THE WORD OF GOD

We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are verbally inspired of God and inerrant in the original writing; we believe that they are the sole and final authority in faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:19-21, John 20:31, 1 Corinthians 2:12-13).

THE TRIUNE GOD

We believe that God is the Supreme Being who has the ground of his existence in himself (Exodus 3:14, Isaiah 40, Psalm 62:11, Romans 1:20, Matthew 28:18-20); that he possesses the attributes of omnipotence (Isaiah 40, Psalm 62:11); omniscience (Psalm 139); and omnipresence (Psalm 139, Matthew 28:18-20); that he is the one God (John 10:30, Mark 12:29); eternally existing in three persons (Psalm 90:2, 1 Timothy 1:17); the Father (John 5:19); the Son (John 1:1); and the Holy Spirit (Hebrews 9:14), each having the same nature (Romans 1:20), qualities of character, and perfections (Romans 11:33-36) including, but not limited to, perfection in holiness (Isaiah 57:15, 1 Peter 1:16), justice (John 5:30, Psalm 89:14), goodness (Psalm 31:19, 145:9), mercy (Psalm 145:8-9, Ephesians 2:4), faithfulness (Psalm 119:90), and truth (John 11:14).

GOD THE FATHER

We believe that God the Father concerns himself mercifully in the affairs of men and that in love He planned the salvation of sinners before the foundation of the world and at that time He chose individuals and made provision so that when they trust in Christ they are made holy and blameless before him; and that He presently and eternally blesses them with every spiritual blessing (Ephesians 1:3-12, 1 Peter 1:3-5, 1 Corinthians 1:3, John 14:6, 1 Timothy 2:4, Matthew 5:45).

GOD THE SON

We believe that Jesus Christ is God the only begotten Son and always existed with the Father (John 1:1); that he is the agent of creation (John 1:3, Colossians 1:16) and the only Lord and Savior (II Peter 1:11) and that he in the fulfillment of the Father’s will (Psalm 40:7-8, Hebrews 10:5-7) was conceived of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:20) and manifested himself in the flesh through the Virgin Birth (Matthew 1:23, I John 1:2, Isaiah 7:14, 9:6); that he freely gave his righteous life for our sins (1 Peter 3:18, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Matthew 20:28), was buried and rose from the dead bodily (1 Corinthians 15:3-4); that he intercedes for believers today at the right hand of God the Father (Hebrews 7:25, 12:2, John 2:1) and is coming again to reign over his creation (Mark 14:62).

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that God the Holy Spirit reveals the character of the Father and the work and words of the Son, that his ministry is to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment; that he effects the new birth baptizing believers into one body (1 Corinthians 12:13), sealing (Ephesians 4:30, 2:18, 1:13), indwelling (1 Corinthians 6:19, 3:16), and interceding for them (Romans 8:26) and that he produces growth and fruit by comforting (Acts 9:31), empowering (Ephesians 3:16, Acts 1:8, 1 Timothy 1:7), filling (Ephesians 3:16, 5:18), instructing (John 14:26, Romans 8:14, 1 John 2:27), and unifying (1 Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 4:3) believers, who are abiding in the Word.

MAN

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27), that in Adam he lost his spiritual life (Genesis 2:17), became dead in trespasses and sins (Ephesians 2:1-3), and subject to the power of the Devil (Ephesians 6:11-12, 2:2), incapable of doing anything to please God (Romans 8:8). We believe this depraved condition has been transmitted to the entire human race (Romans 3:23, 1 Corinthians 15:22), the man (2 Corinthians 5:21) Christ Jesus alone being excepted (Romans 5:18-19). Hence, every child is born (Romans 5:12, Psalm 51:5) into the world with a nature (Romans 3:10-18) which does not possess divine life, but is essentially and unchangeably (John 3:6) alienated from God (Colossians 1:21, Romans 6:23) apart from divine grace (Titus 3:7, Ephesians 2:8-10).

SATAN

We believe in the reality and the personality of a most evil spirit (Ephesians 2:1-2) called the Devil, (Revelation 12:9-10) Satan and various other names. He was created a glorious angel but rebelled against God (Isaiah 14:12-14), and so became the originator of evil (1 John 3:8, Hebrews 2:14). He was cast out of Heaven (Luke 10:18, Revelation 12:9-10) with the other sinning angels (2 Peter 2:4), has ever been an enemy of Christ and his people (Ephesians 6:11-12), the deceiver (Revelation 12:9-10, John 12:31) of the whole world and the unholy god of this age (2 Corinthians 4:4). His doom was sealed through Christ’s death on the cross (1 John 3:8, Hebrews 2:14) and will be consummated in the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:l0).

SIN

We believe that sin is an offense against God (Psalm 51:4). When Adam sinned in disobeying God (Romans 5:12) all his descendants inherited the sin in him and the human race became sinful. Sin is rebellion (Job 13:23) against God, resulting in disobedience to his commands (Mark 7:20-23) in thought (Matthew 5:28), word (Romans 3:13-14), deed (James 4:17), or omissions (James 4:17) of duty including those relating to man (Psalm 51:4). Sin is failure to believe on the Lord (John 3:18) and to “love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind,” and “to love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37-40).

JUDGMENT

We believe in a literal hell and that those who do not receive God’s remedy for sin, the provision of redemption in Jesus Christ, are eternally lost. We believe the soul of the sinner will not be annihilated but will be punished by eternal destruction away from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power (1 John 5:1-3,10; Romans 1:18-32; Isaiah 66:24; Matthew 25:30,46; Romans 6:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9).

ATONEMENT

We believe that the word atonement comprises the all-inclusive work of the Godhead in the salvation of sinners. This salvation is wholly by grace (Ephesians 2:8-9) through the mediatorial offices [prophet (Matthew 21:11), priest (Hebrews 7:21-25, 2:17), and king (1 Timothy 1:16-17, John 18:33-39)] of the Son of God (Hebrews 1) who by the appointment of the Father (1 John 4:9-10) freely took upon Himself our nature (Philippians 2:7-8), yet without sin (2 Corinthians 5:21), honored the divine law by His personal obedience (1 Peter 2:24, Romans 10:4, Luke 1:76, Acts 3:22) and by His sacrifice (1 Peter 1:18-21, 2:24) for our sins (Colossians 1:22), which was proven acceptable to God (Acts 17:30-31, 1 Timothy 6:15-16) by His bodily resurrection from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-8). Now He has united in His person tender sympathies with divine perfection and is in every way qualified (Hebrews 2:16-18) to be a sufficient savior (Hebrews 7:21-25, 2:17, Hebrews 2:14-15) to those who trust in Him (Hebrews 4:14-16, 2 Timothy 1:12, Romans 5:1). (Romans 3:21-26, John 3:16, Isaiah 53:4-7).

SALVATION

We believe that God the Father planned our salvation before the world was created (Ephesians 1:3-6), that the Son became incarnate (Galatians 4:4-5) to fulfill that plan (Ephesians 1:7-12), and that the Holy Spirit indwells (Ephesians 1:13-14) the individual the moment he believes. By faith in the person and substitutionary work of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21-26, 5:1; Hebrews 9:21-29) and by God’s perfect righteousness being imputed unto us (1 Corinthians 1:30, 2 Corinthians 5:21) we are justified. Though repentance accompanies saving faith, no ritual or work can be added to believing (Acts 20:21, Romans 12:2, Titus 3:5, Ephesians 2:8-9). The person who trusts Christ for his salvation has been born again (Ephesians 1:13-14) and made a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17, John 1:12-13) by the spirit and is complete in Christ forever (Hebrews 10:4, John 5:24) (Ephesians 1).

THE CHURCH

We believe the Church, the bride of Christ (John 3:29, Ephesians 5:21-23), was formed at Pentecost (Acts 1 & 2) and is composed of individuals (1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 19-20) from all races cultures and creeds who are called of God to faith in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:4-5, 2:8-9) and are baptized by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 1:4-5) into one living body of which Christ is the head (Ephesians 1:22-23, Colossians 1:18). The Church, His body (1 Corinthians 12:12-27), is the abode of God (2 Corinthians 6:16) and therefore occupies a relationship with Him (Romans 8) which is distinct from all other systems of faith and worship (Romans 12:1-5, Titus 3:5, Acts 4;12, Galatians 1:8) and will be translated into the presence of God at the end of the age (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, Romans 8:11, 1 Corinthians 15). Each gathered group of believers (Hebrews 10:25) performing in accordance with New Testament directions (1 Timothy 3:15) forms the local church declared to be the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Timothy 3:15) through which the wisdom of God is made known (Ephesians 3:10).

THE ORDINANCES

We believe that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are New Testament ordinances of the church gathered, and are acts of obedience to the Lord’s command though not essential to salvation.

Baptism is a testimony of the believer’s identification (Galatians 3:27) with the death (Colossians 2-12), burial (Romans 6:1-7), and resurrection of Christ. Baptism by immersion in water (Acts 8:12, 36-39; 10:47-48) is to be administered in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20).

The Lord’s Supper, or Communion, a partaking together by believers (1 Corinthians 10:16-17, 21) of bread and wine (Luke 22:19-20), represents a spiritual feeding upon Christ’s body and blood (John 6:35, 48-58), and is a remembrance of his death until He comes. The partaking of the wine is also an expression of the anticipation of the Christian to drink it anew with him in his Father’s kingdom (Matthew 26:29). The frequency of observing this ordinance is to be determined by each local church (1 Corinthians 11:25-26) and is to be taken by believers who are admonished to examine themselves to assure that they are harboring no unconfessed sin (1 Corinthians 22:23-24).

THE GREAT COMMISSION

We believe the Lord Jesus Christ commanded those whom he has saved to make disciples throughout the world (Matthew 28:18, 20; Acts 1:8).

THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

We believe that the Great Tribulation will be climaxed by the glorious bodily return of the Lord Jesus Christ with his saints, Satan will be bound, the earth’s curse will be lifted, converted Israelites will be restored to their land and Christ will visibly reign over the earth for a thousand years (Deuteronomy 31:1-10; Revelation 20:1-6; Romans 8:19-23; John 14:1-3; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18; I Corinthians 15: 51-52).

THE ETERNAL STATE

When Christ returns the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then those who are alive will also be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and all shall be changed into his likeness. In the consummation of all the redeemed will live with God forever in fullness of perfection giving full glory to God. (1 Corinthians 15:51-53, 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17, Revelation 1:7, Revelation 5:13-14, 1 John 3:2-3, 1 Peter 5:10)