God

I believe there is only (Deut 6:4, 1 Cor 8:4,6) one living and true God who exists outside of time (Gen 1:1, John 1:1-2) as three persons (2 Cor 13:14): the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matt 28:19-20). All have the same essence and share the same essential attributes (John 14:11, 16, 17), coeternal, yet precise in the personal mode of their existence (Matt 3:16-17).  The Father begot the Son (John 3:16) and the Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son (John 15:26). All three share a personal and intimate relationship with one another as well as in relationship to God’s eternal purpose (1 Cor 8:6, 1 Pet 1:2).  The Father is the designer (Eph 1:3-6), creator and provides protective care for His creation (1 Cor 8:6). The Son is the agent of creation (1 Cor 8:6, John 1:3), and the accomplisher of redemption (Eph 1:3-15, 1 Pet 1:2). The Holy Spirit convicts (John 16:8-11), inspires and equips (1 Cor 2:13), seals and sanctifies (Eph 1:15, 1 Pet 1:2).

I believe that God is a personal spirit with a name who wants to relate, compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, forgiving the vilest of transgressions, and will bring justice (Exo 34:6-7).  God is apart from His creation (John 8:23), but also comes to live among His creation (John 1:14, Isa 57:15).  God is an invisible (1 Tim 6:16-17), living (Jer 10:10) and active (John 5:26) spirit (John 4:24). God is eternal (Psa. 90:2), unchanging (James 1:17),  most wise (Rom 16:27), rewarder of those who diligently seek  Him (Heb 11:6), and who hates all sin (Psa 5:5-6).

I believe that God has an eternal plan (Eph 1:4) based upon His wisdom, and of His own freewill (Psa 115:3). He has all knowledge, wisdom, power, and grace to ensure that His plan will come to pass (Eph 1:11, Isa 14:24, 27). This plan includes all things and events of creation (Gen 1), and includes good and evil action of free moral creatures (Gen 50:19-20). God commands righteousness and forbids sin but He does not force us in this decision (Mat 6:10, John 7:17).

I believe that before the foundation of the world, God, on the basis of foreknown human faith, chose in Christ individuals to be heirs of eternal life (Eph 1:11). Election (1 Peter 1:1-2) based on God’s foreknowledge is God’s sovereign and gracious choosing of those whom He foreknew would freely accept and hold fast the offered salvation of Christ. God’s purpose is the salvation of the whole world (John 3:16-17), though not all will be saved (John 3:18).

I believe that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Gen 1:1, Psa 33), and all that fills the earth out of nothing (Rom 4:17) by the words of His mouth (Gen 1:3), and was created good (Gen 1:31). The creation glorifies God (Psa 19:1, Luke 19:40) by carrying out His plan (John 9:3). 

I believe that God is actively working out His plan through the upholding of the creation, cooperation with all second causes, and direction of all things towards His ultimate goal and no one is able to frustrate Him (Psa 33:9-10, 115:3). Creation is dependent on God alone for all matters of life (Mat 6:26, Acts 17:25, Col 1:17).  God allows mankind to make free will decisions, some of which He approves and some that go against His will (Jonah 1). God places limits on freedom and evil (Job 1-2).  God limits, frustrates, and brings good out of evil events (Gen 50:20).