Scripture

The Bible was written by men under inspiration from God. It is completely true in all that it affirms. It is the source of God’s divine revelation and is the final authority for our belief and practice.

God

God is the completely holy and sovereign creator and sustainer of the universe. He exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. All three persons are co-equal and co-eternal but are distinct from one another.

Man

God created man in His image. Out of all of creation, man is set apart as God’s special image bearer, which gives all people inherent worth and special responsibility. Man was created to know God and worship God.

Sin

Due to the disobedience of Adam and Eve, sin entered the world and broke God’s good creation. The effects of sin permeate all of creation, including people. Sin separates a person from God, from their true selves, and from others. Because of sin, man stands guilty before God, deserves punishment, and is incapable of loving, worshipping, or cherishing God.

Salvation

The sinful state that man is in cannot be overcome by any of his own efforts. God, according to His grace, offers salvation to man as a free gift that is obtained through faith in the work of Jesus on the cross. Those on whom the work of Jesus is effective are born again; they are given a new heart that loves God, hates sin, and desires to live an obedient life.

Jesus

Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is both fully God and fully man. Jesus lived a perfect life and died as a sacrifice for the sins of the world. He rose bodily from the grave three days after being buried to display His victory over sin, Satan, and death. Jesus will one day return to earth and reign as King.

Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He empowers believers to live the life God has called them to, inspired the Scriptures, illuminates the Word of God, and convicts people of sin. By the Holy Spirit, believers have spiritual gifts that they use to serve the local church.

Church

A church is a localized community of baptized believers committed to one another and the mission of God who gathers regularly with recognizable leadership, practice the two ordinances, and function as a team and family.

Ordinances

One of the first acts of obedience of a follower of Jesus is to be baptized. The event demonstrates the person’s new life in Jesus. Real Church practices baptism by immersion. Communion/Lord’s Supper is taken to commemorate and symbolize the work of Jesus on the cross – the bread symbolizes His body and the wine or juice symbolizes His blood that was sacrificed. Real Church celebrates Communion weekly.

The Kingdom

The kingdom of God is His rule, reign, and authority. His kingdom is present in this world but not fully expressed. When a person is born again, that person is transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God. One day, God’s rule, reign, and authority will be perfectly expressed “on earth as it is in heaven.”

Eternity

Man was created to exist forever. Those who are in Christ will spend eternity on the new heavens and new earth, in new life under the rule and reign of the Good King forever. Those who reject Jesus will experience the wrath of God and spend eternity separated from God in hell.