The Bible is the authoritative Word of God, given to mankind by which we can know Him, love Him, and serve Him as He designed us to and as He requires. It was given to man by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as God directed the writing of the human authors, but maintained the personality and perspective of the human authors. The Bible is for the equipping of God's people for the work of ministry (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
The Bible is trustworthy as the authority over the life of the Christian and is without error, that when all the facts are fully known, the original Scriptures, properly interpreted, will be shown to be entirely true and without error in everything they affirm, whether in matters of doctrine, history, or the physical sciences.
Any contradiction to this belief means there can be no confidence that what it teaches is true, and we can not have confidence in our faith. We encourage the testing of the Bible, knowing that the Bible will be found true by a genuine investigation.
Sola Scriptura (Scripture Alone): The Bible is the only inerrant, sufficient, and final authority for Christian faith and practice (2 Tim. 3:16-17).
Sin is any evil action or evil motive that is in opposition to God and His nature, as revealed in His Word. Sin can be a lingering thought, feeling, or action that violates the holy and righteous nature of God, expressed in His Law (Matt. 5:22; 27-28). Sin can be an act of omission, not doing something you know you are obligated or should do, or an act of commission, an intentional or voluntary choice to sin. The effects of sin are not limited to the sinner but extend beyond the individual to impact others (Gen. 3).
All have sinned, and no one is good according to God's moral standard (Rom. 3:10-12, 23). All sin is evil and morally wrong, no matter how small, with all sin leading to death and eternal separation from God in Hell (Rom. 6:23). It is an act of evil against an eternally holy God and warrants an eternal consequence.
Any view of sin that is less than what the Bible teaches removes the severity of it and the need for Jesus' sacrifice, without which we cannot be saved.
Sin is a crime against God, incurring a debt that can only be paid in the most valuable resource of humankind, blood (Lev. 17:11). In the Old Covenant, the debt was temporarily paid by the blood of a perfect, unblemished animal (Lev. 1-4). In the New Covenant, atonement is paid once and for all by the perfect blood of Jesus, who was unblemished by sin and whose human nature made His sacrifice effective for humanity (Heb. 10:1-18).
This atonement is received by faith in Jesus, accepting Him as the atoning sacrifice for one's sin against God and putting one's trust in Him as the risen Savior. No amount of money, effort, or good deeds can repay our debt to God, but only the blood of Jesus. Good deeds are expected and do not make up for past sins. Therefore, any attempt to earn one's salvation is futile.
Sola Fide (Faith Alone): We are justified and saved through faith in Jesus Christ alone, apart from any good works or human merit (Eph. 2:8-9).
The gospel is the Good News of Jesus Christ that He came to earth, lived a perfect, sinless life, sacrificed Himself upon the cross to give His blood as the payment for human sin, rose from the dead three days later to prove faith in Him leads to everlasting life, and all who put their trust in Jesus will receive this gift of forgiveness and be saved from the eternal destruction, living with Him in eternity (Rom. 3:23-24; 1 Cor. 15; Eph 1:7).
There is no other name under Heaven given to man by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12).
Grace is defined as receiving the gift of God's forgiveness and inheritance, even though we deserved to be punished for our sins and to spend eternity in Hell separated from Him. This gift could not be earned by our good works or resources, but is freely given by God to those who have put their trust in Jesus and have become co-heirs with Him (Rom. 8:17; Eph. 2:8-9).
Any definition of grace that includes human effort in some way is not biblical grace.
Sola Gratia (Grace Alone): Salvation is an unmerited gift of God's grace; it is entirely His doing, not the result of human effort (Eph. 2:8-9).
The word "trinity" is not explicitly stated in the Bible, but the components of it are clearly identified as the three persons of God: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All three are separate persons who make up the single being, whom the Bible calls God. They are all co-eternal and of the same in essence and nature (hypostasis). All three are present and distinct throughout the Bible and are equally present in the baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3:13-17; Mk. 1:9-11; Lk. 3:21-22).
God is not a force within the universe or in nature. He is not a distant god, nor an impersonal being. God is a personal God who is separate from His creation, but is involved in His Creation, walking with His people, loves His people, and acts in ways that demonstrate that love (Deut. 31:6; Matt. 28:20; 1 Jn 3:16, 4:19).
There is no perfect analogy in this three-dimensional, physical universe to describe the true nature of the Trinity, and every attempt to do so results in a form of heresy. God is not bound by or limited to the Universe in which He created, but exists beyond it, resulting in a limited ability to understand His true nature by those bound to this universe.
God, the Father, is the Creator of all things. He created all things out of nothing by His Word, and His glory is seen by what He has made (Gen 1:1; Rom. 1:20; Col. 1:15-16). He is faithful to what He has promised, working all things together for His glory and for the good of those who love Him (Rom. 8:28).
He loves the world and is patient, desiring that no one should perish, but that all should repent and put their trust in His Son, Jesus Christ (Jn. 3:16; 2 Pet. 3:9)
Jesus is the Word of God and the second person of the Trinity (Jn. 1:14). He is the only begotten Son of God and the firstborn (inheritance rights - primogeniture) over all Creation, through whom and for whom all things were made, both the visible and invisible (Jn. 3:16; Col. 1:15-16). He exists eternally as God and has never not been God.
In the incarnation, Jesus came through a virgin, being conceived by the Holy Spirit, took on flesh and lived as a human being, setting aside His divine attributes and not using them to His advantage (Matt. 1:18; Phil. 2:6-8). Jesus was fully human and fully God (hypostatic union), never ceasing to be either. Both were essential to His ministry and atoning work.
Jesus lived a perfect life, never sinning, so that He could be the perfect blood sacrifice humanity needed to pay its debt to God (2 Cor. 5:21). He took our place before the judgment of God, the Father, and paid the debt we deserved for our sin. After willingly going ot the cross, He rose three days later, as predicted, proving His words true, that only through faith in Him can a person receive this payment on their behalf and be given a new, everlasting life (Rom. 3:24-25).
Jesus now sits at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, preparing a place for His people (Jn. 14:2-3). He will return soon, at a time no one but the Father knows, to gather them and bring final judgment for sin upon the Earth (Matt. 24:44; Rev. 22:12).
Any belief in a Jesus that is not as the Bible describes is a false Jesus, and He cannot save.
Solus Christus (Christ Alone): Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and humanity, and salvation is found exclusively in Him (Jn 14:6; Acts 4:12).
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He is not an "it" or an impersonal force, but a person, just as the Father and Son, being referred to as a "He" and as God (Jn. 14:26; Acts 5:4).
The Holy Spirit is the Helper sent by Jesus, who indwells believers, uniting them by the same faith in Jesus (Eph. 4:3-6), to guide believers in the Truth (Jn. 16:13), to empower them to will and act according to God's will (Phil. 2:13), and is the believer's down payment for salvation (Eph. 1:13-14).
He also was sent to convict the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgment (Jn. 16:8). He works in the hearts of unbelievers to prepare them for the gospel, carried by believers.