Statement of Faith
GOD
We believe in the only true God (John 17:3), the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20). He created all things (Revelation 4:11) and upholds all things by the Word of His power (Hebrews 1:3). In Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28). He is a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He (Deuteronomy 32:4) and He shall judge the world (Psalm 9:8).
We believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfection’s, and worthy of precisely the same homage, confidence, and obedience (Mark 12:29; John 1:1-4; Matthew 29:19-20; Acts 4:3-4).
JESUS CHRIST
We believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe He is the manifestation of God in the flesh and is, therefore, sovereign creator and king (John 1:1-3, Revelation 19:11-16). He is completely righteous, holy, good and true. (Colossians 1:15-16). We believe He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He is true God and true man (John 1:1; John 1:14; John 1:18; John 14:8-9; 1 Timothy 3:16).
RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST
We believe in the resurrection of the body of our Lord Jesus Christ, His ascension into heaven and His present life for us as High Priest and Advocate (Acts 1:3; Acts 1:9; Hebrews 7:25-26).
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe in the deity of the Holy Spirit and that His primary ministry is to glorify Jesus Christ (John 16:14).
The Holy Spirit regenerates the sinner upon belief in Christ, baptizing the believer into one body of which Christ is the head. The Holy Spirit ministers to the believer in Christ. The Holy Spirit indwells, guides, instructs, fills, comforts and empowers the believer for godly living (Mark 13:11; John 14:26; John 16:8; John 16:14-15; Romans 5:5; 1 Corinthians 3:16). The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of God’s righteousness and of coming judgment (John 16:8-11).
We believe that God gives spiritual gifts to individual people not for the display of self, but for the benefit and the building up of the church. (Ephesians 4:11-12). We seek to emphasize the excellent way of love, zeal for the more edifying gifts and use of all of the gifts to build up the local church (John 13:15; Titus 3:5; Ephesians 4:11-12; Romans 8:9-17; Romans 12:4-8; Romans 12:4-5, Romans 12:11-13, 12:19; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Galatians 5:25; Hebrews 4:1-4).
THE SCRIPTURES
We believe the Scriptures of the Old Testament and New Testament are verbally inspired by God and inerrant in their original writings. We believe the 66 books of the Old Testament and the New Testament are God’s complete and sufficient revelation and therefore carry God’s authority for the well-being of mankind. There is no additional written revelation from God. (Psalm 119:97-104; Psalm 119:160; Matthew 5:18; John 5:46-47; John 10:35; 2 Timothy 3:15-16; Revelation 22:18-19).
MAN
We believe man was created in innocence under the law of God but, by voluntarily transgressing, fell from his sinless state. Consequently, all mankind is sinful (Psalm 51:5;
Romans 3:23-24; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3). All people are spiritually dead sinners not only by inheritance, but by their own choice and therefore are under just condemnation without defense or excuse. We believe that without exception every man and every woman is totally depraved and needs a Savior (Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 3:10-19; Romans 1:18, Romans 1:32; Romans 5:1-2).
SALVATION
We believe that a person is spared punishment for his sin by grace alone through faith alone (Ephesians 2:8-9). The Scriptures teach that the Lord Jesus Christ died for sins as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice.
We believe that a person receives salvation through God’s unmerited gift of grace and by faith receives Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord. That person is justified on the basis of Jesus Christ’s shed blood on Calvary and Christ’s righteousness immediately is credited to that person.
Each person who receives Christ as personal Savior is born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby becomes a child of God and is eternally secure in that relationship. We believe the Holy Spirit baptizes each believing person into the body of Christ at the moment of salvation and that there is no second baptism of the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:6-11; Romans 8:37-39; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
HEAVEN, HELL, AND THE RETURN OF CHRIST
We believe in the blessed hope: the personal, bodily return of the Lord Jesus Christ at the end of the age. He will eradicate evil and establish righteousness. His people will worship and serve Him forever.
The return of Christ has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer
(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). We believe in the bodily resurrection of both the saved and the lost. The saved are raised to eternal, conscious delight in heaven (Matthew 25:34; John 14:2; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Revelation 2:7) the lost are raised to eternal torment in hell in conscious separation from God. (Matthew 8:11; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 13:49-50; Mark 9:47-48; Luke 12:5; Revelation 21:8).
These convictions regarding the blessed hope and its consequences are settled orthodoxy in the universal Christian church.
BAPTISM AND COMMUNION
Baptism and communion are the two ordinances required in the church. We believe that Christian baptism by immersion in water is a public identification with Jesus Christ in His death, burial and resurrection.
Although baptism is not required for salvation, it is commanded of all believers and is for believers only (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:38, 41). We practice believer’s baptism, i.e. a person is baptized after personally receiving forgiveness of sin by accepting Jesus Christ. Belief in Christ comes before baptism.
Participation in the waters of baptism is a symbol of death, burial, and resurrection to newness of life that occurs when a person becomes a Christian (Colossians 2:12; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 6:1-4).
Communion is the commemoration by believers of Christ’s death and a reminder—through the bread and the juice—of the Savior’s broken body and shed blood. Communion is to be a time of confession of sin and should be preceded by careful self-examination (Acts 4:13; Romans 6:3-6; 1 Corinthians 11:20-29).
THE CHURCH
Upon receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, a believer becomes part of His body, which is the church. There is one church universal, composed of all those throughout the world who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The Scriptures command believers to gather regularly and frequently in order to devote themselves to worship, prayer, teaching of the Scriptures, observance of the ordinances of baptism and communion, fellowship, service to the body through the development and use of talents and gifts, and outreach to the world in fulfillment of the command of Christ to make disciples of all believers (Ephesians 5:23; Romans 12:1; Acts 2:42-46; 1 Corinthians 14:26; Matthew 28:18-20).
Wherever God’s people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the church – under the oversight of elders and other supportive leadership. The church’s members are to work together in love and unity, intent on the ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ (Ephesians 4:15-16).
MISSIONS
Realizing that the cause of Christ extends beyond any one local fellowship, we commit ourselves to an ongoing ministry of extending the call of Christ to make disciples around the world (Matthew 28:19-20).