STATEMENT OF FAITH

 

1.  SCRIPTURE         We believe in the Scripture of the Old and New Testaments as verbally and planarity (completely) inspired of God, inerrant in the original writing and the sole authority in faith and practice.  (Matt. 5:18;  Acts 17:11; Rom. 15:4; II Tim. 3:16-17; James 2:8; II Peter 1:19-21; II Peter 3:14-16; Rev. 22:18-19)

 

2.  TRINITY               We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each one perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom and measureless in power.  (Duet. 6:4; Isa. 6:3; 40:1-31; 43:10; 63:16; 64:8; Matt. 3:16-17; 28:19; Rom. 11:33-36; I Cor. 1:30; II Cor. 13:14; Eph. 3:20; I Peter 1:16; Rev. 1:8)

 

3.  FATHER               We believe in God the Father.  We rejoice that for all who come to Him through Jesus Christ He saves from sin and death.  He concerns Himself mercifully in their affairs and He hears and answers their prayers.  (Matt. 6:9; 7:7-11; John 5:19-24; 6:37; 14:6; 15:16; Eph. 1:3-6; I Peter 1:3)

 

4.  SON                       We believe in Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, the eternal and only begotten Son of God, conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, sinless in His life, making atonement for the sins of the world by His death.  We believe in His bodily resurrection, His ascension, and His visible, return to the world according to His promise.  We further believe in the pre-eminence of Christ as our Divine Lord and Master.  (Matt. 1:20-25; 28; 18; John 1:1-18; 15:20; Rom. 10:12; 14:7-9; I Cor. 15; II Cor. 5:21; Eph. 6:9; Phil. 2:9-11; Heb. 2:17-18; 13:8)

 

5.  HOLY SPIRIT      We believe in the Holy Spirit who came from God to convict the world of sin, of righteousness and of judgment; to regenerate; to sanctify; to empower; to guide in interpreting Scripture; and to comfort those who believe in Jesus Christ.  (John 16:4-15; Rom. 8:2; I Cor. 2:8-13)

 

6.  SATAN                  We believe in the distinct personality of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age, author of all powers of darkness and sin, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire.  (Matt. 4:1-3; II Cor. 4:4; I Peter 5:8; Rev 20:10)

 

7.  HUMANKIND     We believe that people are created in the image of God; that all have sinned and thereby incurred, not only physical death, but also spiritual death (separation from God).  We believe that all human beings are born with a sinful nature and are sinners in thought, word, and deed.  (Gen. 1:27; 2:7; 17; 3:3-4; 19; Rom. 1:18-32; 3:10-23; 5:12-14; Eph. 2:1-3)

 

8.   CHRIST’S DEATH           

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins

according to the Scriptures as the only representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood and His resurrection.  (John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Rom. 3:21-26; 5:6-11; 5:15-21; I Cor. 15:1-4; II Cor 5:14-21; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-9; Heb. 10:10-12)

 

9.   CHRIST’S RESURRECTION

We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, in His ascension into Heaven, and in His present life for us as the only High Priest and Advocate.  (Mark 16:1-20; Acts 1:9; I Cor. 15:12-22; I Tim. 2:5; Heb. 4:14-16; 5:1-10; 7:15; 10:19)

 

10.  REGENERATION

We believe that all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by grace through faith have been regenerated (born again) by the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God, a relationship in which they are eternally secure.  (John 1:12; 3:4-7; 10:28; Rom. 8:30; I Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:26; Eph. 1:13; 2:8-9; 4:30; Tit. 3:4-7; I John 5:11-13)

 

11.  PRIESTHOOD OF BELIEVERS

We believe in the priesthood relationship of the individual soul in direct approach to God.  (Heb. 4:14-16; 13:15-16; I Peter 2:5,9)

 

12.  BODY OF CHRIST

We believe that all who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit belong to the one true Church, the Body of Christ.  We desire the spiritual unity of all believers for which the Master so earnestly prayed.  (John 17:11-23; I Cor. 12:12-26; Eph. 1:13-14; 4:1-6; Phil. 2:1-11; Col. 1:24; Titus 3:5)

 

13.  LOCAL AND UNIVERSAL CHURCH           

We believe in the local church as a representation of the universal Body of Christ.  It is composed of regenerated and baptized believers and led by a board of Godly people elected by the members.  (I Cor. 12:12-31; Phil. 1:1; I Tim. 3:1-16)

 

14.  END TIMES        We believe Jesus will come again (second coming) to judge all people.  Believers will be held accountable for their works of service as believers.  Unbelievers will be held accountable for their rejection of the Messiah, Jesus.  We teach the imminent rapture of the universal Church (the one true Church, the Body of Christ).  We teach His personal pre-millennial return to reign over the earth following the tribulation.  (Matt. 24:42-44; Phil. 3:20-21; I Thess. 4:13-18; James 5:8-9; Rev. 3:10; 19:11-21; 20:1-6)

 

15.  RESURRECTION OF HUMANKIND

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all people, the everlasting existence with God of the saved, and for the unsaved, an everlasting separation from God in hell.  (John 5:21-29; Acts 24:14-15; Rev. 20:11-15)