We believe God created human beings for fellowship with Himself and with one another, to benefit from all the bounty that God is. Humankind was created to appreciate, steward, and cultivate all that God created and to be a blessing to one another. Every human being is imparted inherent value, being created in God’s image, and God guards that value. We must learn our nature and purpose from Him.

We believe that God has communicated for permanent record by inspiring the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament. These Scriptures are a wholly reliable and adequate expression of what we must know to understand God and our purpose. We believe the Scriptures to be the only infallible rule for faith and life.

A word like redemption presumes a problem and a need. We believe Scripture reveals that a fundamental alienation occurred in the beginning between humankind and God. Ever after the first distrust and rebellion, our human race has characteristically turned away from God, not believing His faithfulness and promised hope, and engaging in things selfish, unloving, and harmful. Death itself came into the world because of this unbelief and sin; and, for every human being, if no reconciliation with God occurs, that alienation will endure beyond physical death.

We believe that God has provided hope for forgiveness and reconciliation to Himself through Jesus Christ. Scripture says that Christ,

“…gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2:14)

His giving his life on the cross was to provide atoning sacrifice for the sake of those whom He redeems, willingly taking to Himself the punishment for their sins. Scripture says,

“He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross…” (2 Peter 2:24)

and

“…the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:5)

This gift of salvation is received through faith alone. In Scripture, the newness of heart and identity that is God’s gift by his Spirit is called being “born of God” or “born again”. We believe that only those in whom God dwells by his Spirit have eternal life and belonging in God’s family.

We believe that Jesus Christ is alive. The Scripture declares that God,

“…raised Christ from the dead and seated him at His right hand in the heavenly realms…” (Ephesians 1:20).

Christ is called,

“King of kings” (Revelation 19:16)

and He rules to bring to ultimate accomplishment all God’s purposes. There will come a day when Christ returns both to judge and to save. Those who have denied and refused Him will be shut out from the presence of God, but those who have humbled themselves and have believed and hoped in Him will be accepted and received to God for everlasting life.

We believe that the nature of eternal life involves bodily resurrection at Christ’s return and word. We look forward, in the culmination of the last great day, to full peace with God and to a new and restored heaven and earth, which is aptly described in what was revealed to the Apostle John, when he wrote,

“And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” (Revelation 21:3-5)