Articles of Faith

We affirm God provides the only way of salvation through Jesus Christ His Son who shed His blood on the cross; died, was buried, and rose again offering the free gift of forgiveness of sin and eternal life with the Father escaping eternal judgement in Hell to anyone who believes.

(John 3:14-21; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 1 John 5:11-13; Revelations 11:15)

Further we affirm that mankind, having been given life and the opportunity to reflect his Creator’s image, rebelled (Genesis 3:1-8), sinned (Romans 5:12), died (Genesis 3:19), but God covered them with a blood sacrifice foreshadowing what was to come (Genesis 3:21) and were cast out of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:23).

By sinning, mankind became an enemy of God and is alienated from God (Romans 3:23; 5:10; 8:7; Colossians 1:21). God’s holiness requires the penalty of death (Romans 6:23), but God in His sovereign wisdom and love (John 14:6) provided Salvation for all (John 3:15-17; Romans 8:32; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 2 Peter 3:9) through the death of His Lamb, Jesus Christ, before the foundation of the World (Genesis 3:15; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 1:2; 1 Peter 1:19-21; Revelation 13:8).

Man must now believe in God’s provision of the substitutionary death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:8; Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 15:14ff) who willingly laid down His life (John 10:17-18), shed His blood (Hebrews 9:22) becoming the propitiation that satisfied God’s righteous wrath (Romans 3:22-25; 1 John 2:2; 4:10; Hebrews 2:17).  Man must personally appropriate this gracious, vicarious, free gift of Salvation in faith; humbly repenting of his sin in recognition of his complete depravity, that there is nothing in himself nor what he has done or could ever do to earn this free gift (Romans 1:16; 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5).

This is the only Gospel (Act 4:12; John. 14:6; 1 Timothy. 2:5) by which mankind can be born again (John.3:3, 5-6 Spiritual), and be reconciled to his Creator, no longer an enemy but at peace(Romans 5:10-11; 2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Ephesians 2:11-18; Colossians 1:20-21; Rom. 11:15) going from death unto life (John. 5:24), as a new man (2 Corinthians 5:17) enjoying a new nature (2 Peter 1:4).

Salvation is the beautiful, awesome, incomprehensible work of our great God (Isaiah 55:8-9). Salvation from mankind’s perspective is the genuine free gift of the Gospel provided for and offered to all (John 3:15-21; Romans 3:26b; 8:32; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Peter 3:9; Revelation 22:17) which mankind may freely accept or reject (Romans 10:9-10; John. 3:18; 5:40-44; Hebrews 2:3).

From God’s perspective of sovereign foreknowledge, He chose Israel, sent Christ, and chose we sinners for salvation before the foundation of the World (Romans 11:2; Acts 2:23; Revelation 13:8; 1 Peter 1:2, 20; Ephesians 1:4).  Another aspect of God’s perspective is the election of those who would be saved (Ephesians 1:3-6; John 15:16, 19; Romans 9:11ff; 2 Timothy 2:10). This paradox is difficult for our finite mind, but we serve an infinite God who loves and cares for His creation (Ezekiel 18 esp.20-32; Jonah 4:11; Romans 5:8).  We cannot judge who is elect or not (James 4:11-12), but we are to go (Matthew 28:18-20) and to compel all to come (Luke. 14:23) leaving the rest in God’s capable compassionate heart (Ezekiel 18:23; Jonah 4:11; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 2 Peter 3:9).

Other truths of God’s Glorious Salvation of mankind includes:

• Repentance – a change of one’s mind which affects their change of direction (2 Corinthians 7:9-11);
• Faith – the placing of trust in and the believing on (Hebrews 11:1), transferring dependence from self to Christ for Salvation (Acts 20:21);
• Justification – which is the work of the Father imputing our sin to Christ and His righteousness to us, crediting it to our account making us Just (as if we had never sinned) before the Father (Romans 3:23-26; 4:3, 11, 20-24; 2 Corinthians 5:19, 21; 1 Peter 2:24);
• Regeneration – to be born again – made new by the mercy and will of God (Titus 3:5; James 1:18) through the work of the Spirit (John 3:5) to those who believe (John 1:12);
• Redemption – to be purchased fully out of the slavery of sin giving freedom and forgiveness (Romans 3:24; Ephesians 1:7; Matthew 20:28; Hebrews 9:12; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 1:18; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20);
• Adoption – the making of a believer the child of God receiving all of the benefits that entails (John 1:12; Romans 8:15-17; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 1:5);
• Predestination – those who God elected He also predestinated to be conformed into the image of His Son through sanctification (Romans 8:29-30, 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 1:5, 11);
• Eternal Security – the confidence in God that you can never lose your Salvation (John 10:28-29) because it is rooted in the love of God (Romans 8:31-39), the power of God (1 Peter 1:3-5), and we are given eternal life (John 3:16; 5:24);
• Sanctification – the progressive act of God to set apart His children to live a holy life (Leviticus 11:45; 1 Peter 1:16) “from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
• It progresses from Positional sanctification, (the act of God) to declare us holy/righteous through the finished work of Christ on the cross (Hebrews 10:10, 14);
• Progressive sanctification, the believer’s daily walk of faith being transformed more and more into Christ’s image, being empowered by the Spirit to bear fruit in faith evidenced by good works (Romans 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 5:7; Galatians 2:20; 5:22; Ephesians 2:10; 4:22-24; 5:18-21; Colossians 2:6-7; James 2:17-18);
• ending one day in Glorification to fully reflect the image of the Son without the baggage of sin (Romans 8:29-30; Philippians 1:6; 1 John 3:2) in a glorified body perfect, morally and spiritually (Philippians 3:20-21;Ephesians 1:4; Colossians 1:22; 1 John 3:3;  Jude 24) forever with Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:18).