THE BIBLE is the inspired word of God spoken and written by men under the authority and authorship of the Holy Ghost {2 Peter 1:21 and 2 Timothy 3:16}. It is infallible, unchanging, and the only means of finding salvation. That is why Jesus said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" {Luke 21:33} and the apostle Paul wrote, "Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed" {Galatians 1:8}. Within the pages of the Bible, we find the origins of the universe and humanity, the curse of sin and death, the assurance of salvation and new life, Christ's second coming, the Great White Throne Judgment, and the description and promise of a new heaven and earth ruled by Jesus Christ.
GOD is a Spirit {John 4:24}. God, alone, is wise, eternal, invisible, and THE King {1 Timothy 1:17}. There is only One true God, and He is One – there is no division in Him {Deuteronomy 6:4 and Ephesians 4:5-6}. Therefore, there is no trinity of all-powerful, eternal, and knowledgeable gods. God as Spirit created all things {Genesis 1:2}; consequently, we can call Him Father in creation. God chose to reveal Himself as the Son of God {John 1:1-14 and 1 Timothy 3:16} and by His rightful name, Jesus Christ {Acts 4:12 and Philippians 2:9-11}.
It took shedding of blood to remit the world's sins {Hebrews 9:22}, but God as a Spirit had no blood to shed. Thus He prepared a body of flesh and blood {Hebrews 10:5} and came to earth as a man to save us. That's why the angels sang, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord" {Luke 2:11}. Thus fulfilling God's declaration in Isaiah 43:1, "I, even I, am the Lord, and beside me, there is no Saviour." When Jesus Christ died, the Spirit of God within him did not die but only the flesh. However, He rose again. Thus, our Lord was resurrected in power and ascended to heaven victorious over sin, death, and hell {Revelation 1:18}.
Before the Lord Jesus died and after His resurrection, He promised to return to every future believer as the Holy Ghost and, at a future time, in person. Consider John 14:18 and 26, "I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. But the Comforter, the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name; he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you." Jesus told the disciples before He ascended to "Wait for the promise of the Father – you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost comes upon you" {Acts 1:4, 8}. The Holy Ghost, the Spirit of the resurrected Christ, is for every repentant believer: "The promise is to you, your children, and all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call" {Acts 2:39}. Soon, we will see the ONE TRUE GOD in the face of Jesus Christ, "Who is the image of God" {2 Corinthians 4:4}. We believe God is the Father in creation, the Son in redemption, and the Holy Ghost in regeneration.
SIN means to disobey or transgress God's commandments and principles recorded in the Bible. Since the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden {Genesis 3}, "all have sinned" {Romans 3:23}. We all are, or have been, children of disobedience and wrath {Ephesians 2:2-3}. The works of sin are - Adultery, fornication, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, witchcraft, homosexuality, hatred, quarreling, jealousy, wrath, selfish ambition, seditions, heresies, envy, murder, drunkenness, wild parties/orgies, suchlike actions or thoughts {Galatians 6:19-21; I Corinthians 6:9-10; 2 Timothy 3:1-5}. The Bible states that the punishment for those who choose not to repent of sin "Shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death" {Revelation 21:8}.
SALVATION means to be saved or delivered from the bondage and consequences of sin through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ. When people asked how to be saved, the Apostle Peter and the other apostles said, "Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" {Acts 2:38}. Peter's command fulfilled the words of Jesus, who said, "Except a man be born again - of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God" {John 3:3, 5}. Salvation is three-fold: 1) Become born again, 2) Mature in Christ, 3) Caught up to heaven. How are we born again?
We must repent, asking God to forgive us for sinning against Him {Psalm 51:4}. God's goodness leads us to repent, but He does not force us to {Romans 2:4}. Repentance includes turning away the sinful habits of spirit, mind, and body by serving the Lord Jesus Christ.
Baptism is for the remission of sins. Without baptism, our sins cannot be buried or washed away, and we must be immersed underwater for "We are buried with him by baptism unto death" {Romans 6:4}. We must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ – no other names or titles will do as the Bible states, "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved" {Acts 4:12}.
Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost is the most significant experience one can have. It is the only way anyone can be born again of the Spirit {John 3:3-5}. The Bible calls it a "treasure in earthen vessels" {2 Corinthians 4:7}. The Holy Ghost is the Spirit of God entering and living in the human body, "As God said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them" {2 Corinthians 6:16}. When someone receives the Holy Ghost, they will speak in other tongues just as they did in the Bible on the day of Pentecost and throughout the church age {Acts 2:1-4; Acts 10:44-48; Acts 19:1-6}.
Salvation is experiencing the Gospel, which is the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We share His death in repentance, burial in baptism, and resurrection as we are filled with the Holy Ghost.
HOLINESS is living and walking in the Holy Spirit {Galatians 5:25}. To be "holy" means that something or someone has been sanctified or made clean and is sacred or set apart unto God. When we are delivered from sin, a choice is made to remain free from sin's bondage, and we learn to "Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to the Lord, which is your reasonable service" {Romans 12:1}. Without being born again, we are unholy, despite our best efforts. However, the name of Jesus Christ, His blood, Spirit, and Word gives us all we need to "Cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit" {2 Corinthians 7:1}. Now, we can obey the Lord's command, "Be ye holy; for I am holy" {1 Peter 1:16}. Holiness is living clean and without fear of God's judgment, without being judgmental of others. No wonder the psalmist wrote that we should "Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness" {Psalm 29:2}.
PRAYER is crying out aloud or in a conversational tone to God. For instance, the psalmist David wrote, "This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles" {Psalm 34:6}. Jesus said, "Men ought always to pray and not to faint" {Luke 18:1}. The scripture tells us to pray for one another {James 5:16}. Prayer is to be made in secret {Matthew 6:6}, in public {Acts 16:13}, and in various church-like settings {Acts 3:1 and 12:12}. Forgiveness of sins and answers from heaven is contingent on whether or not the person in need will pray. Consider 2 Chronicles 7:14, "If my people, which are called by name, shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." Prayer includes emotions like weeping, sorrow, joy, repentance, intercession, and speaking in tongues. One can pray while kneeling, standing, sitting, or lying down. Prayer works, and it saves. Most importantly, it is the chosen means of relationship with the Almighty God.
WORSHIP is what sincere worshippers do. Worship includes regularly attending church services. However, it is much more than that. Jesus stated, "The hour cometh, and now is when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth; For the Father seeketh such to worship him" {John 4:24}. Worshippers follow Jesus Christ, ordering their lives according to the truth of His word with the empowerment of His Spirit.