God

We believe God is the sole, eternal, self-existent being. “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14), the Lord told Moses. “God is spirit (John 4:24). He has personality, possessing mind, will, and emotions (Exodus 3:14). God is love (1 John 4:8). He is good and faithful in all things (Psalm 119:68; Lamentations 3:22,23). He is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in loving kindness and truth (Exodus 34:6). Without sin, He dwells in perfect holiness and justice (Isaiah 6:3; Jeremiah 9:24). He has all knowledge, all power, and is present everywhere (Isaiah 40:28; Psalm 90:2; Jeremiah 23:24; 32:17; Psalm 147:5). He is infinite in all His attributes. Sovereign over all things, He rules the universe (1 Chronicles 29:11). To Him be “glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen (Jude 1:25).

We believe there is one God. Hear, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord is one!” (Deuteronomy 6:4). He eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Father is God (John 20:17). The Son is God (Titus 2:13). The Spirit is God (Acts 5:3,4). We see the divine persons distinguished in the baptism of Jesus. The Father speaks from heaven. The Spirit descends as a dove. He rests upon the Son, the Lord Jesus (Matthew 3:16-17). We also see the persons distinguished in Christ’s instructions to His disciples to make disciples and to baptize them “in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Yet, there is one God (1 Timothy 2:5).

We apply these doctrines as follows

Knowing God

Our foremost goal in the study and teaching of Scripture should be a true knowledge of God, the worship of His person, and the enjoyment of His presence and fellowship. This requires us to take careful note of what God reveals about Himself in Scripture, how He acts in various circumstances, what He cares about and values, the manifestation of His attributes, and His plan of salvation.

Theological Speculation

We must take great care when teaching on the person of God not to go beyond what is revealed in Scripture (1 Corinthians 4:6; 2 John 1:9). Theological speculation is generally not edifying. Seeking to explain the triune nature of God, the time when the child Jesus became conscious of His divine identity, the potential of Jesus having succumbed to Satan’s testing, and similar matters often leads to controversy, division, and error. We should not tolerate teaching that calls into question the biblical attributes of God, His goodness and wisdom, or the full and equal deity of the persons of the Godhead.