The Bible, composed of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is the complete, verbally inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original manuscripts. It stands as the ultimate and final authority in all matters of doctrine, faith, and life. The Scriptures are God's self-authenticating and self-revealing communication to humanity. Every doctrinal statement—whether in the form of a creed, confession, or theological system—must be measured against the full counsel of God revealed in Scripture. Scripture judges mankind; mankind does not stand in judgment over Scripture. The true meaning of the Bible can be objectively discerned by applying a literal, grammatical, and historical method of interpretation, guided by the illumination of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, believers are called to approach Scripture with humility, seeking the Spirit’s enlightenment to remove spiritual blindness, so they may rightly understand and faithfully live out God’s truth.

References: 2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:19-21; Ps 19:7-9; Heb 4:12; Neh 9:6; 2 Cor 13:14; Eph 1:3-14; Isa 6:1-3; Phil 2:1-11; Acts 5:3-4.

There is one true and living God, the Creator of all things, who eternally exists as three distinct yet coequal Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three share the exact same divine nature and attributes, differing only in role and function. The distinctions among the Persons of the Godhead are not divisions within God's essence, nor additions to it, but rather the personal expressions of His one indivisible being. Within the unity of the Godhead, each Person is fully God—coequal, coeternal, consubstantial, and coexistent—worthy of all worship, honor, and obedience.

References: Neh 9:6; 2 Cor 13:14; Eph 1:3-14; Isa 6:1-3; Phil 2:1-11; Acts 5:3-4.

God the Father reigns with absolute sovereignty over all events—past, present, and future. He has ordained all things according to His perfect will and for the praise of His glory, and His purposes cannot be overturned. As the supreme and all-powerful Ruler of the universe, He exercises sovereign authority in creation, providence, and redemption, orchestrating all things for His glory and for the ultimate good of those who believe. His sovereign rule in no way eliminates human moral responsibility, nor does it make Him the author of sin. Rather, in His grace, the Father elects, saves, and adopts all who trust in Him through faith.

References: Ps 93:1-2; Eph 1:3-6; Gen 1:1-31; 1 Chr 29:11-12; Dan 4:34-35; Jer 32:17. Neh 9:6; 2 Cor 13:14; Eph 1:3-14; Isa 6:1-3; Phil 2:1-11; Acts 5:3-4.

Jesus Christ has eternally existed with God and as God, preceding all things. All creation came into being through Him, and by the power of His word, all things are sustained. He is the visible image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, and in Him the fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form. Conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary, He took on human flesh, becoming truly man while remaining fully God. In the one person of Jesus Christ, two complete and distinct natures—divine and human—are perfectly united without confusion, change, division, or separation. He is, therefore, both fully God and fully man, one Christ.

Through His sinless life and His substitutionary death, He accomplished redemption for all who believe. His literal, physical resurrection from the dead is the guarantee of the believer’s future resurrection. Now exalted at the right hand of the Father, the Lord Jesus Christ serves as our great High Priest, continually interceding and advocating on behalf of His people. As the sole Mediator between God and man, the Head of the Church, and the soon-returning King, He will one day return as the righteous Judge over all.

References: Matt 25:31-46; Acts 17:30-31.John 1:1-18; Luke 1:26-38; Col 1:15-23; Rom 6:1-14; Heb 7:11-28; Phil 2:5-11.

The Holy Spirit is fully God—eternally existing with the Father and the Son, coequal and coeternal—present before all things. He has been sovereignly active in creation, the incarnation of Christ, the inspiration of Scripture, and continues His vital role in the illumination of truth, the work of salvation, the ongoing process of sanctification, and the distribution of spiritual gifts. The Spirit regenerates sinners through faith, forming and uniting the body of Christ. He empowers believers, transforms lives, convicts of sin, restrains evil, and brings about spiritual growth.

In the early church, the Spirit granted gifts to equip and build up the body of Christ, and He continues to distribute these gifts to believers today. The church is called to cultivate an environment where individuals can discover, develop, and use their spiritual gifts for the edification of the entire body. While believers are encouraged to remain open to the Spirit’s work and the exercise of spiritual gifts, they are also exhorted to be vigilant and discerning, recognizing the possibility of misuse. The believer is to earnestly seek the full manifestation of the Holy Spirit, carefully testing all expressions to ensure they are in harmony with the character of God and the teachings of Scripture.

References: 1 John 4:1; John 16:5-16; I Cor 12:1-14; Gen 1:2; John 3:5-8; Rom 8:9-11; 1 Cor 2:10-16; 2 Pet 1:19-21.

God created all things in heaven and on earth in six literal days. Everything exists by His sovereign power and for the purpose of His glory. Humanity was originally created without sin, bearing a rational nature endowed with intelligence, will, moral responsibility, and the capacity for self-determination. God designed mankind in His image, creating male and female with distinct genders and roles that reflect His divine nature and purpose.

However, through disobedience, man fell into sin, incurring divine judgment and bringing both physical and spiritual death upon himself and all his descendants. Because all humanity was represented in Adam, a sinful nature corrupted by his fall has been inherited by every person. As a result, all people are sinners by both nature and by personal choice. This depravity is radical and comprehensive, affecting the entire being—mind, will, and affections. Separated from God and lacking the power to restore himself, man is utterly lost apart from divine intervention.

Salvation, therefore, is entirely a work of God's grace, accomplished through the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Regardless of one’s moral character or personal achievements, every individual is lost and without hope apart from faith in Christ alone.

References: Jer 17:9; John 6:44; Rom 1:18-32; 3:9-20; Eph 2:1-3; Gen 1-3; Ps 58:3; Ps 51:5.

Angels are spiritual beings created by God, existing in various ranks and orders, and are designed to serve Him and bring Him worship. These beings currently exist in two distinct categories: fallen and unfallen. The fallen include Satan and the demons who followed him in rebellion; the unfallen are the holy angels who remain faithful to God and minister according to His will.

Satan, originally created as a high angel, became the adversary of God through his own willful rebellion. He deceived humanity’s first parents, ushering sin into the human race, and now operates as the god of this world, opposing God’s purposes. Though defeated at the cross, Satan’s final judgment is yet to come, when he will be cast into the lake of fire for all eternity.

References: Ps 148:1-6; Luke 2:9-14; Heb 1:6-7; Heb 1:14; Heb 2:6-7; Rev 5:11-14; 19:10; 20:10; 22:9; Isa 14:12-17; Ezek 28:12-19.

The gospel is the good news that Jesus Christ offered Himself as the once-for-all sacrifice to God, dying a substitutionary and propitiatory death on behalf of sinners. Apart from Christ, every person is lost in sin and in desperate need of a Savior. For anyone to receive the gift of salvation, the Holy Spirit must first bring about regeneration—renewing the heart and mind of the unbeliever. This act of regeneration is instantaneous and accomplished solely by the power of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, as the sinner responds in repentance and faith to God’s provision of salvation.

Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, and not on the basis of human works. At the moment of faith, the repentant sinner is justified—declared righteous before God—through the imputed righteousness of Christ. In that moment, the believer is fully accepted by God, reconciled to Him, adopted as His child, forgiven of all sin, and set free from the law of sin and death. Those who are truly saved are eternally secure in Christ, kept by the sustaining power of God.

References: Eph 2:1-10; Rom 8:28-39; Rom 1:16; 3:21-26; 1 Cor 15:1-4; Heb 10:1-18; 1 Pet 1:3-5; Titus 3:5-7..

The Holy Spirit plays an essential role in the sanctification of believers, progressively shaping them into the likeness and will of Christ as they grow in their faith. He empowers and instills in believers both the desire and the strength to pursue a life of increasing holiness—turning away from the world, recognizing the lies of the enemy, dying to self, and delighting in Christ above all.

Spiritual disciplines—especially the regular practice of Bible study, prayer, worship, and confession—are vital means of grace in this transformative process. Though the presence of indwelling sin remains a reality in this life, and temptation is an ongoing struggle as the flesh opposes the Spirit, believers are called to walk by faith. In Christ, they are assured that God will not permit them to be tempted beyond what they can bear, and He always provides the means for victory through His grace.

As believers mature in sanctification, they increasingly reflect the character of Christ and experience His abiding peace.

References: Col. 3:1-15; 1 Thes 5:22-23; 1 John 3:1-2; Rom. 8:12-14, 29; 2 Thess. 2:13; Phil. 2:12-13; 1 Cor. 10:13; 2 Cor. 3:18.

The universal Church—the body and bride of Christ—is a spiritual organism made up of all those who have been born again through faith in Jesus Christ. It was inaugurated at Pentecost, and every believer is joined to it through the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit.

A local church is a fellowship of baptized believers united in covenant community, committed to obeying all that Christ has commanded. Together, they devote themselves to the public worship of God under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, the selection of elders/pastors and deacons, the faithful administration of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, the loving practice of church discipline, the pursuit of personal holiness and mutual love, and the advancement of the gospel both locally and globally.

Each local church is autonomous and self-governing in its relationship with other Christian churches, recognizing Christ alone as its Head.

References: Eph 1:22-23; Acts 11:19-30; Acts 1:8; 2:42; 1 Cor 12:4-11; Eph 2:19-22; Col 1:18; 3:16-17; Heb 10:23-25.

Jesus instituted two ordinances for the Church: water baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper. Neither practice conveys saving grace or merit, but both serve as powerful symbols of gospel truth.

Water baptism is intended for those who have trusted in Christ for salvation. It is an outward act of obedience that visibly portrays a believer’s union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism signifies the breaking of sin’s power and the beginning of a new life in Christ.

The Lord’s Supper is a sacred and ongoing reminder of Christ’s atoning sacrifice. It is reserved for those who follow Him and serves as a symbol of His body given and His blood shed on behalf of His people. As believers partake of the elements in faith and self-examination, they proclaim and remember the New Covenant life they have received through Christ’s death. This ordinance is a gracious gift to the Church, pointing believers forward in hope as they anticipate the fulfillment of the Lord’s Supper in the marriage feast of the Lamb.

References: Matt 28:19-20; Acts 2:41; 8:34-39; Rom 6:3-11; Matt 26:26-29; 1 Cor 11:23-34; Isa 25:6-8; Rev 19:6-9.

The Church eagerly awaits the personal and bodily return of the Lord Jesus Christ. At His coming, the dead in Christ will be raised with glorified bodies, and those who are alive in Christ will be transformed—receiving glorified bodies without experiencing death. All believers will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air, prior to the onset of the tribulation.

Immediately after the Church is taken from the earth, God’s righteous judgments will be poured out during the seven-year tribulation, a time of unparalleled distress upon an unbelieving world. At the end of this period, Christ will return physically to the earth to establish His one-thousand-year millennial kingdom. He will reign as King from the throne of David, and the nation of Israel will be saved and restored to their land in fulfillment of God’s promises.

The millennium will be marked by peace, righteousness, holiness, joy, truth, and the fullness of the Holy Spirit. During this time, Satan will be bound and rendered powerless. At the end of the millennium, he will be released briefly to lead a final rebellion, but will be decisively defeated and cast into eternal judgment.

Following the conclusion of the millennium, all the dead from every age will be raised and judged before the great white throne. Believers will enter into eternal life with glorified, resurrected bodies, while unbelievers will face everlasting separation from the presence of the Lord. After this final judgment, God will create a new heavens and a new earth, ushering in the eternal state in which righteousness dwells.

References: Luke 21:25-28; Luke 13:28; John 5:25-29; Titus 2:13. I Thes 4:13-18; Ps 8:4-8; Matt 6:10; Matt 8:12; 22:13; 25:30; Heb 2:6-9; Isa 2:1-4; 11:1-12; Jer 23:5-6; Ezek 37; Amos 9:9-15; Zech 14; Matt 19:28; Acts 1:6; 3:19-21; Rev 20:4-6; 1 Cor 15:22-28; 2 Thes 2:3-1; Rev 20:7-15.