We believe that the Holy Bible, comprised of the 66 books of the Old Testament and New Testament, is the inspired Word of God without error in the original manuscripts. It is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction; it has the Holy Spirit of God for its author, truth as its matter, salvation for its end; it reveals the principles by which God will judge all mankind, and therefore is, and shall remain unto the end of the world, the supreme standard by which all human conduct and creeds shall be tried. The Bible is understood only through the Spirit of God, not by a person’s own interpretation. (Proverbs 30:5-6; Isaiah 8:20; John 16:13; I Corinthians 2:10-16; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Revelation 22:18-19)

We believe that God has revealed Himself to mankind as one God, who eternally exists as three *persons—the Father, Son and Holy Spirit—each executing distinct but harmonious functions in the work of redemption. Scripture reveals the Trinity as follows: First, Scripture teaches that the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are divine, both in nature and function. This teaching on divinity, considered with the Biblical truth that God is one, mandates a triune understanding of God. Second, this understanding of Scripture is further enforced by the knowledge that God, in the Old Testament, refers to Himself in the plural (Genesis 1:1, 26; 3:22). Finally the “baptismal formula” given to the Church Universal in Matthew 28:19 instructs the Church to baptize in the name of the three—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Isaiah 9:6; Zechariah 9:10; Matthew 3:13-17; Revelation 1:4-8) * In this context, the word “person” is used to distinguish the three individualities of the Godhead and does not refer to a human being. Only God is deity. Unlike certain cults, we do not believe that humans can attain equality with God.

We believe that God the Father is eternally existent, the first *person of the Holy Trinity. He is the creator and sustainer of the universe. He has revealed Himself to mankind through creation and conscience; through His Son, Jesus Christ, the Living Word of God; and through the Holy Scriptures, the written Word of God. He is infinite, eternal and perfect, self-existent, immutable, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, holy, righteous, just, loving, merciful and full of grace. He is the Father of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. (Genesis 1:1, 26; Psalm 19; 103:8; 139:7-10; 145:17-20; Isaiah 45:6; Zephaniah 3:5; Malachi 3:6; Matthew 3:17; 10:29-30; 19:26; John 3:16; 5:26; Romans 11:33; 1 Peter 1:16-17)

We believe that God the Son is eternally existent, the second *person of the Holy Trinity. We believe that He is the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is the head of the body, the Church Universal; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy. (Colossians 1:15-20) In order to redeem fallen man from sin, Jesus Christ descended from heaven and took on the form of a man by the miracle of the virgin birth. He was tempted in all points as we are, yet was without sin, and lived in perfect harmony with God. He voluntarily suffered death on a cross, and in so doing, was the perfect sacrifice for the sin of all mankind. He physically and literally rose from the dead, ascended to heaven and is now reigning at the right hand of God as the Mediator between God and man. He is the High Priest and Advocate of the saints. He shall physically return to take into His eternal presence all those who have received Him as Savior and have therefore been born again. We also believe that He shall return to set up an earthly kingdom for one thousand years, after which there will be a destruction of the old and the creation of the new heaven and earth, which will last for all eternity. (Isaiah 7:14; Matt. 1:18; John 1:14, 10:11, 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; Rom. 5:8; 1 Cor. 15:1-8; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; I Tim. 2:5; Hebrews 1:1-6, 7:26; 1 John 2:1; Revelation 20-22)

We believe that God the Holy Spirit is eternally existent, the third *person of the Holy Trinity. He is equal to God the Father and God the Son and He was active in creation. His relation to the unbelieving world is to restrain Satan until God’s purpose is fulfilled. He convicts people of sin, leads them into righteousness, and bears witness to the Gospel in preaching and testimony. He is the Agent of the new birth and He indwells, baptizes and seals believers at the moment of salvation. He guides, teaches, comforts, witnesses to and sanctifies to conform the believer into the image of Jesus Christ. The gifts of the Spirit are sovereignly given as He wills. (John 3:5-8; 15:26; 16:7-15; Acts 5:3-4; Romans 8:1-27; 1 Cor. 12:1-13; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 3:16; 4:30; 2 Thess. 2:6, 7)

We believe that mankind was created in the image of God, and that Adam, the first man, was created perfectly without sin. Eve was then created as a helpmate for Adam. They lived in harmony with God without sin until they disobeyed God and ate from “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” With this act, known as the “fall of man”, sin and death entered the world and fellowship between God and man was broken. Every person is material and immaterial, immortal, capable of knowing God, and morally responsible before Him. For this reason, each individual is responsible for his or her sin and deserves the wages of sin, which is death (i.e. eternal separation from God). Therefore all mankind is justly under the sentence of death. (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7, 16-17; 3:1-7; Eccl. 7:29; Ezekiel 18:4, 30-32; Romans 1:21, 32; 3:10-11, 23; 6:23; John 3:18; 14:20, 23; 1 Cor. 15:42-49; 1 Thessalonians 5:23)

We believe that salvation is a gift from God, appropriated through faith by His grace alone. We believe that it is impossible for a person to save himself or herself. The Bible says that to be saved, a person must confess with his or her mouth “Jesus is Lord”, repent, and believe in his or her heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. Salvation is wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit, not by culture, character or the will of men. Even the ability to repent is from the Lord. Jesus described salvation as being born again. The new birth results in a new creation in Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit indwells that person. As a result of this new birth, an individual who was dead in trespasses and sin is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God. Evidence of this new birth is shown by the person exhibiting an increase in faith leading to the demonstration of the fruit of the Holy Spirit. (Ezk 18:30-32; John 1:12; 3:5-7, 16-18; Romans 3:10-12; 23; 6:23; 10:9-12; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 2:20; 5:22-23; Eph. 1:13-14; 2:8-10; 2 Pet. 1:3-11; 1 Jn 3:9)

We believe that the Church Universal is the living body of Jesus Christ in the world. Jesus Christ, himself is its head. The Church, which began at Pentecost, is comprised of those who have been redeemed out of every ethnic group, language, people and nation. The local church is a body of believers who profess Jesus Christ as the Son of God, Savior and Lord, who have come together for worship, mutual edification and to work for the spreading of the Gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. We believe that Jesus Christ will return for His Church, who will meet Him in the air (the “rapture”) and then will reign with Him on earth for one thousand years. (Matthew 28:16-20; Acts 1:8; 2:41-42; 16:5; Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:12-31; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:4-6, 15-16; 5:25-30; 1 Thess 4:13-18)

We believe that there are two ordinances of the Church Universal: Believer’s Baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion). Both ordinances are commanded by Christ and should be faithfully observed only by those who are born again believers in Jesus Christ. Baptism is the immersion in water of a believer in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Baptism symbolizes the believer’s death to sin, burial and resurrection to a new life in Jesus Christ. Baptism is a prerequisite to church membership at Crossroads. The Lord’s Supper or Holy Communion is a memorial of Christ’s death for us and is a symbol of His body, which was broken, and blood, which was shed. It is a time for each believer to remember all that Jesus Christ has sacrificed for him or her, to examine his or her relationship to God and others and to take to prayer any unconfessed sins. (Matt 3:5-6; 28:19; Mark 14:23-26; Luke 22:14-20; John 3:22-23; 4:1-2; Acts 2:38; 8:12, 36-39; 16:32-34; 18:8; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Cor. 11:23-30)