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JESUS CHRIST The Son of God has always existed; He was not created. Jesus Christ did not have a human father; He does have a human mother, who was the virgin Mary. Jesus Christ is 100% God and 100% man. Jesus Christ was punished for our sin and depravity. Jesus Christ was physically and bodily raised from the dead. HOLY TRINITY The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are three distinct and equal Persons in one God. HOLY SCRIPTURE The Bible is God's Word. It contains no errors or contradictions. The universe was created in six 24-hour days. We take Genesis 1:5 seriously: “And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.” This is repeated for every day of creation that follows. Adam, Eve, Job, Noah, Jonah, and everyone else mentioned in the Bible were real people. Every miracle in the Bible was an actual, historical event. |
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OUR SIN Humans of all ages are sinful by nature and hate God and His Will. Living together outside of marriage is sinful. Homosexual lust is a sin; heterosexual lust is a sin. GOD'S GIFTS—HOLY BAPTISM AND HOLY COMMUNION The Sacrament of Holy Baptism is for sinners of all ages—remembering your Baptism every day is a refreshing custom. The Sacrament of Holy Communion is for those repentant sinners in our fellowship. The true body and blood of Christ is really present in Holy Communion, when the pastor consecrates the bread and wine and as you eat and drink them. Churches should offer Communion frequently; you should receive Communion frequently. HOLY MINISTRY The Office of the Holy Ministry is reserved for properly trained and divinely called men. HOLY CHRISTIAN AND APOSTOLIC CHURCH The true family of God is hidden from human eyes, but is known only to God who searches the heart. The sum total of all believers in heaven and on earth constitute this hidden Church. The number of total believers is known only to God. This number is not revealed in Holy Scripture, nor does it need to be revealed to us now. THE THEOLOGY OF THE CROSS Christians will suffer for following Jesus. We refer to this pain as bearing the cross. Our crosses are necessary results of our salvation—they don't get us to heaven. CONVERSION We cannot choose to believe in Jesus Christ as our Savior from sin; the Holy Spirit creates saving faith in our hearts through the Gospel in Baptism and the Word and sustains that faith through Communion. END OF THE WORLD Only God knows when the end of the world will come. Any human or angel who says that he knows is lying. Heaven is real; hell is real. Believers know that they are going to heaven because they are baptized and believe. They reject speaking in tongues, holy laughter, faith healing, and so forth as requirements for genuine faith. WORSHIP Though strictly speaking the way in which we worship is not mandated in the Bible, the liturgy is a most wise and useful way to enjoy God's Word and Sacrament every Sunday. |
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