I. The Scriptures
We believe in the authority and sufficiency of the Holy Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, as originally written; verbally and plenarily inspired, and is the product of Spirit-controlled men; and therefore is infallible and inerrant in all matters of which it speaks.
We believe the Bible to be the true center of Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creed, and opinions shall be tried.
2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:19-21
II. The True God
We believe there is one and only one living and true God, an infinite Spirit, the Creator and supreme Ruler of Heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father; the Son and the Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
Exodus 20:2, 3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation. 4:11
III. The Son of God
We believe in the absolute Deity of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; that He was divine as no other man can be, being very God of very God, existing from all eternity, by whom all things were created, co-equal with the Father and the Spirit; that He never ceased to be God for one instant and that His humiliation did not consist in laying aside His deity; that as a man He was begotten of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner, born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can be born of woman, and that He is both the Son of God and God, the Son.
Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1, 2, 14; Colossians 1:16, 1 John 5:20
IV. The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, existing from all eternity co-equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; that He bears witness to the truth of the gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the new birth, indwelling every true child of God; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer. We believe that the sign/revelatory gifts of the Holy Spirit have fulfilled their purpose and are not applicable to the work of the Holy Spirit today.
Genesis 1:1-3; Matthew 28:19; Mark 1:8; Luke 1:35; 24:49; John 1:33; 3:5-6; 14:16-17, 26; 16:8-11; Acts 5:30-32; 11:16; Romans 8:14-16, 26-27; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28-30; 13:8-10; 14:1-40; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 1:13-14; Hebrews 2:2-4; 9:14
V. The Devil or Satan
We believe in the reality and personality of Satan, the Devil; and that he was created by God as an angel but through pride and rebellion became the enemy of his Creator; that he became the unholy god of this age and the ruler of all the powers of darkness and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the Lake of Fire.
Matthew 4:1-11; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10
VI. Creation
We believe the Biblical account of the creation of the physical universe, angels, and man including all life, “each after its own kind”, in six twenty-four hour days; that this account is neither allegory nor myth, but a literal, historical account of the direct, immediate creative acts of God without any evolutionary process; that man was created by a direct work of God and not from previously existing forms of life; and that all men are descended from the historical Adam and Eve, first parents of the entire human race.
Genesis 1; 2; Exodus 20:11; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16, 17
VII. The Fall of Man
We believe that man was created in innocence (in the image and likeness of God) under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression Adam fell from his sinless and happy state, and all men sinned in him, in consequence of which all men are totally depraved, are partakers of Adam’s fallen nature, and are sinners by nature and by conduct, and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse.
Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 1:18-32; 3:10-19; 5:12, 19
VIII. Salvation
We believe that the salvation of sinners is divinely initiated and wholly of grace through the redemption wrought by Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Who, by the appointment of the Father, voluntarily took upon Himself our nature, yet without sin, and honored the divine law by His personal obedience, thus qualifying Himself to be our Savior; that by shedding His blood in His death He fully satisfied the just demands of a holy and righteous God regarding sin; that His Sacrifice consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was a voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the Just dying for the unjust. Christ the Lord bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; that having risen from the dead He is now enthroned in Heaven, and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection, He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and an all-sufficient Savior.
We believe that faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation. Repentance is a change of mind and purpose toward God prompted by the Holy Spirit and is an integral part of saving faith.
Isaiah 53:4-7; Jonah 2:9; Matthew 18:11; John 3:16; Acts 15:11; 16:31; Romans 3:24, 25; 10:9-13; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians. 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 2:7, 8; Titus 3:5-7; Hebrews 2:14-17; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 4:10
IX. Resurrection and Priesthood of Christ
We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ and in His ascension into Heaven, where He now sits enthroned at the right hand of the Father as our high priest interceding for us.
Matthew 28:6, 7; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:2-6, 24:39, 51; John 20:27; Acts 1:9-11;
1 Corinthians 15:4; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:17; 5:9, 10; 7:25; 8:6; 12:2; 1 John 2:1; Revelation 3:21
X. The Grace and the New Birth
We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about by our sovereign God in a manner above our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance, faith and newness of life.
John 3:3, 8; Acts 16:20-33; Romans 6:23; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:1, 5; Colossians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:4; 1 John 5:1
XI. Justification
We believe that justification is that judicial act of God whereby He declares the believer righteous upon the basis of the imputed righteousness of Christ; that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any work of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s shed blood.
Romans 3:24; 4:5; 5:1, 9; Galatians 2:16; Philippians 3:9.
XII. Sanctification
We believe that sanctification is the divine setting apart of the believer unto God accomplished in a threefold manner; first, an eternal act of God, based upon redemption in Christ, establishing the believer in a position of holiness at the moment he trusts the Savior; second, a continuing process in the saint as the Holy Spirit applies the Word of God to the life; third, the final accomplishment of this process at the Lord’s return.
John 17:17; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 5:25-27;
1 Thessalonians 4:3, 4; 5:23, 24; Hebrews 10:10-14; 3:1; 1 John 3:2; Jude 24, 25; Revelation 22:11.
XIII. The Security of the Saints
We believe that all who are truly born again are kept by God the Father for Jesus Christ.
John 10:28, 29; Romans 8:35-39; Philippians 1:6; Jude 1
XIV. The Church
We believe that the Church is a New Testament institution; unknown to Old Testament prophets; established by Jesus Christ, Who is its sole Head; revealed through the holy Apostles; empowered and perpetuated by the Holy Spirit; His “body” for service and His “Bride” for glory. It began with the New Testament saints and will be consummated at the coming of Christ in the Rapture.
Matthew 16:18; Acts 1:8; 2:1-13; 1 Corinthians 12:12-28; Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:23-33; I Thessalonians 4:13-18
We believe that a local church is an organized congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers are pastors and deacons, godly men whose qualifications, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only Superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is Scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the gospel; that each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; that on all matters of membership, of polity, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final.
Acts 2:41, 42; 20:17-28; 1 Corinthians 11:2; 1Timothy 3:1-13
We believe in the unity of all New Testament believers in the church which is the Body of Christ.
Acts 15:13-18; 1 Corinthians 12:12, 13; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 3:1-6; 4:11; 5:23; Colossians 1:18
XV. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
We believe that Christian baptism is the single immersion of a believer in water to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our identification with the crucified, buried and risen Savior, through Whom we died to sin and rose to a new life; that baptism is to be performed under the authority of the local church; and that it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership.
We believe that the Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of His death until He come, and our continual fellowship with Him. It should be preceded always by solemn self-examination. We believe that the Biblical order of the ordinances is baptism first and then the Lord’s Supper, and that participants in the Lord’s Supper should be immersed believers.
Matthew 3:16; 28:18-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41, 42; 8:36, 38, 39; Romans 6:3-5;
1 Corinthians 11:23-28; Colossians 2:12
XVI. Separation
We believe in obedience to the Biblical commands to separate ourselves unto God from worldliness and ecclesiastical apostasy.
Romans 16:17; 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:9, 10; 1Timothy 6:3-5;
2 John 9-11
XVII. Moral Responsibility and Conduct
We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and should abstain from sinful pleasures by walking in obedience to the Scriptures.
Romans 12:1-2, 14:13; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1, 10:5; Galatians 5:16; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12; 1 John 2: 15-17
We believe that God ordained marriage as the union between one man and one woman exclusively. In obedience to Scripture, we believe that this church, its pastor(s), deacons, and its members shall not sanction, perform or recognize any other union. We believe that any other union is sinful and those participating in any other union are disobeying Scripture and shall be subject to church discipline.
Genesis 1:27-28, 2:22-24, 19:5,13; Leviticus 18:1-30; Matthew 19:5,6; Ephesians 5:29-31; Romans 1:21-32; Hebrews 13:4
We believe that marriage was instituted by God as a permanent union until one of the spouses dies. God hates divorce and desires that we honor and protect the institution of marriage as a model of Christ love for the church and the churches love for Christ. Divorce and Remarriage is regarded as adultery except, perhaps, on the grounds of fornication. Although divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon.
Malachi 2:14-17; Matthew 19:3-12; Mark 10:3-12; Luke 16:18; Romans 7:1-3; Ephesians 5:22-33; 1 Timothy 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6
We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. We believe God is the author of life and sustains life until natural death. We believe abortion, infanticide and euthanasia violate the teachings of Scripture.
Genesis 1:27, 2:7; Exodus 20:13, 21:12-25; Job 1:21, 3:16; Psalm 51:5, 95:6, 100:3; 139:13-18; Proverbs 6:16-17; Isaiah 44:24, 49:1,5; Jeremiah 1:5, 20:15-18; Matthew 6:26, 18:5,6,10; Mark 7:10, 10:13-14; Luke 1:44, 18:16, Acts 17:24-25; Ephesians 6:2
XVIII. Civil Government
We believe that Civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed; except in those things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ Who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the coming King of Kings.
Exodus 18:21, 22; 2 Sam. 23:3; Daniel 3:17, 18; Matthew 22:21; Acts 4:19, 20; 5:29; 23:5; Romans 13:1-7
XIX. Israel
We believe in the sovereign selection of Israel as God’s eternal covenant people, that she is now dispersed because of her disobedience and rejection of Christ, and that she will be regathered in the Holy Land and after the completion of the church, will be saved as a nation at the second advent of Christ.
Genesis 13:14-17; Ezekiel 37; Romans 11:1-32
XX. Rapture and Subsequent Events
We believe in the pretribulational rapture of the church, an event that can occur at any moment, and that at that moment, the dead in Christ shall be raised in glorified bodies, and the living in Christ shall be given glorified bodies without tasting death, and all shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air before the seven years of the Tribulation.
1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 51-54; Philippians 3:20, 21; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10
We believe that the Tribulation, which follows the rapture of the church, will be culminated by the premillennial return of Christ in power and great glory with His church to sit upon the throne of David and to establish His kingdom upon this earth.
Isaiah 9:6, 7; 11:1-9; Daniel 9:25-27; Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 1:30-33; Acts 2:29, 30; Revelation 20:1-4, 6
XXI. The Righteous and the Wicked
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that only those who are justified by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and sanctified by the Spirit of our God are truly righteous in His esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked and under the curse; and this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting happiness of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost in the Lake of Fire.
Genesis 18:23; Proverbs 14:32; Malachi 3:18; Matthew 25:34-41; Luke 16:25; John 8:21; Romans 6:17, 18, 23; 7:6; 1 John 5:19; Revelation 20:14, 15
XXII. The Judgments
We believe in the resurrection of the bodies of the dead; that believers will be raised at the coming of Christ to receive their reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ and enjoy the blessings of the New Heavens and New Earth forever, but unbelievers will be raised at the close of the Millennium to appear before the Great White Throne Judgment to give an accounting and be condemned to everlasting torment in Hell.
Matthew 25:41; John 5:21-30; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 7:9-17; 20:11-15