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WE
BELIEVE that the Bible, containing the Old and
New Testaments, is the inspired and infallible
Word
of God, the necessary and complete revelation of
His will for the salvation of men, and is the ultimate
authority for Christian faith and life.
WE
BELIEVE in the one true and living God, eternally
existing
in three distinct persons: Father, Son and
Holy Spirit.
WE
BELIEVE that the triune God is the Creator, the
Sustainer and Ruler of creation, but is prior
to,
and distinct from creation.
WE
BELIEVE that the first man, Adam, was created by
God in His image, but fell from his original
state by sinning against God, and hence incurred
upon himself
and all his posterity the guilt of sin, condemnation,
and death; therefore, all mankind are in need
of salvation, but are totally incapable of
saving themselves.
WE
BELIEVE that after the fall, God, in His mercy
and love, made provision for men's redemption
through the establishment of the covenant
of grace with
His people by the promise and the actual
giving of the
Savior Jesus Christ, whom to believe is justification
and life.
WE
BELIEVE that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, sent
by the Father, begotten by the
Holy Spirit,
and born
of the Virgin Mary; that He lived a sinless
and obedient life, suffered and died on
the cross
vicariously for the sins of His people
who believe in Him;
that
God raised Him from the dead, exalted Him
both as Lord and Christ, and gave Him the
promise
of the
Holy Spirit for His Church.
WE
BELIEVE that men are saved by grace through faith
in Christ in response to
the Gospel
preached, or
otherwise presented, in the power of
the Holy Spirit, through whom ransomed sinners
became
the sons of
God and heirs of eternal life; that Jesus
Christ is the only mediator between God
and men; through
Him and only through Him the believer
has access to the Father.
WE
BELIEVE that every believer is a new creature in
Christ, and is called to
walk in the Spirit,
to die unto sin, and to live unto righteousness,
and
thereby manifest the fruit of the Spirit,
conforming himself to the image of
Christ; that good works
are the fruit of the Christian life,
and are not ways
of justification.
WE
BELIEVE that God alone is the Lord of our conscience,
and that the believers
are free
from the commands
of men which are contrary to, or
in addition to, the Scriptures in matters
of faith
and conduct.
WE
BELIEVE that the Church, consisting of all true
believers, being Christ's
own and
indwelt
by the
Holy Spirit, is the Body of Christ,
the Invisible Church; that the
Church is
holy, universal
and one in Christ, that the Invisible
Church manifests
itself
in the visible church, the local
congregations consisting all who
profess to believe
in Christ and are baptized;
that as the people of God and a
kingdom of priests, the Church is called
to grow unto
the stature
of the fullness of Christ and to
fulfill her missionary
work through the exercise of the
gifts of the Holy Spirit, in worship,
sacraments,
fellowship,
discipline
and services.
WE BELIEVE in the priesthood of
all believers, and the parity
of the
ministers and the
laity.
WE BELIEVE that the last day,
as the consummation of redemption,
Christ will come again personally
and visible to the earth to
judge the
living and the dead; that there
will
be a bodily
resurrection of the dead, of
the
believers through the Holy
Spirit unto the inheritance
of eternal life, and
the unbelievers
unto condemnation; and that
a new heaven and a new earth will
be
ushered in.
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