Our Beliefs

Scripture
We believe that every word in the original manuscripts of the Bible (66 books) is the only inspired written revelation given by God himself. It is without error or falsehood, the final source of truth, and the supreme authority on all matters it addresses. The Scripture is to be obeyed in all it requires, and it will be the final standard by which all people will be judged by God. (Prov. 30:5; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Mark 13:31; 1Cor. 2:13; John 8:31,32; John 12:48-49; Acts 20:32; Heb. 6:18)

God (the Tri-Unity)
We believe there is one true God who is almighty and all-knowing, the creator and sustainer of all things, and an infinitely perfect spirit-being eternally existing in three distinct persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three are equal in every divine perfection and execute distinct but harmonious roles in the work of creation, providence and redemption.
(Gen. 1:1,26; Deut. 6:4; John 1:1,3; 4:24; Matt. 28:19; Acts 20:32; Rom. 1:19,20; Eph. 4:5-6)

God the Father
We believe in God the Father, an infinite personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. He infallibly ordains and controls all that shall come to pass. He concerns himself mercifully in the affairs of men, hears and answers prayer, and saves from sin and eternal death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Luke 10:21-22; Matt. 23:9; John 3:16; 6:27; Rom.1:7; 1 Tim. 1:1-2; 2:5-6; 1 Peter 1:3; Rev. 1:6)

Jesus Christ
We believe that from all eternity Jesus Christ is God’s only begotten Son and has precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. He is not only true God, but also true man, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. We believe in His sinless life, substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, and ascension into Heaven. We also believe in His priestly intercession for His people, and His personal, visible return from Heaven to Earth. (Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1-14; 20:28; Rom. 9:5; 8:46; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Peter 2:21-23; John 20:30- 31; Matt. 20:28; Eph. 1:4; Acts 1:11; Rom. 5:6-8; 6:9-10; Heb. 7:25; 9:28; 1 Tim. 3:16)

The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is true God with all the same nature, attributes and perfections of God. The Holy Spirit’s ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ and to convict the world regarding sin, righteousness and judgment. The Spirit regenerates, indwells, spiritually gifts, guides, instructs, empowers and sanctifies all believers in Christ. We believe that every believer is baptized in the Holy Spirit, which places every believer into the body of Christ, conferring all the benefits and power of being part of Christ. (John 14:16,17,26; 15:26-27; 16:8-14; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; 12:13; Gal. 5:22-26)

Humanity
We believe that God created humanity, male and female, in the image of God and free from sin. God ordained and designed marriage to be a covenantal, procreative, sexual, lifelong union of love between one man and one woman (as determined by genetics at birth) as husband and wife. God’s will for all people is chastity outside of marriage and fidelity within marriage. But man sinned, resulting in physical and spiritual death, which is separation from God. As a result, all humans are born with a sinful nature and are also sinners by choice, and so, are under condemnation. Man is not capable of obtaining or working toward salvation, apart from God’s grace and forgiveness in Jesus Christ. (Gen. 1:26; 2:17; 3:19; 5:2; Eccl. 2:11; Rom. 3:10-11,23; 5:12-21; 6:23; 1 Cor. 15:21-22; Eph. 2:1).

Salvation
We believe that the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection provide the only basis for justification and salvation —for all who believe and trust in Him. Salvation is received by grace alone through faith in Christ, apart from any human merit, good works, or ritual. Those who are regenerated (born again) by God’s Spirit, also repent, forsake sin, and trust in and surrender to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, so they are new creatures, delivered from condemnation. Through obeying God’s Word by the Holy Spirit’s power, the believer is able to live a life of increasing holiness and good works, in conformity to Christ and the will and Word of God (sanctification). If a person is truly born again, they have eternal life and cannot then ultimately be lost and condemned. (John 1:12; Acts 2:38,39; 3:19; 4:12; Rom. 3:28; 4:5; 6:1-22; 8:1; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; 12:13; 2 Cor. 5:17; Eph. 2:8-10; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 Thess. 4:3-4; John 5:24; 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:29-33)

The Church
We believe in the universal Church, which is the spiritual body of which Christ is the head. It is composed of persons from all places and times, who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. This body expresses itself in local church assemblies whose members have been baptized, have given a credible confession of faith, and have associated for worship, instruction, fellowship, giving, service and evangelism. There are two scriptural offices in the church of today: Elders/Pastors and Deacons. (Eph. 2:19-22; 5:19-21; Acts 1:8; 2:42-47; Heb. 10:23- 25; Matt. 28:19-20; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; 5:17; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-4)

Christian Conduct
We believe that the supreme task of every Christian is to live for the glory of God in life and conduct and to be blameless before the world. He should be a faithful steward of all his possessions, which are a gift from God, and he should seek to realize in every area of life the full stature of maturity in Christ. (1 Cor. 4:2; 10:31; 2 Cor. 9:6-9; Rom. 12:1-3; Heb. 12:1-2; John 14:15,23-24; 1 John 2:3-6; Col. 1:9- 10)

The Ordinances
We believe that the Lord has committed two ordinances to the local church to be observed during the present age (until Christ returns): baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Christian baptism is done properly with water, in the name of the triune God, as a symbol of the believer’s identification with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection as well as a sign and seal of the covenant of grace. Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper for commemoration of His death. We believe these two ordinances, however, are not to be regarded as means of salvation. (Matt. 28:19-20; Rom. 6:3-5; 1 Cor. 11:23-26)

Religious Liberty
We believe that every human being is directly responsible to God alone in all matters of faith and life and should be free to worship God according to the dictates of their consciences. Each local church is self-governing in function and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority. Therefore, Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other. However, we believe it is the right and responsibility of believers to influence and participate in civil government in accord with their religious convictions. (1Tim. 2:5; Rom. 14:7-9,12)

Church Cooperation
We believe that local churches can best promote the cause of Jesus Christ by cooperating with one another. (Acts 15:36,41; 16:5; 1 Cor. 16:1; Gal. 1:1-3; Rev. 1:4,10-11). — The Church may cooperate with interdenominational fellowships on a voluntary independent basis.

The Last Things
We believe in the personal, bodily, visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ from Heaven to Earth to initiate and rule over an earthly kingdom. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the final judgment, the believer’s everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord, and the everlasting conscious punishment and suffering of non-believers in hell. (Matt. 16:27; Mark 14:62; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Phil. 3:20; 1 Thess. 4:15; 2 Tim. 4:1; Titus 2:13; 1 Cor. 4:5; 15; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; Rev. 20:4-6,11-15)