What We Believe

Before listing our current understanding of fundamental Christian beliefs, I would like to state on behalf of everyone supporting and participating in these web sites that our understanding of Scripture is a work in progress.  We are willing to examine anything in the light of Scripture to make sure that what we believe harmonizes with God’s word.

Our beliefs are:

  1. There is one true God, Father of all, Creator of all.
    • God’s name is represented by the Hebrew Tetragrammaton.
    • Getting the exact Hebraic pronunciation is impossible and unnecessary.
    • It is important to use God’s name, whatever pronunciation you may favor.
  2. Jesus is our Lord, King, and only Leader.
    • He is the Father’s only-begotten Son.
    • He is the Firstborn of all creation.
    • All things were made through him, for him and by him.
    • He is not the creator, but the maker of all things. God is the creator.
    • Jesus is the image of God, the exact representation of his glory.
    • We submit to Jesus, for all authority has been invested in him by God.
    • Jesus existed in heaven before coming to earth.
    • While on earth, Jesus was fully human.
    • Upon his resurrection, he became something more.
    • He was not resurrected as a human.
    • Jesus was and is “the Word of God”.
    • Jesus has been exalted to a position second only to God.
  3. The holy spirit is used by God to accomplish his will.
  4. The Bible is God’s inspired word.
    • It is the basis for establishing truth.
    • The Bible consists of thousands of manuscript copies.
    • No part of the Bible should be rejected as myth.
    • The accuracy of Bible translations must always be verified.
  5. The dead are non-existent; the hope for the dead is the resurrection.
    • There is no place of eternal torment.
    • There are two resurrections, one to life and one to judgment.
    • The first resurrection is of the righteous, to life.
    • The righteous are resurrected as spirits, in the manner of Jesus.
    • The unrighteous will be resurrected to earth during the millennial Reign of Christ.
  6. Jesus Christ came to open the way for faithful humans to become God’s children.
    • These are called the chosen ones.
    • They will rule on Earth with Christ during his reign to reconcile all humanity with God.
    • The earth will be filled with people during Christ’s reign.
    • By the end of Christ’s reign, all humans will again be sinless children of God.
    • The only way to salvation and eternal life is through Jesus.
    • The only way to the Father is through Jesus.
  7. Satan (also known as the devil) was an angelic son of God before he sinned.
    • The demons are also spirit sons of God who sinned.
    • Satan and the demons will be destroyed after the 1,000 year Messianic Reign.
  8. There is one Christian hope and one Christian baptism.
    • Christians are called to become the adopted children of God.
    • Jesus is the mediator for all Christians.
    • There is no secondary class of Christian with a different hope.
    • All Christians are required to partake of the emblems in obedience to Jesus’ command.