What we believe about
the Bible
We believe that the Bible is God's Word. We believe
that God has made Himself known in all that He has created. The universe is no
mistake or accident. It was created by God and is evidence of God's handiwork.
Although all creation reveals to us that God exists, it does not tell us
everything that we need to know about God, or what He expects from us.
Therefore, God gave us His Word which is contained in the Old and New
Testaments.
We believe that all of the Bible is God's Word; that
the human writers God used were supernaturally kept from making any mistakes,
and wrote only what God intended. The Bible is inspired by God (God breathed),
in a way that no other book has ever been. It is God's Word; the only way we
can know how to come to God and live according to His character. It teaches us
right doctrine, corrects us when we are wrong, and trains us in how we are to
live. Only the Bible is able to equip us to do every good work God has prepared
for us to do.
You can read what God says about His Word in these passages as well as in many
others:
Psalm 19
Psalm 119
II Timothy 3:16-17
II Peter 1:16-21
What we believe about God
We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons:
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
We believe that God is perfect in all His attributes. He never makes mistakes
and has no flaws. Everything that He does is right and just. He is
dependent on nothing, but everything is dependent on Him for its existence.
God is the supreme and sovereign ruler over the universe. He has infinite
wisdom and understanding about all things.
God is just and righteous in all His dealings with man. Because He is just and
righteous, He must punish all acts of disobedience and will allow no one to
escape His judgements and punishments.
God is also perfect in love. He loves the world and has demonstrated His love
by electing a people (from all eternity past) and He brings those people to
faith and repentance. In love, God delivers a people out of darkness and brings
them into the kingdom of His beloved Son. Colossians 1:12-13
In love, God sent the Eternal Son into the
world to redeem a people for Himself. John 3:16
In love, the gospel is freely offered to
all. But God, by His Holy Spirit, subdues the elect to Himself, (Psalm 110:3) convicts
them of sin, (Acts 2:37-38) enlightens their minds in the knowledge
of Christ, (Acts 26:18) changes their will, (Ezekiel 36:26) and He persuades and enables them to
embrace Christ, as He is freely offered in the Gospel. (John 6:44)
What we believe about man
We believe that man (before sin entered the
picture) had great dignity and nobility. He was created in the image of God,
meaning he was created in knowledge, righteousness and holiness. He was created
to be rational and immortal. He was given stewardship and dominion over the
earth and the creatures God had created upon it.
Man was created for a special relationship with God. This special relationship
with God lasted until our first parents (Adam and Eve) disobeyed God. By their
disobedience, they fell from their original righteousness and relationship with
God, and so became dead in their disobedience. Their disobedience, the guilt of
it, and their fallen nature, have been passed on to all their children
descending from them by ordinary generation.
Because of this fall, people are unable to please God and unable to restore
their relationship to God. In fact, they are spiritually dead, having no
ability or desire to glorify God or obey Him.
Ephesians 2:1-9
Man is in need of a Savior. We need someone who can reconcile us to God and
restore us to a right relationship with God. "For there
is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
I Timothy 2:5
"For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who
are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance - now that He has died
as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first
covenant." Hebrews 9: 15
What we believe about Jesus
We believe that Jesus is fully God and fully man. (John 1:1-2,14) He is both the Lord and the Head of His
church, the body of Christ. Because He is man, He was suffered and was tempted
in every way we are, yet He did not sin. Thus, we believe that Jesus is the
only one who can save us from the punishment we deserve, and restore us to a
right relationship with God, our creator.
God the Son became incarnate and was, and is, Jesus Christ our redeemer. He
obeyed God the Father perfectly and then He took the punishment of death, which
we deserved, upon Himself. He did all this in order
that those who place their faith in Him can be seen as righteous in God the
Father's sight. Christ's obedience in life and death becomes our righteousness
when we place our faith in Him.
Jesus is the only redeemer/mediator for mankind, for only He is both God and
man at the same time. Only He has satisfied the righteous requirements of the
law and only He has endured the judgement of God.