Statement of Faith

The following nine beliefs are foundational truths the Corporation holds as core convictions:

1. The Bible

We believe the sole basis of our beliefs is the Bible, composed of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe Scripture originated entirely from God and that it was given through writers inspired by God. Scripture speaks with the authority of God and at the same time reflects the backgrounds, styles and vocabulary of the human authors. Scripture is presented exactly as God intended and without error in the original manuscripts. They are the unique, full, and final authority on all matters of faith and practice, and there are no other writings similarly inspired by God. Psalm 119:60; Matthew 5:17-18; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 10:15-16; 2 Peter 1:20-21

2. God

We believe there is one infinite and personal God, who is the sovereign Creator and omnipotent

Sustainer of all things, who is eternal and has perfectly existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Trinity equally possesses all the characteristics of personality and attributes of deity, and for eternity have existed, mutually giving and receiving love. Each person is equally

deserving of worship and obedience. By His providence, He operates throughout history to fulfill His redemptive purposes. Isaiah 41:4, 45:5, 46:10; Matthew 28:19; Genesis 1:1; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Deuteronomy 6:4; Jeremiah 32:17; Psalm 139:1-10; John 1:18, 4:24

3. Humanity

We believe that God created mankind, male and female, in his image, meaning that each individual person has been created in the image of God, and therefore carries intrinsic value, worth, and dignity. Adam, the first man and representative of all humanity, fell into sin. His sin and guilt has been transmitted to every person, both in a legal sense but also that every person is born with a sinful nature, a natural inclination towards sin. The result of this Fall is that humanity has been separated from God, as each person is born into rebellion against God. We are completely unable to redeem ourselves, apart from the sacrificial, saving work of Jesus Christ. Also, the image of God in humanity has been marred or distorted by sin, although, the image still remains in each person. Among followers of Christ, that image will one day be fully restored. Gen. 1:27, 9:6; Rom. 3:23, 5:12, 5:18-19, 6:23; 1 Cor. 15:49; Col. 3:10. 15

4. Salvation

We believe that mankind was originally created good and meant to enjoy a loving relationship with God. However, because of the Fall, sin separated humanity from God, creating a need for reconciliation with God that humanity could never meet. The penalty we deserved for our sin is death and eternal separation from God. But God chose to send his son Jesus Christ, to live the perfect life, fulfilling all righteousness as a representative of humanity, and then die on the cross, taking the penalty for our sin upon himself. Then, on the third day, he rose from the grave defeating sin and death, and made the way for our salvation. Now, through the grace of God and the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit, we are able to believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and are united with him. In this union, we are declared legally righteous before God, we are adopted into the family of God as beloved sons and daughters, being brought back into a loving relationship with Him we were created for. We are transformed into the image of Christ through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, and ultimately, we will be glorified when the image of God is once and for all fully restored in us. Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:10, 23-28, 4:6, 5:9-10, 6:3-11, 6:23, 8:3, 10:3; Isaiah 64:6; Galatians 2:16, 20; Ephesians 1:3-7, 4:32; John 1:12, 3:3, 3:16, 10:28; Acts 4:12, 13:38-39; 2 Corinthians 5:1, 17-21; Colossians 3:9-10; 1 Peter 1:3-6

5. Jesus Christ

We believe Jesus Christ was both fully God and fully man; therefore, His deity was total and His humanity was perfect. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary and, as the Son of God, He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father. He voluntarily atoned for the sins of all by being crucified and dying on the cross as a sacrifice for the sins of mankind, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation of all who trust in Him and His work alone. He arose bodily from the dead and He ascended to the Father’s right hand. There, as High Priest and Advocate, he intercedes for the believer before the Father. He will return personally and bodily to earth in power and glory to consummate history and fulfill the eternal plan of God. Colossians 1:15-17; Philippians 2:5-8; John 1:1, 4:26, 8:58; Luke 24; Hebrews 2:14, 4:14-16, 9:24, 10:5; Acts 1:9-11; Matthew 1:18-25, 25:31-46; Mark 10:45; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18; Romans 5:18-19; 1 Corinthians 15:12-19; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Isaiah 53:5; Revelation 11:15-17, 20:4-6, 11-15, 22:13

6. The Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, whose present ministry is to glorify

Jesus Christ, convict people of sin (awakening in them the recognition of their need of a Savior) and to be actively involved in the life of the believer. The Holy Spirit’s ministry in believers’ lives involves regenerating and permanently indwelling them at the moment of conversion, and guiding, instructing, and empowering them for Christ-like living. The Holy Spirit applies the truths of redemption in the life of the believer, allowing us to find rest in our forgiveness and fullness of life in our adoption into the family of God. The Holy Spirit’s power and control are appropriated by faith, making it possible for believers to live a life of holiness and obedience and to bear fruit to 16the glory of Christ. John 14:16, 26, 16:8, 13, 3:5-8; Psalm 139:7-10; Genesis 1:27; Acts 5:3-4, 2 Corinthians 3:17; Ephesians 4:30; Titus 3:5; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 12:13; Romans 8:9, 13; Galatians 5:16-17, 25

7. The Church

We believe the universal church is the body of Christ, of which He is the head, and it is composed of all who have acknowledged Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord and are united to Him and to one another by the indwelling Holy Spirit. All individual believers are to be an active part of a local church body, devoting themselves to worship, prayer, the teaching of God’s Word, the observance of believers’ baptism and communion as the sacramental ordinances established by Jesus Christ, fellowship, service to the body and outreach to the world, thereby glorifying Christ and furthering His purposes. (Matt. 16:18, 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-47; Rom. 12:4-9; 1 Cor. 12:7, 12:12-13; Eph. 4:12; Col. 1:18; 1 Pet. 4:10)

8. Christian Living

We believe that God's justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and

purpose. God has invited us into His mission of bringing forward the kingdom of God and

commanded us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed. In these ways, we seek to join God in His mission to bring the kingdom of God to bear on this world. These works flow naturally from a life of faith, and are evidence of genuine faith in a follower of Christ. 2 Timothy 3:16; John 14:15; John 15:4-6; Romans 8:5-6; Colossians 3:1-17; Acts 2:42-47, James 2:17.

9. Eternal Destiny

We believe death seals the eternal destiny of each person. At the return of Christ, every human being will be bodily resurrected from the dead. The believer will be resurrected and received into everlasting life and joy and communion with the Lord and will be rewarded according to works done in this life that glorify Christ. The unbelievers will be resurrected to judgment and condemnation, as God will reveal His justice in consigning them to perpetuate, in eternal retribution, their own rejection of God. These unbelievers will therefore be everlasting and consciously separated from Him. We believe that God will raise the dead, bodily, and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Isaiah 65; Matthew 20:1-16, 25:14-30, 46; John 5:24-29; 1 Corinthians 3:11-15, 9:25, 15:13; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Timothy 2:11; Romans 2:5-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:7- 10; Revelation 14:11, 20:11-15; 21-22

Additional Position Statements

1. Marriage and Sexuality

We believe that God created humanity male and female in his own image and that rejection of one's biological sex is therefore inconsistent with God's created order (Gen. 1:26). Further, we believe that marriage is a unique covenantal bond between one man and woman for life (Gen. 2:24, Mal. 2:14-16, Matt. 19:5). We further affirm The Nashville Statement.