God is Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, one in essence, equal and yet distinct by mutual relationship. (Gen. 1:1, 26-7; Deut. 6:5; Matt. 28:19; John 1:1-18, 17:5, 24) 

Our Triune God is an effective communicator: He created everything by speaking into darkness and reveals Himself to creation through His Word. Since all Scripture is God-breathed, it is effective, reliable, inspired, infallible, inerrant, and authoritative for all matters of life. The Word of God written points to the Word of God incarnate, Jesus Christ. (Gen. 1:1-3; John 1:1; Col. 1:15-6; 2 Tim 3:16) 

God is made known as Father by His incarnate Son, Jesus Christ: who is fully God and fully man; who was born of a virgin; who lived a real and sinless life; who died on the cross; who was raised bodily from death; and who is now dwelling with His Father and preparing a place for His Bride. (John 14:11; John 1:18; Col. 1:15-19; Matt. 1:23; 1 Cor. 15:1-11) 

The glorious love of the Father and Son is communicated by the Holy Spirit: who woos the lost to Christ, who pours God’s love into the hearts of believers, who unites believers to Christ, and who continues to direct the believer’s gaze onto Christ as He sanctifies us. (John 3; Rom. 5:1-5, 8:14-16; 1 Cor. 2:10-11; Gal. 2:20)

Humanity was made in the relational image of God: male and female, one in essence, united by the Spirit, yet distinct by mutual relationship. Therefore, true personhood is defined by dependent relationship with God and interdependent relationship with others. (Gen. 1:26-7, 2:21-5; 1 Cor. 11:7; Eph. 5:21-33; Gen. 2:24; John 13:34-5, 15:1-17) 

We fell by rejecting God and distrusting His word: we are made as responders and relators, created to reciprocate God’s love with other- centered love for Him and others. However, as a result of the Fall, humans are independent haters of God and lovers of self. (Gen. 3:1:17, 6:5-8; John 8:44-47; Romans 1:24-25, 3:10-12; 1 John 4:19) 

The Fall caused humanity to enter into sin and death: the rejection of God resulted in a threefold fall from good—Adam and Eve died spiritually, they lost the Spirit who united them to each other and God; physically, their bodies began to die and eventually would perish; and the creation was left bound by corruption and groaning for its proper purpose. (Gen 3; John 3; Ephesians 2: 1-10; Romans 8:18-30) 

The Gospel is the good news that God has done what humanity could not: The Father has sent the Son to live a perfect human life, to die as an atoning and substitutionary sacrifice in the place of guilty sinners and to win the hearts of humans to the glorious love of the Trinity from the death of self- love and hatred of God. This love is offered by the Spirit and poured out into the responsive human heart. (Phil. 2:6; John 1:14, 3:1-21, 12:27-50; 17:2-24; Acts 2:32-36; Romans 5:5-11; Eph. 1:5-9) 

As God captures hearts by His love revealed in Christ, all who respond in faith are united to Him and redeemed—that is they enter into the New Covenant: new spiritual life by the presence of the Spirit; new hearts that love God; an inner desire to know and want God to be God; the law written upon their hearts; and forgiveness of their sin. (Deut. 30:6; Isaiah: 42:6, 49:8; Jeremiah 31:31; Ez. 36:25-36; Romans 5:5, 8:1ff; 2 Cor. 3:1-18) 

Christ’s work fully addresses the effects of the Fall: the purchase of the Spirit and new spiritual life for redeemed humans; the future redemption of our bodies in the resurrection; and creation to be set free from corruption. Believers today have new spiritual life in Christ by the Spirit but remain in the brokenness of flesh and in creation still bound by corruption. (Gen. 3; John 3; Romans 8:18-30) 

The Holy Spirit is at work in those who are His: the Spirit comforts us by continually pouring God’s love into our hearts and directing our gaze to our Bridegroom; the Spirit’s communication of God’s love progressively changes every aspect of our lives to reflect Christ, i.e. to love what Christ loves and to hate what Christ hates. (Romans 5:1-8:39; 1 Cor 2:10-11; 2 Cor 3:1-18) 

All who are united to Christ are members of His body, His Bride, and are part of the universal church: The church is also described as the flock of the Good Shepherd; as the children of God by adoption and new spiritual birth; as a temple, in which the Spirit of God dwells; as the branches abiding in the vine, Christ. Each image points to a glorious relational reality. (John 10; Romans 8:12-17; Eph. 2:14-3:18; John 15; Is. 25:6-9, 66; Rev. 20-22)