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What We Believe
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The Scriptures
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The sole basis of the true Christian’s beliefs is the Bible, God’s infallible written Word. It was uniquely, verbally, and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, and without error in the original writings. It is the supreme and final authority in all matters on which it speaks (Mark 13:31; John 8:30-31; John 17:7-8; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
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The Sovereign God
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There is one true God, eternally existing and expressed through the person of Jesus Christ (John 1:18) and revealed by His Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:9-12), all possessing eternal attributes of deity and divine characteristics (2 Corinthians 13:13).
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Jesus Christ
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He was God in the form of man [deity] (Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1, 2, 14; Philippians 2:5-8). He was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-23). He was sinless in His humanity (Hebrews 4:15; James 1:13; 1 Peter 2:22). He is the substitutionary atonement for men’s sin and satisfaction of God’s wrath (Romans 3:24-25; 5:9; Hebrews 9:14; 2 Corinthians 5:21). He has risen from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God as an Advocate for the saints (Matthew 28:1-9; 1 Corinthians 15:1-10; Acts 1:9-10; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; 9:24; 1 John 2:1-2).
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The Depravity of Man
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Man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27), but in Adam’s sin the race fell and became alienated from God (Romans 5:12; Romans 3:10, 23). Man was in every part adversely affected by sin, rendering him totally unable to please God (Isaiah 64:6; Romans 8:7-8; Ephesians 2:1-3; John 8:43, 45, 47; 1 Corinthians 2:14).
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Salvation
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Salvation is wholly of God by grace on the basis of the redemption of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood, and not on the basis of human will, merit, or works (John 1:12-13; Ephesians 2:8-10). Regeneration is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit by which those who are dead in their trespasses and sins are made alive unto Christ to understand and obey unto faith and eternal life (John 3:3-8; 1 Cor. 2:10-12; Eph. 2:1-10; Titus 3:5).
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The Holy Spirit
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The Holy Spirit has specific purpose in bringing about the sovereign pleasure of God in the dealings of man. The Holy Spirit convicts and draws sinners to Christ (John 16:8; 1 Cor. 12:3), imparts new life to them (John 6:63; 2 Cor. 3:6; Titus 3:5), continually indwells them from the moment of Spiritual birth, and seals them until the day of redemption (1 Cor. 3:16; Eph. 1:13). Through the Spirit the believer receives and possesses gifts for the building up of the church (1 Cor. 12:7-11) (Rom. 12:4-8). The Spirit's fullness, power, and control are appropriated in the believer’s life (Gal 5:22-26).
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Eschatology
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Jesus Christ will return to earth literally and bodily (Acts 1:10-11)
(1 Thess. 4:16-18) to gather His elect (Matt. 24: 29-31), reveal His true Kingdom (Matt 13:24-29; 36-43), judge both the living and the dead either to eternal damnation or everlasting life (Rev. 20: 11-15), and present the true Kingdom to God (1 Cor. 15:24-28).
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