The Word of God:
God’s Word is fully and perfectly inspired by Him through the moving of men, and it is perfectly inerrant. The entirety of God’s Word is everlasting. Its work is centered around Christ, and man’s need for a Savior. Being perfectly from God, all of Scripture is authoritative & sufficient over all things.
(2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 1:1-2; 2 Peter 1:21; Jeremiah 1:9; 2 Samuel 23:2; Psalm 12:6; Psalm 18:30; John 10:35; John 17:17; Matt. 24:35; Isaiah 40:8; Psalm 119:89; Rev. 22:18-19; John 5:39; John 20:30-31; Luke 24:25-27; Matt. 4:4; Psalm 119:105; Rom. 15:4)
The Triune Godhead:
Scriptures teach us that the Godhead is One in being and three in persons: The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit. Each having the same perfect attributes in Their Self-Existence. In Their Equally Divine Perfection, each executes distinct but harmonious offices. Since each are perfectly God, each is to be worshipped equally.
(Deut. 6:4; Gen. 1:1-2; John 1:1-3; John 10:30; Matt. 28:19; Psalm 90:2; Deut. 33:27; Heb. 9:14; Gen. 1:26; Gen. 3:22; Psalm 45:6-7; 1 Pet. 1:1-12; Eph. 1; Rom. 15:6; 1 Cor. 8:6; John 10:30; Heb. 1; Revelation 1; Acts 2:17; 2 Cor. 3:17; Acts 5:1-11; Eph. 4:30)
God the Father:
God the Father is the first person of the Godhead and operates as the One who issues decrees, and authors plans. Those plans include the plan of salvation and the sending of His Son into the world. As the Good Father, He also disciplines those who are His children for their good and His glory.
(Gen. 1; Psalm 33:6; 1 Cor. 8:6; Leviticus; John 12:49; “thus says the Lord” 413 times; Jer. 29:11; Eph. 2:10; Phil. 2:13; John 6:44-45; John 3:16; Gal. 4:4-7; John 14:26; Eph. 1:3-6; Heb. 12:3-11; Matt. 6; Psalm 63:8; 1 Pet. 5:7; Rev. 21:3-4)
God the Son:
Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God; Being eternal God, He also became man through the virgin birth orchestrated by God the Father. His life reveals to us the expressed image of God. Through Jesus’ sinless life, death, burial, and resurrection God is satisfied & redemption is offered to those who receive Him as Lord & Savior.
Once Jesus’ initial work on earth was done, He ascended to Heaven and sits at the right hand of God interceding for us as the Great Hight Priest. Lastly, as Jesus promised, He will return one day at His second coming to establish His Kingdom and to judge the nations.
(John 1:1; Gen. 16:7-14; Ex. 3:2; Joshua 5:13-15; Dan. 3:25; John 17:5; Rev. 20-22; Dan. 7:27; Is. 7:14; Luke 2:26-38; Matt. 1:18-25; John 14:9; John 17:25-26; Phil. 2:1-11; Matt. 5:17; Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:23; Luke 2:46-52; Rom. 3:9-28; Heb. 9:15-22; 1 Cor. 15:1-28; Luke 19:10; John 3:16-18; John 20:27; John 7:33; Heb. 4:14-16; Heb. 7:23-25; Heb. 10:11-18; Rom. 8:34; John 14:3; Rev. 1:7-8; Rev. 19-20; Matt. 25:1-12; Matt. 24:36-40)
God the Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. Though omnipresent from all eternity, He makes His abode in the soul of everyone that has received God’s gift of salvation beginning at the day of Pentecost according to the Divine promise and purpose.
The Holy Spirit’s role in the life of the believer is to fill them with His divine power, wisdom, and desire. In this, the Holy Spirit was said by Jesus to be the Teacher of Scriptures to those being regenerated to salvation and also those that are being sanctified by Him. The Holy Spirit marks and seals the believer for their promise of an eternal inheritance when they stand before the Lord. While the believer walks through life on earth, the Holy Spirit provides the sound mind, strength, encouragement, and boldness in the daily living out of the Gospel message. For this reason, believers are told not to quench the Spirit.
(John. 14:16-17; John 16:7-15; Acts 1:6-8; Acts 2:38-39; Rom. 8; 1 Cor. 6:19; 1 Cor. 12:12-13; Eph. 2:22; 2 Thess. 2:7; John 3:6; Eph. 4:30; Eph. 5:18; 1 Thess. 5:19; 1 Jn. 2:20-27)
Creation:
All of creation was formed by God and is therefore completely His, showcasing His design and creativity. God created from nothing in six literal days, and all things were made for His glory. He holds all things together by His sovereign hand. One day all things will be made new!
(John 1:3; Psalm 24:1-2; Rom. 1: 20; Rom. 11:36; 1 Cor. 8:6; Gen. 1; Ex. 20:8-11; Psalm 148:1-5; Is. 6:3; Is. 43:7; Psalm 145-150; 1 Pet. 4:11 & 5:11; Col. 1:16; Is. 40:26; Ps. 95:3-4; Ps. 29:9-10; 1 Cor. 8:6c; Dan. 2:21; Rom. 5:6; Gal. 4:4; Gen. 3:17-19; Rom. 8:22; Matt. 6:19; 1 John 2:17; 2 Pet. 3:10; Rev. 21-22)
Angels and Demons:
God created an innumerable company of angelic beings who are spiritual in nature. Their purpose is to bring God glory through worship, praise, and service. They deliver and proclaim truth. God has tasked some with protecting and comforting His elect. Holy angels are waging a spiritual battle. Throughout history God has used angels as instruments of His judgment.
(Dan. 10:13 &21; 1 Thess. 4:16; Gen. 3:24; Ezekiel 28:14-16; Is. 6:2-6; Ps. 148:1-5; Col. 1:16; Job 38:4-7; Is. 6:1-6; Heb. 1:6; Rev. 5:11-12; Dan. 8:16-17; Lk. 1:19; Rev. 14:6-7; Dan. 10:19; Ps. 91:11-12; Heb. 1:14)
Satan was the first to sin, and his sin was the pride of thinking he could be the most high. For his pride, God cast Lucifer out of Heaven along with one third of the angels that followed him. Desiring to destroy God’s work, Satan tempted Adam & Eve to sin using deception. Satan and his demonic forces are powerful beyond human ability. He is still active, tempting man to sin. Satan and his demonic forces masquerade as angels of light. His purpose is to deceive and devour men, with a desire to rid God of glory. He is the Father of lies. He is still active, tempting man to sin. Satan and his demonic forces masquerade as angels of light. His purpose is to deceive and devour men, with a desire to rid God of glory. He is the Father of lies.
(Is. 14:12-15; Ez. 28:13-17; Rev. 12:3-7; Acts 19:13-16; Mk. 5:1-5; 2 Thess. 2:9-10; Lk. 22:31-32; John 8:44; Gen. 3:1-5; Matt. 4:1-11; 2 Cor. 11:13-15; Matt. 24; Rev. 13; Eph. 6:12; 1 Pet. 5:8; Eph. 2:1-3; John 16:11; Col. 2:14-15; Rev. 19-20)
Anthropology (Mankind):
The Bible states that man was created by God on the sixth day of creation. Unique from the rest of creation, man was designed by God in His own image as spiritual beings. Each person is knit together by God, not by a process of evolution. God tasked man with the watch and care of all creation, while operating in submission to His sovereign plan, and bringing glory to Him. That glory is given to God when man operates in faith toward Him. Marriage, which was created and instituted by God, is to only be between one man and one woman by His created order.
(Gen. 1:26-27; Jn. 4:24; Acts 17:26-28; Col.3:9-11; Ps. 139:13-16; Is. 43:7; 1 Cor. 10:31; 1 Pet. 2:9; Ps. 73; Gen. 2:23-24; Matt. 19:4-6; Eph. 5:31)
Hamartiology (Sin):
Man was originally created in innocence and with a spiritual nature that depicted God’s; however, when Adam & Eve sinned all humanity sinned and fell before God, Who is holy. The whole of mankind became fully depraved. In losing spiritual life, man operates under the rule and heart of the “prince of the power of the air” (Satan) and cannot satisfy the things of God. Man, in his sin, despises the way of God, and this has left man helpless before a holy God.
(Gen.1:26-2:25; Gen. 3:1-8; Rom. 5:12; Rom. 7:19; Jas. 4:17; Rom. 2:14-16; Rom. 1; Eph. 2:1-3; Rom. 3:10-12; Rom. 8:8; Gal. 5:16-17; Heb. 11:6; Rom. 5:6; Is. 64:6)
Soteriology (Salvation):
All men deserve hell as an eternal punishment for their sin. Man, being helpless in his sin, needs a Savior. God, in His love for His creation, planned the gift of salvation through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus, being perfectly God and man, lived a sinless life so that He could be an atoning payment to God on our behalf. The reception of salvation is a free gift offered by God through faith in Christ alone. There is no avenue to God except the one offered by God through Christ Jesus. God is not impressed with man’s ability or intellect.
The gift of salvation is only received by the one whom God first draws, because man on his own does not want God. This is because the gift of salvation is given to those that are brought by God to the realization of their sin before a Holy God, the Holy Spirit then convicts them to repent of that sin and recognize Jesus as Lord through faith. When a person places their faith in Jesus Christ alone, they are immediately given justification before God, adoption by God, sanctification in God, and a promise of future glorification in Heaven with God. God says that those He calls He will lose none, and that the Holy Spirit seals them as an eternal security for their final redemption.
Salvation is not just eternity future with God, but also God dwelling in man again today via the Holy Spirit. This is God’s regenerating work in a person’s life to provide the means necessary for a life of righteousness here and now, giving victory over circumstances and situations each day.
The gift of salvation explained is the justification, adoption, sanctification, and future glorification of the one who has received God’s salvation gift of grace by faith.
(Rom. 5:6; Rom. 3:20&23; Ecc. 7:20; Acts 8:18-23; Eph. 1:3-14; Gen. 3:21; Col. 2:16-17; Rom. 3:24-26; Rom. 5:6-11; 1 Cor. 15; Col. 2:13-15; Jn. 6:37-40&44-47; Titus 3:5; Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 6:23; Jn. 14:6; Jn. 5:24; Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Jn. 1:9; 1 Jn. 2:2; Rom. 3:25; 1 Pet. 2:9-10; Eph. 1:5; Rom. 8:14-16; Gal. 4:5-7; Jer. 24:7; Eze. 36:26-27; Heb. 8:10; Jn. 17:17; Phil. 1:6; 1 Jn. 3:2; 1 Cor. 15:51-57; Rom. 8:30; 2 Tim. 2:10-13)
Ecclesiology (The Church):
The Bible teaches that the “church” is also known as the “Body of Christ” made of those sanctified through the gift of salvation. At the point of salvation, a person is immediately added to the corporate body of Christ and joins in both the local and universal work of God and His people.
Believers are commanded to come together for teaching, worship, fellowship, remembrance, and edification with other fellow believers regularly. This is to build up each believer, seeing them equipped to proclaim the message of the gospel both locally and universally, that others may know Christ.
(Eph. 5:23; Col. 1:17-18; Matt. 16:16-18; 1 Cor. 6:15&20; Acts 9:4; Matt. 18:5-6; 1 Cor. 1:2-3; Rom. 10:9; Rom. 2:28-29; Matt. 13:24-30)
Ordinances of Worship:
Baptism – The first commanded act following profession of Christ as Lord, which shows proof of the inward change of identity to those on the outside looking on. This is not a means of salvation, but rather a symbol of ones salvation and identification with Christ.
(Jn. 3:1-8; Matt. 3:11-17; 2 Cor. 5:21; Acts 8:26-40; Acts 16:31; Matt. 28:18-20)
Communion – This is the visual representation of Christ’s sacrificial offering of His own body as a payment on behalf of all mankind. The payment for man requires the shedding of blood. The bread represents Christ’s body sacrificially given for us. The juice represents Christ’s shed blood as the payment, but also the promise of a new covenant between God and those that recognize the Lord as their Savior. These visual representations are in no way the physical body of Christ, but symbols that remind us of Christ’s work on our behalf and the hope we have of His future return.
(Matt. 26:26-30; Mk. 14:22-25; Lk. 22:14-23; 1 Cor. 11:23-31)
Eschatology (Future Events):
Biblical Eschatology is that Christ will return in the air to receive to Himself both the living and dead who have received Him by faith prior to “The Great Tribulation”. This tribulation is the 70th week of Daniel’s prophecy which will last for 7 years. During that time there will be a rising of the Anti-Christ, and judgment cast down by God on the earth. While there is great suffering there will be 144,000 Jews and countless Gentiles that place their faith in Christ.
The tribulation will end with the Battle of Armageddon when Satan is bound up and Christ’s Kingdom on Earth is established for 1,000 years. At the end of that time there one final battle where all sin is defeated and then judged and cast into the eternal lake of fire.
After this final judgment God will make a New Heaven and New Earth where there is no more sin, pain, or suffering; and where the redeemed will enjoy the presence of the Lord for eternity!
(Jn. 14:1-6; Matt. 24:36; 2 Tim. 3:1-14; 1 Thess. 4:13-18 & 5:8-10; 1 Cor. 15:52; Matt. 24:4-28; Rev. 5-19; Rev. 19:17-20:3; Rev. 20:4-10; Rev. 20:11-15; 1 Pet. 4; Rev. 21-22)