved the world that he gave his only Son and sent him into the world that the world might be saved through him. God desires all people to be saved, and in love, he commands and implores them to repent and believe in the Gospel of Jesus.
The Gospel of Christ. We believe the Son, moved by love and in obedience to the Father, became flesh. Jesus is fully God and fully human, one Person in two natures. He was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified, arose on the third day, and ascended into heaven. On the cross, he bore the penalty for sin and reconciled to God all who believe. By his resurrection, Jesus was vindicated by his Father, broke the power of death, defeated Satan, and brought everlasting life to all his people. By his ascension, he has been forever exalted as Lord and is seated at the right hand of God the Father as our Advocate. We believe that salvation is found in no one else.
The Justification of Sinners. We believe that Christ, by his obedience and death, fully discharged the debt of all those who are justified. By his sacrificial death on the cross, he bore in our place the punishment due us for our sins. By his perfect obedience, he satisfied the just demands of God on our behalf. By grace through faith this righteousness is credited to all who trust in Christ alone for their acceptance with God.
The Power of the Holy Spirit. We believe this salvation is applied to his people by the Holy Spirit. Sent by the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit glorifies Jesus and is present with and in all believers. He convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment, and by his powerful and mysterious work, he regenerates and renews spiritually dead sinners.
The Church. We believe that all who have been saved now belong to the family of God, the Church. Christ is the head of the Church, and all regenerated persons are members. The Church is distinguished by her gospel message, her sacred ordinances, her discipline, her great mission, and, above all, by her love for God and neighbor.
Christian Living. We believe God’s justifying grace must be connected to his sanctifying work. This should result in a life that is separate from sin and set apart to God. He commands believers to love him supremely and others sacrificially. Christians are to live out their faith in growing, joyful obedience to the Word and Holy Spirit and to progressively be changed into the likeness of Christ. Growing Christians use their God-given gifts for the purpose of edifying the Church, doing the work of the ministry, and obeying our Lord’s command to make disciples.
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe the Lord has committed two ordinances to the local church: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe Baptism is the immersion of the believer in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ to commemorate his death. Both ordinances visibly and tangibly express the Gospel, spiritually nourishing the believer and bearing witness to the work of our Savior.
The Restoration of All Things. We believe in the personal, visible return of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will return to judge the living and the dead and to consummate his kingdom. We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the just and the unjust – the unjust to judgment and eternal punishment in hell, and the just to eternal blessedness in the presence of the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth. On that day, the Bride of Christ, composed of believers from all ages, will be presented faultless before God. God will be all in all, and his people will glorify and enjoy him forever.