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Jesus Christ:
Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On earth,
Jesus was 100 percent God and 100 percent man. He is the only man ever to
have lived a sinless life. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life,
performed miracles, died on the cross for humankind and, thus, atoned for
our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on the
third day according to the Scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the
Father, and will return again in power and glory (see Isa. 9:6; John
1:1,14; 20:28; Phil. 2:5,6; 1 Tim. 2:5; 3:16).
Virgin Birth:
Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit (the
third person of the Trinity) in the virgin Mary’s womb; therefore, He is
the Son of God (see Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18,23-25; Luke 1:27-35).
Redemption:
Humanity was created good and upright, but by voluntary transgression, it
fell. Humanity’s only hope for redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of
God (see Gen. 1:26-31; 3:1-7; Rom. 5:12-21).
Regeneration:
For anyone to know God, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely
essential (see John 6:44,65).
Salvation:
We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ: His death, burial and
resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works
or of any human effort (see Rom. 10:9,10; Acts 16:31; Gal. 2:16; 3:8; Eph.
2:8,9; Titus 3:5; Heb. 9:22).
Repentance:
Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our
lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and
to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance we receive
forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation (see Acts 2:21; 3:19; 1 John
1:9).
Sanctification: Sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s
Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ’s
character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and
the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a godly life (see
Rom. 8:29; 12:1,2; 2 Cor. 3:18; 6:14-18; 1 Thess. 4:3; 5:23; 2 Thess.
2:1-3; Heb. 2:11).
Jesus’ Blood:
The blood that Jesus Christ shed on the cross of Calvary was sinless and
is 100 percent sufficient to cleanse humankind from all sin. Jesus allowed
Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and our sins, enabling all
those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death (see
John 1:29; Rom. 3:10-12,23; 5:9; Col. 1:20; 1 John 1:7; Rev. 1:5; 5:9).
Jesus Christ Indwells All
Believers: Christians are people who have
invited the Lord Jesus Christ to come and live inside them by His Holy
Spirit. They relinquish the authority of their lives over to Him, thus
making Jesus the Lord of their lives as well as Savior. They put their
trust in what Jesus accomplished for them when He died, was buried and
rose again from the dead (see John 1:12; 14:17,23; 15:4; Rom. 8:11; Rev.
3:20).
Baptism in the Holy Spirit:
Given at Pentecost, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is
the promise of the Father. It was sent by Jesus after His Ascension to
empower the Church to preach the gospel throughout the whole earth (see
Joel 2:28,29; Matt. 3:11; Mark 16:17; Acts 1:5; 2:1-4,17,38,39; 8:14-17;
10:38,44-47; 11:15-17; 19:1-6).
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit:
The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to
build and sanctify the Church, demonstrate the validity of the
resurrection and confirm the power of the gospel. The lists of these gifts
in the Bible are not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in
various combinations. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the
manifestation of the gifts in their lives. These gifts always operate in
harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of
biblical parameters (see Rom. 1:11; 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:1-31; 14:1-40; Eph.
4:16; 1 Tim. 4:14; 2 Tim. 1:5-16; Heb. 2:4; 1 Pet. 4:10).
The Church:
The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God
through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus’
Great Commission. Every person born of the Spirit is an integral part of
the Church as a member of the Body of believers. There is a spiritual
unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ (see John 17:11,20-23;
Eph. 1:22; 2:19-22; Heb. 12:23).
Healing of the Sick:
Healing of the sick is illustrated in the life and ministry of Jesus, and
included in the commission of Jesus to His disciples. It is given as a
sign that is to follow believers. It is also a part of Jesus’ work on the
cross and one of the gifts of the Spirit (see Ps. 103:2,3; Isa. 53:5;
Matt. 8:16,17; Mark 16:17,18; Acts 8:6,7; Rom. 11:29; 1 Cor. 12:9,28; Jas.
5:14-16).
God’s Will for Provision:
It is the Father’s will for believers to become whole, healthy and
successful in all areas of life. But because of the fall, many may not
receive the full benefits of God’s will while on earth. That fact, though,
should never prevent all believers from seeking the full benefits of
Christ’s provision in order to serve others.
- Spiritual (see John 3:3-11; Rom.
10:9,10; 2 Cor. 5:17-21).
- Mental and emotional (see Isa. 26:3;
Rom. 12:2; Phil. 4:7,8; 2 Tim. 1:7; 2:11).
- Physical (see Isa. 53:4,5; Matt. 8:17; 1
Pet. 2:24).
- Financial (see Deut. 28:1-14; Josh. 1:8;
Ps. 34:10; 84:11; Mal. 3:10,11; Luke 6:38; 2 Cor. 9:6-10; Phil. 4:19).
Resurrection:
Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified body
three days after His death on the cross. As a result, both the saved and
the lost will be resurrected—they that are saved to the resurrection of
life, and they that are lost to the resurrection of eternal damnation (see
Luke 24:16,36,39; John 2:19-21; 20:26-28; 21:4; Acts 24:15; 1 Cor.
15:42,44; Phil. 1:21-23; 3:21).
Heaven:
Heaven is the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the gospel of
Jesus Christ (see Matt. 5:3,12,20; 6:20; 19:21; 25:34; John 17:24; 2 Cor.
5:1; Heb. 11:16; 1 Pet. 1:4).
Hell:
After living one life on earth, the unbelievers will be judged by God and
sent to hell where they will be eternally tormented with the devil and the
fallen angels (see Matt. 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Heb. 9:27; Rev. 14:9-11;
20:12-15; 21:8).
Second Coming:
Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second
time to establish His kingdom. This will occur at a date undisclosed by
the Scriptures (see Matt. 24:30; 26:63,64; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thess. 4:15-17;
2 Thess. 1:7,8; Rev. 1:7). |
