Bethel Church

I. GOD

There is one God who is the Creator and Ruler of all creation who has eternally existed in three co-eternal, co-equal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each is distinct in person and function, but one in essence.

2. GOD THE FATHER

We believe in God the Father: one in essence with the Son and the Spirit. He is an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in all His attributes. He is the Creator, Sustainer, and sovereign Ruler of all things through His Son Jesus Christ.

3. JESUS CHRIST

Jesus Christ is both the Son of God, equal with the Father, and the virgin-born Son of Man. He led a sinless life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins by dying upon a cross. He rose three days later to demonstrate His power over sin and death and as a declaration that He truly was the Son of God. He ascended to heaven's glory and will return again someday to Earth to establish His earthly kingdom and reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

4. THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is God, equal to the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit is present in the world to make us aware of our need for Jesus Christ. He comes to live within those who have placed their trust in Jesus the moment they believe and seals their eternal destiny. He provides the Christian with power for daily living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. He also gifts every believer for service within the Church. As Christians we seek to live under His control daily.

5. THE BIBLE

We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, the 66 books of the Protestant Canon, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.

6. PEOPLE

People are the supreme object of God's creation created in the image of God. We were created to enjoy fellowship with God and fulfill God's will on earth. By an act of rebellion against the express will of God, the original pair became “infected" by sin, which resulted in all mankind inheriting a fallen nature. This inward inclination toward sin which always leads to acts of rebellion has alienated us from God, resulting in divine condemnation, spiritual death, and physical decay.

7. SALVATION

Salvation is the gift of God given to those who have placed their trust in Christ. Salvation is a gift because there is nothing we can do to earn it. No religious effort or good work ever qualifies us to receive salvation. Due to our inward inclination and actual acts of rebellion, we are deserving of God's judgment. But God the Father, because of his grace and mercy, sent God the Son to be the sacrifice for our sins by suffering and dying in our place. Those who trust in Christ are declared “not guilty” because their penalty for sin has been paid, and they become children of God.

8. THE CHURCH

Jesus Christ is the head of the Church, His body, which is composed of all people who have placed their trust in Christ. We believe that this body expresses itself in local assemblies in which believers are in a covenant relationship. The Scriptures tell us to come together for edification, fellowship, worship, and prayer. The purpose of the Church is to make disciples of all people, always bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed.

9. THE FUTURE

Jesus will someday return bodily, personally, and visibly to earth to establish his rule and reign, the time known only to the Father. At the end of Christ's 1,000 year reign, all those who have ever existed will be judged. Those who have placed their trust in Christ will spend eternity in the presence of God. Those who have rejected Christ's offer of forgiveness will suffer eternal conscious punishment.