God
We believe in the Triune God --the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-- who created the world in six literal days. He created it perfectly and without sin. And He is still today in control taking care of His entire creation. Not only did God create the world, but He still perpetually holds it together, sustains it, and provides for it.
Man
We believe God created man on the sixth day. Man, like the rest of creation, was originally created perfect and without sin. He created them male and female in his image. Through this, God gave them dominion over the earth while also establishing a distinction between the sexes --although both are equally valuable, deserving of honor, and loved.
Sin
We believe some time after the creation of man, man fell from their state of holiness and perfection. Tempted by Satan, they partook of the forbidden fruit commanded by God not to eat. Through this action, sin entered the world and death through sin. Ever since Adam and Eve ate of the fruit, all descendants of Adam are now corrupted with sin, and every inclination on man's heart is tainted with sin and imperfection. Everyone since Adam has therefore been born in sin, and as a natural consequence they have likewise died. Sin has put a barrier between God and man. The holy, Triune God cannot let sin in His presence to go unpunished. As a righteous judge He has every right to cast all people into eternal death.
Jesus
We believe that God did not wish to leave man in this fallen state of sin and death. God does not desire the death of anybody, but rather longs to give them life and salvation. So in order to restore man back to his state of holiness Jesus, God in the flesh, came to this world to take man's punishment upon himself. He lived a perfectly sinless life. Jesus fulfilled the law of God on our behalf. Although he did not deserve death, he died on the cross in our place. Jesus took the punishment that we deserve dying and suffering from the Father's righteous judgement on that cross. Through this, Jesus took upon himself the guilt of all man's sin. For our sake he paid the cost of our sin so that we would not have to pay it ourselves. Through the shedding of Jesus' blood the Father has forgiven us of our sin. Meaning that through forgiveness of Jesus' blood we don't experience the eternal consequences of sin from God.
Faith
We believe God gives this forgiveness of sins through faith to all people who believe in the sacrificial death of Jesus. Faith is the metaphorical hands that reaches out and grabs hold of God's promises. Faith is what makes God's promises and Jesus' sacrificial death "for me". It's through faith that we make God's gifts our own. And because of our faith in Jesus, when the Father sees us, he now sees the holiness and righteousness of his own sinless and beloved child, Jesus Christ.
Sacraments
We believe that God's grace (the forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and deliverance from death and the devil) comes to us through specific means. God has established certain ways in which He comes to us to give us His blessings. And He does so in grace to give us sinners confidence that He will be working wherever He says He is. So it is like in baptism. In baptism God is at work washing away the sins of man. God puts His name in those waters of baptism and works through them to forgive sins. Additionally, God has given to the church the Lord's Supper. We believe that Jesus is truly present bodily within the bread and wine. We take God's word in faith trusting that He is there, and we do not try to explain how it is done. It is a miracle of God as He routinely comes to us for the forgiveness of sins.
