Atonement
The atonement of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, took place on the cross at Calvary, and our Lord died for the sins of the whole world, not just the elect (John 1:29; 1 John 2:1–2).
Baptism
Baptism is water joined with the Word of God (Ephesians 5:25–27), administered in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19), by sprinkling, pouring (Ezekiel 36:25), or immersion (Acts 8:36–38). In baptism, God makes us born again (John 3:3–5), forgives us all our sins (Acts 2:38), and gives us eternal life (Romans 6:3–5). It is entirely a work of God (Titus 3:4–6) and only effective so long as the recipient has faith in Christ (Galatians 3:26–27). Christian parents may baptise their infant children if they will raise them in the faith (Acts 2:39). Once baptised, Christians should not be re-baptised (Ephesians 4:4–6) unless they were baptised in a cult, which is a false baptism.
Church
The true church is the universal body of all true Christian believers anywhere they are (Colossians 1:24; Ephesians 1:20–23; Romans 12:4–5; 1 Corinthians 12:27). It is not one single denomination, religious group, or organisation. Jesus Christ has protected his church from completely losing the true gospel (Matthew 16:18), and the Holy Spirit continues to bring new members into the house of God through the preaching of the Word and the administration of the sacraments.
Creeds
The Apostles’ Creed, Nicene Creed, Athanasian Creed, and Book of Concord correctly summarise the one holy catholic (Christian) and apostolic faith.
Deity of Christ
Jesus Christ has two natures: divine and human. Jesus is the incarnation of God (John 1:1–3, 14), by whom all things were made (Colossians 2:16), the only begotten Son of the Father (John 3:16), born of the Virgin Mary (Luke 1:34–35), who died for our sins, was resurrected (1 Corinthians 15:3–4), and will come again as the Final Judge (Matthew 25:31–33). Jesus is not a created being (Colossians 1:16–17), nor is he Michael the Archangel (Jude 9; Hebrews 1:4–6).
Eschatology
Amillenialism is the correct teaching regarding Christ’s 1,000 year reign on Earth, as depicted in the book of Revelation (Revelation 20:4–6). This is the teaching that Jesus is reigning right now as King through the church, and that the “1,000 years” is symbolic for the era of the church (John 1:49; Hebrews 1:8–9; Colossians 1:18). Also, Partial Preterism, the view that some, but not all, of the end-time prophecies made in Revelation and other apocalyptic New Testament passages have happened already, is correct. For example, the “abomination of desolation” happened during the Siege of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. (Mark 13:14–20; Luke 21:20–24).
Evangelism
Evangelism is an integral part to the Christian life, and it is the duty of all Christians to proclaim the gospel to the whole world, as our Lord Jesus Christ commands (Matthew 28:19–20; Mark 16:15).
Evolution
Macro evolution, the commonly held Darwinian evolution worldview, is contrary to the Word of God, undermines God’s creative works, and should be rejected (Genesis 2:7; Exodus 20:11). However, micro evolution is within the biblical grounds of orthodoxy.
Free Will
All human beings have free will in secular matters and moral decisions in everyday life (Romans 2:14–16). However, humans cannot, by their own power and free will, choose to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour (John 15:5). Because of original sin (Romans 5:12), we are all born dead in our sins, and unless God does something to fix this, we would always choose against Jesus (Ephesians 2:1–3; Romans 8:7–8). We can only accept Jesus when the Holy Spirit enters us and gives us saving faith, through the Word and sacraments (1 Corinthians 12:3).
Gospel
The gospel is the good news that Jesus died for our sins on the cross, was buried, and resurrected on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:1–4), so that all who believe in this will be forgiven by God of all their sins and have eternal life in Heaven (Romans 3:21–26).
Head Coverings
There is an eternal and cultural aspect to the biblical passage on head coverings. The “symbol of authority” on the wife’s head (1 Corinthians 11:10), which was a veil in Paul’s day, may change from one culture or era to the next. But the authority that the symbol points to, which is male headship (1 Corinthians 11:3), is rooted in creation itself (1 Corinthians 11:7–8), and so is eternal. Nevertheless, Christian women may still wear head coverings, even in cultures where they are not commonly worn, as a way of honouring the gender distinctions that God has made (1 Corinthians 11:1–16).
Heaven
Heaven is the eternal kingdom of God and his Son, Jesus Christ (John 5:24; Ephesians 5:5). God’s presence is in Heaven, and it is the eternal abode of Christians of all nations, languages, and ethnicities, who have died (Revelation 7:9). In Heaven there is no more sin, suffering, or death, and Christians live there in eternal bliss, harmony, and comfort (Revelation 21:3–4; Revelation 21:22–27).
Hell
Hell is the place of eternal suffering and punishment (Matthew 25:41, 46). It is the absence of God’s presence and the eternal abode of Satan, his minions, and those who do not believe in Christ or who serve a false Christ, after they die (Revelation 20:10–14). The Bible describes Hell as a place of “darkness” and “fire” which show the utter despair, agony, and hopelessness of being away from God’s presence. There are more severe punishments in Hell reserved for the more evil people (Matthew 10:13–15).
Holy Communion
The bread and wine in Holy Communion are the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ; he is bodily present with us in this holy meal (1 Corinthians 10:16–17). By partaking in this meal, the passive recipient receives God’s grace and the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:26–28).
Holy Trinity
There is only one God in all existence (Isaiah 44:6–8) who exists in three distinct co-equal, co-eternal Persons as revealed throughout the Scriptures: the Father (1 Corinthians 1:3), Son (Jesus Christ) (John 1:1, 14; 20:28–29; Romans 10:9–13), and Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3–4; 2 Corinthians 3:17). Scripture denies that the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are merely three modes that God manifests himself in at different periods of time, but teaches, rather, that they are three Persons existing simultaneously in the one substance, essence, or being (Matthew 3:16–17).
Marriage
Marriage is the sacred, life-long, indissoluble, covenantal union between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4–6; Mark 10:11–12), in which couples may reflect Christ’s relationship with the church by loving each other (Ephesians 5:22–33), have non-sinful sex (1 Corinthians 7:1–5) and raise godly children (Genesis 1:28; Malachi 2:15). Therefore, polygamy, remarriage after divorce, and homosexual marriages are unlawful and adulterous unions (Mark 10:11–12; Romans 1:26–32; 7:2–3).
Mary, Mother of Jesus
Mary is the Blessed Virgin who miraculously gave birth to Jesus Christ, by the power of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20–21; Luke 1:31, 34–35). Because Jesus is truly God (John 1:1–3, 14; 20:28; Hebrews 1:8), Mary is rightly called the Theotokos, that is, the Mother of God. She prays for Christians on Earth, along with the rest of the saints in Heaven (Revelation 5:8; 8:3–4).
Ordination
The pastoral office is reserved for men, the husbands of one wife in a monogamous relationship, who have been called by God to undergo the ordination process, to teach the Word, administer the sacraments, and shepherd his local congregation (1 Timothy 3:1–7). The ordination of women, homosexuals, and men who have contracted a second marriage is unbiblical and should not be practiced (1 Timothy 1:9–10; 2:12–14; 3:2).
Predestination
Before the foundation of the world, God chose all Christians to receive salvation in Jesus Christ, the inheritance of Heaven (Ephesians 1:3–4, 11), to be conformed to his image, as well as to be called, justified, and glorified (Romans 8:29–30). God did not choose Christians based upon looking into the future and seeing the decision they would make for him, but rather he chose them purely based upon his grace and purpose alone (2 Timothy 1:8–9), since no one can come to Jesus unless the Father first draws them (John 6:44). Those whom God predestined to Heaven are called the elect (Mark 13:20). God did not, however, predestine anyone to Hell, because he desires all people to repent and be saved (1 Timothy 2:3–4; 2 Peter 3:9).
Resurrection of Christ
Jesus rose again from the dead bodily on the third day after his crucifixion, in the same body he died in (Luke 24:38–39; John 2:19–21). He then appeared to his disciples at various times over a period of 40 days, giving them proof of his resurrection, before ascending back into Heaven (Acts 1:3).
Salvation
Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone (Ephesians 2:8–10). Our good works, or obedience to God’s law, has no role in making us right before God (Romans 4:4–5; Galatians 2:21). Jesus Christ fully paid our sin ransom by his blood and death on the cross, and upon faith in him and his saving work, the believer is cleansed of all sins by his blood (1 John 1:7–9), forgiven (Ephesians 1:7), reconciled to God the Father (Romans 5:10–11), and obtains Christ’s righteousness, so that on the day of judgement, God judges Christians according to Christ’s righteousness, not that of their own (2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:8–9). Christians do good works as a result of salvation, by the sanctification of the Holy Spirit, and not to earn salvation (James 2:26).
Sacraments
If we define a sacrament as a rite that has God’s command and to which the promise of grace has been attached, then there are three sacraments: Baptism, Holy Communion, and Absolution (Matthew 28:19–20; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26; John 20:22–23). The church is to administer the sacraments to the congregation, so that their faith can be strengthened and nourished.
Scripture
The Bible is the infallible, inerrant, and only Word of God, written by men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and it is the only authority for Christian teaching and belief (2 Timothy 3:14–17; Jude 3; 2 Peter 1:20–21). All Christian doctrines and beliefs come from the Bible alone (1 Corinthians 4:6).
Second Advent of Christ
Jesus will come again to the Earth a second time to save Christians (Hebrews 9:28) and judge the living and the dead (Acts 10:42), according to our thoughts, words, and deeds (Psalm 90:8; Matthew 12:36–37; Romans 2:16). When Jesus appears, everyone will see him (Matthew 24:29–31), and no one knows or can know the day or hour of his arrival (Matthew 24:36).
Sin
All people are born sinful and unclean (Psalm 51:5), and we inherited our sinful nature from Adam (Romans 5:12–21, especially Romans 5:18–19). Throughout our lives, every person except for Jesus has done wrong against God and our neighbour, which is sin, and we all fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Before we believe in Jesus, we are dead in our sins, and children of wrath (Ephesians 2:1–3). The punishment for sin is both physical and spiritual death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23). The age of accountability is not a biblical teaching.