Bibliology
God’s word is given to us perfectly in two complete testaments that are inerrant, sufficient, unified, verbally plenary inspired, and profitable. The Bible is authoritatively true, sufficiently and completely revealing God’s will for the salvation of men. The Word of God is the ultimate solitary authority for all Christian belief and behavior. Scripture is to be interpreted normally, with a literal, historical, grammatical, method, leading to a proper understanding of every passage.
(Psalm 119:160, John 17:17, Romans 15:4, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:12, 2 Peter 1:16)
Theology Proper
There is one triune Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Spirit existing eternally as equals in possession of power, holiness, and glory. All three members are identical in nature, wholly responsible for creating, sustaining, and redeeming the world.
(Genesis 1:1, Deuteronomy 4:35, Nehemiah 9:6, 1 Corinthians 8:6, Revelation 4:11)
Christology
Jesus Christ is the second member of the trinity, Son of God. Christ became the Son of Man while still maintaining the entirety of His deity, being conceived by the Holy Spirit born of the virgin Mary. In accordance with the Scriptures, He was crucified, buried, and resurrected after three days. In one single transaction, his sacrifice was to purchase the redemption of mankind, reconciling sinful humanity to the Holy God. He is now seated in heaven interceding and advocating as our High Priest.
(John 1:1-3, Luke 1:35, John 14:6, Romans 6:9, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, Hebrews 1:3, 1 Peter 1:1-3, 2:24, 1 Timothy 2:5)
Pneumatology
The Holy Spirit is the third member of the trinity. During this age, His ministry to all humanity is to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. His ministry includes the baptism of believers in the Lord Jesus Christ at the point of regeneration. He permanently and unconditionally indwells believers equipping them to live godly lives of service.
(John 16:7-11, John 14:16-17, Ephesians 4:30, Romans 8:9-11)
Anthropology and Hamartiology
Man is created in the image of God but fell into sin. Sin is a transgression against the edict of God, a rebelling against Him. Every human is born into the nature of sin in which the automatic disposition of the person is set toward sin due to the fall of Adam who is our federal head. Because of this nature, we sin personally against God by our thoughts, actions, words, and attitudes. Sin occurs by both commission and omission, that is to do what we know is wrong and also to withhold from doing that which is right. The due penalty for sin is death and eternal punishment to the maximal degree.
(Genesis 1:27, Psalm 14:1-3 Isaiah 59:1-2, Romans 3:10-26, 6:23)
Soteriology
Every person is born in a sinful state and must be born again by the gift of the grace of God through personal faith in Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for sin. There is no amount of self-reformation, obedience to ordinance, or moral achievement, that will merit any person an ounce of God’s grace towards their salvation. The redemption of believers was purchased entirely by the precious blood of Christ who became sin in our place and there is no feeling, no amount of submission, sincere effort, or turning from sin that could add any value to His atoning work or meet any condition necessary for salvation. The new birth of the believer is brought about by faith in Christ of which repentance* is crucially integrated, but cannot be distorted as an independent condition for salvation, just as prayer, faithful service, or baptism cannot be made requirements for salvation. Every believer is saved eternally, is identified in Christ as a new creation, justified before the Father, being sanctified perpetually until we see the Lord and are made complete.
* Here defined as a dispositional reorientation of the mind and attitude
(John 3:3-18, Acts 4:12, Romans 1:16, 5:6-11, Galatians 3:13, Ephesians 1:7, 2:4-10, Colossians 1:20-22, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Titus 2:11-14, Hebrews 10:10,
Ecclesiology
The Church is the Body and Bride of Christ which began at Pentecost and is composed of all who are born again in this age. A believer is placed into the Church by the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit. The Church and Israel are separate and distinct from each other. The local Church is the gathering of believers who are united under Christ who is the head in whom there is no distinction between Jew or Gentile. The purpose of this assembly is for worship, instruction, fellowship, the edification and equipping of the saints, the observance of baptism, and communion, to preach the gospel to all people.
(Matthew 16:16-18, Acts 2:42-47, 1 Corinthians 12:12-27, Ephesians 1:20-23)
Eschatology
The next event in the fulfillment of prophecy will be the rapture, the imminent coming of the Lord for the Church. This is the blessed hope in Scripture, that all believers have looked forward to where all believers alive and dead will be called up to meet Him in the air. This event will be followed by the tribulation, the fulfillment of Daniel’s seventieth week. Seven years of judgment upon the earth during which the Church will be in heaven. This will culminate in the bodily return of Christ to the earth, the second coming, to rule the nations in His millennial kingdom where we as believers will co-reign with Him. After the millennial kingdom, all unbelievers will be resurrected to stand at the Great White Throne Judgment where they will be cast into the lake of fire to be punished with conscious torment forever.
All believers will be resurrected to be with God in eternal blessedness and glory.
(Daniel 9:27, Zechariah 14:4-11, Matthew 24-25, 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, Philippians 3:20, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 2 Timothy 4:1, James 5:8-9, Jude 21, Revelation 2:11-15, 6:1-19:21)
This doctrine is more than just a body of beliefs to be taught and preserved in purity, but it should change our lives by showing us who God is and how we should respond to Him.
Rice and Reason 