THE (NON-NEGOTIABLE) “CORE” TRUTHS

The Scriptures

The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and is the record of God’s revelation of Himself to man.  It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction.  It has God for its author, and therefore it is wholly without error.  It reveals the depths of God’s love and the principles by which God judges us; and therefore is, and will remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried.  It is sufficient as our only infallible rule of faith and practice.

(1 Corinthians 2:7-14; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Matthew 5:18, 24:35; John 10:35; Hebrews 4:12; Psalm 119:89)

Scripture is inspired          (2 Timothy 3:16)

Scripture reveals God.      (John 20:31)

Scripture is infallible.         (Proverbs 4:15)

Scripture is inerrant.                  (Psalm 19)   

Scripture is living.             (Hebrews 4:12)

Scripture is unique.          (Jude 3)     

Scripture is sufficient.       (2 Timothy 3:17)

Scripture is complete.      (Jude 3, Hebrews 1:1)

God

There is one and only one living and true God.  He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe.  God is infinite in holiness and all other perfections.  To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience.  The eternal God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.

(Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Timothy 2:4)

 There is one God existing in three persons.(Duet. 6:4,Matt 28:18-20)

God the Father

God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace.  He is all powerful, all loving, and all wise.  God is Father in truth to those who become His children through faith in Jesus Christ.  He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men.

(Psalm 145:8-9; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Genesis 1:1-31; Ephesians 4:6; John 1:12; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:5; Hebrews 12:5-9)

The Father is invisible.               (John 1:18)

He is creator of all.                    (Gen. 1:1)

He is Father to the redeemed.   (John 1:12)

God the Son

God is the eternal Son of God.  In His incarnation as Jesus Christ, He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, hence the God-Man.  Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God, taking upon Himself the demands and necessities of human nature and identifying Himself completely with mankind, yet without sin.  He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of men from sin.  He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion.  He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, partaking of the nature of God and of man, and in whose person is effected the reconciliation between God and man.  He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission.  He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.

(John 10:30, 14:9; John 1:3; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:2; Philippians 2:5-8; 1 Timothy 2:5)

 The Son is eternal.                   (John 8:58, John 1:1, Col. 1, Heb 1)

The Son is eternally God.                    (John 1)

The Son is the only mediator.    (1 Timothy 2:5)

The Son was virgin born.           (Isaiah 7:14, Matt 1:23)

The Son took on flesh.             (Phil. 2:6-8)

The Son was sinless.                 (Hebrews 4:15)

The Son died on the cross.                 (Phil. 2:5-10)

The Son rose.                          (1 Cor. 15:4)

The Son will come again.           (Rev. 19:11-16)

God the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God.  He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures.  Through illumination He enables men to understand truth.  He exalts Christ.  He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment.  He calls men to the Savior and effects regeneration.  He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church.  He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption.  His presence in the Christian is the assurance of God to bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ.  He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

(1 Corinthians 2:10-13; Ephesians 4:30; Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:3-4, 28:25-26; 1 Corinthians 12:1-6; Hebrews 10:14-15; John 16:7-14)

 The Holy Spirit is a Person.                  (Acts 5:3, 5:9, 1 Thess. 5:19)

The Holy Spirit exalts Christ.       (John 16:14)

The Holy Spirit indwells believers at Salvation.                               (Eph 1:13)

Man

Man was created by the special act of God, in His own image, and is the crowning work of His creation.  In the beginning, man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice.  By his free choice, man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race.  Through the temptation of Satan, man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence; whereby all men inherited a sin nature and an environment inclined toward sin, and as soon as they are capable of moral action become transgressors and are under condemnation.  Only the grace of God can bring a man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God.  The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore every man possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.

(Genesis 2:7,15-25; James 3:9; John 3:36; Romans 3:23, 6:23; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 John 1:8)

Man was created by God.          (Gen. 2:7)

Man was created in the perfect image of God, yet by his free choice, sinned against God. (Gen 3:1-7)

All men are sinners by nature and by choice. (Rom. 3:9-18)

All men bear the image of God, despite the corruption of sin. (James 3:9)

Salvation

Salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer.  In its broadest sense, salvation includes regeneration, repentance, and faith, sanctification, and glorification.

Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus.  It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 3:3-8; Titus 3:5)

Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace.  Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God.  Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and surrender of one’s entire person to Him as Lord and Savior. (Acts 20:20-21)

 Justification is the declarative act of God by which, on the basis of the sufficiency of Christ’s atoning death, He pronounces every believer to be righteous, that is to have fulfilled all of the requirements of the law.  Justification brings the believer into a personal relationship of peace and favor with God. (Romans 5:1)

 Justification is a completed transaction at the moment of salvation.

 Sanctification is the experience, beginning at the new birth, by which the believer is set apart to God’s purposes, and is enabled to progress toward Christ-likeness through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit indwelling in him.  Growth in grace should continue throughout the believer’s life. (Acts 20:32; 1 Corinthians 1:2,30, 6:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 2:11; 1 Peter 1:2)

Sanctification continues throughout the earthly life of the believer.

Glorification is the culmination of salvation and is the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed. (Romans 8:16-17; 2 Peter 1:4; 1 John 3:2-3)

The final state of the believer is Christ-likeness dwelling forever in heaven with Him.

Resurrection

 There will be a final resurrection for all men, the just and unjust.  Those who surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ during this life will be raised to everlasting life in Heaven, but those who did not surrender their lives to Jesus Christ in this life will be raised to everlasting condemnation in Hell.

(Acts 24:15; Hebrews 9:27; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17; Revelation 20:15, 21:8)

There are only two eternal destinies for man:  Heaven or Hell.