The Bible
The Bible teaches that the Old and New Testaments are the divine revelation of God (1 Timothy. 5:18), and thus constitutes the Word of God. Men chosen by God wrote the Bible under the superintendence of the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21; 3:15,16). Therefore, every word of the original documents is God-breathed (commonly called “verbal-plenary inspiration”) (2 Timothy 3:16). Therefore the entire Bible is both inerrant and authoritative in every thing pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). Those sections of the New Testament dealing directly with the church are authoritative for the practice of the church (1 Corinthians 10:6-12; 1 Timothy 3:14,15; 2 Timothy 3:16,17).
The Godhead
The Scriptures teach that God is infinite (Ephesians 1:11), self-existent (Isaiah 57:15), Spirit (John 4:24), unchangeable in His nature (James 1:17), omnipotent (Revelation 4:8), omniscient (Isaiah 46:10), omnipresent (Psalm 139:1-16), holy (2 Timothy 4:8), righteous (Matthew 19:17), good, love (1 John 4:8-16), and truth (John 14:6). God exists eternally as three distinct, yet inseparable persons (Psalm 2:2) known to us as God the Father (Hebrews 1:12), God the Son (Psalm 2:7), and God the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 63:10). These three are one in nature (Deuteronomy 6:4), essence (Mark 12:29), and attributes (John 10:30; cf. Matthew 28:19). Each is equally worthy of worship, trust and obedience (2 Corinthians 13:14). Each of these divine persons has a distinct function in the execution of the everlasting purpose of the Godhead (John 16:7; 15:26; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 12:4-6; 1 John 1:9).
God the Father
The Bible teaches that God the Father is the ultimate source of all things (1 Corinthians 8:6). His Fatherhood relationship to the Son denotes their equality of nature, while at the same time it expresses the subordination of the Son to the Father in the execution of the divine purpose (John 1:1,2). He also has a Fatherhood relationship to the angels, thus expressing His authoritative headship (Job 1:6). He now forgives the sins of believers, entering a Fatherhood relationship with them through their spiritual birth, by which He indwells them, thus making them partakers of His divine nature, and calling them His children (Ephesians; 2 Peter 1:4; 1 John 3:9; Romans 8:15-16). The Father is the One Who sent the Son as His gift into the world (John 3:16). The Father in partnership with the Son, sent the Holy Spirit to be resident in the world on the Day of Pentecost (John 14:26; 15:26).
God the Son, Jesus Christ
The Bible teaches that the second person of the trinity is God the Son whose name is the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:1,2; Romans 9:5; 2 Peter 1:1,16,17). The “incarnation” was the point in history when God came to earth as a man, being born of a virgin by the Holy Spirit (John 1:14; Luke 1:31-35; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 3:14). His incarnation had no change on His deity (Philippians 2:6-8). While living on earth Jesus lived a sinless life (Hebrews 4:15) and as an innocent man (Matthew 27:4,24) He was put to death to appease the wrath of God for men (2 Corinthians 5:14,15; 1 John 2:2). He was then buried and then arose bodily from the grave three days later (1 Corinthians 15:1-4). He then ascended bodily into heaven (Acts 1:9-11) and is presently praying and mediating for those who believe in Him (Hebrews 7:25; Romans 8:34; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-10; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3; Daniel 9:24-27). He has promised to return prior to the tribulation on earth to deliver those who believe in Him (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; 5:9; Revelation 3:10). After the tribulation He will return to earth and institute His Millennial reign on earth for 1000 years (Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 1:32; Revelation 20:4).
God the Holy Spirit
The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead, co-eternal and co-equal with the Father and the Son (Acts 5:3-4; Hebrews 9:14; Matthew 28:19). The Holy Spirit was co-agent in creation (Job 26:13), the divine author of the revelation from God (2 Peter 1:21), and the divine agent in the supernatural conception of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:18). He became resident in the world on the Day of Pentecost as a result of being sent by the Father and the Son (John 14:26; 15:26). Since that time He is the co-witness through the believer concerning Christ; He takes the things of Christ and glorifies Him (John 15:26; 16:13,14). He convicts the unsaved of their need for Christ (John 3:5; 16:6-10), then regenerates, baptizes, indwells, and seals those who respond by believing (1 Corinthians 6:19; 12:13; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 4:30). He is the anointer or divine teacher of the believer (1 John 2:20) whom He seeks to lead into spiritual maturity through the knowledge of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:10-12), and to empower through His filling ministry (Ephesians 5:18).
Salvation
Salvation is by the grace of God through His free gift which is neither merited nor secured in part or in whole by any virtue or work of man (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7). The sole ground or basis of salvation is the death of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. There He became personally separated from the Father when the Father poured out on the Son His punishment against sin. Thereby the Father’s anger was appeased (Isaiah 53:10; Romans 6:10; 1 John 2:2). Because of His infinite character, His death was a sufficient redemption for all mankind (2 Peter 2:1; Romans 3:24). The single condition whereby God’s punishment on Christ for sins, God’s forgiveness in Christ for our sins, and God’s reconciliation in Christ to Himself can be applied to any person is by that person’s faith in the crucified and risen Son of God (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-10,13; Ephesians 2:8-9). In salvation, the believer is called, regenerated, baptized in Christ, forgiven of all sins, justified, made eternally secure, and endowed with every spiritual blessing (Titus 3:5; Romans 3:24; 5:11; Ephesians 1:3,13,14).
Man
Adam was created in the image and likeness of God immediately and apart from any process of evolution (Genesis 1:26-27). Adam, by personal disobedience to the will of God, became a sinner (Genesis 3:5-7), depraved in nature and subject to Satan’s power (Ephesians 2:2,3; 2 Corinthians 4:3,4). This sin nature and depravity has been transmitted to the entire human race (Romans 5:19; Psalm 51:5), so that man is a sinner by nature, choice, and practice, and guilty before God, possessing within himself no means of recovery or salvation (Romans 3:10-12). Since man was created for Christ (Colossians 1:16), he can find no real purpose or meaning in life until he comes to have a living relationship to Jesus Christ.
The Church
The church is the people of God (1 Peter 2:9-10) and the body of Christ (Ephesians 1:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12:27). Those who receive Christ become God’s children (John 1:12-13) and are added to the church (Acts 2:41,47). By a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit they are united to the body of Christ, which is the church (1 Corinthians 12:13). The church is a spiritual body born on the day of Pentecost, into which all true believers of this age are baptized by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13; Acts 1:5; 11:15-17). Accompanying this baptism is the giving of spiritual gifts which are used for the edification of the Church (1 Corinthians 12:1-14; Ephesians 4:7-13). The exalted Christ is the only Head of the Church (Ephesians 1:22; 5:23,24). The local church is to practice the ordinances of water baptism and the Lord’s supper. Baptism, an act of obedience not a basis of salvation, is by immersion in water in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). It is obligatory on the believer and is a sign of identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection, and is a prerequisite for membership (Acts 8:25-29; 1 Peter 3:21). The Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of the death of Christ until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:26). The officers of the local church are elders (this term used interchangeably with pastor), and deacons (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:6-9; Acts 20:17,28). The local churches have the responsibility of worship of the Father and of the building up of themselves through the teaching and preaching of the Gospel and through the functioning of each member in the body by means of their gift (Matthew 28:20; Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 10:25).
Spiritual Gifts
All believers, since the beginning of the church at Pentecost, have received a spiritual gift (1 Corinthians 12:7,11,18,19; 1 Peter 4:10). These gifts are the result of the Spirit baptizing the believer into the body of Christ, and correspond to the functions of members of the body (1 Corinthians 12:12,13). These gifts were given for the edification and good of the local church, and not the individual recipient (1 Corinthians 12:15-25; Ephesians 4:11-13). In the beginning of the church some gifts were given which were of a temporary nature and are thus no longer given.
Some of these gifts were revelatory providing oral revelation while the New Testament was being completed (1 Corinthians 14:26). These are the gifts of apostle and prophecy, the discerning of spirits, a word of knowledge, and a word of wisdom. Others were confirmatory sign gifts (Hebrews 2:2-4; 1 Corinthians 13:8-12). These gifts vindicated the spokesman of God while the New Testament was incomplete. These were healing and miracles as well as tongues and interpretation (1 Corinthians 14:22). Tongues were specifically a sign to unbelieving Jews according to 1 Corinthians 14:21. All other gifts mentioned in the New Testament, however, should be operative in the local church today (Romans 12:7,8; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Corinthians 12:9,28).
Spirit Beings
The Scriptures teach that prior to the creation of the material universe, the triune God created a great host of varied spirit beings (Job 38:4-7; Colossians 1:16,17). The holy angels serve God as His messengers, and minister to those who are the elect among the human race (Hebrews 1:14). Lucifer, the highest Cherubim, fell by sinning against the most high God and took with him a large number of angels (Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:14; Revelation 12:7). Satan is the author of sin and the one who brought about the fall of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:5). Satan is the enemy of God, the accuser of God’s people and is constantly active in opposing the works and people of God (Revelation 12:11; 1 Peter 5:8). Satan was judged at the cross (John 12:31; 16:11), and his ultimate destiny is the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:7,10).
Future Events
The Bible teaches that at death the spirit or soul of the believer passes instantly into the presence of Christ and remains in conscious joy until the his body is resurrected when Christ returns (2 Corinthians 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57). The blessed hope of the believer is imminent, personal, pretribulational, premillenial appearance of Christ to obtain the church (called the “rapture” of the Church) (Titus 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17). His righteous judgments will then be poured out on an unbelieving world during the Tribulation (Daniel’s 70th week), the last half of which is the Great Tribulation (Matthew 24:21). The climax of the fearful era will be the physical return of Jesus Christ in great glory to introduce the Davidic Kingdom (Revelation 19:11-16). Israel will be saved and restored as a nation (Romans 11:26,27). Satan will be bound and the curse will be lifted from the physical creation (Revelation 20:2-3). Following the Millennium, the Great White Throne Judgment will occur, at which time the bodies and souls of the wicked shall be reunited and cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:11-15).