I. God

A. There is one true God, eternally existing in three persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-each of whom possesses equally all the attributes of Deity and the characteristics of personality (Deut. 6:4; Num. 6:24-26; Isa. 48:16; Matt. 3:16, 17; 28:18-20; John 14:16, 17, 23, 26; 15:26).

B. God is spirit. He is self-existent. He is infinite and eternal in His being, the creator and sustainer of all of creation, and is the redeemer of all who receive His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, as Lord and Savior, and He is judge of all mankind. He is sovereign. He is complete and perfect in all His attributes (Gen. 1:1-2:25; Psalm 90:2; Ex. 3:14; Deu. 33:27; Psalm 135:6; John 4:24).

C. God admonishes His people to assemble together regularly for worship, participation in ordinances, edification through the Scriptures, mutual encouragement, and for being equipped for service (Heb. 10:25; Eph. 4:11-16).

II. Jesus Christ

A. Jesus Christ is God, the Living Word, Who became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. Hence, He is perfect Deity and true humanity united in one person forever (John 1:1, 14; Matt. 1:18-21 {Isa. 7:14}; Luke 1:26-33, 35).

B. He lived a sinless life and voluntarily atoned for the sins of men by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone (John 1:11, 12; 6:37; 8:28, 29, 36, 46; Luke 9:51; 10:17; Eph. 1:4; Heb. 1:1-3).

C. He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died (Luke 24:36-42; John 10:17, 18; 20:19, 20; 1 Cor 15:1-34).

D. He ascended bodily into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, where He, the only mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own (Acts 1:9-11; Col. 3:1; Heb. 7:25; 10:12; 1 Peter 3:22; 1 Tim. 2:5; Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1, 2).

E. Jesus Christ will return to receive the church unto Himself at the Rapture, and then returning with His church in glory will establish His millennial kingdom on earth (Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thes. 4:13-18; Rev. 20).

III. Holy Spirit

A. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Triune God. He is one in nature and essence with God the Father and Jesus Christ (Isa. 48:16; Matt. 28:19; John 14:16, 17, 23; 15:26).

B. The Holy Spirit has come into the world to reveal and glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to men. He convicts and draws sinners to Christ, imparts new life to them, continually indwells them from the moment of spiritual birth, and seals them until the day of redemption. His fullness, power, and control are appropriated in the believer's life by faith (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7-11, 13-15; Romans 8:9; Eph. 4:30).

C. There is only one "baptism" in the Holy Spirit, accomplished at salvation, whereby the believer is identified with Christ and is permanently and completely indwelt by His Spirit. He fills and controls believers who daily are surrendered to Him (Mark 1:8; Acts 1:5; Luke 3:16; 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 5:18).

IV. The Bible

A. The Bible-the Old and New Testaments-is the Word of God, and, as such, is verbally inspired, inerrant in the original autographs, authoritative, infallible, and wholly reliable. The Scriptures are the only guide and rule of faith and conduct for the believer (Matt. 5:18; John 10:35; 17:17; Psalm 119:89; 2 Tim. 3:16, 17).

B. Our responsibility is to learn the Scriptures, obey them, and conform to their requirements in all of life. The Bible is God's final revelation to man. It is not to be added to, taken away from, or altered in any way (2 Tim. 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 2:21; Deuteronomy 4:2; Prov. 30:5, 6; Rev. 22:18, 19).

V. Man

A. Man was originally created in the image of God. He sinned by disobeying God; thus, he was alienated from his Creator. The historic fall of Adam brought all mankind under divine condemnation (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:7, 16, 17; 3:6, 16-19, 23, 24; Rom 5:12, 17-19; 1 Cor. 15:22).

B. Man's nature is utterly corrupted, and he is thus totally unable to please God. Every man is in need of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Man has no possible means of salvation within himself through good works (Gen. 6: 12; Rom 3:23; 5:12; 1 Cor. 2:14; 1 John 5:19; Eph 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5; Gal. 2:16).

VI. Salvation

A. The salvation of man is wholly a work of God's free grace and is not the result, in whole or in part, of human works or goodness or of religious ceremony. Salvation is received only through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as a man will repent and believe the gospel. God imputes His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, and thereby justifies them in His sight (John 1:11, 12;14:6; Mark 1:15; Eph. 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5-7; Rom 3:20-28; 4:16-25; Gal. 2:16; 3:24).

B. It is the privilege of all who are born again of the Spirit to be assured of their salvation from the very moment in which they trust Christ as their Savior. This assurance is not based upon any kind of human merit, but is produced by the witness of the Holy Spirit, who confirms in the believer the testimony of God in His written Word (John 1:11, 12; 3:14-18, 36; 14:16; 5:24; Rom 8:16-18; Titus 3:5-7; Heb. 13:5, 6; 1 John 5:11-13; Rev. 6:9-11).

VII. The Christian Life

A. Every believer is called to so live in the power of the indwelling Spirit that he will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh, but will bear fruit to the glory of God (John 15:16; Rom 12:1, 2; Gal. 5:16-23).

B. It is the will of our Lord that believers publicly affirm their commitment to Him and their identity with His people through obedience to His command to be baptized by immersion in water. This ordinance has no bearing upon salvation, but-as an act of obedience-is a logical consequence of salvation (Matt. 28:19, 20; Acts 8:36-39; Eph. 2:8, 9; 1 Peter 3:21).

C. The Lord Jesus Christ commanded all believers to proclaim the gospel throughout the world and to disciple men of every nation. Fulfilling of the Great Commission requires that all worldly and personal ambitions be subordinated to a total commitment to "Him Who loved us gave Himself for us... " (Rev. 1:5; Matt. 28:18-20; Eph. 4:1-3; Col. 1:10, 11; 1 Thess. 2:12; Phil. 2:3, 4).

VIII. The Church

A. The church was founded at Pentecost with the coming of the Holy Spirit, and consists of all who have truly repented of their sins and have received the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. The church is manifested as believers gather together for worship and service. The only members of the true church are those who are in Christ (Matt. 16:18; John 14:16; Acts 2:1-5; Heb. 10:25; 2 Cor. 5:17).

B. Jesus Christ is the head of the church, His body, and, as such, has sole authority over its functioning. He is to be obeyed in everything, since He is Lord of all (Eph. 1:22; 4:15; Col. 1:18; 1 John 4:2, 3; Romans 10:9, 10, 13; Acts 10:36; Phil. 2:11).

IX. Things to Come

A. At physical death the believer enters immediately into the eternal, conscious presence of the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his body to everlasting glory and blessing (2 Cor. 5:6-8; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 2 Thess. 2:1-14).

B. At physical death the unbeliever enters immediately into eternal, conscious separation from the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his body to everlasting judgment and condemnation (Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:22-24; 2 Thess. 1:6, 8, 9; Rev. 20:11-15).

C. Jesus Christ will return in the air before the great tribulation for His church, to take His own-the living and the dead-home to be with Him forever (1 Cor. 15:51-58; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 2 Thess. 2:1-10).

D. Jesus Christ will come again to the earth-personally, visibly and bodily-to consummate history and the eternal plan of God (John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; Matt. 24:30; 25:31-33, 41, 46).