This is copied almost verbatim from my Church’s website. The reason I copied their creed rather than authoring my own is because I agree with it 100%; else, I’d find a new church! The only change I made to the credo is to make it personal, substituting “I” for “we.” I also added my own final note at the end which is not part of the canon of my creed, but is a summary of the way to salvation. More information about that can be found here: The Story of Jesus.
The Scriptures
The Bible is the inspired Word of God, the product of holy men of old who spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. The New Covenant, as recorded in the New Testament, I accept as the infallible guide in matters pertaining to conduct and doctrine (II Timothy 3:16, I Thessalonians 2:13, II Peter 1:21).
The Godhead
God is one, but manifested in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, being coequal (Deuteronomy 6:4, Philippians 2:6). God the Father is greater than all; He is the Sender of the Word (Logos) and the Begetter (John 14:28, John 16:28, John 1:14). The Son is the Word flesh-covered, the One Begotten, and has existed with the Father from the beginning (John 1:1, John 1:18, John 1:14). The Holy Spirit proceeds forth from both the Father and the Son and is eternal (John 14:16, John 15:26).
Man, His Fall and His Redemption
Man is a created being, made in the likeness and image of God, but through Adam’s transgression and fall, sin came into the world. The Bible says “…All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God,” and “…There is none righteous, no, not one.” (Romans 3:10 & 23). Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was manifested to undo the works of the devil and gave His life and shed His blood to redeem and restore man back to God (Romans 5:14, I John 3:8). Salvation is the gift of God to man, separate from works and the Law, and is made operative by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, producing works acceptable to God (Ephesians 2:8-10).
Eternal Life and the New Birth
Man’s first step toward salvation is godly sorrow that works repentance. The new birth is necessary to all men, and when experienced, produces eternal life (II Corinthians 7:10, John 3:3-5, I John 5:12).
Water Baptism
Baptism in water is by immersion, is a direct commandment of our Lord, and is for believers only. The ordinance is a symbol of the Christian’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Matthew 28:19, Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12, Acts 8:36-39). The following recommendation regarding the water baptismal formula is adopted; to wit: “On the confession of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and by His authority, I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen.”
The Baptism in the Holy Ghost
The Baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire is a gift from God as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ to all believers in this dispensation and is received subsequent to the new birth. This experience is accompanied by the initial evidence of speaking in other tongues as the Holy Spirit Himself gives utterance (Matthew 3:11, John 14:16 & 17, Acts 1:8, Acts 2:38 & 39, Acts 19:1-7, Acts 2:1-4).
Sanctification
The Bible teaches that without holiness no man can see the Lord. I believe in the Doctrine of Sanctification as a definite, yet progressive work of grace, commencing at the time of regeneration and continuing until the consummation of salvation at Christ’s return (Hebrews 12:14, I Thessalonians 5:23, II Peter 3:18, II Corinthians 3:18, Philippians 3:12-14, I Corinthians 1:30).
Divine Healing
Healing is for the physical ills of the human body and is wrought by the power of God through the prayer of faith, and by the laying on of hands. It is provided for in the atonement of Christ, and is the privilege of every member of the Church today (James 5:14 & 15, Mark 16:18, Isaiah 53:4 & 5, Matthew 8:17, I Peter 2:24).
The Resurrection of the Just and the Return of Our Lord
The angels said to Jesus’ disciples, “…This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” His coming is imminent. When He comes, “…The dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…” (Acts 1:11, I Thessalonians 4:16 & 17). Following the Tribulation, He shall return to earth as King of kings, and Lord of lords, and together with His saints, who shall be kings and priests, He shall reign a thousand years (Revelation 5:10 & 20:6).
Hell an Eternal Retribution
The one who physically dies in his sins without accepting Christ is hopelessly and eternally lost in the lake of fire and, therefore, has no further opportunity of hearing the Gospel or repenting. The lake of fire is literal. The terms “eternal” and “everlasting,” used in describing the duration of the punishment of the damned in the lake of fire, carry the same thought and meaning of endless existence as used in denoting the duration of joy and ecstasy of saints in the Presence of God (Hebrews 9:27, Revelation 19:20).
Addendum
What is your stance on salvation?
I want to be absolutely clear about one thing: no one will get to Heaven without first accepting Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Lord of their life! This is what the Bible says in Romans 10:9-10 (NASB): “9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” Jesus is the Son of God, and the only way to Heaven is through Him. A recent conversation encouraged me to further develop the Biblical proof of this here. John 14:6 (NASB) says, “6 Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.’” And Mark 16:15-16 says, “15 And He said to them, ‘Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation. 16 He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.’”
What is a Born Again Christian?
I do not agree with this new idea that “everyone good will go to Heaven.” That’s salvation based on works. If we could be saved by being good, then why did Jesus die on the cross? If we didn’t need Him to purchase our salvation, then why did He even come to Earth? Here’s what Paul had to say about this to the church in Ephesus:
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NASB)
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God;
9 not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.
No, we can’t get anything but a one-way ticket to Hell without Christ. We were lost and on our way to destruction, but God loved us so much that He sent His only Son to die a sinner’s death on the cross so that we could have a right relationship with Him. That’s it; there is no other way of salvation, and there is nothing more you have to do. Anything less is not salvation, and anything more is works. God created us for good works, but that is not how you attain salvation. This is how you attain salvation.
~Jonathan
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