STATEMENT OF FAITH

(What We Believe)

THE SCRIPTURES

The Christian Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments (66 books), are the divinely, verbally, inspired, word of God, and without error in the original writings. The Bible is the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of mankind, the true center of Christian union and the supreme and final standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried. (2 Tim. 3:15-17, 2 Pet. 1:20, Psalms 19:7-9)

THE GODHEAD

We believe in the only one true God, who is the Creator, Sustainer, Sovereign Ruler of all things, and eternally existing in three persons (Father, Son, & Holy Spirit), who are equal in nature, attributes, and perfection. (Deut. 6:4, Matt. 28:19, 2 Cor. 13:14)

PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST

The Lord Jesus Christ is true God and true man, the eternal Son of God, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary in order to reveal God and redeem sinful mankind. He accomplished this redemption by offering Himself on the cross bearing our sin, as the sinless substitutionary sacrifice, thereby satisfying God's righteous judgement against sin. After substantiating this redemption by His bodily resurrection from the dead, He ascended to the right hand of God the Father, and intercedes for those who trust Him. (John 1:1, 2, 14, 18; Luke 1:34-35; Rom. 3:24-26, 8:34)

PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, who convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement, and regenerates the unbeliever, and sanctifies and teaches those who believe in Jesus Christ. At the moment of regeneration, the Holy Spirit baptizes, seals, indwells, and sovereignly bestows spiritual gifts upon each believer for the edification of the body of Christ. (Eph. 1:13, 4:30; John 16:7-11; 1 Cor. 12)

We believe that the "sign" gifts of speaking in tongues and the working of  miracles ceased as the N.T. was completed and its authority established. These gifts were given as signs to the Israelites in fulfillment of O.T. prophecy but were not signs of spiritual superiority or maturity. (I Cor. 12:4-11, 13:13, 14:22, 23; and Eph. 4:7-12)

We believe that God may heal miraculously today when it is His perfect will to do so, but healing is not in the atonement. (2 Cor. 12:8-10; Jas. 5:14-16)

SATAN

We believe in the distinct personality of Satan, and that he is the unholy god of this age. We hold him to be man's great tempter, the enemy of God and His Christ, the accuser of saints, and author of all powers of darkness, sin, and false religion. He is destined to the judgement of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. (Matt. 4:1-11; 2 Cor. 4:4; Rev. 20:10; John 14:30)

CREATION

We believe in the literal 6 day account of creation; that the creation of man lies in the special, immediate, and formative acts of God and not from previously existing forms of life. (Gen. 1:26-27, 2:7-9,16,17, 3:1-19)

MAN

The first man, Adam, was created innocent, but through willful disobedience to God, he became spiritually dead, bringing sin and physical death into the human race. This spiritual depravity has been transmitted to all men, so that man is sinful in nature and by practice. Therefore, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential to the salvation of man. (Gen. 1:26, 3:1-24; Rom. 3:10-18, 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3)

SEXUALITY

We believe mankind was created male and female with each fulfilling their sexual role in a heterosexual monogamist marriage. We also believe that all forms of sexual activity outside of a heterosexual marriage are a perversion of God's sexual design. Sexual activity such as homosexuality, lesbianism, sodomy, and pedophilia are sinful perversions, and no child of God can maintain such a sexual lifestyle.(Gen. 2:18-25; Eph. 5:21-33; Rom. 1:24-32; Gal: 5:19-21; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 1 Jn. 3:4-9).

SALVATION

Salvation is the gift of God's grace, not gained by meritorious works, and freely given to all who trust in the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary. Thus, all repentant sinners are forgiven and born into God's family by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. Evidence of salvation appears in the holy fruits of repentance, faith, and newness of life. (Eph. 2:8-9; John 1:13; John 3:3-6; Matt 7:16; Titus3:5).

REPENTANCE AND FAITH

We believe that repentance and faith are solemn obligations, and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of God; thereby being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger, and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy; at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confessing Him as our only and all-sufficient Savior. (Acts 20:21; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:27-38; Luke 18:13; Romans 10:13; Psalms 51:1-4, 7; Is 55:6,7).

REGENERATION

Regeneration is the instantaneous act of the Holy Spirit, whereby the sinner, who is dead in trespasses and sin, is brought to spiritual life and is made partaker of the Divine nature. This act is brought about, not by culture, not by character, nor by the will of man, only by the operation of the Holy Spirit in connection with the Word of God (John 1:12-13; John 3:8).

JUSTIFICATION

Justification is the judicial act of God whereby the sinner is declared righteous in view of Christ's shed blood, in which punishment is absolved (having suffered in Christ), and the sinner is restored to Divine favor. (Romans 5:1-9, 4:4-5; Acts 13:39).

SANCTIFICATION

Sanctification is the act of God whereby He sets apart the sinner unto Himself for holy living. This is presented in the scriptures in a threefold aspect:

1. POSITIONAL Sanctification, which is true of every believer (1 Cor: 1:2), the result of the sacrifice of Christ (Heb 10:10), is perfect in its intent and character (Heb. 10:14), and is through the exercise of faith (Acts 26:18).

2. PROGRESSIVE Sanctification begins with salvation and continues until it is brought to completion in the glorified body. It is a result of "growth and grace" (2 Peter 3:18, 2 Cor. 7:1). Every believer is sanctified by the reading of the Word of God, by the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Jn 17:17; Eph. 5:25-26; 2 Cor. 3:18; Phil. 1:6).

3. ULTIMATE Sanctification is attained when the spirit, soul, and body are freed completely from sin and when the believer is brought into the presence of Jesus Christ. (Rom 8:28-30; 1 Jn 3:2)"...we shall be like Him..."(1 Thess. 5:23).

SECURITY, ASSURANCE, AND RESPONSIBILITY

We believe that all the saved, those in whom God has accomplished His transforming work of grace, are kept by His power and are thus secure in Christ forever. It is their privilege to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation. However, this assurance must not be the occasion for sin, for God in holiness cannot tolerate persistent sin in His children, and in infinite love, He corrects them. Faithfulness to Christ is the hallmark which distinguishes them from superficial professors. (John 10:27-30; Rom. 8:31-39; I John 5:13; Heb. 12:6; Matt. 7:20; Jas. 2:20)

CHURCH

We believe in the Church, a living, spiritual body, of which Christ is the Head, and of which all regenerated people are members, and that the local visible Church is a company of regenerated baptized believers in Jesus Christ, associated together for work, worship, and fellowship. (1 Cor. 12:1-31; Matt. 16:16-18; Acts 2:42-47).

ORDINANCES OF BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER

We believe in the observance of the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord`s Supper in obedience to the Lord's command; that Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water as his identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, and is a public recognition of the Lordship of Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:1-7; Matt. 28:19-20).

We believe that the Lord's Supper is a memorial service, for believers, in which the elements of bread and grape juice remind us of the vicarious, bloody sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross and is to be observed with solemn, self-examination in anticipation of His second coming. (Matt. 26:26-29; 1 Cor. 11:23-30; Acts 8:36-38; Rom. 6:3-4).

SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

We believe in the personal, imminent return of Christ to receive the saints and later to establish His millennial kingdom on this earth, and ultimately to establish His eternal reign in the new heavens and the new earth. (1 Thess. 4:13-18, 5:1-11; Rev. 20:3-7).

JUDGEMENT

We believe that the believer's sins are judged in Christ on the cross (2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13; Jn. 5:24) and that his works will be judged for rewards at the Judgement Seat of Christ at the time of His coming (1 Cor. 3:8-15; 2 Cor. 5:10; 1 Cor. 4:5; 2 Tim 4:8). We believe that the impenitent wicked will be raised at the second resurrection of the dead to stand at the judgement before the Great White Throne of God. This takes place after the thousand year reign of Christ (Millennium). These will be consigned to the Lake of Fire (Hell), there to suffer torment forever together with the Devil, Antichrist, and False Prophet. We believe that the souls of the impenitent dead are now in a state of conscious suffering in Hades, awaiting the second resurrection (Ps. 9:16; Luke 16:19-31; Ecc. 12:14; Mark 9:43-48; Rom. 2:8-9; Heb 9:27; Rev. 14:9-11; Rev. 20:10-15, Rev. ).

THE ETERNAL STATE

We believe that at death the souls of those who have trusted Christ for salvation pass immediately into His presence and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body at His coming for the Church, when soul and body reunited shall be associated with Him forever in glory. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery until the final judgement and forever thereafter. (Luke 16:26; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Rev. 20:11-15).