Confession of Faith

Desiring to set forth clearly that which we regard as scriptural and therefore true, we affirm the following:

Regarding God

We believe in one God,¹ eternally existent as Father,² Son,³ and Holy Spirit.⁴

We believe in God the Father⁵ Almighty,⁶ creator,⁷ ruler,⁸ and restorer of his total creation.⁹

We believe in God the Son,¹⁰ fully divine¹¹ and fully human,¹² who carried out the will of the Father in the redemption of human beings.¹³

We believe in God the Holy Spirit¹⁴ who in this age convicts of sin,¹⁵ testifies to the things of Christ,¹⁶ and distributes gifts for building up the church.¹⁷

Regarding Scripture

We believe that God revealed himself and his plans for his creation¹⁸ in the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments.

We believe that he superintended the process of revelation¹⁹ in such a way that the human authors recorded events and precepts without error.²⁰

We believe that this inspired record is expressed in statements of fact which we can understand²¹ and which govern our theology and actions.²²

Regarding Mankind

We believe that people are rational beings²³ who are preeminent over the rest of creation as those who are created in the image of God.²⁴

We believe that the physical and spiritual aspects of the person function together as a unit,²⁵ neither the physical nor the spiritual capable of functioning apart from the whole.²⁶

We believe that humans were created good²⁷ with the prospect of living forever on the good earth,²⁸ that they forfeited that prospect by disobeying God.²⁹

We believe that all human beings are now by nature sinful,³⁰ subject to death as a consequence of sin,³¹ and in need of salvation.³²

We believe that people are responsible to live holy and productive lives according to principles revealed clearly in Scripture.³³

We believe that the chief purpose of humans is to glorify God³⁴ and to enjoy being his people.

Regarding Salvation

We believe that Adam’s decision to disobey God resulted in God’s disapproval, spiritual and physical death for all humankind,³⁵ and an eternal destiny without hope apart from divine intervention on our behalf.³⁶

We believe that in keeping with the Father’s plan,³⁷ Christ came to earth,³⁸ willingly accepted death³⁹ as a substitute for sinners,⁴⁰ spent three days in the grave,⁴¹ and rose bodily from the dead,⁴² as will the multitude of those who are his when he returns.⁴³

We believe that the Holy Spirit in this age prompts the preaching of the good news about Christ,⁴⁴ convicts of sin,⁴⁵ regenerates those who have received the gift of faith,⁴⁶ and enables them to live a holy life.⁴⁷

Regarding the Church

We believe that the universal church is composed of all those who have put their trust in Christ alone for salvation.⁴⁸

We believe that local congregations of believers are properly referred to as churches,⁴⁹ and that their chief responsibilities are to worship God,⁵⁰to be instructed in the Scriptures,⁵¹to gather for fellowship,⁵²to uphold one another in wholesome living,⁵³ and to testify to God’s grace⁵⁴ in order to bring others to faith in Christ.⁵⁵

We believe that the only divinely instituted ordinances are the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion)⁵⁶ and the baptism by immersion of those who come to faith in Christ.⁵⁷

Regarding the Future

We believe that Jesus Christ will return to earth⁵⁸ to raise the dead,⁵⁹ judge all people,⁶⁰ eliminate evil,⁶¹ and establish God’s eternal kingdom on the earth made new.⁶²

We believe that at the Second Coming of Christ those without faith in him will be resurrected,⁶³ judged,⁶⁴ and punished consciously with a degree of pain appropriate to their guilt, then deprived of life altogether.⁶⁵

We believe that, in the interim between Christ’s first and second coming, those who die, believer and unbeliever alike, unaware of the passage of time, await the resurrection in an unconscious state.⁶⁶

We believe that those who have faith in Christ alone will live forever⁶⁷in the new heavens and upon the new earth,⁶⁸ that is, in the physical creation restored to its original perfection.⁶⁹

Regarding Relationships

We believe God created marriage⁷⁰ to be a lifelong union⁷¹ between a man and a woman⁷² that models the relationship between Christ and the church.⁷³ We believe that he calls us to faithfulness in marriage,⁷⁴ and purity in singleness.⁷⁵

We believe that God has created mankind, and each individual person, in his image,⁷⁶ and as divine image bearers, each person is worthy of love, dignity, respect, and protection from conception⁷⁷ to natural death.⁷⁸

We believe that God has created all of mankind as male and female,⁷⁹ assigning them distinct roles,⁸⁰ and pronounced his creation “Very good.”⁸¹

1. Deuteronomy 6:4, Deuteronomy 4:35, Psalm 96:5, Jeremiah 10:10, John 17:3, 1 Corinthians 8:4-6, 1 Timothy 2:5, Matthew 28:19, Luke 1:35, Matthew 3:16-17, 2 Corinthians 13:14, 1 Peter 1:2
2. Exodus 4:22, 2 Samuel 7:14, Matthew 6:9, Romans 8:15, Romans 15:6
3. Mark 1:1, Luke 1:35, Luke 4:41, Matthew 14:33, Matthew 16:16, Matthew 26:63-64, Matthew 27:543, John 1:14, John 1:49, John 11:27, John 20:31
4. John 14:16-17, John 16:7, Acts 5:3-4, 1 Corinthians 2:11-12, Ephesians 4:30
5. Exodus 4:22, 2 Samuel 7:14, Matthew 6:9, Romans 8:15, Romans 15:6, 2 Corinthians 1:3, 2 Corinthians 11:31, Ephesians 1:3, Colossians 1:3, 1 Peter 1:3
6. Genesis 17:1-2, 2 Corinthians 6:18, Revelation 1:8
7. Genesis 1:1, Revelation 4:11
8. Exodus 15:18, 1 Chronicles 29:11-12, Psalm 10:16, Psalm 29:10, Psalm 45:6, Psalm 146:10
9. Romans 8:19-23, Revelation 21:1, Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah 66:22, 2 Peter 3:10, Matthew 17:11, Matthew 19:28, Acts 3:21
10. Mark 1:1, Luke 1:35, Luke 4:41, Matthew 14:33, Matthew 16:16, Matthew 26:63-64, Matthew 27:543, John 1:14, John 1:49, John 11:27, John 20:31
11. John 1:1, John 1:18, John 10:30, John 20:28, Matthew 1:23, Romans 1:3-4, Romans 9:5, Philippians 2:5-11, Colossians 1:15-17, Colossians 2:9, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 1:3, 2 Peter 1:1, 1 John 5:20
12. Galatians 4:4-5, Genesis 3:15, Luke 2:40, Acts 17:30-31, Philippians 2:6-7, 1 Timothy 2:5, Hebrews 2:14-18, Hebrews 4:14-15, 1 John 4:2-3
13. Matthew 26:39, John 5:30, John 6:38, John 12:27, John 12:44-50, Philippians 2:8, Hebrews 5:8, 1 John 4:9-10
14. John 14:16-17, John 16:7, Acts 5:3-4, 1 Corinthians 2:11-12, Ephesians 4:30
15. John 16:8-11, 1 Corinthians 12:3
16. John 15:26, John 14:26, John 16:12-15
17. 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, 1 Corinthians 14:26, Ephesians 4:11-16
18. Hebrews 1:1, Amos 3:7
19. 2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21
20. Psalm 12:6, Proverbs 30:5, John 17:17, Titus 1:2
21. 1 Timothy 3:15, Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Deuteronomy 30:11, Deuteronomy 30:14, Psalm 19:7, Proverbs 1:2-6
22. 2 Timothy 3:16, Psalm 119:11, 2 Peter 1:10
23. Deuteronomy 6:5, Matthew 22:37, Mark 12:30, Luke 10:27
24. Genesis 1:26-28, Psalm 8:6-8
25. Genesis 2:7, Job 33:4
26. Ecclesiastes 12:7, James 2:26
27. Genesis 1:31, Ecclesiastes 7:29
28. Genesis 2:8-9
29. Genesis 3:17-19, Genesis 3:22-24
30. Psalm 51:6, Ephesians 2:1-3
31. Romans 5:12, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, James 1:15
32. Job 4:17-19, Psalm 13:1-3, Isaiah 64:6
33. Exodus 19:4-6, Leviticus 11:45, Micah 6:8, Romans 6:1-23, Romans 12:1, 2 Corinthians 7:1, 1 Thessalonians 4:7, 1 Peter 1:14-16, 1 Peter 2:9, 1 John 3:2-3
34. Romans 11:36, 1 Corinthians 10:31
35. Romans 5:12, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23, James 1:15
36. Isaiah 59:2, Ephesians 2:12, Ephesians 5:5-6, Romans 5:6-10
37. John 3:16, Ephesians 1:3-10
38. John 32:13, John 6:38, 1 Corinthians 15:47
39. John 10:17-18, John 5:30, Matthew 26:39, Matthew 26:53-54
40. Isaiah 53:4-6, 2 Corinthians 5:21
41. 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Mark 8:31
42. Acts 1:3, 1 Corinthians 15:5-8, Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16:1-20, Luke 24:1-49, John 20:1-23
43. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16, John 6:40
44. 1 Corinthians 2:4-5, 1 Corinthians 2:10-13
45. John 16:8-11, 1 Corinthians 12:3
46. John 3:5-6, Titus 3:5-6
47. Ezekiel 36:26-27, Romans 8:2-4, Romans 8:12-14, 1 John 5:4, 1 John 5:18
48. Acts 2:38-47, Galatians 3:26-28, 1 Corinthians 12:12-13
49. Multiple references to churches in cities (Acts 8:1, Acts 11:22, Acts 11:26, Acts 13:1, Acts 14:23, Acts 14:27, Acts 15:3-4, Acts 15:22, Acts 16:5, Acts 18:22, Acts 20:17, Romans 16:1, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 2 Corinthians 1:1, Colossians 4:16 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 2 Thessalonians 1:1, Revelation 2:1-14), provinces (Acts 9:31, Acts 15:41, 1 Corinthians 16:1, 1 Corinthians 1:19, 2 Corinthians 8:1, Galatians 1:2, Galatians 1:22), and households or meeting in homes (Romans 16:5-15, 1 Corinthians 16:15-19, Colossians 4:5, Philemon 2).
50. Ephesians 5:19-20, 1 Corinthians 14:26
51. Colossians 3:16, 1 Timothy 4:13
52. Acts 2:42, Philippians 1:3-5, 1 John 1:3
53. Hebrews 10:23-25, Hebrews 3:13, 2 Timothy 4:2
54. 1 Peter 4:10, Galatians 6:10, 1 Timothy 6:18
55. Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15
56. 1 Corinthians 11:23-25, Luke 22:14-23, Mark 14:22-25, Matthew 26:26-29
57. Mark 16:16, Matthew 28:19, Acts 2:38
58. John 14:2-3
59. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16, John 6:40
60. Acts 10:42, Acts 17:30-31, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Revelation 22:12
61. 1 Corinthians 15:24-26, Revelation 19:20, Revelation 20:10, Revelation 21:8
62. Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah 66:22-23, 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1-4
63. Daniel 12:2, John 5:28-29, Acts 24:14-15
64. Acts 10:42, Acts 17:30-31, 2 Corinthians 5:10, Revelation 22:12
65. Isaiah 65:15, Isaiah 66:16, Isaiah 66:24, Malachi 4:1, Matthew 10:28, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10
66. Job 3:11-19, John 14:10-12, Psalm 6:5, Psalm 146:4, Ecclesiastes 9:1-6, 1 Corinthians 15:17-18; References to death as sleep – Matthew 9:24, Mark 5:39, Luke 8:52, Matthew 27:52, John 11:11-14, Acts 7:60, Acts 13:36, 1 Corinthians 7:39, 1 Corinthians 11:30, 1 Corinthians 15:6, 1 Corinthians 15:18, 1 Corinthians 15:20, 1 Corinthians 15:51, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-15, 2 Peter 3:4
67. Romans 2:6-8, 1 Corinthians 15:50-57
68. Isaiah 65:17, Isaiah 66:22-23, 2 Peter 3:13, Revelation 21:1-4
69. Romans 8:19-23, Revelation 22:1-5
70. Genesis 2:18-24, Proverbs 18:22, Matthew 19:2-9
71. Matthew 19:2-9, 1 Corinthians 7:9
72. Matthew 19:2-9
73. Ephesians 5:22-33
74. Hebrews 13:4 , 1 Corinthians 7:1-40
75. 1 Corinthians 7:1-40
76. Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 9:6, James 3:9, 1 Corinthians 15:49
77. Job 10:8-12, Job 31:15, Psalm 139:13-16
78. Genesis 6:3, James 4:14, Psalm 139:16, Psalm 90:12, Job 14:5
79. Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:18
80. Genesis 2:18, Ephesians 5:22-33, Genesis 3:16-19
81. Genesis 1:27, Genesis 2:18