THE APOSTLE’S CREED

We hold to the original truths of Christianity which Christ Jesus left to his apostles and commanded them to proclaim to the world. These truths were recorded in The Holy Bible and have formed the Christian doctrine for over 2000 years. These truths were confirmed by eyewitness who saw Jesus’ ministry, miracles, life, death, burial, resurrection and acension to Heaven. In the 4th century A.D., The Church formed the Apostle’s Creed. The word “creed” comes from the Latin word “credo,” which means to believe, or a profession of faith. This creed was developed to help Christians easily remember and articulate what they believe, and it summarizes what the Holy Bible proclaims about Jesus.

Although society and culture will constantly change its view on God, sin, and life-after-death, God has never changed. His Word remains true even today. Jesus is mankind’s only hope for salvation. There is salvation in no one else. There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them.

THE APOSTLE’S CREED
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
Creator of heaven and earth.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord,
who was conceived by the Holy Spirit,
born of the Virgin Mary,
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died and was buried;
he descended into hell;
on the third day he rose again from the dead;
he ascended into heaven,
and is seated at the right hand of God the Father almighty;
from there he will come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and life everlasting.

Amen.

STATEMENT OF FAITH

Holy Bible

The Holy Bible, is the authoritative Word of God. It alone is the final authority in determining all doctrinal truths. In its original writing, it is inspired, infallible and inerrant. (II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26)

Trinity

There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and co-eternal. The Father, Son and Holy Spirit each reflect a certain side of God’s character. (I John 5:7; Genesis 1:26; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6; Hebrews 3:7-11)

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On earth, Jesus was 100% God and 100% man. This is why Scripture calls him the Son of God and Son of Man. He was born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross for mankind and thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory. His sole purpose in coming to earth as a man was to suffer death so that He could become a sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Now, anyone who believes Jesus is God who died and rose again for our sins, and is willing to repent of their sin, will be saved from eternal separation from God, and join Jesus in Heaven in the next life. (John 1:1,14, 20:28; I Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; Philippians 2:5-6; I Timothy 2:5, Romans 10:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21)

Virgin Birth

Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity) in the virgin Mary's womb; therefore, He is the Son of God, and was born with no sin in him. (Matthew 1:18, 25; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:27-35)

Redemption

Man was created good and upright, but by voluntary transgression he fell; his only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God. No amount of religious works can purchase our forgiveness. Only faith in Jesus can forgive sins (Gen. 1:26-31, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21)

Regeneration

Scripture declares that for anyone to know God, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential. Jesus called this regeneration the “new birth,” or being “born again.” Jesus taught us that the regeneration process happens within a person’s spirit when he believes Jesus is the Son of God who died and rose again for our sins. Once a person believes this in their heart, and confesses it with their mouth, they become a “new person,” and God’s Spirit helps them obey His ways. (John 6:44, 65; Matthew 19:28; Titus 3:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17)

Salvation

Scripture declares that we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ: His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts. (Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22)

Repentance

Scripture declares that repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance we receive forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation. Repentance is an ongoing work in the life of a believer. Whenever a believer sins, he can repent (acknowledge the sin and confess it to God), and he is immediately forgiven and receives the grace and mercy of God. (Acts 2:21, 3:19; I John 1:9)

Sanctification

Scripture declares that sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ's character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a Godly life. (I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; II Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18, II Thessalonians 2:1-3, Romans 8:29, 12:1-2, Hebrews 2:11)

Jesus' Blood

Scripture declares The Blood that Jesus Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary was sinless and is 100% sufficient to cleanse mankind of all sin. Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and our sins, enabling all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death. (I John 1:7; Revelation 1:5, 5:9; Colossians 1:20; Romans 3:10-12, 23, 5:9; John 1:29)

Jesus Christ Indwells All Believers

Scripture declares that Christians are people who have invited the Lord Jesus Christ to come and live inside them by His Holy Spirit. They relinquish the authority of their lives over to him thus making Jesus the Lord of their life as well as Savior. They put their trust in what Jesus accomplished for them when He died, was buried, and rose again from the dead. (John 1:12; John 14:17, 23; John 15:4; Romans 8:11; Revelation 3:20)

Baptism in the Holy Spirit

Given at Pentecost, The Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father, sent by Jesus after His Ascension. The Holy Spirit enables the Church to experience God’s in-dwelling presence, and empowers them to preach the Gospel throughout the whole earth. (Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:11; Mark 16:17; Acts 1:5,2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:15-17, 19:1-6)

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit

Scripture declares that the Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, and confirm the power of the Gospel. The Bible's lists of these gifts are not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in various combinations. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of the gifts in their lives. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of Biblical parameters. (Hebrews 2:4; Romans 1:11, 12 :4-8; Ephesians 4:16; I Timothy 4:14; II Timothy 1:6-7; I Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; I Peter 4:10)

The Church

Scripture declares that the church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus' Great Commission. Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral part of the church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23)

Sacraments

— Water Baptism: Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the new convert is commanded by the Word of God to be baptized in water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. This public act of obedience and humility represents our old life dying, being buried with Christ, and rising out of the water as a new creation. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48)

— The Lord's Supper: A unique time of communion in the presence of God when the elements of bread and grape juice (the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) are taken in remembrance of Jesus' sacrifice on the Cross. (Matthew 26:26-29; I Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-25)

— Marriage: Marriage is clearly defined in the Bible as a covenant, a sacred bond between one man and one woman, instituted by and publicly entered into before God (Matthew 19:4-6). Marriage is not a man-made idea. It is God’s idea. God determines the boundaries of marriage. His definition of marriage does not change with the times or with culture. Marriage is given to mankind as a gift, which represents the loving relationship Jesus desires to have with his Bride, the Church. (Genesis 5:2, Genesis 2:24)

Healing of the Sick

Healing of the sick is illustrated in the life and ministry of Jesus, and included in the commission of Jesus to His disciples. It is given as a sign, which is to follow believers. It is also a part of Jesus' work on the Cross and one of the gifts of the Spirit. Our role in the healing process is to simply have faith in God’s ability to heal. God’s role in the process is to determine when and how healing comes, whether in this life or in the next. (Psalm 103:2-3; Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; Mark 16:17-18; Acts 8:6-7; James 5:14-16; I Corinthians 12:9, 28; Romans 11:29)

Resurrection

Scripture declares that Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified body three days after His death on the cross. In addition, both the saved and the lost will be resurrected; they that are saved to the resurrection of life and they that are lost to the resurrection of eternal damnation. (Luke 24:16, 36, 39; John 2:19-21, 20:26-28, 21:4; Acts 24:15; I Corinthians 15:42, 44; Philippians 1:21-23, 3:21)

Heaven

Scripture declares that Heaven is the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. At the end of the age, God will create a new heaven and a new earth for believers to live in eternally. (Matthew 5:3, 12, 20, 6:20, 19:21, 25:34; John 17:24; II Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 11:16; I Peter 1:4)

Hell

Scripture declares that after living one life on earth, everyone will stand before God to give an account for their life. Hell is a literal place that was originally designed for Satan and the angels who rejected God. People can choose to allow Jesus’ crucifixion to pay for their sins, or they can choose to pay for their sins on their own. Hell is the place reserved for those who reject Jesus, and choose to pay for their sins on their own.  (Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 14:9-11, 20:12-15, 21:8)

Christ’s Second Coming

Scripture declares Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for a second time to establish His Kingdom. This will occur at a date undisclosed by the Scriptures. (Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; I Thessalonians 4:15-17; II Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 1:7)

God’s Sovereignty Over Gender

Scripture declares that God holds sovereign authority over all creation, including mankind and gender. God determines a person’s gender at birth: male or female. He seals and proves His decision on an individual’s gender by granting them anatomical proof of the gender He decided upon for them. Nowhere in Scripture, or throughout the course of human history, has God permitted or ordained mankind to determine their own gender. (Genesis 5:2; Genesis 1:27; Psalm 139:13-18; Psalm 119:89; 1 Samuel 15:29; Malachi 3:6)