Sometime around 1980 I turned my life over to God and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. It was an easy thing for me to do at the time as I had been raised in church and I already had a good understanding of who God was. I just did not understand what it meant to have a relationship with him.
I would like to take this opportunity to share what I believe with you:
I submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. My desire is to know Christ and be conformed to His image by the power of the Holy Spirit.
I believe there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory; that this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all.
I believe in God, the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayer; and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
I believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings; His substitutionary atoning death; bodily resurrection; ascension into heaven; perpetual intercession for His people; and personal, visible return to earth. We believe that He is one and the same as God. He was fully human and fully God.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower in ministry all who believe in Christ. I believe the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is an abiding Helper, Teacher, and Guide. I believe that Jesus Christ baptizes the seeking believer with the Holy Spirit and power for service, either at the time of or subsequent to regeneration, which is a separate work from the indwelling Spirit for salvation. I believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and in the exercise of all biblical gifts of the Spirit as reflected through the fruit of that same Spirit.
I believe that all the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, and that they are the infallible rule of faith and practice.
I believe all people are by nature separated from God and responsible for their own sin, but that salvation, redemption, and forgiveness are freely offered to all by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. When a person repents of sin and accepts Jesus Christ as his/her personal Lord and Savior, trusting Him to save, that person is immediately born again and sealed by the Holy Spirit, all of his/her sins are forgiven, and that person becomes a child of God, destined to spend eternity with the Lord.
I await the rapture of the church, and we believe in the literal Second Coming of Christ with His saints to rule the earth, which will be personal and visible. This motivates us to holy living, heartfelt worship, committed service, diligent study of God's Word, regular fellowship, participation in adult baptism by immersion and Holy Communion.
I adhere firmly to the biblical teaching of God's sovereignty and man's responsibility. I avoid any theological systems of belief that go beyond the written Word and thereby divide the body of Christ.
I believe in the universal Church, in the living spiritual body, of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members.
I believe the Lord Jesus Christ committed two sacraments (ordinances) to the Church: 1) baptism, and 2) the Lord's Supper. I believe in baptism by immersion and communion, both of which are open to all believers in Jesus Christ.
Thank you for taking the time to read what I believe. I appreciate it and look forward to doing business with you.
Jeff
