Common Ground Beliefs
God
God is one, eternally existing in a community of three distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God, essential, absolute, eternal Deity (John 3:16; Philippians 2:6; John 1:4, 14; Hebrews 1:8); He is truly human and yet sinless (1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5); He was born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:20); His death was a substitute for the death sinners deserve (Matthew 20:28; 1 Timothy 2:6; 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15; Romans 6:23; ); He physically rose from the dead (John 20:19-20); He ascended to the right hand of the Father (Mark 16:19; Luke 24:51); and He is personally, visibly and bodily coming again with power and great glory (Titus 2:13; John 14:2, 3; Revelation 19:11-16).
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit shows the redeeming purpose of God to the world by convincing the world of sin, of righteousness and judgment (John 16:7-11), and by regenerating (Titus 3:5), uniting to Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13), indwelling (Ephesians 1:13; 5:18), sanctifying (Galatians 5:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11), illuminating (John 16:13), gifting and empowering for service (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), for all who place complete faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Galatians 5:5).
Salvation
Salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ apart from works (Ephesians 2:8, 9).
Spiritual Gifts
Spiritual gifts are manifestations of the Holy Spirit, sovereignly given, with the purpose of enabling and empowering the believer for serving the common good of the body of Christ, and for advancing His purposes in the world (2 Corinthians 12:4-11; Romans 12:4-8; 1 Peter 4:9-11).
The Church
The Church is the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 4:12), in the world as Christ’s representatives and agents of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:19, 20), “salt and light” to a lost world (Matthew 5:13-16).
The Return of Christ
Jesus Christ’s imminent return is to gather His own unto Himself (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18), to bring about the resurrection of the body from the dead, to establish His visible Kingdom on earth, and to judge in the final judgment. (Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Corinthians 15:12-56; John 5:22 ,29).
