Statement of Faith: Jesus Christ

           The deity of the Lord Jesus Christ is essential.  He is God incarnate, God in human form, the expressed image of the Father, who, without ceasing to be God, became man in order that He might demonstrate who God is and provide the only way of salvation possible for all man (Matthew 1:21;John 1:18;Colossians 1:15).  He added human nature to His divine nature.  He is both human and divine;  therefore, He has two natures while remaining one person; not two. He is not part God and part man.  He is presently a man, one person, with two natures where one nature is wholly and fully God and the other wholly and fully man. (Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 2:9; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:5-13; John 1:1-3, 14).


           Jesus Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit and was born of the virgin Mary;  Mary ceased to be a virgin after the birth of Jesus (Matt. 1:25).  He is truly fully God and truly fully man; that He alone lived a perfect, sinless life; that all His teachings are true (Isaiah 14;Matthew 1:23).

           Jesus Christ died on the cross for all humanity (1 John 2:2) as a substitutionary sacrifice (Isaiah 53:5-6). He willingly died in our place, suffering the consequences of the breaking of the Law (1 John 3:4), which is physical death (Rom. 6:23) and spiritual death (Isa. 59:2), that was for us (Isaiah 53:4-6). He became sin on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:21). His sacrifice was a legal substitution for us (1 John 2:2; John 19:30; 1 Pet. 2:24). It was legal because sin is breaking God's Law (1 John 3:4) and substitutionary because Christ took punishment we deserved (Isaiah 53:4-6) and tasted death for everyone (Heb. 2:9).  God's justice was satisfied for the eternal offense of sin, allowing for genuine Christian believers release from eternal punishment (1 Pet. 3:18; Matt. 1:21; 25:46; Rom. 5; 1 John 2:2), and their debt that our sin brings against has been cancelled (Col. 2:14).  His death is completely sufficient to provide salvation fully for all who receive Him as Lord and Savior (John 1:12;Acts 16:31); that our justification is grounded in the shedding of His blood (Romans 5:9;Ephesians 1:7);

           He literally and physically resurrected from the dead as proof (Matthew 28:6;1 Peter 1:3).  Jesus Christ rose from the dead in the same body He died in after being in the grave for three days.  Likewise, we Christians will be raised bodily from the dead and spend eternity with the Lord.

           Unlimited Invitation and value but Limited Substitutionary Atonement; which means: Though Jesus' sacrifice was sufficient for all, it was not efficacious for all but only 'many'.  All man is invited to believe in the atonement of Jesus but not all will.  Some will remind in their sins and in debt under God's judgment. Therefore, Jesus only bore the sins of the elect, because not all will be saved (Matt. 26:28; John 10:11, 15  Matt. 25:32-33; John 17:9; Acts 20:28; Eph. 5:25-27; Isaiah 53:12)

           The Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven in His glorified body (Acts 1:9-10) and is now seated at the right hand of God as our High Priest and Advocate (Romans 8:34;Hebrews 7:25).  Jesus will eternally remain as a man and intercedes for us eternally as a high priest after the order of Melchezedek (Heb. 6:20; 7:25).

           The principle 'Christ Alone' emphasizes the role of Jesus in salvation. The Roman Catholic tradition had placed church leaders such as priests in the role of intercessor between men and God.  This principle emphasized Jesus as our “high priest” who intercedes on our behalf before the Father (Hebrews 4:15).  Jesus is the One who offers access to God, not a human spiritual leader.

           The principle 'Hypostatic Union' explains the union of Jesus' two natures (Divine and human).  Jesus is God in flesh (John 1:1,14;10:30-33; 20:28; Phil. 2:5-8; Heb. 1:8). He has a fully divine nature and a fully human nature (Col. 2:9); thus, he has two natures: God and man. He is not half or partly God and half or partly man. He is completely God and completely man. He never lost his divinity; He willingly humbled himself and never stopped being God.  He continued to exist as God when he became a man and added human nature to Himself (Phil. 2:5-11). Therefore, there is a "union in one person of a full human nature and a full divine nature." There is a man, Jesus, who is our Mediator between us and God the Father (1 Tim. 2:5).