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The Scriptures of the
Old and New Testament
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God is Triune
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God is the Creator
of Heaven and Earth
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Jesus Christ the
Son is Fully God and Fully Man
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Salvation, the
Gift of God
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The Holy Spirit, the
Lord and Giver of Life
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The Holy
Spirit is Imparted
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The Church
>
Satan
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The Consummation of
All Things
RESOURCES
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Christian Theology
Books
THE SCRIPTURES OF THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT
The Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments have been given by the
verbal plenary inspiration of God and therefore are inerrant (Ps.
19:7-13;
119:89,
105). They are designed to lead us
to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. They are fully inspired by
God and therefore they serve as the authoritative guide for Christian
understanding, life and ministry (2
Tim. 3:15-17). The Scriptures are not to be added to,
superseded or changed by tradition or any supposed later revelation (Isaiah
8:20;
Gal. 1:8-9). Every doctrinal
formulation, whether of creed, confession or theology, must be put to
the test of the full counsel of God in the Holy Scriptures (Matt.
22:29-33;
Eph. 2:20;
Acts 28:23). All redemptive
understanding of the Scriptures depends upon the illumination of the
Holy Spirit; therefore, the most accurate factual knowledge attained
through exegesis, exposition and interpretation does not bring about
conversion or spiritual comprehension without the Holy Spirit creating
an understanding through the Word and applying the message to the heart
(1 Cor. 2:7-16).
GOD IS TRIUNE
There is but one God, infinite, eternal, almighty and perfect in
holiness, truth and love (Deut.
6:4;
1 Cor. 8:4,
6;
Isa. 44:6-8;
57:15;
1 John 4:8;
Gen. 17:1;
Ps. 145:3). In the unity of the
Godhead there are three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy
Spirit, who are co-existent, co-equal and co-eternal (Matt.
3:16-17;
28:19;
1 Cor. 12:4-6;
2 Cor. 13:14). The Father is not
the Son and the Son is not the Holy Spirit, yet each is true Deity. One
God--Father, Son and Holy Spirit--is the foundation of the Christian
faith and life (John
14:23,
25;
15:26;
16:13-15).
GOD IS THE CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH
God is the Creator of heaven and earth (Gen.
1:1;
Heb. 11:3;
Ps. 33:9). By His Word all things
were made. And through the same Word, He sustains all of His creation
daily (John
1:3,
10;
Col. 1:15-17;
Heb. 1:2-3;
Rom. 8:28;
John 3:16). He made man for
fellowship with Himself and intended that all creation should live to
the praise of His glory (Rom.
11:36;
Rev. 4:11). As Creator, this Triune
God created the universe apart from any pre-existing materials and
without any evolutionary process. We believe in the historicity of the
first eleven chapters of Genesis. Man was created male and female, in
the image and likeness of God (Gen.
1:26-27). Through the original sin of man (by Adam and
Eve), mankind has fallen from God and has become corrupt in his
whole nature. By himself man is totally incapable of returning to God
(Rom.
5:12,
16-17;
Jer. 17:9;
Eph. 2:1-3;
John 6:44). Fallen, sinful
humanity, whatever its character or attainments, is eternally lost and
without hope apart from salvation in Christ (John
3:3-7;
Acts 4:12).
JESUS CHRIST THE SON IS FULLY GOD AND
FULLY MAN
Jesus Christ the Son is fully God and fully man and He is the only Savior
for the sins of the world (John
1:1,
20:28;
Col. 1:19;
1 Tim. 2:5-6;
Heb. 2:14-18). HE was the Word made
flesh, supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin
Mary and He was perfect in nature, teaching, and obedience (John
1:14;
Matt. 1:18,
22-23;
Luke 1:35;
John 8:29;
Heb 5:8). HE shed His Blood on the
Cross as the vicarious atonement for the sins of all mankind; HE rose from
the dead in His own glorified body, ascended into heaven, and will return
in glory (John
19:33-37;
Rom. 4:24-25;
1 Cor. 15:1-3;
2 Cor. 5:21;
1 Peter 2:24;
1 John 2:2;
Acts 1:9-11;
1 Thess. 4:16-17). HE is the Head of
His body, the Church, and He is the Victor over all the powers of
darkness. HE reigns at the right hand of God the Father (Col.
2:15;
Heb. 1:3-4).
SALVATION, THE GIFT OF GOD
Salvation, the gift of God, is provided solely by His grace through
faith in Jesus Christ (Eph.
2:8-9;
Rom. 5:1;
Acts 16:31) and His literal shed
blood (Rom.
3:25;
Heb. 9:12,
10:19;
Rev. 1:5). Recognizing his/her need
for a Savior and looking to Christ and His vicarious atonement for sin,
man is born anew unto eternal life by the Holy Spirit (Acts
2:38;
Titus 3:4-7;
Acts 3:19-21). There is no other
name except Jesus Christ by which man may be saved (Acts
4:12). Through His great redemptive act, there is
forgiveness of sin, liberation from bondage to the world, and freedom in
His Spirit (Eph.
1:17;
Gal. 6:14-15). Because salvation is
a gift of God, once a person accepts this gift by trusting in Jesus
Christ as their personal Savior, that person is eternally secure and
he/she can never ever lose or return their gift of Eternal Life as the
born-again individual is kept by the power of God; and the
continuous/eternal safe-keeping of each born-again Christian depends
solely on the character, nature and faithfulness of God (1
Peter 1:5;
John 10:28-29;
2 Tim. 2:13;
Heb. 13:5;
Isaiah 49:15-16).
THE HOLY SPIRIT, THE LORD AND GIVER OF
LIFE
The Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, convicts the world of sin,
righteousness and judgment, unites man to Jesus Christ in faith, brings
about the new birth and dwells within the regenerated individuals,
producing in them the fruit of the Holy Spirit and enabling them to grow
in the experience of sanctification (John
15:8-10;
1 Cor. 12:13;
John 3:5;
1 Cor. 6:19;
Rom. 8:9-11;
Gal 5:22-23;
2 Cor. 3:17-18). The Holy Spirit
inspired prophets, judges and kings in ancient times, anointed Jesus
Christ for His ministry, filled the church with power on the day of
Pentecost, and will transform the mortal bodies of believers into one
like Jesus in the glory of the resurrection (1
Peter 1:2,
10-12;
2 Peter 1:20-21;
Luke 4:1,
18-21;
Acts 2:4,
4:31;
Rom. 8:11;
Phil. 3:21;
1 Cor. 15:51-52;
1 John 3:2).
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS IMPARTED
The Holy Spirit is imparted to all who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ
and receive Him (trust in Him) as the Savior (Acts
2:38-39;
Luke 11:13). The promise of the
Father that the Holy Spirit would be sent in power was not only made to
the early disciples, but continues through generations to come. The gift
of the Holy Spirit is God's sovereign action for edifying the Body of
Christ (1
Cor. 12:7-11,
28-31;
14:1,
13;
Rom. 12:6-8;
1 Pet. 5:10-11). The gifts of
apostles, prophets, evangelists and pastor/teachers were given by the
Lord Jesus Christ for the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the
ministry and for the edifying of the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit
directed gifts to the Body of Christ are the direct results of the Lord
Jesus Christ's promise of the Holy Spirit to guide all believers into
the truth (Eph.
4:7-16;
Luke 11:28;
John 14:26;
15:26;
16:13).
THE CHURCH
The Church, which is the Body and future Bride of Christ, is dedicated
to the worship and service of God, the observance of the
sacraments/ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's Supper, as well as the
practice of good works (which are performed by Christ in and through
each born-again Christian) (Rom.
12:4-5;
1 Cor. 12:27;
Eph. 2:22;
5:23,
26-27;
1 Peter 2:5,
9-10;
Eph. 2:10;
Titus 2:14). The primary task of
the Church in all ages is to teach all nations and to make disciples
through the preaching and teaching of the Word of God in every aspect of
life and thought. By sharing the Gospel of Grace, the Church fulfills
the Great Commission as redemption is offered to the lost (Matt.
28:19-20;
Mark 13:10;
16:15;
Luke 19:10;
Acts 26:18;
Rom. 1:16).
SATAN
We believe that Satan was created as a perfect angelic being (Ezekiel
28:15). He rebelled against God (Ezekiel
28:15-18;
Isaiah 14:12-17). As a result he
became depraved; the devil, the leader of the host of fallen angels who
fell together with him, is the adversary of God and God's people (Rev.
12:4,
10-17;
13:7;
2 Cor. 11:13-15). Satan has been
defeated and judged at the Cross. He now awaits his ultimate doom at the
Second Advent of Jesus Christ (John
16:11;
Rev. 20:1-2,
7-10).
THE CONSUMMATION OF ALL THINGS
We believe that Christ will return to rapture His Church. Immediately
following this event (the Rapture) will be a literal seven-year
tribulation period on earth. At the end of the seven-year tribulation
period, the Second Advent of Jesus Christ will be followed with His
literal 1,000-year reign on earth from Jerusalem. Thereafter, will be
the Great White Throne judgment of the unsaved (1
Thess. 4:13-17;
1 Cor. 15:50-54;
2 Cor. 5:10;
1 Cor. 3:11-15;
Matt. 24:30;
Acts 1:11;
Rev. 1:7;
Zech. 12:10;
14:3-11;
Rev. 20:11-15). Coupled with this
event, Satan with his hosts and all humanity outside of Christ will be
separated eternally from the presence of God and cast into the lake of
fire, enduring a literal hell forever (Matt.
25:41;
Mark 9:47-48;
2 Thess. 1:7-10). Christ will
establish a New Heaven and a New Earth and all who have been redeemed by
Christ from the kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light will be
secure with Christ throughout eternity in the new Jerusalem with the new
Heaven and the new Earth (Rev.
21:1-4). This is the consummation of all things.
THEOLOGICAL STUDY RESOURCES
Check out these helpful Books to explain Christian theology in greater detail:
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at HIS EMBASSY that might be of interest to you:
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