What We Believe
Our articles of faith are classified into two categories. The first category is mandatory; this means that prospective members must agree with these to become actual members. The second category is instructional which means that prospective members agree to being taught in these areas with the view that they will submit to them in daily practice. Total agreement to these doctrines would not be essential for membership.
Mandatory Teachings
Authority of the Scriptures
We believe the Holy Scriptures, consisting of the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament, to be the verbally inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God in its original manuscripts. The Bible should be interpreted accurately by using appropriate hermeneutical principles. It is the final authority for Christian faith and practice. Deut 29: 29; Matt 5:18; John 10:35; 2 Tim 3:15-17; Heb 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20,21
The Godhead (Trinity)
We believe in one true God who is infinite, triune, personal, eternal, and all-powerful. God is three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit who are coequal in essence and all divine aspects. God is the only agent of all creation.
Gen 1:1; Deut 6:4; Is 44:6 & 45:22; Matt 28:19; John 4:24; 5:26; 8:56,58; 2 Cor 13:14; Col 1:15-19
The Person and Works of Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and, therefore, has no beginning or ending. He was conceived in the flesh by the agency of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and is fully God and fully man. Jesus, being sinless Himself, died for our sins on the cross, was buried, arose bodily on the third day, ascended into Heaven where He is now seated at the right hand of God the Father as our mediator, high priest, and advocate.
Is 7:14; Matt 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:1, 2, 14; Rom 3:24,25, 4:25, 8:34; Gal 5:16-18, 22-25; Eph 1:7,13,14, 5:18; 1 Tim 4:10; Heb 2:3, 4, 9, 4:14-16, 7:25, 9:24; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 2:12
The Person and Works of the Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is the eternal third person of the Trinity. He is the one who convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He is the supernatural agent in the regeneration of lost sinners, baptizing them into the Body of Christ, indwelling them, setting them apart unto a holy life, and sealing them unto eternal life. The Spirit distributes spiritual gifts to each believer according to His will. The Spirit guides yielded believers into all truth. We believe that the charismatic and revelatory gifts (i.e. tongues, prophecy, slain in the spirit) ceased at the completion of the canon.
John 3:5-8, 16:8-11, 13-15; Acts 1:8, 16:7; Rom 8:9; 1 Cor 1:7, 2:9-12, 12:3-13, 13:8-10; 2 Cor 12:12,13; Gal 5:16-18, 22-25; Eph 1:13,14, 5:18; Heb 2:3,4; 1 John 2:20,27; Rev 22:18,19
The Fall of Man
We believe that both man and woman were created in the image of God to enjoy a personal relationship with Him. As a result of conscious, deliberate, disobedience they fell from their sinless state and that all who have descended from them are sinners by nature and choice. The result is that all mankind became alienated from God, totally depraved, and unable to remedy their lost condition. Because of man’s lost condition he cannot save himself from eternal condemnation and torment.
Gen 1:26,27, 2:7; Is 64:6; John 3:16-18; Rom 2:6-16, 3:22, 23, 5:12-21, 6:23; Eph 2:1-3, 12; Rev 20:1, 3-15
Salvation
We believe that salvation comes solely by the grace of God through faith in Christ alone. This salvation was purchased by the substitutionary death and shed blood of Christ on the cross and is effective for every believer as a free gift.
John 1:12, 3:16; Acts 4:12, 16:31, 20:21; Rom 3:28, 10:9,10,13; Eph 1:7, 2:8-10;
1 Peter 1:18,19
We also believe that the eternal security is that work of God, which guarantees God’s gift of salvation, once received, is possessed forever and can never be lost.
John 3:16, 5:24, 6:27, 37-40, 10:27-29, 11:25,26; Rom 8:22-24, 38,39;
2 Cor 1:20-22; Eph 1:4-14, 4:30; Phil 1:6, Heb 7:25; 1 Peter 1:3-5
Eternal State of the Saved and the Lost
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and the eternal punishment. We believe that at the death the souls of the redeemed are absent from the body and at home with the Lord. We believe that at the first resurrection the soul and body will be reunited to be glorified with the Lord forever in Heaven. We believe that at the second resurrection the souls and bodies of the lost will be reunited whereupon they will appear at the Great White Throne Judgment to be cast into the lake of fire to suffer eternal punishment and banishment from God.
Matt 3:16, 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26, 23:43; John 5:28,29, 11:25,26;
2 Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23, 3:20,21; Col 2:12; 1 Thes 4:16,17; II Thes 1:7-9; Jude 1:6,7; Rev 20:11-15
Instructional Teachings
Sanctification
We believe that every believer has been set apart or sanctified unto God with a perfect standing in Christ. Regardless of a perfect standing, the believer still possesses the old nature, but has the presence of the Holy Spirit within through the new birth, or being born again. As believers yield to the Spirit’s control they will experience spiritual growth, though not sinless perfection.
Rom 6:11-14,17,18,22, 8:12,13, 13:14; Gal 5:16-26; Eph 4:22-24; Phil 3:12; Col 3:10; Heb 10:10-14; I Peter 1:14-16; I John 3:5-9
The Church
We believe that Christ is the head of the Church, which is His body and espoused bride. All who have trusted in His sacrifice for their sins, having put their faith in Him, are born again into His body. Therefore, whenever possible, Christians should commit themselves to corporate worship, instruction, fellowship, stewardship, and accountability in a local body of believers.
Matt 16:16-18; 1 Cor 12:12, 13; Eph 1:22,23, 2:19-22, 3:6-10, 5:23-27; Heb 10:19-25; 1 Peter 2:9,10
Two Ordinances
We believe that the Lord Jesus established two ordinances to be observed as a witness to the believer’s identification with Jesus in His death and resurrection. Baptism by single immersion following conversion indicates that the believer identifies with the Lord’s death, burial, and resurrection. The Lord’s Supper shows the Lord’s death until He comes again.
Matt 3:16, 26:26-29, 28:19,20; Mark 14:22-29, 16:15,16; Acts 2:38-41, 8:36-39, 9:17,18, 19:3-5; Rom 6:3,4; 1 Cor 11:23-31; Col 2:12
Two Offices
We believe that there are two biblical offices, that of pastor and deacon. The terms pastor, elder, and overseer are used for the same office:
Pastor – Acts 14:23, 20:28; Phil 1:1; 1 Tim 3:1-7, 5:17; Titus 1:5-9; 1I Peter 5:1-3
Deacon – Phil 1:1; 1 Tim 3:8-13
Second Coming of Christ
We believe the “Blessed Hope”, the personal return of Jesus on a day known only to God the Father, to take His Church to be forever with Himself. We hold that his return is pre-tribulation, pre-millennial, and imminent. After a terrible period of tribulation Christ will again return in great glory, along with His saints, to establish His Millennial Kingdom.
Zech 14:4-11; Matt 24:4-25,46; John 14:3; Acts 1:7,11; Rom 8:1; 1 Cor 15:20,23; 2 Cor 5:10; Phil 1:23; 1 Thes 1:10; 4:13-18; Rev 3:10, 11:15, 19:11-21:5
Evangelization of the World
We believe that it is the responsibility of every believer, by word and godly living, to give effective and consistent witness to his/her faith in Jesus. God has commanded his Church to be the agent of spreading the Gospel until the return of Christ for His Church.
Ezek 33:8,9; Matt 28:19,20; Mark 16:15; Luke 20:1; Acts 1:8, 8:4; Rom 1:14-17; 2 Cor 5:17-20; II Tim 4:5; 1 Peter 2:9, 3:15
The Person of Satan and his Eternal Punishment
We believe in the reality and personality of Satan, the Devil; and that he was created by God as an angel but through pride and rebellion became the enemy of his Creator; that he became the unholy god of this age and the ruler of all the powers of darkness and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire.
Is 14:12-17; Ezek 28:12-19; Matt 4:1-11, 25:41; 2 Cor 4:4; Rev 20:10
God as Creator
We believe in the Biblical account of the six day creation of the physical universe and man; that the account is neither allegory nor myth, but a literal, historical account of the direct, immediate creative acts of God; that man was created by the direct work of God and not from previously existing forms of life; and that all men are descended from historical Adam and Eve, the first parents of the entire human race.
Gen chapters 1 & 2; John 1:1-3; Rom 11:36; Col 1:16,17
The Place of Israel in God’s Plan
We believe in the sovereign selection of Israel as God’s eternal covenant people, that Israel is now dispersed because of Israel’s disobedience and rejection of Christ, and that Israel will be re-gathered in the Holy Land, and after the completion of the Church, will be saved as a nation at the second advent of Christ.
Gen 13:14-17; Ezek 37; Roman 11:1-32