What we believe about:

The Bible

We believe in the Bible as the verbally (every word) and plenary (completely) inspired Word of God as contained in the original manuscripts; that all portions of Scripture are equally inspired and contain no contradiction; that the Canon, the sixty-six books of the Bible, is complete (nothing may be added to it or taken from it); and that the Bible is the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and practice for the believers in Jesus Christ.  (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 1:1; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

God

We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three Persons--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; eternal in being, identical in nature, equal in power and glory, having the same attributes and perfections. (Exodus 20:2,3; Matthew 28:19,20; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Revelation 4:11)

 

a)      God the Father: We believe there is one and only one living and true God, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, measureless in power; that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men; that He hears and answers prayer; and that He saves from hell all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.  (Psalm 65:2; Psalm 147:5; Isaiah 6:1-3; Lamentations 3:22-23; John 3:16; John 14:6; John 17:11; Hebrews 11:6; Romans 5:8;   1 John 3:20)

 

b)       God the Son: We believe in the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ; His eternal existence as God, co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit; His incarnation by means of the virgin birth; His sinlessness; His vicarious atonement for the sins of mankind by the shedding of His blood on the cross; His literal bodily resurrection from the dead; His ascension; His present intercession in Heaven for believers; and His personal, visible return to earth.  (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35; 24:36-43, 51;  John 1:18; 10:25-30; 14:9; Acts 1:9,11; 10:40, 41; Romans 3:25; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Hebrews 1:8; 8:1,2; 9:14; 1 Peter 2:2; 1 John 1:1-2; 2:1; 5:10-12, 20; Revelation 20:4-6)

 

c)      God the Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, equal with the Father and Son and of the same nature; that He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; that He bears witness to the Truth; that He is the agent of the New Birth; that He baptizes all true believers into the body of Christ at the moment of salvation, indwelling and sanctifying all of them, sealing and thus securing them until the completion of their redemption; that He endues, guides, teaches, and helps believers; and that it is the privilege and expectation of all the saved to be yielded to the work of the Spirit, the evidence of this being the fruit of the Spirit and godly living, not speaking in tongues.  We believe speaking in tongues was a special sign to the unbelieving or doubting Jew to confirm the Message and Messenger as being of God. We also believe the gift of tongues and other sign or revelatory gifts from the Holy Spirit (healing, prophecy, word of knowledge/wisdom, miracles, apostle, the interpretation of tongues, special faith, and the discernment of spirits) were temporary and are not necessary for the Church today.  Additionally we believe His work will result in exaltation and adoration of God the Son.  (Matthew 28:19; John 16:7-15; Acts 5:3,4; Romans 8:9, 16; 1 Corinthians 6:19; 13:8; 2 Corinthians 12:12; 13:14; Galatians 5:22-25; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2:20-22; 5:18)

Salvation

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through faith in the blood sacrifice, death, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ; that all who receive Him are regenerated by the Holy Spirit, and become children of God; that no rite, ceremony, or work can avail for the sinner's salvation or make the believer's salvation more secure; that Christ is the only and all-sufficient Savior.  We believe that all who are truly born again cannot lose their salvation but are kept by the power of God the Father for Jesus Christ (the eternal security of the believer).   (John 1:12; 5:24, 10:28-29; Titus 3:5-7; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 8:35-39; 10:9-12; Acts 16:31; 4:12; 2 Timothy 1:12; Philippians 1:6; Philemon 18, 19; Hebrews 6:20; 8:3-5; 9:14-15; 10:10; 1 Peter 1:5; 1 John 5:13; Jude 1; John 3:16)

Some key terms defined:

a)   Election:  We believe that God has chosen, in Christ, before the foundations of the world those whom He graciously regenerates, saves and sanctifies.  This choice is not related to any initiative on man’s part or God’s anticipation of what an individual might do by their own will.  It is solely an act of God’s unmerited, sovereign grace and mercy to draw undeserving men to Himself and all of the elect will ultimately come to salvation.  In no way does God’s choice absolve any individual of his personal responsibility to respond to God’s command to repent and trust Christ as his Savior and Lord.  In exercising His choices, God remains just, holy, loving, and merciful.  (John 3:18-19, 36; 5:40; Romans 8:28-30, 9:11, 16, 22-23; Ephesians 1:4, 7-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:10, 12-13; 2 Timothy 2:10; Titus 3:4-7; 1 Peter 1:1-2; Revelation 22:17 ).

b)    Regeneration:  We believe that regeneration is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit by which the divine nature and divine life are given (Titus 3:5). It is instantaneous and is accomplished solely by the power of the Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of the Word of God (John 5:24), when the repentant sinner, as enabled by the Holy Spirit, responds in faith to the divine call to salvation. Genuine regeneration is manifested by fruits worthy of repentance as demonstrated in righteous attitudes and conduct. Good works will be its proper evidence and fruit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 2:10), and will be experienced to the extent that the believer submits to the control of the Holy Spirit in his life through faithful obedience to the Word of God (Ephesians 5:17-21; Philippians 2:12b; Colossians 3:16; 2 Peter 1:4-10). This obedience causes the believer to be increasingly conformed to the image of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). This conformity reaches its final goal in the believer's glorification at Christ's coming (Romans 8:17; 2 Peter 1:4; 1 John 3:2-3).

c)    Justification: We believe that at the moment of salvation, God imputes the righteousness of Christ to us, imputes our sins to Christ and declares us innocent of all past, present, and future accusations against us; that the penalty incurred by sin is fully satisfied through the death of Christ; that it is given, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith by grace.  (Romans 5:1, 9; 8:17; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-9; Colossians 2:13, 14; Titus 3:3-7; 1 Peter 2:24)

d)    Sanctification:  We believe that every believer, at the moment of salvation, is sanctified (set apart) unto God by justification and is thereby declared by God to be holy and identified as a saint.  This positional sanctification is instantaneous and has to do with his standing before God.  This act of God does not result in a state of perfection or the eradication of sin for the believer in this life.  In addition to the believer’s standing before God is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, conforming the believer to the image of Christ.  This progressive sanctification is a work of grace through the empowering of the Holy Spirit, resulting in an increasing desire for practical holiness in the life of the believer.  (John 17:17,19; Acts 20:32; Romans 6:1-22; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 30; 6:11; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; Philippians 3:12; Colossians 3:9-10; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4; Hebrews 2:11; 3:1; 10:10, 14; 13:12; 1 Peter 1:2, 14-16; 5:23; 1 John 3:5-9).

e)    Glorification: We believe that the final state of the redeemed is glorification.  This is an eternal bliss, forever with the Lord and in constant benefit of His person and His graces.  (John 14:1-4; 17:24; Romans 8:29-30; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; 1 Thessalonians 4:17)

Man

We believe that God created man in His own image and that man sinned, thereby incurring not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which ends in conscious and eternal separation from God in a literal hell.   We believe that all men and women possess, at conception, a sinful nature, evidenced after one’s birth by sinful acts; that man is totally depraved—that is, he is corrupted in his entire being, and therefore unable and unwilling, on his own, to respond to God’s call of salvation; that there is no remission or forgiveness of sin apart from the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and man's repentance.  We believe in a literal Hell, a place of torment and fire, which, after being cast into the lake of fire, becomes the eternal dwelling and punishment for those who do not trust Jesus Christ as their personal Savior in this life. We believe that after this life, no one has any additional opportunity to trust Jesus Christ; that each person immediately enters Hell or Heaven based on one’s standing in Christ before death. (Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Luke 16:19-31; Romans 3:10-23, 6:23; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8)

Angels

We believe that angels and demons are spirit beings.  Angels are heavenly hosts, but are also created beings and therefore should not be worshipped by man.  Some of the angels, referred to as fallen angels, chose to rebel against God with Satan and were cast out of heaven with him. These are now the hosts of Satan, confirmed in their sin, and will share in his ultimate doom.  There are also holy angels, the angels of heaven, ministering spirits to the saints, who are sinless and pure and are forever seeking to praise God in their ministries for Him and His people.  Their ministries, ranks, and orders differ, and their strength, appearance, travel, etc, are not bound by natural human ways.  They are immortal and do not marry.   We believe in the personality of Satan, who is the author of sin and the open and declared enemy of God and man; that he was defeated through the death and resurrection of Christ, and that his final destiny is eternal punishment in the lake of fire. (Daniel 10:12-21; Matthew 18:10; 22:30; Mark 5:2; 8:38; Colossians 1:16; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Hebrews 1:14; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6, 9)

Last Things

We believe in the personal, pre-millennial, pre-tribulational, and imminent coming of our Lord in the air to catch away all believers unto Himself; as well as the personal, visible, and glorious return of Christ to the earth, with believers, at the close of the Tribulation period to judge the living nations and to set up His millennial Kingdom on earth. We believe in a literal, seven year period of time referred to in Scripture as the Great Tribulation.  We believe that Israel will once again be restored to her greatness and glory as God’s special people and nation.  We believe that after this present life, church age believers will be presented spotless and blameless before God the Father by Christ and will stand before Christ to receive the rewards promised to them as faithful servants.  We believe that the Great White Throne judgment is for unbelievers of all time and does not in any way involve the elect.  We believe that all human history finds its end with the creation of the New Heaven and New Earth when the curse of sin is removed and mankind experiences and fulfills its greatest purpose.  (Matthew 24; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; 1 Corinthians 15:50-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Colossians 1:21-23; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:7,8; 2 Peter 3:1-13; Revelation 17:14; 19:6-8, 11-21; 20:1-6)

Doctrine of the Church

We believe that the church exists in two aspects:

a)     First, it is an organism composed of all true believers in Jesus Christ called the body of Christ.  This reality is illustrated through three important images in the Bible:

                1)  The Body of Christ

We believe that the only head of the church is Jesus Christ.  He holds the ultimate position of authority, direction, and control over the church.  Each member of the Body is empowered through the gifts of the Holy Spirit for service in the work of the ministry.  No member of the Body has spiritual life, power, or ability of any kind apart from Christ and the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 1:22–23; 4:15; 5:23; Colossians 1:15-20)

                2)  The Bride of Christ

We believe that Christ loved the Church and gave Himself as a sacrifice on the Cross for her, thus purchasing her as His bride, saving and sanctifying her through this act of love. After salvation Christ continues to demonstrate His love to His bride as He feeds and cares for her. We believe that the Church will one day be presented to Him in spotless perfection. As the betrothed bride of Christ, the church in love is to be loyally devoted to Christ, eagerly desiring His return, and preparing herself for His return as her Bridegroom. (2 Corinthians. 11:2–4; Ephesians 5:25, 29; 1 John 3:1-3)

3)  The Family of God

We believe that God not only saves and regenerates the elect, but that as a part of this process He also adopts these same lost and unworthy children of wrath into His family. This adoption not only places the individual into the family of God as a son or daughter of God but also brings with it certain benefits and privileges as the person becomes a fellow heir of the Father with Christ. We also believe that each individual child of God is spiritually related to every other believer as a brother or sister in Christ.  This relationship is foundational and primary to every other relationship in the believer's life.  Earnest, brotherly love is to be the characteristic mark of believers as they interact with one another.  This love is one of the primary ways in which Christians know that they have been regenerated.  Conversely, a continual, persistent lack of love for other brothers in the family of God is evidence for a lack of regeneration.   (Mark 3:31–35; Romans 8:12-17; 12:10; 1 Timothy 5:1–2; Hebrews 13:1; 1 Peter 1:22; 4:8; 1 John 2:7-11; 3:1–2; 4:19-21)

b)    Second, it is an organization composed of regenerated, immersed believers, voluntarily unified for the purpose of the worship of God through the instruction in the Scriptures, edification of fellow believers, observance of the ordinances, fellowship, and service to one another and unbelievers; that the true mission of the church is to exalt the three Persons of the Trinity relative to their proper positions and roles and to advance the truth regarding them as found in the Scriptures. We believe that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations, religious or governmental; that it is Scriptural for true believers to cooperate in the advancement of the mission of the church, with each local church as the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; and that on all matters of membership, policy of government, discipline, and benevolence, the will of the local church is final.  (Acts 1:8; 2:41-47; 4:4; 20:7; 11:26, 29-30; 13:1-4; 15:1-27; 20:28, 31; Romans 1:7; Colossians 1:2; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 5:1-6, 11; Hebrews 10:25; 13:7, 17; Philippians 1:1; 4:14-16; 1 Timothy  3:1-16; Titus 1:5-8; 1 Peter 5:1-5; Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 5:24-26)

We believe that the ordinances of the church are as follows:

a)     Baptism: We believe that Scriptural baptism is the immersion of a believer in water, symbolizing his union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection; that every believer should be baptized because of the example and command of our Lord; and that while there is no saving power in water baptism, it is an act of obedience by those who are already saved to picture their death, burial, and resurrection to walk in newness of life with Jesus Christ.  We believe that Baptism is a prerequisite for church membership. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41, 8:12-37, 10:47, 18:8; 1 Peter 3:21)

b)     Lord's Supper: We believe that the Lord's Supper (communion) is a commemoration of the Lord's death until He comes again; that the elements (the bread and juice) are only symbols of His broken body and shed blood; and that our observance of it is a pictorial testimony of the believer's fellowship with the Crucified Savior; and that, in this ordinance, the Lord's table should be opened to all regenerated persons after self-examination.  The purpose of this examination is to evaluate whether the direction of one’s personal lifestyle demonstrates regeneration, rather than any attempt to become worthy before God through the identification and eradication of personal sins.  (1 Corinthians 11:24-32; Luke 22:14-20)