- Both the Old and New Testaments, written by men through the power of the Holy Spirit, are the inspired word of God without error in its original manuscripts. We accept all sixty-six books of the Bible as the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of people and the divine and final authority for all Christian faith and life.
- God is the eternal King and Creator of all things. He is infinitely perfect, unchangeable, perfect in holiness, wisdom, goodness, justice, power, and love. He has existed for all eternity as one God, in three persons: Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory.
- Jesus, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, was fully man and fully God, sent by God the Father to fulfill prophetic promises of redemption and salvation. Jesus suffered under temptation but was completely sinless as he healed the sick, raised the dead, and preached the good news during his ministry. He was wrongly accused and crucified on a Roman cross. His death on the cross was a perfect sacrifice for our sins according to scripture. As the only one to perfectly fulfill the law, Jesus took all of God’s wrath which we deserve as law breakers. He rose on the third day, appeared in bodily form to his disciples and many others, and ascended into heaven where He presently intercedes and ministers as our High Priest and Advocate at the right hand of the Father.
- The Holy Spirit was poured out on the Church at Pentecost, empowering them to use the gifts that God gave them. From that time, the Holy Spirit has been given to all true believers in a permanent, irreversible indwelling. The Holy Spirit empowers Christians for spiritual worship and prayer, personal sanctification, building up of the church, and gifting us for ministry. The Holy Spirit is also a constant helper and guide as He convicts Christians of sin and empowers believers for godly living.
- God created man in His image, male and female, for relationship with Him, but man chose to sin and thereby incurred to himself, not only physical death, but also spiritual and eternal death. As a result, all human beings are born “dead in trespasses and sins, with a sinful nature and under the just condemnation of God.”
- The shed blood of Jesus Christ, and His resurrection provide the only basis for the justification and salvation for all who believe. This means that those who have faith in Jesus Christ are born of the Spirit and therefore children of God. This salvation, which is irreversible, is based only on the finished works of Jesus Christ and not our own works.
- Water baptism and the Lord’s Supper are two ordinances that Jesus commanded the Church to observe until His return. They are available to all believers, however are in no way a means of salvation.
- Just as Jesus defeated death and arose from the grave, all people will arise at His second coming - the believer to be with the Lord in fullness of joy and the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting punishment.
GEM CORE BELIEFS & PURPOSE OF MINISTRY
