The Foundations of Our Faith
The Word of God.
We believe the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired word of God, inerrant in the original writings, complete as a revelation of God’s will for salvation, and the supreme and final authority in faith and life. (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:19-21)
The Trinity.
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person is fully God, sharing the same nature and attributes. (Gen. 1:26; Deut. 6:4; Mt. 3:16-17; 28:19)
God the Father.
We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit; perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe He concerns himself mercifully in the affairs of men, hears and answers prayer, and saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (John 16:23-27; Gal. 4:4-6; Eph. 1:3, 17-23)
God the Son.
We believe that Jesus Christ is God’s eternal Son. He is true God and true man, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. We also believe in His sinless life, His substitutionary atonement, His bodily resurrection from the dead, His priestly intercession on behalf of His people, and His personal visible pre-millennial return from heaven. (Mt. 1:18, 23; Luke 24:1-8; John 4:14-16; 7:24-25; Rev. 19,20)
God the Holy Spirit.
We believe the Holy Spirit is a person and is fully God. He regenerates, baptizes into the body of Christ, indwells every believer, guides and empowers believers, and gives gifts to all believers to be used in ministry so that the church functions properly. (Mt. 28:19; John 3:5; 16:13; Acts 1:8; 5:3-4; 1 Cor. 6:11, 19; 12:4-13; Rom. 12:3-8; Eph. 3:16; 4:11-16)
Man & Woman.
We believe God created man, male and female in the image of God and free from sin. We further believe that man because of his fall in Adam, is a sinner by nature and choice and is therefore spiritually dead, in need of salvation. (Gen. 1:26-27; 2:7-3:19; Rom. 3:23; 5:12-21; 6:23)
Salvation.
We believe in salvation by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ. We further believe that this salvation is based upon the sovereign grace of God, was purchased by Christ on the cross, and is received by man through faith alone, apart from any human merit, works or ritual. Salvation results in righteous living, good works, and proper social concern. (John 1:12; 3:3-7; 5:24; Rom. 3:21-24; 5:1-2; Eph. 2:8-10; 1 Tim 2:5)
The Church.
We believe that the church is the spiritual body of which Christ is the head. The true church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. This body expresses itself in local assemblies whose members have been baptized upon a credible confession of faith and have associated them- selves for worship, instruction, evangelism and service. The ordinances of the local church are believer’s baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper. We also believe in the inter-dependence of local churches and the mutual submission of believers to each other in love. (Mt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; 2:41-47; Eph. 5:21; Col. 1:18; Heb. 10:24-25)
Separation of Church and State.
We believe that each local church is self-governing in function and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority. We further believe that every human being is directly responsible to God in matters of faith and life, and that each should be free to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience. (Mt. 22:21; Rom. 13:1; 1 Tim. 2:1-6)
Christian Conduct.
We believe that the supreme task of every believer is to glorify God in his life. The believer should live blamelessly before the world, be a faithful steward of his possessions, and seek to realize for himself the full stature of maturity in Christ. (1 Cor. 10:31; Col 1:28; 1 Tim. 6:6-9; 1 Pet. 1:14-15)
Last Things.
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the saved and lost, the eternal conscious existence of all men either in heaven or hell, and in divine judgments, rewards, and punishments. (John 5:29; 1 Cor. 3:11-15; 15:51-58; 2 Cor. 5:6-10; 1 Thes. 4:14-18; 2 John 8; Rev. 19-20)