What We Believe
Article 1 — The One True God
There is only one true God eternally existent in Three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
God the Father is the eternally self-existent “I AM.” He is infinite in holiness and in all other perfections. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, and present everywhere. God is the Eternal Creator and Sustainer of all things.
God the Son, Jesus Christ, is eternally God. As the Word, He was together with the Father and the Holy Spirit from the beginning. For our redemption, Jesus left heaven as the Word incarnate and was born a man. He is forever one Christ with two natures – God and Man – in one Person.
God the Holy Spirit is the Giver of Life, who was active in the Old Testament and given to the Church in fullness at Pentecost. He glorifies Jesus in all that He does. The Holy Spirit works in the world to convict and draw sinners to Christ. He guides believers into all truth and empowers them to do God’s work in service and witness. He conforms believers to the image of Christ and bestows spiritual gifts. The fullness of the Holy Spirit is available to all believers and is evidenced by the fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Article 2 — Humankind
We are the crowning work of God’s creation. God created us for intimate friendship with Himself and to enjoy working with Him in governing the earth. However, through the temptation of Satan, humankind by free choice disobeyed the command of God, and fell from original innocence. This separation caused people to be dead in their transgressions and their sins which resulted in spiritual and physical death. Only God’s grace through salvation in Jesus Christ can bring us back into God’s fellowship to fulfill His purposes.
Article 3 — The Atonement and Salvation
The Atonement: Christ’s redemptive life and death on the cross paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world and brought about the reconciliation of God and humankind. Through Christ’s atonement, God provides healing in body, soul, and spirit for all His saints.
Salvation: Salvation is a free gift of God, based on the merits of the sacrificial death of His Son, Jesus. The salvation of humankind (each one of us) is wholly a work of God’s free grace and is not based – in whole or in part – on human works or goodness or religious ceremony. God imputes His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation (regeneration), and thereby justified them in His sight.
The new life in Christ includes the privileges of adoption and inheritance in the Kingdom of God’s beloved Son. Salvation should produce an active lifestyle of loving obedience and service to Jesus Christ our Savior.
It is the privilege of all who are born again of His Spirit to be assured of their salvation from the very moment in which they trust Christ as their Savior. This assurance is not based upon any kind of human merit, but is produced by the witness of the Holy Spirit, who confirms in the believer the testimony of God in His written Word.
Article 4 — Water Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
Water Baptism: All believers are to be baptized in water as an outward sign of all God has accomplished in forgiving their sins. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior. In being baptized, believers declare to the world that their old sinful natures have died with Christ and that they are raised with Him (born again) to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus.
The Lord’s Supper: “The night before Jesus’ death, He ate the Passover meal with His disciples. During the course of the meal, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it and gave it to His disciples saying, ‘Take and eat; this is my body’” Matthew 26:26 (NIV). “He also took the cup and said, ‘This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins’” Matthew 26:28 (NIV). To remember Him, believers should celebrate the truth and mystery of this sacrament until Jesus comes again.
Article 5 — The Scripture
The Holy Bible is God’s revelation of Himself to humankind and was written by men who were divinely inspired. Every word of Scripture was inspired by God Himself. It is God’s love letter to all of humanity (each one of us) and is the final authority in every issue it communicates.
As the ultimate source of all truth, instruction, and correction, the Bible is the guidebook for living a righteous and godly life. It gives us insight into the will and purposes of God. It contains all that is needed for guidance in godliness and practical Christian conduct. It is complete truth, and we can trust it for all matters in this life and eternity.
Article 6 — The Christian Life
Seeking God: Believers must draw near to the Lord for ever-increasing fellowship that God wants to give. By prayer (talking and listening to God) and diligently reading and studying Scripture (knowing and obeying His Word), we can better hear the voice of a loving Father calling us to come nearer.
Life Abundant: Life abundant is not about material possessions or human accomplishments; it’s about knowing God, being in Him, producing the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and manifesting the gifts of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God.
Life Stewardship: We have a biblical mandate to manage our lives and affairs according to the will of God. Through such stewardship, we demonstrate our love and reverence for the Lord. True biblical stewardship encompasses more than one’s finances; it extends to relationships with others, using spiritual gifts, and investing our time, talents, energy and resources in God’s kingdom work.
Life Commission: Jesus’ command to “Love your neighbor as yourself” is fulfilled by a believer proclaiming and living the Gospel message of salvation through Jesus Christ alone.
Article 7 — The Church
New Testament Scriptures describe the Church as the Body of Christ in the world today. It is comprised of a group of believers and Jesus Christ, who is the Head of the Church.
Seeking God Together: God admonishes His people to assemble together regularly in spiritual unity. The biblical purposes of the Church (Body of Christ) are to worship God, encourage believers to mature in Christ-likeness, equip believers for ministry in the Church, and bring people to Jesus Christ.
Proclaiming the Gospel Message: Jesus commands believers to show the world their love for Him through their love for one another.
Article 8 — The End of Time
The Second Coming of Christ: God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. The Bible declares that Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all mankind in righteousness and reign a millennium in sovereign power on earth.
The Final Judgment: The final judgment will determine the eternal status of both the believers and unbelievers. According to God’s Word, righteous believers in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in heaven with the Lord. At the end of all things, God will establish the new heavens and the new earth.
Our Biblical Foundation
CTN’s Statement of Faith was written to give us foundational guidelines for writing eBibleLearning® courses. It is an overview of biblical truths and principles upon which we all can live victoriously in Jesus Christ our Lord.