The Holy Scriptures
human authors, using their individual personalities and styles of writing, who composed God’s Word without error. The Bible is inerrant in its original documents, infallible in what it teaches, authoritative over every life, sufficient for salvation and spiritual growth, clear in essential matters, and immutable for time and eternity.
God
God eternally exists in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who are one in essence and one in will. Each Person of the Trinity shares the same divine attributes, each deserving worship and obedience. The triune God is holy, infinite, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, wise, immutable, truthful, merciful, loving, grace-giving, righteous, and wrathful.
God the Father
God the Father has decreed from eternity past all things that come to pass for His own glory. He is the Creator of all things out of nothing, the sovereign Administrator of history, providence, and salvation, including all events and destinies. Nevertheless, He is not the author of sin, nor does He relieve man of his personal responsibility. Before time began, God chose those who would be His people and gave them to His Son to be His chosen bride. Within time, He sent His Son into the world to be the Savior of sinners.
God the Son
Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of the living God, the Agent of creation, who upholds all He has made. He was born of a virgin without a sin nature, becoming the God-Man, truly God and truly Man. He lived in perfect obedience to the Law, which secured perfect righteousness for sinners. He suffered a vicarious death upon the cross, bearing the sins of many, becoming a curse, shedding His blood, satisfying God’s anger, redeeming and freeing sinners from sin. He was raised from the dead, ascended back to heaven, was enthroned at the right hand of God, given all authority, and made the only Mediator between God and man.
God the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son, possessing holiness, omnipresence, omniscience, omnipotence, and truth. The Spirit convicts of sin, draws to Christ, regenerates sinners, grants repentance and faith, indwells believers, places them in Christ, and seals them forever in Him. He sanctifies all believers, empowers them to follow Christ, conforms to His image, and gives them spiritual gifts to serve Him.
Angels
Angels are created beings, designed to worship God in heaven and serve Him on the earth. Satan is a created angel, who exalted himself in heaven and led a vast number of angels to join in his rebellion. He was cast down to the earth, along with fallen angels, who are demon spirits. Satan is the ruler of the evil world system, who corrupts the truth, authors false doctrine, blinds unbelievers, sows unbelievers to the church, persecutes the church, and opposes God’s work.
Man
Man is created by God in His image, intended to enjoy and glorify Him. The first man, Adam, sinned against God, causing the entire human race to be subjected to both physical and spiritual death. Man is born inherently corrupt, his mind darkened, his heart defiled, and his will bound by sin, rendering him hopelessly lost. He is plagued with moral inability, incapable of choosing or doing what is pleasing to God. He is separated from God, living under the sentence of eternal condemnation
Sin
Sin is disobedience to God, any breaking of His Law, any lack of conformity to His holiness, which is falling short of His glory. It results in human guilt and divine condemnation that leads to divine judgment and eternal death.
Salvation
Salvation is the divine rescue of perishing sinners from God’s wrath. It delivers from the penalty, power, and ultimately the presence of sin. This divine intervention involves the legal act of justification, by which God declares the believer to be righteous on the basis of the merit of Christ. This work is irrevocable, whereby a believer will never perish, nor ever revert to being an unbeliever. Justification will always be evidenced in sanct, as the believer will live in faithful obedience to the Word of God and progress in Christlikeness. .
The Church
The church is made up of those called out of the world. In its universal form, it is composed of all true believers, and in its local form, it is filled with both believers and unbelievers. The universal church is built sovereignly by Jesus Christ, who irresistibly adds to its numbers. The local church is identified by the preaching of the word, the practice of baptism and communion, and the exercise of church discipline. It is to be led by elders and pastors and served by deacons.
End Things
Christ will return in glory and establish His kingdom on the earth, a reign marked by harmony, justice, and peace. He will preside in judgment over every person, rendering rewards to believers and everlasting punishment to unbelievers. Satan and all unbelievers will be thrown into the lake of fire to suffer eternal wrath. God will create a new heaven, new earth, and a new Jerusalem, in which the saints will live forever.
