OUR BELIEFS
What we believe about...
The Scriptures...
We believe that both the Old and New Testaments are verbally inspired by God, are completely error-free in the original writings, and are the supreme authority of faith and practice for the believer in Jesus Christ. We further believe that there is only one true interpretation of any Biblical passage, which is found when accurately applying the literal grammatical-historical method of interpretation. (Psalm 119:160; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Hebrews 1:1-2, 4:12)
GOD...
We believe there is only one living and true God who is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. We further believe that God is one in essence while existing in three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Though each person of the Godhead possesses precisely the same nature and attributes, each function differently in respect to God’s purposes and dealings with man. (Deuteronomy 4:39; 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
THE FATHER...
The Father is the first person of the Trinity who orders and directs all things according to His own purpose. The Father is sovereign in creation and redemption, decreeing all things that come to pass for His own glory. He graciously involves Himself in the affairs of mankind, hears and answers prayer, and saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (2 Chronicles 29:11; Psalm 103:19; Matthew 6:9; John 5:19-24; Ephesians 1:2-6)
THE SON...
The second person of the Trinity is both the eternal Son of God and virgin-born Son of man. Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, surrendered nothing of His deity during His earthly life. Having led a sinless life, He satisfied the Father’s justice concerning sin by His substitutionary death on the cross. We believe in His bodily resurrection, His physical ascension and His visible return to earth to establish His earthly kingdom. (John 1:14-18; Acts1:11; Romans 3:24-26; 1 Corinthians15:1-8; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 2:17-18; Revelation 20:11-15)
THE HOLY SPIRIT...
The third person of the Trinity executes the will of God in the world of men. It is the Holy Spirit who applies the salvation that Jesus Christ secured through His death on the cross. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. It is the Holy Spirit who empowers the church to live a lifestyle pleasing to God, endowing it with special gifts which equip believers to accomplish distinct ministries, planned beforehand by God the Father. (John 3:1-8; 15-16; 16:4-15; 1 Corinthians 12; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 1:13-14; 5:18-21)
MAN...
We believe that man was directly created in the image of God to enjoy His fellowship and to fulfill God’s will on earth. Man sinned by voluntary act of personal disobedience to the will of God; as a result, all men are spiritually dead and subject to the certainty of physical death. The fall of man is a historical fact, the effects of which are transmitted to all men, who are all born with a sinful nature and sins habitually in thought, word, and deed. (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7; 3:3-4; Romans 1:18-32; 3:10-23; Ephesians 2:1-3)
SALVATION...
We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins as the only sufficient, substitutionary sacrifice. All who believe in Him are declared justified by the Father on the grounds of Jesus’ death and resurrection. All who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by grace through faith have been regenerated by and baptized in the Holy Spirit. They become, thereby, the children of God, forever, and members of the one true church, the universal Body of Christ. This salvation will result in righteous living and good works as the believer submits his life to the control of the Holy Spirit who directs the life of the believer in harmony with the Word of God. (John 1:12; 3:16; 5:24; 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:21-26; 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10; Titus 3:4-7; Hebrews 10:10-12; 1 John 5:11- 13)
THE CHURCH...
We believe that all who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit belong to the one true universal church and are directed by the Scriptures to associate themselves in local, visible churches. The local church is the only scriptural representation of Christ’s invisible Church and consists only of regenerated believers. The local church is autonomous in its government and recognizes its own members for the biblical offices of elder and deacon. Two ordinances have been committed to the local church Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The purpose of the church is to lead others to Christ, mature them in the faith, and equip them for personal ministry. (Matthew 16:13-28; 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-47; 4:1-16; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29; Ephesians 2:19-22; 4:11-13; Hebrews 10:23-25; 1 Peter 5:1-3)
MARRIAGE...
We believe that God has established marriage as a lifelong, exclusive relationship between one man and one woman and that all intimate sexual activity outside the marriage relationship, whether heterosexual, homosexual, or otherwise, is immoral and therefore sin (Genesis 2:24- 25; Exodus 20:14, 17; Matthew 19:4-6, 9; Romans 1:18-
31; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, 15-20; Jude 7). We believe that God created the human race male and female, and all conduct with the intent to adopt a gender other than one’s birth gender is immoral and therefore sin (Genesis 1:27; Deuteronomy 22:5).
FUTURE...
We believe that prophetic scriptures teach the imminent return of Jesus Christ (John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17). We believe the second coming of Christ will occur in a bodily, visible manner with great glory (Acts 1:9-11; 1 Corinthians 15:20-28; Revelation 20:1-4).