What We Believe
In essential beliefs - we have unity:
There is one body and Spirit...there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of us all... (Ephesians 4:4-6)
In non-essential beliefs - we have liberty:
Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters... Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls... So then each of us will give an account of himself to God... So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. (Romans 14: 1, 4, 12, 22)
In all our beliefs - we show charity:
If I hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but also the very secrets of God, and if I have the faith that can move mountains - but have not love, I amount to nothing at all. (1 Corinthians 13:2)
Essentials that we teach:
BIBLE - THE WORD OF GOD
We believe that the Bible (sixty-six books) is the Word of God, the written revelation of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.
(John 20:31, John 8:31-32, 2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; 1 Thessalonians 2:13)
THE TRINITY
We teach that there is but one living and true God, perfect in all His attributes, one in essence, existing eternally in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit , coequal, con-substantial, equally deserving of worship and obedience, equal in every divine perfection, and they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption.
(Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7; 1 Corinthians 8:4, Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14, Genesis 1:1,26; John 1:1,3; John 4:24; Romans 1:19,20; Ephesians 4:5,6)
GOD THE FATHER
We believe in God the Father, an infinite, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He infallibly foreknows all that shall come to pass, that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
(Luke 10:21,22; Matthew 23:9; John 3:16; 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Timothy 1:1,2 & 2:5,6; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6)
JESUS CHRIST
We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We teach that Jesus Christ is God, who added humanity to His deity, becoming the God-man, without divesting Himself of any of His divine attributes.
Jesus Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin. We teach that Jesus Christ accomplished redemption for believing sinners through the shedding of His blood and sacrificial death on the cross and that His death was voluntary, vicarious, substitutionary, propitiatory, and redemptive. Jesus Christ rose bodily from the dead on the third day and ascended to the Father's right hand, where He presently mediates as our advocate and High Priest, We teach His personal visible return to earth.
(Matthew 1:18–25; Luke 1:26–38; John 1:1, 20:28; Romans 9:5, 8:32; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:21–23; John 20:30, 31; Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 1:4; Acts 1:11; Romans 5:6–8 & 6:9,10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:28; I Timothy 3:16)
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide.
(John 14:16,17,26 & 15:26,27; John 16:9–14; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19; Galatians 5:22–26)
ORIGINAL SIN
We teach that Adam was created by God in His image, free of sin. Adam was tempted and committed the sin of disobedience to the revealed will and Word of God. Because of Adam's sin, man lost his innocence; incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death; became subject to the wrath of God; and became inherently corrupt and utterly incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace and the ministry of the Holy Spirit
(Genesis 2:16, 17; 3:1-19; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:9-12, 23; 6:23; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1-3)
SALVATION
We teach that salvation consists of the remission of sins and the imputation of Christ's righteousness, and is the gracious gift of God, based upon the finished redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the cross, and is received by faith alone, apart from works. We believe that those who repent and forsake sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become new creatures, delivered from condemnation and receive eternal life. By God’s Grace, To God’s Glory.
(Acts 4:12; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:18, 19; Titus 3:5)
THE CHURCH
We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, service, and fellowship.
(Ephesians 2:19–22; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:19–21; Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:23–25)
THE ORDINANCES
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of the believer in water into the name of the triune God. We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death and must be partaken after examination. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
(Matthew 28:18–20; Romans 6:3–5; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26)
THE LAST THINGS
We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgement, the eternal glory of the righteous and the endless suffering of the wicked.
(Matthew 16:27; Mark 14:62; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Philippians 3:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 2 Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 15; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–10; Revelation 20:4–6,11–15)