We Believe…
Scripture
The Scriptures are the fully inspired, inerrant Word of God. They are comprised of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, in which the Spirit of God spoke in time and particular historical circumstances through its human authors. These Scriptures are, for Christians, the only rule of life and faith.
(Exodus 34:6–7; Psalm 19:7–11, 119:1–176; Isaiah 65:16; Habakkuk 2:2–3; John 1:14, 18; Romans 3:2; Ephesians 1:13; 2 Timothy 3:16; Titus 1:2, 2:11–14; Hebrews 1:1–2; 1 Peter 1:10–12; Revelation 1:5, 3:14)
God
There is one eternal God without division in three distinct persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is our faithful Father and almighty Creator, sovereign over all creation and delighted to welcome us as his adopted sons and daughters in Christ. God is the Son, the eternal Word of God and perfect image of the Father by whom, for whom, and to whom all things were created. God is the Holy Spirit, the Lord and giver of life.
(Deuteronomy 6:4–5, 32:39; Psalm 86:8; Isaiah 42:8, 45:6, 21, 48:11; Luke 1:35; John 1:1–18, 14:16–26, 15:26, 16:7–15; Acts 5:3–4; Romans 1:4, 8:26; 1 Corinthians 8:6, 12:4–11; 2 Corinthians 3:3; Ephesians 1:3–14, 4:30; Philippians 2:6–10; Colossians 1:15–20; Hebrews 1:3, 10–12, 10:29; 1 Peter 4:14; 2 Peter 1:1; 1 John 4:2; Revelation 2:8, 4:1–5:14, 16:7, 22:17)
Humanity
Man and woman were created very good and in the image of God, with inherent dignity and purpose, and gave them dominion over His creation. God created them to reflect His character and attributes and to love and worship Him with all of their heart, soul, and strength.
(Genesis 1:26–28, 2:7; Deuteronomy 6:5; Acts 17:28; Revelation 21:22–22:5)
Sin
God created humanity in his own image and very good, but we have all sinned and betrayed our good and gracious Creator. This sin so destroys us that we can speak of a sin “nature”—an idolatrous nature received from our first father, Adam, and carried out through our lawless deeds. Our sin deserves the eternal wrath of God. We need a Savior.
(Genesis 3; Romans 1:18–32, 5:6, 10 ,18, 3:23, 6:16–20, 23; 1 Corinthians 15:22; Ephesians 2:1; 1 John 1:8, 3:4; Revelation 21:8)
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the only name in Heaven or earth by which we must be saved. The Scriptures testify to us that Jesus Christ is both fully God and fully man, inseparable and yet without confusion. As the mediator of a new covenant he was able to pay fully for our sins. As God, he was able to endure the eternal punishment for sin—not just for one man, but for the world. He was crucified for our sins and overcame the power of death through the resurrection. He is God’s promised Messiah—the king—and the fulfillment of all God’s promises of salvation.
(Psalm 110:1; Isaiah 11:1–2, 35:5–6, 41:14, 43:14, 44:24, 49:26, 54:8; Micah 5:2; Malachi 3:1; John 1:1, 14, 3:16–17; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:31, 5:12–21, 8:29; Colossians 1:15–20; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:17, 4:15, 9:15, 10:11–25 12:24; 1 Peter 1:17–19; 1 John 1:7, 2:2; Revelation 1:5)
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the Lord, the Giver of Life, worthy of all worship in all that He does. He has spoken through the prophets and the apostles through the Holy Scriptures so that we have access to Christ, all his benefits, and the life of God. The Spirit unites us to Christ, intercedes for us, comforts us, empowers and authenticates the church, and gives us new life in Christ to the glory of God the Father.
(Genesis 1:2; Isaiah 30:20–21, 61:1–4; John 3:5–8; Acts 2:33; Romans 8; Galatians 5:5, 22–26; Ephesians 2:22, 3:14–19; 2 Timothy 1:14)
Grace
We were dead in our transgressions, but made alive in Christ Jesus by the power of the Spirit, to the glory of the Father. This is entirely an act of God. Even the faith by which we receive such a gift is granted to us by God. Apart from such grace we are unable to know, believe, or please God.
(John 3:6–7, 15:14–16, 16:8; Romans 3:21–27, 5:5–8, 8:7–8; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:3–14, 2:1–10; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5)
The Resurrection of the Body
God promises that he will restore us and make us ready for his eternal kingdom—in both body and soul—made possible because Christ was raised from the dead. Our future hope of eternal life in the presence of God rests on this promise of the resurrection of the body.
(Isaiah 26:19, 65:17–23; Daniel 12:2–3; Matthew 22:29–32; John 14:2–3; Romans 6:3–10; 1 Corinthians 15:12–58; 2 Corinthians 5:17–21; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 3:8–11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; Revelation 21:1–22:5)
The Age to Come
Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead. When Jesus returns, visibly and bodily, the dead will be raised: the righteous to eternal life and the wicked to eternal punishment. The devil, his servants, and death itself will be totally defeated and Jesus will fully establish his kingdom with power and glory in the New Heavens and New Earth.
(Matthew 25:46; John 5:28–29; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 2:19, 3:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:8–9; James 5:7–8; 1 John 2:28; 2 Peter 3:4, 7; Revelation 3:11, 16:15; 20:11–21:4, 22:7, 12, 20)
The Church
There is one true church universal, comprised of all people for whom Christ died, who are redeemed through his own blood, and who call upon the living God in true faith. Christ is head of the Church, his body, over which he rules. The purpose of the visible church in the world is to proclaim the gospel, guide in worship and fellowship, administer the sacraments, and exercise church discipline when necessary.
(Matthew 18:15–18, 28:19; John 8:31–32; Acts 2:42, 20:28; Romans 12:1; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 14:40; Ephesians 1:22–23; Colossians 3:16; Hebrews 11–12:1)