WHAT WE BELIEVE

The Bible

We believe that the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, are infallible and without error in the original manuscripts, and are the sufficient and final authority for faith and life (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:3-4; 19-21; Psalm 119:9-11; Matthew 5:18; Deuteronomy 4:2; Galatians 1:8-9; Revelation 22:8-9; Hebrews 4:12-13).

The Trinity

We believe in the Holy Trinity; one God eternally existing in three equal and distinct persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:1, 26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 48:16; Proverbs 30:4; Mark 12:29; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 1:1-4, 14, 18; 10:30; 14:26; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Peter 1:2; Hebrews 9:14; 1 John 5:7).

We believe in the one and only God the Father; creator of all, eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, immutable, holy, loving, and true (John 4:24; Luke 3:22).

We believe in the deity, virgin birth, sinless life, substitutionary death, bodily resurrection, and imminent pre-millennial coming of Jesus Christ (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35; Philippians 2:6-11; Isaiah 7:14; John 1:14).

We believe that the Holy Spirit sanctifies, seals, fills, guides, instructs, comforts, equips, empowers, permanently indwells at salvation, and bestows spiritual gifts to the believer for Christ-like living and service (John 16:8; 13:15; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 1:22; 4:11-12; Romans 8:9-17; 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 12:4-5, 11-13, 19; Galatians 5:25; Hebrews 2:1-4; 2 Corinthians 12:12).

Mankind

We believe that God created mankind - male and female - perfect in His own image.  Tempted by Satan, man freely chose to disobey God, bringing sin, physical death, and spiritual death, which is separation from God.  And that all human beings are born with a sinful nature, and are sinners in thought, word, and deed (Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 1:18, 32; 3:10-19; 5:12, 19).

We believe in the fall, total depravity, and guilt of all mankind, which for man's salvation necessitates the sovereign, divinely-initiated deliverance of the sinner by the grace of God in Christ.

Salvation

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice and rose again for our justification; and that all who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood and are saved by grace through faith wholly apart from human merit and works (Acts 13:37-39; 16:31; Romans 3:21-28; Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:3-8; Isaiah 64:6).

Church

We believe that upon placing one's faith in Jesus Christ as Savior, the believer is made part of the Body of Christ, the one universal Church, of which Jesus Christ is the Head.  The Scriptures command believers to gather locally in order to devote themselves to worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, fellowship, the ordinances of baptism and communion, service to the local body through the development and use of talents and spiritual gifts, and outreach to the world to make disciples (Ephesians 1:22-23; Acts 2:42-46; 1 Corinthians 14:26; Matthew 28:18-20).

Baptism & Communion

We believe that baptism is a public declaration of the believer's salvation in Jesus Christ.  We believe that Baptism by immersion is an act of obedience to the command of Christ, and identifies us with Him in His death, burial, and resurrection (Acts 2:41; Romans 6:3-6).  We believe that communion (Lord's Supper) is a symbolic ordinance picturing Christ's body that was broken for our sins, and His blood that was shed for our redemption.  It commemorates His death and inspires us in looking forward to His coming again (Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-24).

Eternal security

We believe that once a person is born again they cannot lose their new nature, and are eternally secure in the Lord Jesus Christ (John 1:12-13; 3:3-18; 5:24; 10:28-30; 1 Peter 1:23; 2 Peter 1:4-11; 1 John 5:13).

What's Next

We believe in and expectantly await the glorious, visible, personal, pre-millennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ. The blessed hope of His return has vital bearing on the personal life, service, and mission of the believer (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost. The lost will be raised to judgment and experience eternal wrath in hell. The saved will be raised to eternal joy in the new heaven and new earth in the manifested presence of God (Acts 1:3, 9; Hebrews 7:25-26).