THE BIBLE
We believe the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is the complete and revealed Word of God, fully inspired and inerrant in every word of the original writings. It has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
(Psalm 19:7-11; Isaiah 40:8; Matt. 5:18; II Tim. 3:15-17; I Cor. 2:13; Heb. 1:1-2; II Peter 1:19-21)
TRINITY
We believe there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These are equal in every divine perfection and perform distinct but harmonious functions.
We believe all three divine persons of the Godhead were involved in creation of the universe, which came into being by divine command, from nothing and not through any evolutionary process.
(Gen. 1:1; Deut. 6:4; Isaiah 9:6, 7; Matt. 28:19, 20; Luke 3:21, 22; John 1:1-3; John 1:14; Acts 5:3-4)
GOD THE FATHER
We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, knowledge, power, and love.
We believe He is intimately involved in the affairs of mankind, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him in repentance through faith in His Son, Jesus Christ.
(Eph. 1:3-6; John 14:13, 14; John 17:1-3)
JESUS CHRIST
We believe in Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, only begotten Son of the Father, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin,
We believe He lived a sinless life, in which He performed miracles and taught.
We believe in His substitutionary, atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His church, and future, visible return to earth to reign in person.
(Isaiah 7:14; John 1:14-18; 5:26-29; Acts 1:3, 11; Phil. 2:5-11; I Cor. 15:3, 4; Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:1-3; 4:14, 15; Rev. 20:4)
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe the Holy Spirit is fully divine, that He inspired men to write the Scriptures and illuminates the saints to understand.
We believe He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He baptizes, regenerates, sanctifies, gifts, and empowers all who believe in Christ. He permanently indwells and seals every believer from the moment of salvation and is our abiding Helper, Teacher, and Guide as we conform to the image of Jesus.
(John 3:3-7; 16:7-15; Rom. 8:9-17; Acts 2:38, 39; 1 Cor. 12:1-15; Eph. 5:18)
SATAN AND HELL
We believe Satan is a created, fallen angel who rebelled against God and is the author of sin. He is the enemy of both God and man and was defeated by the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Hell is a literal place of eternal conscious punishment of all who are unrighteous.
(Job 1:6, 7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:11-19; Matt. 25:46; Rom. 16:20; Rev. 20:14, 15)
MAN
We believe man is the greatest of God’s creations, having been made in His own image. He created them male and female, with the gift of distinct genders being part of the goodness of creation. Willfully rejecting God’s rule, man came under the curse of sin and is therefore naturally condemned to eternal separation from God in hell.
We believe the grace of God, received by faith, brings man back into fellowship, fulfilling his created purpose. Every person of every race possesses dignity and is worthy of respect.
We believe in the sanctity of human life from conception.
(Gen. 1:26, 27; Ps. 139:13-14; Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3; 2 Thess. 1:6-10)
SALVATION
We believe salvation is a work of God’s grace, unearned and undeserved; received through faith in Jesus Christ’s substitutionary death on the cross and His resurrection, which announces the completion of His sacrifice.
We believe that through repentance (the turning of one’s mind from sin and self) and faith (the acceptance of Christ and surrender of one’s life to Him), we are born of the Holy Spirit, and are kept secure in Christ forever.
(John 3:6-7; 10:28, 29; 14:6; Acts 13:38, 39; Rom. 3:10-18; 6:23; 10:9,10; Eph. 2:8-10; Titus 3:3-7)
THE CHURCH
We believe there is one church, the living Body of Christ (of which He is Head), comprised of all who through faith in Jesus have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit through saving faith in Jesus Christ.
We believe the local New Testament church consists of believers in Jesus Christ, who have been bound together by the Holy Spirit for worship, Bible study, prayer, the ordinances, fellowship, mutual support, and the evangelism of a lost world.
We believe the church is distinct from Israel.
(John 17:20-23; Acts 2:42; Eph. 4:1-16; Col. 1:15-23)
ORDINANCES
We believe the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the church to be observed until His return: believer’s baptism and communion (or the Lord’s Supper).
In baptism, a believer publicly declares his new life in Christ (by immersion in water).
In communion, the believer participates in a memorial of the sacrifice of Christ for our sin.
These ordinances are not means of salvation but acts of obedience for all believers.
(Matt. 3:13-17; 26:26-29; 28:19, 20; Acts 2:37-39; 1 Cor. 11:23-26)
THE CHRISTIAN LIFE
We believe a Christian should live for the glory of God and for the good of his fellow man, something only done through the empowering work of the Holy Spirit. As such, it requires denial of fleshly desires and submission to the Spirit, so His character can be reflected in us, and we may grow into maturity in Christ.
We believe the Christian will stand before the judgment seat of Christ to have his life evaluated according to his deeds, not for salvation but for reward.
(Rom. 6:12, 13; 12:1, 2; 1 Cor. 10:31; Gal. 5:16, 22, 23; Eph. 4:11-16; II Cor. 5:10)
LAST THINGS
We believe in the imminent rapture of the church and the personal, premillennial, and visible return of our Lord Jesus Christ to earth for the establishment of His kingdom.
We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the endless suffering of the wicked, and the eternal blessedness of the believer.
(Matt. 24:1-51; John 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15; 2 Cor. 5:10; I Thess. 1:10; 4:13-18; 5:9; Rev. 20:1-5)