GOD
Monotheism and the Holy Trinity
God is triune. He is three distinct individuals - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - in one true God. (John 10:30, John 15:26, Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 9:6; Colossians 1:15-17; 2:9)
“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you.” Matthew 28:19-20
Creator, Holy, Love, Judge, All-Knowing, Self-Sufficient, Full of Glory
God is the only uncreated, Creator. He alone is holy, love, and judge. He was, is, and is to come. (Genesis 1, Isaiah 6:3, 1 John 4:8, Psalm 50:6, Revelation 1:8)
“Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgements and unfathomable are His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to Him again? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.” Romans 11:33-36
MAN
Created in God's image
God created man in His imagine. In the Garden, Adam & Eve, lived free of sin with rationality, discretion, self-governance, and moral responsibility to God. (Genesis 1:26; 2:7,15-25)
"Then God said, "Let Us make man in our image, according to our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." Genesis 1:26
Sin and Death
Sin is disobedience to God's law. Adam sinned against God in the garden. Adam’s sin of disobedience resulted in the loss of his innocence - incurring the penalty of physical and spiritual death. Adam’s sin has been transmitted to all men of all ages. All men are sinful by nature, choice, and divine declaration (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-19; John 3:36; Romans 3:23, 6:23; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2: 1-3; 1 Timothy 2:13-14; 1 John 1:8; Psalm 14:1-3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:9-18, 23, 5:10-12).
"For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive." 1 Corinthians 15:21-22
SALVATION
By Grace through Faith
Salvation is heartily of God by grace on the basis of the redemption of Jesus Christ, the excellency of His shed blood, and not on the basis of human works (John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7,2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:18-19).
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
Forgiven, Justified, Adopted, Sanctified
Biblical faith is always companioned by repentance from sin. Repentance is agreeing with God that man is sinful, confession of sins to Him, and making a conscious choice to turn from sin (Luke 13:3,5) and pursue Christ (Matthew 11:28-30) and obedience to Him (1 John 2:3). Through Biblical faith, one is forgiven, justified, adopted, and sanctified.
JESUS CHRIST
Fully God. Fully Man.
Jesus Christ possesses all the divine excellencies, and in these He is coequal, consubstantial, and coeternal with the Father (John 10:30; 14:9). He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary (Luke 1:35) and thus born of a woman (Galatians 4:4-5), so that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the divine and the human, were joined together in one person, without confusion, change, division, or separation. Jesus is therefore fully God and fully man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God and man.
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
Perfect Sacrifice, Burial, and Resurrection.
Jesus Christ willingly died on the cross, physically lay lifeless in a tomb, and resurrected from death. On the cross, Jesus absorbed the wrath of God, becoming the perfect sacrifice & atonement for sin - satisfying the wrath of God. Those who are saved by grace through faith are imputed His righteousness (2 Corinthians 5:21). The Christian’s assurance to receive the gift of eternal life in the resurrection with Jesus is rooted in the finished work of Jesus Christ.
“Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by this name this man stands here before you in good health.” Acts 4:9-10
HOLY SCRIPTURES
God's Word alone.
Because God cannot lie, every word from God is true (see Psalm 119:160; Numbers 23:19; Hebrews 6:17-18). The 66 books of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God and are therefore without error in their original writings (John 17:7; Hebrews 4:12; Luke 24:44, 27; 2 Peter 1: 3-4, 20). God spoke in His written Word by a process of dual authorship. The Holy Spirit superintended human authors through their individual personalities and different writing styles - composing and recording God’s Word to man (2 Peter 1:20-21) without error (Matthew 5:18; 2 Timothy 3:16). It is the responsibility of believers to ascertain carefully the true intent and meaning of Scripture, under the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit (John 7:17; 16:12-15; 1 Corinthians 2:7-15; 1 John 2:20), recognizing that proper application is binding on all generations. Moreover, the truth of Scripture stands in judgment of men; never do men stand in judgment of Scripture.
“All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” 2 Timothy 3:16