Statement of Faith

A.  The Scriptures.

  1. We believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as originally given to be verbally inspired of God, and are the infallible, inerrant, plenary and only rule of Christian faith and practice. Moreover, we believe that God has exercised such singular care and providence through the ages in preserving the written Word, that the Scriptures are of supreme and final authority in faith and life and contain all things necessary to salvation (II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:21; Rom. 10:17)

 

B.  The True God.

  1. We believe that there is only one living and true God – eternal, unchangeable, infinite in power, wisdom, holiness, justice, mercy, goodness and truth – Who upholds all things by the word of His power. We believe that God has revealed Himself as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are One God and are equal in every divine perfection.
  1. We further believe that God’s works of creation, providence and grace are according to His own holy, eternal and unchangeable purpose (Gen. 1:1; Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 12:29; John 1:1, 14, 10:30; Acts 5:3-4; II Cor. 13:14).

 

C.  Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

  1. We believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, the Eternal Word manifested in flesh. We believe that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and that He is true God and true Man (Isa. 7:14, 9:6; John 1:1, 2, 14, 18, 3:16; Luke 1:30-35; Phil. 2:5-8).
  1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood (John 1:39; Rom. 3:25-26; II Cor. 5:14; Heb. 10:5-19; I Peter 2:24, 3:18; I John 1:7).
  1. We believe that our Lord arose from the dead according to the Scriptures. We believe that He arose in the same body, though glorified, in which He had lived and died. We believe that His resurrection body is the pattern of that body which, at the return of Christ, will be given to all resurrected believers (Luke 24:36-43; John 20:20; Acts 2:32; I Cor. 15:23, 42-45; Phil. 3:20-21).
  1. We believe that our Lord ascended to heaven, was seated at His Father’s right hand, assuring us of the perfection of His work of redemption, and that He now as Head over the Church is engaged on behalf of the redeemed as Intercessor and Advocate (Heb. 1:3, 13; Eph. 1:22-23; Heb. 7:25; I John 2:1).
  1. We believe in our Lord’s personal, imminent, pre-tribulation, and pre-millennial return for His redeemed ones followed by His coming in glory to judge the rebellious and to establish His millennial reign on Earth (John 14:1-3; I Cor. 15:51-52; I Thess. 1:10, 4:13-18; Titus 2:11-14; II Thess. 2:7-10; Matt. 24:29-31; Zach. 14:4-11).

 

D.  The Person & Work of the Holy Spirit.

  1. We believe that the Holy Spirit, being the Third Person of the Godhead, convicts men of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to regenerate, indwell, baptize, seal, and set believers apart to a holy life and empower the believer to live a godly life. We believe that He is the agent in the new birth, Teacher of the Word of God and our Guide for daily living (John 16:7-11, 14:17; I Cor. 3:16, 6:19, 12:13; Eph. 1:13, 4:30; I John 2:20-27; I Peter 1:1; Rom. 8:2, 4, 9, 12, 14).

 

E.  The Depravity of Man.

  1. We believe the Genesis account of creation and that man came by direct creation of God and not by evolution. We believe that man was originally created in the image and after the likeness of God and that man fell through sin. Because of sin, man lost his spiritual life, becoming dead in trespasses and sins, and became subject to the power of Satan.
  1. We also believe that this spiritual death, or total depravity of human nature, was transmitted to the entire human race of man except for the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, every child of Adam is born into the world with a nature which possesses no spark of divine life, but is completely corrupt in body, mind and soul (Gen. 1:26, 2:17, 3:6, 6:5; Ps. 14:1-3, 51:5; Jer. 17:9; John 3:6, 5:40, 6: 53; Rom. 3:10-19, 8:6-7; Eph. 2:1-3; I Tim. 5:6; I John 3:8).

 

F.  Eternal Salvation.

  1. We believe that salvation is wholly by grace, through faith, and that all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by faith are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God.
  1. We believe that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus and is instantaneous and not a process. We believe that through the new birth the one dead in trespasses and sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life which is the free gift of God. We further believe that the regeneration of the heart by the Spirit of God is the commencement of spiritual life. The love of God, faith and all acts of true obedience to the Word of God are fruits of the regenerating influence of the Holy Spirit. We believe that all who are truly born again are kept by God the Father for Jesus Christ and that nothing can separate them from the love of God (John 1:12-13, 3:3-8, 16, 5:24; Rom. 8:16, 10:9-10; Acts 16:31).

 

G.  The Eternal State.

  1. We believe that at death the soul of the righteous enters immediately into the joys of heaven and that the soul of the wicked into endless misery. We believe God has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by Jesus Christ. We believe that the body will be literally resurrected and the righteous in Christ to have part in the first resurrection and shall obtain a complete deliverance from the dominion of death and be received into life eternal. We believe the wicked appear before Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne of Judgment to be judged every man according to his works, and to be doomed to the final punishment due his sins in the eternal Lake of Fire (John 5:24, 10:28-29, 13:1, 17:11, 14:16; Rom. 8:28-39; Heb. 7:25; I Peter 1:5; Jude 24; Matt. 25:41; Mark 9:42-48; Rev. 20:11-15).

 

H.  The Personality of Satan.

  1. We believe that Satan is a personal being, a fallen angel, and the author of sin. We believe that he is the enemy of God and man and that he will be eternally punished in the lake of fire (Matt. 4:1-11; Eze. 28:12-19; Isa. 14:12-15; I Peter 5:8; Rev. 20:10).

 

I.  Bestowment of Gifts.

  1. We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts in Christ, and that the gifts of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are sufficient for the perfecting of the saints today.
  1. We further believe that speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established (I Cor. 12:4-11; II Cor. 12:12; Eph. 4:7-12).

 

J.  The Church.

  1. We believe that the Church universal is a New Testament institution unknown to the Old Testament prophets and established by Jesus Christ, Who is its sole Head. We believe the Church to be revealed through the Apostles and empowered and perpetuated by the Holy Spirit. The Church began with the New Testament saints and will be consummated at the coming of Christ in the Rapture. We believe that the Church universal is manifest through the local church which is a congregation of immersed believers who voluntarily associate in covenant relation for the purpose of sustaining the Christian ordinances in their purity.
  1. We further believe the church to be supportive among themselves of the public worship of God and of the preaching the Gospel throughout the world, as well as watching over of each other for spiritual good. We believe that those only are entitled to church membership who give evidence of regeneration and are baptized by immersion on profession of their faith.
  1. We believe that the monetary means for the support of the Gospel are to be obtained from voluntary contribution only, and that it is the duty of the disciples of Christ to give as the Lord has prospered them (Matt.16:18, 28:19-20; Acts 2:1-6; Eph. 2:20, 4:11-16; Gal. 6:1-5; I Cor. 16:2).

 

 K.  The Ordinances.

  1. We believe that Christ instituted the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper to be observed until He comes. We believe that Christian baptism is the single immersion of the believer in water, done in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  We believe that subjection to baptism is prerequisite to admission into a visible church.
  1. We believe that the Lord’s Supper was established as a means of showing forth in symbol Christ’s death for us until He comes again, that partaking should be preceded always by solemn self-examination, and that the Lord’s Table should be open to all regenerated persons of like faith and order (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 10:47, 19:5; Luke 22:19-20; I Cor. 11:23-26).

 

L.  Dispensationalism.

  1. We believe in the basic dispensational view of the Bible which includes recognition of at least three major dispensations (Mosaic Law, Grace or Church, and Kingdom).
  1. We believe that the Bible should be interpreted in a normal, literal way and that a distinction should be recognized between the Church and Israel. We further believe that future prophecy will be literally fulfilled as has past prophecy and that God will fulfill His promises to His covenanted people Israel. We believe this promise includes Israel’s future judgment, redemption, and re-gathering to the land of Palestine where she shall become the head of the nations and be personally ruled by the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 3:1-11, 1:10; Col. 1:24-27; Luke 16:16; John 1:17; Rom. 10:4; 11:25-29; Matt. 24:15; Deut. 29:29; I Cor. 10:32; Isa. 61:1).

 

M.  Marriage & Family.

  1. We believe that marriage is a holy institution established by God (Gen. 2:23-25). We also believe that marriage is a lifetime commitment of one man to one woman (Matt. 19:4-6; I Cor. 7:39). We further believe that marriage is an illustration of the relationship between Christ and His Church. As a Bible-believing Christian church, we view the marriage ceremony as a worship service that should magnify and uplift the Lord Jesus Christ as well as honor the sanctity of marriage. In order to maintain the biblical principles and patterns of marriage, the following guidelines have been established.
  1. We believe God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity is to be engaged in outside of the marriage of a man and a woman. We believe God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance (Gen. 2:22-24; 19:5, 13; Matt. 19:4-6; Rom. 1:26-29; 7:2; I Cor. 5:1; 6:9; Gal. 3:28; Eph. 5:22-23; I Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4).
  1. We believe children are a heritage from the Lord, and that human life begins at conception, and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well-being of the mother are acceptable (Ps. 127:3; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; Ex. 21:22, 23; Luke 1:44).