The Bible, consisting of 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament, is the only infallible rule of faith and practice. The Bible is "inspired by God." God inspired human authors to write his Word. He did so by working through the personalities and circumstances of the authors. God inspired every word of the Bible. The Bible is infallible in the original manuscripts. It is completely true since God is the ultimate author of the Bible and He is true. The Bible is clear in its message. Although some passages are difficult to understand, the teaching of the Bible, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is understandable to those who desire to know and obey God.

There is a living and true God who is self-existent, self-sufficient, immutable, omniscient, all-powerful (omnipotent), fully sovereign, has no beginning and no end (eternal), and all His being is present everywhere (omnipresent).

The one true God eternally exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit - the Trinity. Each person of the Trinity is fully and completely God with the same divine nature, but the persons of the Trinity are not identical. Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, is completely divine. The Holy Spirit is fully God and not an impersonal force.

Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, being truly divine, became man without ceasing to be God. The divine and human natures of Jesus Christ are distinct but united in one person. Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He was tempted like us but lived a sinless life. Jesus was crucified for our sin, buried, and raised from the dead. He ascended to the Father and now rules over all and intercedes with the Father for his people. Jesus is the head of the body, the Church, and He will return in glory to judge the living and the dead and usher in the final glorious state. He is the last Prophet, Priest, and King, the supreme fulfillment of all the covenants revealed in the Scriptures, and the final expression of the Old Testament prophecies, types, and shadows.

God created the world in six days out of nothing by the power of His word. Creation demonstrates God's eternal power, divine nature, and glory and is in no way compatible with any theory of evolution. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit participated in creation. The crown of his creation was man, who was created in the image of God. God created man male and female.

At creation, God established a covenant with Adam and his posterity. The Covenant of Works (or Covenant of Creation) required complete obedience. When tempted by Satan, Adam and Eve disobeyed and rebelled against God. Because Adam represented all of humanity, the results of his sin, guilt, sinful nature, and death are passed on to all of his descendants except Christ. Alienated from his Creator, but responsible to him, man was subjected to divine wrath, inwardly depraved and, apart from a special work of grace, unable to return to God.

This depravity is radical and pervasive. It extends to your mind, will, and affections. Unregenerate man lives under the dominion of sin and Satan. He is at enmity with God, hostile towards God, and hateful towards God. Fallen and sinful people, whatever their character or achievements, are lost and hopeless apart from salvation in Christ alone. After Adam transgressed the covenant of works, God established the Covenant of Grace. The Covenant of Grace is demonstrated by God's care for His creatures, even though they are in rebellion against Him, and His provision of salvation through the last Adam, Jesus Christ.

Before the creation of the world in eternity past, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit committed themselves to achieve salvation. This covenant is called the Covenant of Redemption. Salvation, which is sovereignly administered by God, is being rescued from the wrath of God and given eternal life in Christ. The Father from all eternity chose people for eternal life. This choice was not due to any faith or expected merit in the elect (elect), but only due to their mercy and goodwill. The Father gave the elect to the Son, who accomplished redemption in his name. The holy spirit applies this redemption to the elect, regenerating unbelievers and sealing them for eternity, guaranteeing their complete salvation. All who the Father knew beforehand are chosen, called, justified and glorified. All aspects of salvation, including our faith in Christ, are gifts from God, for which they receive all the glory.

God's justice requires the price of death for sin. God's grace provides the satisfaction of that

punishment for all who place their trust in Christ alone. Jesus can only satisfy God's wrath, and He once and for all satisfied (or propitiated) God's wrath with His death on the cross. Jesus' death was a substitutionary atonement in the sense that He took our sin upon Himself and died for us. Our sin was imputed (or credited) to Christ and His righteousness is imputed to those who by faith come to Jesus. His resurrection demonstrated that His sacrifice appeased the holy wrath of God. Jesus ascended to the Father and is the only mediator between God and man. Therefore, salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only way to be reconciled to God. All of this is good news (the gospel). The gospel demonstrates the greatness of God's amazing love and grace.