The Bible
The 66 books of the Bible are the inspired and authoritative Word of God, totally inerrant in the original writings. It is God’s revelation to man, the means by which we are sanctified, profitable for teaching, powerful for preaching, and able to make the man of God fully ready for every good work. It is an objective, propositional revelation, having one true interpretation and standing in judgment over man.
The Trinity
There is one God, eternally existing in three Divine Persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, equal in nature, power and glory.
Mankind
Man was created by God in His image and likeness, free from sin and with volition, emotion, and rationality. His purpose was to enjoy God and bring Him glory, but the first man, Adam, disobeyed God and fell into sin. The consequence of Adam’s sin is that all men, except for Christ who was born of the Spirit, inherit a sinful tendency. In addition, they are subject to physical death and deserving of the wrath of God. All mankind is born with a sinful nature, and, left to himself, he is unable to please God by making himself holy.
The Father
The Father is spirit, and He is who He is. He is the ultimate authority, perfect in every way, and the Supreme Being. He is eternal, everywhere, and all-powerful. He desires to be in relationship with mankind for eternity if only man would choose to believe upon His Son. Those who have seen Christ have seen the Father, and those who have received Christ have received the Father.
Jesus
Jesus is the one and only Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He possessed all of the attributes of God and yet was fully man, God in human flesh. He was tempted in all areas and yet was without sin. He suffered and died on the cross as a perfect sacrifice for sin. He rose from the dead on the third day and ascended into heaven to be at the Father’s right hand. He presently intercedes for mankind on behalf of the Father, and He will return soon to judge the world and rule.
Salvation
Man is declared holy by God when he repents of his sin and puts his faith in the finished work of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross as the means for his righteousness before a holy God. The sin that was ours was placed upon Christ, and the righteousness that was His is transferred to us when we put our faith in Christ.
Sanctification
Sanctification is something that we work out by yielding to the power of Christ who is at work within us, accomplishing His will. He is the author and finisher of our faith, and He will complete the good work that He started. We are sanctified by the Holy Spirit applying the Word of God to our hearts with the goal that we do not sin against God. We are to be increasing in the knowledge and love of God, measuring up to the fullness of the stature that is in Christ.
Glorification
Upon our physical death or the rapture of the church we will be transformed, and our corruptible physical bodies will be changed into that which is incorruptible. This will complete our sanctification, and it will begin our reign with Christ. At this point, we will finally be free from sin and the flesh.
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit draws people to God and ministers to the believer through leading, comfort, instruction, and conviction of sin. He baptizes and indwells believers at the point of salvation, and He seals them for eternity. He fills believers as they yield to Him so that they can serve with power, boldness, and effectiveness.
The Church
The church is a spiritual entity made up of all who have become children of God. The church is the body of Christ with Christ as its head and authority. The church is the pillar and support of the truth.
Creation
The Trinity created the world in six literal days by the literal spoken word of God. The theory of evolution had no part in the creative process, nor has it ever since.
Satan
There is a worldly, evil system that opposes the advancement of the kingdom of God. This system is headed by Satan, a fallen angel who was once a minister in the very presence of God. He became prideful and deceived one third of the angels into rebellion against God. They now are fallen with no hope of redemption and are destined, like Satan, for eternity in a fiery hell. They work to cause destruction, deception, and division. They hate man because God loves man. Unsaved man is prisoner to Satan, and saved man can be tempted, oppressed, and deceived by Satan. Yet God is faithful and provides a way of escape from temptation. God is in complete control and totally sovereign; therefore, Satan can only do what God allows. Christ gives us the victory to resist the devil and to ward off his attacks, so we need not fear him or be preoccupied with him or with demons. We need to be aware that we fight a spiritual battle, and we win it through faith in Christ and through believing His Word.
End Times
For seven years, Satan will work through the antichrist and his prophet to deceive the world and to try to destroy Jews and Christians. He will feign peace for three and a half years before breaking a pact with Israel and invading it, defiling the temple and setting himself up as God. Christians will be raptured and kept from the time of trial. After the great tribulation is finished and the seven years are complete, Christ will come and defeat the antichrist and the armies of the earth, setting up a one thousand year kingdom on the earth during which time Satan is bound. After the millennial kingdom, Satan will be allowed to raise up an army against God one last time, and He will be defeated and cast into the lake of fire. Christians will be judged in relation to their faithfulness at the judgment seat of Christ while the unsaved will be judged at the Great White Throne and then sentenced to eternity in hell. Then God will create a new heaven and earth for the righteous to enjoy forever.
The Good News