THE ESSENTIALS

 

ABOUT GOD

  • God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe.
  • He has eternally existed in three personalities:
  • the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
  • These three are co-equal and are one God (The Trinity).
 

ABOUT THE FATHER

  • He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise.
  • He reigns with providential care over the universe and the flow of human history goes according to His purposes and plan.
  • God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
 

ABOUT JESUS CHRIST

  • Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father.
  • Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all the people by dying on a cross.
  • He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death.
  • He ascended to Heaven’s glory and will return again some day to earth to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
 

ABOUT THE HOLY SPIRIT

  • The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God.
  • He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ.
  • He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation.
  • He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right.
  • He gives every believer a spiritual gift when they are saved.
  • As Christians we seek to live under His control daily.
 

ABOUT THE BIBLE

  • The Bible is God’s Word to us.
  • It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit.
  • It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living.
  • Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error.
  • It is the inerrant, infallible, authoritative, and sufficient Word of God.
 

ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS

  • People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character.
  • People are the supreme object of God’s creation.
  • Although every person has tremendous potential for good,
  • All of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called “sin.”
  • This attitude separates people from God and causes problems in life.
 

ABOUT SALVATION

  • Salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it.
  • We can never make up for our sins by self-improvement or good works.
  • Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can anyone be saved from sin’s penalty.
  • When we turn from our self-ruled life (repentance) and turn to Jesus in faith, we are saved.
  • Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.
 

ABOUT ETERNAL SECURITY

  • Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity.
  • If you have been genuinely saved, you cannot “lose” it.
  • Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian.
  • It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security.
 

ABOUT ETERNITY

  • People were created to exist forever.
  • We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation.
  • To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life.
  • Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.