The Trinity
There is
one God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a unity of three co-eternal
Persons usually called the Trinity. God the Father is the Creator,
Source, Sustainer, and Sovereign of all creation. God the eternal Son
became incarnate in Jesus Christ, through Whom all things were
created; the character of God is revealed; the salvation of humanity
is accomplished; and the world is judged. God the Holy Spirit draws
men and women to Himself and gives spiritual gifts to the Church.
Christ our Hope
In
Christ's life of perfect obedience to God's will, His suffering,
death, and resurrection, God provided the only means of atonement for
human sin, so that those who by faith accept this atonement have
eternal life.
Christ's Return
The
second coming of Christ is the blessed hope of the Church, the grand
climax of the Gospel. His coming will be literal, personal, visible,
and world-wide. When He returns the righteous dead will be resurrected
and together with the righteous living will be glorified and taken to
heaven. The unrighteous - those who have rejected divine grace - will
die.
The Church
The
Church is the community of believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord
and Savior. In it men and women join together for worship, fellowship,
instruction in the Word, the celebration of the Lord's Supper, service
to our neighbors, and the world-wide proclamation of the Gospel.
The Holy Scriptures
The Old
and New Testaments are the written Word of God, given by divine
inspiration through holy men of God who spoke and wrote by the Holy
Spirit. The Scriptures are the infallible revelation of God's will.
Baptism
Baptism
by immersion is a symbol of our union with Christ, the forgiveness of
our sins, and our reception of the Holy Spirit.
The Ten Commandments
The Ten
Commandments, the great principles of God's law, are exemplified in
the life of Christ. They express God's love, will, and purposes
concerning human conduct and relationships. Salvation is all of grace
and not of works, but its fruitage is obedience to the Commandments,
not in hopeless effort to earn salvation, but in grateful harmony with
the life and will of Him whose perfect obedience has brought us
confidence and acceptance as His sons and daughters.
The Sabbath
The
seventh day of the week, Saturday, is observed as the day of rest,
worship, and ministry in harmony with the teaching and practice of
Jesus, the Lord of the Sabbath. The Sabbath is a day of delightful
communion with God and one another. We joyfully observe this holy time
from Friday evening to Saturday evening, from sunset to sunset, as a
celebration of God's creative and redemptive acts.
The New Earth
On the
new earth, in which righteousness dwells, God will provide a glorious
home for the redeemed with a perfect environment for everlasting life,
love, joy and learning. God Himself will dwell with His people, and
suffering and death will exist no more.
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