Statement of Faith
The Scriptures
We believe in the authority and sufficiency of the Holy Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, as originally written; that it was verbally and plenarily inspired and is the product of Spirit-controlled men, and therefore is infallible and inerrant in all matters of which it speaks. We believe the Bible to be the true center of Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creed and opinions shall be tried.
Scripture References: II Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:19-21
The True God
We believe there is one and only one living and true God, an infinite Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
Scripture References: Exodus 20:2, 3; I Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11
The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness and of judgment; that He bears witness to the truth of the gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the Agent in the new birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer.
Scripture References: John 14:16, 17; Matthew 28:19; Hebrews 9:14; John 14:26; Luke 1:35; Genesis 1:1-3; John 16:8-11; Acts 5:30-32; John 3:5, 6; Ephesians 1:13, 14; Mark 1:8; John 1:33; Acts 11:16; Luke 24:49; Romans 8:14, 16, 26, 27
The Devil
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.
Scripture References: Matthew 4:1-11; II Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10
Creation
We believe the biblical account of the creation of the physical universe, angels, and man; that this account is neither allegory nor myth, but a literal, historical account of the direct, immediate creative acts of God without an evolutionary process; that man was created by a direct work of God and not from previously existing forms of life; and that all men are descended from the historical Adam and Eve, first parents of the entire human race.
Scripture References: Genesis 1:2; Colossians 1:16, 17; John 1:3
Sanctity of Human Life
We believe all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including all—preborn babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life.
Marriage and Sexuality
We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning and that is marriage sanctioned by God which joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union as delineated in Scripture. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to only occur between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of sexual immorality such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography, or any attempts to change one’s gender, or disagreement with one’s biological gender, is sinful and offensive to God.
Scripture References: Genesis 1:26-27, 2:18-25; Exodus 20:14-17, 22:19; Leviticus 18:22-23, 20:13, 15-16; Deuteronomy 22:5; Matthew 15:16-20, 19:4-6, 9; Romans 1:26-31; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 15-20; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Timothy 1:8-11; Jude 7
The Fall of Man
We believe that man was created in innocence (in the image and likeness of God) under the law of his Maker, but that by voluntary transgression Adam fell from his sinless and happy state, and all men sinned in him, in consequence of which all men are totally depraved, are partakers of Adam’s fallen defense or excuse.
Scripture References: Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 3:10-19; 5:12, 19; 1:18, 32
The Virgin Birth
We believe that Jesus was begotten of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner; born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can be born of woman; and that he is both the Son of God and God the Son.
Scripture References: Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:14
Salvation
We believe that the salvation of sinners is divinely initiated and wholly of grace through the mediatorial offices of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who, by the appointment of the Father, voluntarily took upon Himself our nature, yet without sin, and honored the divine law by His personal obedience, thus qualifying Himself to be our Savior; that by the shedding of His blood in His death He fully satisfied the just demands of a holy and righteous God regarding sin; that His sacrifice consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was a voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the Just dying for the unjust, Christ the Lord bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; that having risen from the dead He is now enthroned in heaven, and uniting in His wonderful person the most tender sympathies with divine perfection, He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and all-sufficient Savior.
We believe that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation. Repentance is a change of mind and purpose toward God, prompted by the Holy Spirit, and is an integral part of saving faith.
Scripture References: Jonah 2:9; Ephesians 2:8; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24, 25; John 3:16; Matthew 18:11; Philippians 2:7, 8; Hebrews 2:14-17; Isaiah 53:5-7; I John 4:10; I Corinthians 15:3; II Corinthians 5:21; I Peter 2:24
Grace and the New Birth
We believe that, in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Jesus Christ; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new Birth, the one dead in trespasses and sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about by our sovereign God in a manner above our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance, faith, and newness of life.
Scripture References: John 3:3; II Corinthians 5:12; I John 5:1; Acts 16:20-33; I Peter 1:4; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1, 5; Colossians 2:13; John 3:8
Justification
We believe that justification is that judicial act of God whereby He declares the believer righteous upon the basis of the imputed righteousness of Christ; that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any work of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s shed blood.
Scripture References: Romans 3:24; 4:5; 5:1, 9; Galatians 2:16; Philippians 3:9
Sanctification
We believe that sanctification is the divine setting apart of the believer unto God accomplished in a three-fold manner:
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An eternal act of God, based upon redemption in Christ, establishing the believer in a position of holiness at the moment he trusts the Savior
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A continuing process in the saint as the Holy Spirit applies the Word of God to the life
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The final accomplishments of this process at the Lord’s return
We believe that in the continuing process, there is a progressive sanctification wherein the saved person is to grow in grace and into Christlikeness by the unhindered power of the Holy Spirit. We believe that we are to continue to say no to ungodliness and live godly lives to the best of our ability and not be conformed to the world.
Scripture References: Hebrews 10:10-14; 3:1; John 17:17; II Corinthians 3:18; I Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 5:25-27; I Thessalonians 4:3, 4; 5:23, 24; I John 3:2; Jude 24, 25; Revelation 22:11; Romans 8:29; Titus 2:11-12; 1 Peter 1:15-16; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 19-20; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Thessalonians 4:2-7; Philippians 2:14-16
The Security of the Saints
We believe that all who are truly born again are kept by God the Father for Jesus Christ.
Scripture References: Philippians 1:6; John 10:28, 29; Romans 8:35-39; Jude 1
The Church
We believe that a local church is an organized congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers are pastors and deacons, whose qualifications, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures.
We believe the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of organizations or individuals, and that the one and only Superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is Scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the gospel; that each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; that on all matters of membership, of policy, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final.
We believe in the unity of all New Testament believers in the Church, which is the body of Christ.
Scripture References: I Corinthians 11:2; Acts 20:17-28; I Timothy 3:1-13; Acts 2:41, 42; I Corinthians 12:12, 13; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 3:1-5; 4:11; 5:23; Colossians 1:18; Acts 15:13-18
Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
We believe that the Christian baptism is the single immersion of a believer in water to show forth, in a solemn and beautiful emblem, our identification with the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, through Whom we died to sin and rose to a new life; that baptism is to be performed under the authority of the local church; and that it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership.
We believe that the Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of His death until He comes, and should be preceded always by solemn self-examination. We believe that the Biblical order of the ordinances is baptism first and then the Lord’s Supper, and that participants in the Lord’s Supper should be immersed believers.
Scripture References: Acts 8:36, 38, 39; John 3:23; Romans 6:3-5; Matthew 3:16; Colossians 2:12; I Corinthians 11:23-28; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41, 42
Separation
We believe in obedience to the Biblical commands to separate ourselves unto God from worldliness and ecclesiastical apostasy.
Scripture References: II Corinthians 6:14; 7:1; I Thessalonians 1:9, 10; I Timothy 6:3-5; Romans 16:17; II John 9:11
Civil Government
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed, except in those things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ Who is the only Lord of the conscience, and Who is the coming King of kings.
Scripture References: Romans 13:1-7; II Samuel 23:3; Exodus 18:21, 22; Acts 23:5; Matthew 22:21; Acts 5:29; 4:19, 20; Daniel 3:17, 18
Israel
We believe in the sovereign selection of Israel as God’s eternal covenant people, that she is now dispersed because of her disobedience and rejection of Christ, and that she will be regathered in the Holy Land, and, after the completion of the Church, will be saved as a nation at the second advent of Christ.
Scripture References: Genesis 13:14-17; Romans 11:1-32; Ezekiel 37
The Rapture and Subsequent Events
We believe in the premillennial return of Christ, an event which can occur at any moment, and that at that moment the dead in Christ shall be raised in glorified bodies, and the living in Christ shall be given glorified bodies without tasting death, and all shall be caught up in the air before the seven years of the Tribulation.
We believe that the Tribulation, which follows the rapture of the Church, will be culminated by the revelation of Christ in power and great glory to sit upon the throne of David and establish the millennial kingdom.
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that only those who are justified by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and sanctified by the Spirit of our God are truly righteous in His esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked and under the curse; this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost in the lake of fire.
Scripture References: I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:42-44, 51-54; Philippians 3:20, 21; Revelation 3:10; Daniel 9:25-27; Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 1:30-33; Isaiah 9:6, 7; 11:1-9; Acts 2:29, 30; Revelation 20:1-4, 6; Malachi 3:18; Genesis 18:23; Romans 6:17, 18; I John 5:19; Romans 7:6; 6:23; Proverbs 14:32; Luke 16:25; Matthew 25:34-41; John 8:21; Revelation 20:14, 15
