1. The Scriptures:
The Scriptures are the very words of God Himself. Scripture is not just inspired by God, it is God-breathed and is the product of holy men of old who spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. The New Testament serves as our infallible guide in matters pertaining to conduct and doctrine. The point of all Scripture is the revelation of God, in pointing to the person of Jesus Christ. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; John 5:39)
2. The Trinity:
“We worship one God in trinity and the trinity in unity; neither confounding the Persons, nor dividing the Substance. For there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost. But the Godhead of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, is all one; the Glory equal, the Majesty coeternal.” - The Athanasian Creed (Philippians 2:6; Matthew 3:16-17; John 1:1, 14; John 15:26)
3. Man, His Fall, and Redemption:
Man is a created being made in the likeness and image of God. Through Adam’s fall and transgression, sin came into the world. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” “As it is written, there is none righteous, no not one.” Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was manifested to undo the works of the devil and gave His life and shed His blood to redeem and restore man back to God. Salvation is the free gift of God to man, separate from works and the law, and is made operative by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Man is saved unto, and not by, good works. (Romans 5:12; 3:23; 1 John 3:8; Gal. 3:13,14; Ephesians 2:8-10)
4. Eternal Life and New Birth:
The Father, by the power and conviction of the Holy Spirit, draws men to redemption through the person and work of Jesus Christ. Man must repent and believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to receive salvation, also known as the “new birth” (John 3:3). The new birth or being “born again” is necessary to all men. Eternal life is not just in an age to come but is a reality for the believer now. To know the Lord Jesus, and be in an active affectual relationship with Him, is eternal life. This process is also known as justification.
(John 6:44; Romans 10:9-10; John 17:3; Romans 5:1)
5. Water Baptism:
Baptism in water by immersion is a direct commandment of our Lord and is for believers only. The ordinance is a prophetic participation by the Christian with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Matt. 28:19; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12; Acts 8:36-39). Water baptism does not wash away sins, only the blood of Jesus does (1 Peter 3:2 1; Rev. 1:5).
6. Sanctification:
The primary function of the Holy Spirit in a Christian is to conform the individual into the image of Jesus through a process called sanctification (Romans 8:29-30). Separate from justification, sanctification is the ongoing salvific process worked out by the power of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. The Holy Spirit, by empowering grace, transforms believers to become like the One they worship (Philippians 2:12-13).
7. Baptism in the Holy Spirit:
The Baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire is a gift from God, promised by the Lord Jesus Christ, and is received subsequent to the new birth. The gifts of the Holy Spirit were present, powerful, and active throughout the Church in the New Testament and continue today, not having ceased after the Apostolic age (Matt. 3:11; John 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:38,39; Acts 19:1-7; Acts 2:4, 1 Cor. 12:1-11). The Holy Spirit equips who He will, as He will, when He will (1 Corinthians 12:4-7). The Baptism in the Holy Ghost is not a one time experience but a repeated experience of being filled and refilled by the person of the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39).
8. Communion, The Lord’s Supper:
We partake of the Lord’s Supper at the command of Jesus to show His death till He comes (1 Cor. 11:23-31). “When He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, ‘This is My body which is given for you’… In the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, ‘This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.’” (Luke 22:19-20) We believe Christ Himself is present when believers gather to partake of the covenant meal.
9. Resurrection of the Just and Unjust:
The angels said, “This same Jesus shall so come in like manner.” His coming is imminent. When He comes, “The dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air” (Acts 1:11; 1 Thes. 4:16,17). At His return, the unjust will be resurrected for the purpose of standing for judgment before Him (2 Timothy 4:1). He shall return to the earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and together with His saints, He will reign for eternity. We believe the Lord’s Kingdom is increasing and of His government there will be no end (Isaiah 9:7). We are progressing towards the fulfillment of Revelation 11:15, “The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever”.
10. Eternal Conscious Torment:
We believe that those who reject God’s offer of grace and forgiveness and are not found in the Book of Life will be raised and judged in the resurrection of the wicked and given over to eternal conscious punishment in the Lake of Fire along with the devil and his angels for all eternity (Matt. 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Rev. 19:20, 20:11-15, 21:8).
11. Laying on of Hands:
Laying on of hands is a part of the foundational teaching of the Church (Hebrews 6:1-2). Scriptural precedent is given for laying on of hands to speak a blessing (Mark 10:13-16), to pray for healing (James 5:14-15; Mark 5:22-23,41; 5:28-31; Acts 28:8; 19:11-12), to confer an office (Acts 6:2-6), to receive the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:16-18), and to ordain for a work (Acts 13:1-3), and to equip for a God-given assignment (2 Timothy 1:6). There is nothing magical about laying on of hands – it is an expression of faith whereby we partner with and believe God. It is physical obedience that is connected to spiritual significance.
12. Marriage and Family:
Marriage is God-ordained. The Lord has defined marriage as a covenant relationship between one man, one woman, and Himself. Hence, we only recognize marriage between a biological man and a biological woman (Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4; Eph. 5:25; 1 Peter 3:7). The expression of marriage is primarily to represent Christ and His bride to the world at large (Ephesians 5:32). Children are a gift from the Lord (Psalm 127:3) and parents are commanded to raise their children in practical and spiritual matters, primarily in how to know and love the Lord (Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4).