Statement of Faith

  1. God exists as one divine essence in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. The Holy Trinity is best described by the ancient Creeds of the Church: the Apostle’s Creed, the Nicene Creed, and the Athanasian Creed.
  1. The Bible is the Word of God, through which God reveals Himself to the human race. In the original languages it is inerrant (cannot err), infallible (does not err), inspired (God-breathed), and true. Rare scribal errors and inaccurate translations reflect the limitations of fallen humanity. The Bible interprets itself. What is difficult to understand in one text can be explained by other texts. The Bible is the Keys textbook.
  1. Jesus Christ possesses a dual nature: fully God and fully human. He is the Word of God in human form. Only He has lived a completely sinless life.
  1. The Bible tells us that we are all sinners in need of God’s forgiveness. We cannot earn God’s favor through any good works, virtues, or merits of our own. Good works cannot contribute even partially toward our salvation. Salvation is only available as a free gift to the truly penitent. Good works result from gratitude for the forgiveness given as a free gift.
  1. Jesus’ death on the cross made full satisfaction for all of our sins, to reconcile us to God. His resurrection from the dead makes eternal life available to every penitent sinner who believes in Him. Because we cannot save ourselves from our sins, He did on our behalf what we could never do for ourselves.
  1. Faith in Jesus can only come through the Holy Spirit, Who works on us through the Word. He brings faith to us from outside of ourselves, because nothing in us can develop faith on our own or go in pursuit of it.
  1. No one is predestined to go to hell: not ssa/ma/tx people, nor anyone else. God’s will is for everyone to be saved. However, we have the free will to reject His forgiveness.
  1. A Christian, by definition, is a penitent sinner relying only and entirely on the mercy of God for his/her salvation through the sacrificial death of Jesus. Our sins separate us from God, and when we refuse to repent of our sins, we keep ourselves separate from Him. When we repent of our sins and accept the offered forgiveness by faith, we are justified, which means we are declared righteous, by God Himself.
  1. The Old Testament Laws can be divided into three categories. The Ceremonial Law was fulfilled in Christ when He died on the cross for our sins, therefore it no longer applies. The Civil Law no longer applies because Christians are called to obey the laws of their own country. The Moral Law still applies, but only Jesus kept it perfectly. The Moral Law is reinforced in the New Testament and serves as the mirror that shows us our sins and our need for God’s mercy through Jesus.
  1. The Moral Law cannot save us, but it does serve three purposes. First, it curbs the impulse to sin, even in unbelievers. Second, and most importantly, it is the mirror that shows us our sin and our need for forgiveness through Jesus’ sacrifice. Third, it is a rule of life for the Christian, who pursues a life of holiness out of gratitude for the mercy given him/her.
  1. Sanctification, being made holy, is a life-long process of living honestly before God, confessing sins as the Holy Spirit brings them to our awareness, and continuing to receive forgiveness by faith. We are both justified and sanctified by the mercy of God through Jesus. Every true Christian desires to become more like Him. No one gets to entire sanctification in this life; final perfection will only occur when we come before our Lord in heaven.
  1. Jesus will return at the end of the world, just as He promised. Those who have believed in Him will live forever in His presence.