We believe in the
5 Solas:
- Sola Gratia (By Grace Alone)
- Sola Fide (By Faith Alone)
- Sola Scriptura (By Scripture Alone)
- Sola Christus (in Christ Alone)
- Soli Deo Gloria (to the Glory of God Alone)
We believe
in the principles of TULIP
T-Total Depravity.
Human beings are so affected by the negative
consequences of original sin that they are incapable
of being righteous, and are always and unchangeably
sinful; human freedom is totally enslaved by sin so
we can only choose evil.
U - Unconditional
Election. God chooses to save people
unconditionally, that is, they are not chosen on the
basis of their own merit.
L - Limited Atonement.
The sacrifice of Christ on the cross was for the
purpose of saving the elect.
I - Irresistible Grace.
When God has chosen to save someone, He will.
P - Perseverance of the
Saints. Those people God chooses cannot lose
their salvation; they will continue to believe.
If they fall away, it will be only for a time.
We
believe in the
Westminster Confession
We believe the following are "essentials"
of the reformed faith:
The Authority of Scripture
The Scriptures of the Old and New
Testament are God’s uniquely revealed and written Word,
inspired by the Holy Spirit, and are the church’s first
and final authority in all areas of faith and life
including, but not limited to, theological doctrine,
mission, church order, character, and ethical behavior.
God / The Holy
Trinity
We worship the one only living and true
God who is revealed in the Bible and who is the source of
all life, glory, goodness, and blessedness. We believe
there is one God alone, infinite and eternal, Creator of
all things, the greatest good, who is one in essence or
nature, yet who exists in a plurality of three distinct
persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Humanity – Original Righteousness and Fall
into Sin
Human beings were created by God in God’s
own image – in true righteousness and holiness – to know,
love, and obey God and be righteous stewards of the
creation. Our earliest forebears, instead of
acknowledging, worshipping and obeying God, became
disobedient sinners and brought sin and death upon
themselves and all creation. There is now a radical
brokenness and corruption in human nature that is the
result of and results in sin. Sin is rebellion against
God. No human effort can fully resolve or redeem this
defect. Sin is destructive, contagious, parasitical,
polluting, disabling. Human beings are sinners by nature,
by influence, by choice and by action.
Jesus Christ – Incarnation of the Eternal
Word
Jesus Christ is fully God and fully human.
In the person of Jesus of Nazareth, the eternal Son of God
uniquely entered human history and became a real human
being. He is truly the Word of God (John 1:1-3) – that is,
the perfect and culminating expression of God’s mind and
heart, of God’s will and character – present in the
intimate fellowship of the Holy Trinity from eternity and
fully engaged with the Father in the work of creation and
redemption. Becoming human, Jesus was "all of God in a
human body" (Colossians 1:19) and "God with us" (Matthew
1:23) – a living tabernacle of God’s holy presence, "Full
of grace and truth (John 1:14-18). His divine-human
identity is corroborated by the true witness of scripture
– in His divine conception and virgin birth, in God’s own
testimony concerning Jesus, in Jesus’ supernatural works
of healing and deliverance, in his obedience to the point
of sacrificial death, and in his bodily resurrection from
the dead, ascension, and exaltation. He is now Lord over
everything in creation and God’s only Mediator between God
and humankind and God’s unique agent for the salvation of
the world.
Jesus Christ – His
Atoning Work
Jesus’ death on the Cross was the atoning
sacrifice for the sins of the world. In this act of
obedience to God’s will and love for humankind, Jesus
acted as the divine agent for the salvation of the world.
In his death he perfectly fulfilled the office of High
Priest and was also the perfect sacrifice for sins – "the
Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." (John
1:29) The Cross became an altar on which his life was
sacrificed as a substitute for ours, and satisfaction and
expiation for sins was completely accomplished. On the
sole basis of the finished work of Christ on the Cross,
sinners may now be reconciled to a holy God and set free
from their bondage to sin and death to live for God in
holiness and joy. Exalted to the place of honor beside God
the Father, Jesus Christ the eternal Son, now Lord of
heaven and earth, continues his saving work, advocating
and interceding on behalf of the church and functioning as
our eternal prophet (God’s living and revealed Word),
priest (ever making intercession and mediation for us),
and king (ruling His church by Word and Spirit and with
sovereign love and power).
Salvation by Grace
through Faith
Salvation is God’s gracious work through
Jesus Christ to reclaim humankind and all creation from
sin and its consequences. Salvation is a gift of God’s
grace received by faith. Christ’s righteousness and
atonement are the sole basis for human salvation. Faith in
Christ is the only instrument by which this righteousness
is received by individual believers, resulting in their
justification.
J ustification is the righteousness
of Christ imputed to a sinful person through faith alone
in Christ. Their faith appropriates Christ’s atonement,
resulting in their sins atoned for and forgiven and God
reckoning them to be righteous.
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