What We Believe
The Scriptures:
We believe the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings, and is the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men, and the divine and final authority for all Christian faith and life. 2 Peter 1:21; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11; Isaiah 40:8; 2 Timothy 3:15-17.
The Godhead:
We believe in one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 12:29; John 1:1-4; Acts 5:3,4; Hebrews 1:1-3; Revelation 1:4-6.
The Person and Work of Christ:
We believe in the Death of the Lord Jesus Christ. He existed eternally as the only begotten Son of God and came into the world that He might manifest God to man and become the Redeemer of a lost world. To this end, He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin and was in every respect a man. (John 1:1-14, 18; Luke 1:30-35; Hebrews 1:1-5; Philippians 2:5-11). He died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. He bodily arose from the dead and ascended into heaven where, at the right hand of the Father, He is now Head over all things to the Church and advocates and intercedes for those who are His. 1 John 1:29; Romans 3:26; 2 Corinthians 5:14; 1 Peter 3:18; John 20:20; Ephesians 1:22; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1.
The Holy Spirit:
We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of sin, regenerates believers in Christ, baptizes them into the body of Christ, indwells them permanently, seals them for the Day of Redemption, gives spiritual gifts to each one and fills those yielded to Him, thereby guiding, instructing, and empowering the believers for godly living and service. John 15:26-27; 16:7-15; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 12:4-11; Ephesians 4:30.
The State of Man:
We believe that man was originally created in the image of God but he fell through sin, became dead in trespasses and sins and became subject to the power of the devil. Every descendant of Adam is essentially and unchangeably sinful before God and as such is morally unacceptable to God and spiritually dead. Genesis 1:26; 3:6; Romans 3:10-12; I Timothy 5:6; 1 John 3:8; Romans 3:23, 6:23, John 3:5-6.
Salvation:
We believe that the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection is the only provision for justification. Salvation is a gift of God and is received by man through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Matthews 26:28; John 1:12, 3:18; Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 3:18.
The Church:
We believe that the Church is composed of all individuals who, through saving faith in Jesus Christ, are united together as the Body of Christ, of which He is the Head. Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:25-27; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Romans 12:4-5.
Ordinances:
We believe that Christ instituted the Lord’s supper and water baptism as ordinances for the Church to observe. They are not to be regarded as means of salvation. Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Acts 18:8; Romans 6:3-5.
The Christian Walk:
We believe that each believer should be careful to maintain good works and not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. The believer should, by the power of the indwelling Spirit, maintain a wholesome, determined refusal to be conformed to the world and its ungodly philosophies and conduct. Romans 6:11-13; 8:1-4; 12:1,2; Ephesians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Timothy 3:1-5.
The Eternal State:
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead; of the believer to a literal Heaven, a place of everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord; of the non-believer to a literal Hell, a place of judgment and everlasting conscious punishment. 1 Corinthians 15; Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 20:11-15.
The Second Coming:
We believe in the personal and pre-millennial coming of the Lord Jesus for His redeemed ones and in His subsequent return to earth, with His Saints, to establish His millennial Kingdom. 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:11-13; 1 John 2:28; 3;2-3.
Satan:
We believe that Satan is a real and personal being. Although created perfect, he originated sin, thus becoming the enemy of God and man. As the prince of this world he uses demons and man as agents in the pursuit of his ungodly purposes. We believe that he was defeated at the Cross and is destined to suffer eternal punishment. Ezekiel 28:11-19; Isaiah 14:12-17; 1 Peter 5:8; John 12:31; Ephesians 2:2; 6:11-12; Colossians 2:15; Matthews 12:22-30; 25:41; Revelation 20:1-3, 10.