What We Believe - Old


What We Believe

Scripture alone - by faith alone - by grace alone - through Christ alone - glory to God alone

(Sola Scriptura, Sola Fide, Sola Gratia, Solus Christus, Soli Deo Gloria)

“The great business of life is to glorify God by enjoying him forever.” * 

We Believe

  • There is one God, eternally existing in three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
  • That the Bible is the inspired and only infallible and authoritative written Word of God.
  • That God created human beings, male and female, in his own image. However, Adam and Eve distorted that image by falling into sin through Satan's temptation.
  • That at creation God instituted marriage and that it is between one woman and one man. (Gen. 1:27-28; 2:18-24; Matt. 19:4-6; Mk 10:5-9; Hebrews 13:4).
  • In the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of God the Father, and in His future return to the earth in power and glory.
  • That Christ, by his obedience and death, fully discharged the debt of all those who are justified. By his sacrifice, he bore in our stead the punishment due us for our sins, making a proper, real, and full satisfaction to God’s justice on our behalf.
  • That the only means that fallen mankind can be saved is by being cleansed from our sin through the precious blood of Christ whose atoning work is received by grace through faith.
  • That upon believing in Christ, we are justified, which means the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us as if it were our own righteousness and God declares us righteous in His sight.
  • That regeneration (being made spiritually alive) by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for personal salvation. (John 3:3-6)
  • That the Holy Spirit indwells (lives inside) every true believer in Jesus Christ. (Rom. 8:9)
  • The Holy Spirit desires to fill each believer continually with increased power for Christian life and witness, and imparts his supernatural gifts for the edification of the Body and for various works of ministry in the world. (Eph. 4:8-13; 1Cor. 12:7-11)
  • That the sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit empowers the Christian to live a holy life, pleasing to God.
  • That baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the two sacraments ordained by the Lord Jesus himself.
  • In the resurrection of both the saved and the lost, the one to everlasting life and the other to everlasting punishment.

 

*John Piper in "Desiring God"