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OUR BELIEFS

What we believe about Jesus, the Bible, and the Church

Our Beliefs

The bible

We believe in the authority and sufficiency of the Holy Bible, complete in the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, as originally written; that it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth for its matter; was verbally and plenarily inspired, being the product of Spirit-controlled men, and 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 (2 Tim. 3:16, 17; 2 Pet. 1:19-21).

THE Godhead

We believe there is one and only one living and true God, an infinite, eternal Spirit, the Creator, Sustainer, and Supreme Ruler of Heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love. We believe that in the unity of the Godhead there are three Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit [The Trinity], equal in every divine attribute but without division of power, nature, essence or being, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption (Ex. 20:2,3; Matt. 28:19; I Cor. 8:6; Rom. 1:20; Rev. 4:11).

The Person and work of christ

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God (the God-Man), having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of Mary, a virgin, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Lk. 1:35; Jn. 1:1-2, 14; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ lived a sinless life, then accomplished our redemption, once for all, through His death on the cross as a satisfactory, substitutionary sacrifice for sin; which is made sure by His bodily resurrection from the dead (Rom. 3:24, 25, I Pet. 1:3-5, 2:24, Eph. 1:7). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. He is Head and Supreme Administrator of the Church (Acts 1:9, 10; Heb. 7:25, 9:24, Rom. 8:34; I Jn. 2:1,2).

THE holy spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, co-equal with God the Father and God the Son; that He was active in creation; that in relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the Evil One, convicts of sin, of righteousness, of judgment; that He is the Supernatural Agent in the new birth, instantly regenerating sinners into a new creation in Christ Jesus, baptizing all believers into the Body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (Jn. 3:3, 5; 2 Cor. 5:17; Jn. 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; I Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14). We believe that He is the Divine Teacher, who while glorifying the Son, assists believers in understanding and appropriating the Scriptures; that He produces fruit in their lives; and that He empowers them for service. We believe that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit through daily yieldedness (Jn. 16:13; I Jn. 2:20, 27; Eph. 1:17, 18; 5:18; Gal. 5:22-23). We believe the Holy Spirit is grieved by personal sin and His work can be quenched in the life of the believer (Eph. 4:30; I Thess. 5:19). We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer for the edification of the Body, uniquely using evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers to do the work of the ministry (Rom. 12:3-8; I Cor. 12:4-11; Eph. 4:7-12). We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues, were temporary for the establishment of the Church; that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit; that God heals in answer to prayer, but not through self-proclaimed healers (I Cor. 12-14).

Creation

We believe the Biblical account of the creation of the physical universe, angels and man; that this account is a historical account of the direct, immediate, creative acts of God in six literal 24 hour days without any evolutionary process; that man was created by a direct work of God; and that all men are descended from the historical Adam and Eve (Gen. 1, 2; Col. 1:16, 17; Jn. 1:3).

Man

We believe that man was created a moral being in the image and likeness of God and under the law of his Creator, but by voluntary transgression, Adam fell from his original sinless state, and all men sinned in him. In consequence the whole race is totally depraved, partakers of Adam's fallen nature, sinners by nature and conduct, spiritually dead, enemies of God, and therefore are under just condemnation apart from divine grace (Gen. 3:15; Rom. 3:10-19; 5:12, 19; 1:18, 32).

salvation

We believe that the salvation of sinners is the free gift of God to man through grace and received by personal faith in Jesus Christ. His sinless blood was voluntarily shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins, satisfying the just demands of a holy and righteous God. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation (Eph. 2:8; Acts 15:11; Rom. 3:24, 25; Jn. 3:16; Phil. 2:7, 8; I Jn. 4:10; I Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:21; I Pet. 2:24).

justification and sanctification

We believe that justification is that judicial act of God whereby deserved guilt is withheld from the sinner and Christ's righteousness bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness, but solely through faith in the Redeemer's shed blood (Rom. 3:24; 4:5; 5:1, 9; Gal. 2:16; Phil. 3:9). We believe that, in sanctification, God sets the believer apart unto Himself from sin in a position of righteousness at salvation, progressively applies the Word of God to the life for holy living, completely conforming the saint to the image of Christ at the Lord's return (Heb. 10:10-14; 3:1; Jn. 1:12; 17:17; 2 Cor. 3:18; I Cor. 1:30; Eph. 5:25-27; I Thess. 4:3, 4; 5:23, 24; I John 3:2; Jude 24, 25; Rev. 22:11).

security of the saints

We believe that all who are truly born again are kept by the power of God the Father, secure in Jesus Christ forever because of His finished work of redemption, the Holy Spirit being the pledge and seal of the promise (Jn. 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38-39; I Cor. 1:4-8; I Pet. 1:4-5). We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Rom. 13:13-14; Gal 5:13; Tit.2:11-15).

The church

We believe that the Church, the Body of Christ, is comprised of all believers from Pentecost to the Rapture, into which believers are baptized by the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27). We believe that a local church is an organized assembly of born-again, baptized believers, united by covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ (baptism and the Lord's Supper); exercising spiritual gifts; having for its officers pastors and deacons; meeting together for Worship, Instruction, Fellowship, and Evangelism (Matt. 28:19-20 Acts 2:41-42; 18:18; I Cor. 11:23-26, Acts 6:1-7). We hold that the local church shall be autonomous, free of any external authority or control (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom. 16:1, 4; I Cor. 3:9, 16; I Pet. 5:1-4).

Ordinances

We recognize two ordinances given by Christ to His church: Baptism and the Lord's Supper. These acts of obedience contain no saving merit. We believe that 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 (Matt 28:19; Acts 8:12-13, 26-40; 16:19-34; Rom. 6:3-10). We believe the Lord's Supper is a commemorative ordinance by which immersed believers remember and show forth the Lord's death until He comes and should be preceded by solemn self-examination. In practice we observe the New Testament pattern of immersion first, then observance of the Lord's Supper (Matt. 26:26-29; Mk 14:22-25; Lk. 22:14-23, I Cor. 11:23-31).

sepAration

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded of God (Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; 2 Tim 3:1-5; I Jn. 2:15-17; 2 Jn. 9-11).

The devil or satan

We believe in the reality and personality of Satan, the Devil; and that he was created by God as an angel, perfect, but through pride and rebellion was cast out of heaven, being the enemy of his Creator and the author of sin; that he is the unholy god of this age and the ruler of all the powers of darkness and is destined to eternal judgment in the Lake of Fire (Matt. 4:1-11; 2 Cor. 4:4; Rev. 20:10).

Future events

We believe in the imminent, personal, pre-Tribulational, pre-Millennial return of Christ who will rapture His church, the living and the dead, raised in glorified bodies to meet the Lord in the air (I Thess. 4:13-18; I Cor. 15:42-44, 51-54; Phil 3:20, 21; Rev. 3:10). We believe that at the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with His saints to establish His earthly Millennial Kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel (Dan. 9:25-27; Matt. 24:29-31; Lk. 1:30-33; Isa. 9:6, 7; 11:1-9; Tit. 2:13; Rev. 20:1-4, 6).

the eternal state

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matt. 25:46; Jn. 5:28, 29; 11:25-26; Acts 24:15; Rev. 20:5-6, 12-13). We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit and soul shall be reunited with a glorified body to be forever with the Lord (Lk. 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23, 3:21; I Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6). We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment (Matt. 25:41-46; Mk. 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15).

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