What We Believe
THE BIBLE
We believe that the Bible in its original writings - consisting of 66 books and divided by the Old and New Testament - is God’s inspired (2 Ti 3:16; 2 Pe 1:20-21), inerrant (Jhn 17:17; 1 Th 2:13; 1 Co 2:13; Heb 6:18), and infallible (Jhn 17:17; Psa 19:7) Word for mankind. It has by God’s providence been kept pure in all ages (Mat 24:35; Isa 40:8). It is the final authority for all matters of faith and practice (2 Ti 3:16).
GOD
We believe God is the Creator of all (Gen 1 & 2; Col 1:16; Jhn 1:3). He is a spirit (Jhn 4:24) and is three - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - yet one God (Gen 1:26; Deu 6:4; Mat 28:19; 2 Co 13:14). He - being three in one - is co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, coequal in power and glory, and has the same attributes and perfections (Deu 6:4; Psa 90:2; Mat 28:19; Jhn 14:10, 26; 2 Co 13:14; 1 Pe 1:2). He is also equally holy, loving, and just (Deu 32:4; 1 Pe 1:16; 1 Jhn 4:8). There is no other god besides Him (Isa 45:4).
JESUS CHRIST
We believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God (Mar 1:1) - being one of the Trinity (Mat 28:19; Jhn 1; 2 Co 13:14). For the salvation of man, He became flesh while continuing to be God (Jhn 1:1, 3, 14, 18, 29; Phl 2:5-11; 1 Ti 3:16)- Being born of the virgin Mary and conceived by the Holy Ghost (Isa 7:14; Mat 1:25; Luk 1:26-35). He lived a sinless life, at the end of which He physically died and rose again as God’s acceptable payment for sin (Rom 5:6-15; 2 Co 5:21). After His death and resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven where He now sits at God’s right hand being our Great High Priest (Rom. 8:34; Heb 7:25, 26; 9:24-28; 1 Jhn 2:1-2). We believe that He will one day return to earth again to rule and reign as King for 1,000 years before the Great White Throne Judgment (Act 1:9-11; Rev 20).
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Ghost is one of the Trinity - co-equal with the Father and Son of God (Mat 28:19; Act 5:3-4; 2 Co 13:14). Today He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ (Jhn 16:7-13). He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation (Jhn 14:16-17; 1 Co 2:12; 3:16). He is the Comforter and guides all men into all Truth (Jhn 16:7-13). We believe as Christians we are to live under His guidance daily (Gal 5:16, 18, 25; Eph 5:18).
We believe that the Holy Spirit administers spiritual gifts to believers. We believe he is sovereign in bestowing of all His gifts for the perfecting of the saints today (1 Co 12:4-11; Eph 4:7-12). We believe that speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles in the beginning days of the church were for the purpose of pointing to and authenticating the apostles as revelers of divine truth, and were never intended to be characteristics of the lives of believers (1 Co 13:8-10; 2 Co 12:12; Her 2:1-4).
MANKIND
We believe God made mankind in His image and likeness (Gen 1:26-31). He first made man - Adam; and then woman - Eve (Gen 2:7-25). From these two people came the entire human race. Being created sinless but with a free will, mankind chose to disobey God - alienated themselves from Him (Gen 2, 3; Isa 59:1, 2). Adam’s sin caused all mankind to inherit a sinful nature (Rom 5:12). Mankind is totally depraved and, of themselves, utterly unable to remedy their lost condition (Isa 53:6; Rom 3:23; Eph 2:1-3).
SIN & SALVATION
We believe that all human beings are born sinners due to the disobedience of our common ancestor, Adam (Psa 51:5; 58:3; Isa 53:6; Rom 5:12; Eph 2:3). We believe that the payment for sin is death (Rom 6:23). Jesus’ physical death on the cross is the only acceptable payment for sin according to God (Jhn 14:6; 1 Co 15:1-4; 2 Co 5:21; Eph 2:8, 9; 1 Jhn 2:1, 2).
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (Eph 1:7; 2:8-9; 1 Pe 1:18-19). Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of a person’s good works or any human efforts (Eph 2:8-9; Gal 2:16; Tit 3:5). To be saved one must be born again (Jhn 1:12-13; 3:3). This new birth is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus (Tit 2:11; 2 Co 5:17). It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Jhn 16:8; Act 3:19; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9; Rom 10:8-11).
ETERNAL SECURITY
We believe because God gives mankind eternal life at salvation and the Holy Spirit as our seal, those truly saved cannot lose their salvation (Jhn 3:16; Rom 6:23; 2 Co 1:22; 5:1-5; Eph 1:13, 14; 4:30). Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by any human effort (Eph 2:8, 9). God, being one who cannot lie, secures our salvation as He promises in His Word (Jhn 3:16; Jhn 10:29; Rom 10:9, 13; Tit 1:2).
END TIMES
We believe in the Pre-Tribulational Rapture of all believers, followed by a seven-year tribulation (Dan 9; 1 Co 15:51-58; 1 Th 4:13-18; 5:9; Rev 3:10). We believe in the Pre-Millennial Return of Christ to the earth and His literal rule of one-thousand years (Rev 19-20). Following this one-thousand-year reign will be the Great White Throne Judgment and the establishment of the new heaven and new earth (Rev 20-22).
ETERNITY
We believe people were created by God to live forever (Gen 2). Due to mankind’s disobedience, every human being will exist eternally separated from God by sin or eternally with God through the salvation of Jesus Christ (Jhn 3:16, 36; 5:28-29; Rom 6:23).
We believe the souls of those not saved remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited, they will appear at the Great White Throne Judgement, and will be cast into the literal Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment. (Mat 25:41-46; Mar 9:43-48; Luk 16:19-26; 2 Th 1:7-9; Jde 6-7; Rev 20:11-15)
We believe the souls of those saved are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord and dwell with Him in His eternal setup (2 Co 5:8; Phl 1:23; 3:21; 1 Th 4:16-17; Rev 20:4-6).
THE CHURCH
We believe the New Testament Church began with the calling out of the twelve apostles by Jesus Christ and was empowered on the day of Pentecost (Mat 16:16-18; Act 1, 2). We believe the church is the body and bride of Christ, of which Christ is the head (1 Co 12:27; Eph 5:23; Col 1:18). We believe that the church on earth is divided into localized congregations of people who have been saved, baptized, and voluntarily united together under Christ and His Word (Acts 2:41, 42; 9:31; 15:41; 16:5).
We believe the biblical offices of the church consist of pastors and deacons (1 Ti 3:1-15). These offices, as specified by the context of Scripture, are to be held by men who met the Scriptural qualifications of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Accordingly, only naturally-born men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church.
BAPTISM & THE LORD'S SUPPER
We believe baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the two ordinances of God given to saved persons and each local church. We believe the two ordinances have no part in salvation (Mat 28:19-20; Luk 23:39-43; 1 Co 11:23-28; Eph 2:8-9).
We believe baptism (immersion, submersion in water) is to be done after salvation as a picture and testimony of what God has done in a saved person’s life (Act 2:41; 8:36-38; Rom 6:3-5).
The Lord’s Supper is to be observed as a reminder of Jesus’ death for our sins until He returns. We believe the use of bread and fruit of the vine is the only acceptable means of observing this ordinance. We believe only those saved should take part in this ordinance. Those saved should be careful not to take the Lord’s Supper unworthily as the Scripture teaches (Mat 26:17-30; 1 Co 11:23-28).
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer (Rom 12:3-8; 1 Co 12:4-11, 28; Eph 4:7-12). These gifts are sovereignly bestowed and cannot be sought (1 Co 12:11). We believe He gives chosen men for the purpose of equipping the saints for the work of the ministry (Eph 4:7-12), and He also gives unique and special spiritual abilities to each member of the Body of Christ (Rom 12:3-8; 1 Co 12:4-11; 1 Pe 4:10-11).
We believe that there were two kinds of gifts given to the early church: miraculous sign gifts and ministering gifts. We believe the miraculous sign gifts —healing, speaking in tongues (intelligible languages), interpretation of tongues, and the working of sign miracles—were given temporarily in the apostolic era for the purpose of confirming the authenticity of the apostles’ message (Act 19:11-12; 1 Co 12; 2 Co 12:12; Heb 2:3-4). We believe the ministering gifts are still given today to equip believers for ministry and edifying one another (1 Co 12; Eph 4:7-12; 1 Pe 4:10-11).
We believe that no one possesses the gift of healing today, but that God does hear and answer the prayers of believers for physical healing in accordance with His own perfect will for the sick, suffering, and afflicted (2 Co 12:6-10; Jas 5:13-16).