What We Believe

 God is the Creator of the world we live in. He controls what happens with His creation. He is eternal, meaning that He has always existed and always will. And He exists in three forms, all at the same time – God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit. 

 Mankind (that is, all human beings, male and female) was made in the spiritual image of God. His intent was that we would conform to His character. Mankind was made to give God glory – to be living, walking, breathing reminders that He exists. We fall short of that standard because of sin, an innate predisposition to disobey God. It’s part of us and wasn’t caused by anything we’ve experienced after we were born. Our sinful attitude separates us from God. We can’t have a right relationship with God on our own; we need to be forgiven of our sin, and that is only possible by believing that Jesus’s sacrificial death on our behalf at Calvary was for each of us, individually. 

 Jesus Christ is the Son of God (God the Son) He came to this Earth in human form more than 2,000 years ago, lived a sinless life and died a sacrificial death for every sin that mankind had committed to that point and would commit afterward. He then rose from the dead and resides in Heaven with God the Father. He has promised to return to Earth to establish a Kingdom here, and all who have accepted a relationship with Him (or, as we often say, those who are “saved” or “born again) will be part of that Kingdom. 

 The Holy Spirit is the presence of God here and today, as described in chapter 2 of the New Testament book of Acts. Becoming a more mature Christian involves allowing the Holy Spirit to take control over every aspect of your life. It’s a long and difficult process – in fact, it never ends! – because even after we’re saved, we retain our sinful nature. When we become more familiar with the Holy Spirit, He provides us with super-natural power for living, understanding of God’s ways, courage to share His love with others and guidance to live right.  We believe the Gifts of God, the Holy Spirit are in operation in the body of Christ today.

 The Bible is God’s Word for His people. It was written over the course of centuries by human authors under the guidance and direction of the Holy Spirit. The Bible is inspired(meaning it reflects God’s heart for how we should live and not the opinions of the human authors) and inerrant (meaning that it is absolutely true in all respects). The Bible is the Christian’s rule book, and our challenge is to obey it fully, rather than to selectively obey only the parts we agree with or understand. The Bible is God’s standard, and we experience more success in our spiritual lives as we conform our lives to its teachings. There are many translations of the Bible available, but you can find His heart and His directions for us in any of them. 

 Eternal life is promised to all of us. We are not earthly beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having an earthly experience! We have two possible destinations when our lives on Earth end: Heaven and Hell. The difference between destinations doesn’t depend on whether you were a “good person” or a “bad person;” it depends on your choice of relationship here on earth.   When you choose a relationship with Jesus Christ on earth you are choosing Heaven as your final destination.  When you choose not to enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ here on earth, then you are choosing to not spend eternity with Him; resulting in Hell as your final destination.