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OUR BELIEFS

BIBLIOLOGY

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired words of God. Therefore, the Bible is without error, infallible, authoritative in doctrine, and the final authority for faith and practice. Because God promised that His Word is sufficient and eternal, we believe that God has preserved His Word for every generation.

Inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:1; 2 Peter. 1:21)

Verbal Inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Samuel 23:2; Matthew 4:4)

– We believe that each individual word of Scripture was inspired, not just the thoughts or ideas.

Plenary Inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16; Proverbs 30:5; Matthew. 4:4)

– We believe that every word of Scripture was inspired by God.

Spirit-controlled Writers (Jeremiah 1:4-5; 2 Samuel 23:2; 2 Peter 1:16-21)

– We believe that God specifically chose and prepared men to write His Word, under the direct influence and specific guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Preservation (Psalm 12:6-7; Matthew 5:18; Isaiah 40:8; Jeremiah 36:32)

God has providentially preserved His Word for every generation.

Infallible (Psalm 111:7; Proverbs 30:5; Matthew 5:18)

– We believe that all Scripture is absolutely trustworthy and without error.

Authoritative (Psalm 119:9; James 1:22-25)

– We believe that the Scriptures are the final authority for believers in all doctrine and practice.

Sufficient (Hebrews 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16-17)

– We believe that the Scriptures are sufficient for every need of the believer.

Eternal (Psalm 119:89; Psalm 119:160; Isaiah 40:8; John 1:1)

– We believe that the Word of God has stood from eternity past and will continue forever.

THEOLOGY

We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. God has revealed Himself to man, including His natural and moral attributes, through both general and special revelation.

The Nature of God

There is only one God (Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Isaiah 45:18; 1 Timothy 2:5)

– We believe that there is only one true God who is to be worshiped and obeyed.

God is a trinity (1 John 5:7; John 14:10,26)

– We believe that the one true God exists in three persons – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit – who are one, coequal and coeternal, distinct in person and function yet not separate in authority or deity.

God is a spirit (John 4:24; Colossians 1:15)

– We believe that God is a spirit, invisible and incorporeal, and cannot be experienced by or through the natural senses of the physical world.

God is a person (Exodus 3:14; Exodus 6:6-8)

– We believe that God is a person, demonstrating both self-consciousness and self-determination.

God has revealed Himself to man (Romans 1:18-20; Hebrews 1:1-2)

The Natural Attributes of God

These are the attributes that are the very nature of God’s being. They are unique to Him; they cannot be the characteristics of man.

Omniscience (Psalm 147:5, Romans 11:33)

– God knows all things – past, present, and future.

Omnipresence (Psalm 139)

– God is everywhere present in the whole of His being.

Omnipotence (Job 42:1-2, Revelation 19:6)

– God is all-powerful and able to do anything consistent with His own nature.

Transcendence (Isaiah 57:15)

– God is above and independent from His creation.

Eternal (Psalm 90:2)

– God exists endlessly, without beginning or ending.

Immutable (Malachi 3:6, James 1:17)

– God is unchanging and unchangeable.

The Moral Attributes of God

These attributes of God can be exhibited by man in a limited capacity.

Holiness (Leviticus 11:45, 1 Peter 1:16)

– God is separate from all evil and pure in His being and nature.

Goodness (Psalm 145:9, Matthew 5:45)

– God deals benevolently and bountifully with mankind.

CHRISTOLOGY

We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, born of the virgin Mary. He is God in the flesh and lived a sinless life on earth. His voluntary, substitutional death on the cross made full atonement for the sins of the whole world. His bodily resurrection and ascension secure an eternal home in heaven for all that are in Christ. He is returning to rapture His saints, judge the world, and set up His Millennial Kingdom on earth.

The Incarnation of Christ (John 1:14)
We believe that in one person, Jesus Christ, there are two natures — fully divine and perfectly human — each complete in its integrity, in one person forever.

The Virgin Birth of Christ (Isaiah 7:14, Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:23; Galatians 4:4)

We believe that Jesus Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, as a fulfillment of the Scriptures.

The Humanity of Christ (Luke 2:52; Romans 8:3; 1 John 4:2)

We believe that Jesus Christ possesses a perfectly human body with all human characteristics, except sin.

The Deity of Christ (John 1:1; John 8:58; Philippians 2:6; Hebrews 1:1-4)

We believe that Jesus Christ is fully God, equal in substance and essence with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.

The Work of Christ (Mark 10:45)

We believe that Jesus Christ came to earth, becoming our ransom, redeemer, reconciler, and ruler, and that He accomplished all things God the Father ordained for Him to do and is sitting at the right hand of the throne of God waiting to claim His bride, the church.

Our Ransom (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45; 1 Timothy 2:6)

– We believe that man, because of sin, is unable to reconcile himself to a Holy God, and that Christ delivered sinful man by providing the ransom of a sinless sacrifice which God required for atonement.

Our Redeemer (Hebrews 9:22-28; 1 Peter 1:18-19)

– We believe that Jesus Christ redeemed sinful man with His precious blood.

Our Reconciler (Romans 5:10; 1 Timothy 2:5)

– We believe that Jesus Christ reconciled sinful man to God by His death on the cross.

Our Ruler

– We believe that Jesus Christ rose bodily from the grave on the third day and later ascended bodily into heaven and is now in an exalted position at the right hand of the throne of God. He is coming again to Rapture His saints before the Tribulation and then, after His Second Coming, will establish His millennial reign.

Resurrection (Matthew 28:5-6; 1 Corinthians 15:12-20)
Ascension (Luke 24:50-53; Acts 1:9)
Exaltation (Ephesians 1:20-21; Philippians 2:9-11)
Rapture (John 14:3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
Second coming (Matthew 24:29-31, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12)
Millenial reign (Revelation 20:1-6)

PNEUMATOLOGY

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead. He was active in the creation and inspiration of the Scriptures, in the lives of the Old Testament believers, and in the life of Christ. The Holy Spirit is directly involved in the life of the believer through salvation and sanctification.

The Nature of the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is a person (Romans 8:27; Ephesians 4:30)

We believe that the Holy Spirit is not some impersonal force, but that He is a person possessing intellect, emotion and will.

The Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:1-6; 1 John 5:7)

We believe that the Holy Spirit is fully God, equal in substance and essence with God the Father and God the Son.

The Ministry of the Holy Spirit

In the Old Testament (Genesis 1:2; 2 Peter 1:21; Exodus 35:30-31)

We believe that the Holy Spirit was active in the creation of the universe, revealing and recording God’s message to man, and that the Holy Spirit empowered certain people to perform God-given responsibilities in the Old Testament.

In the Life of Christ (Luke 1:35; Matthew 4:1; Acts 10:38; Acts 1:2)

We believe that the Holy Spirit’s ministry was essential in the life of Christ. His influence is evidenced in Christ’s conception, anointing for service, death, resurrection, and instructions to His disciples.

In the Life of the Believer

We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is revealed in the salvation and sanctification of the believer.

In Salvation (John 3:3-5; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14)

We believe that at the moment of salvation, the Spirit of God regenerates, indwells, and seals the new believer as a child of God.

In Sanctification (John 16:7-8; Ephesians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 12:11)

We believe that after salvation, the Holy Spirit convicts, comforts, illumines, fills, and intercedes. The Holy Spirit gives special gifts to the believer which are for the purpose of edification of the body of Christ.

ANTHROPOLOGY

We believe that man was created by a direct act of God in His own image. Man fell from his original state of innocence by a voluntary act of his free will. Man has an inherited sin nature and is a sinner by choice. Therefore, he is under the condemnation of God and is in need of salvation.

The Nature of Man (Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 2:16-17; 1 Thessalonians 5:23)

We believe that man is created in the image of God, which is reflected in his threefold nature of body, soul, and spirit, and that he was created with a free will and with dominion over all of God’s creation.

The Fall of Man (Genesis 3:6, Romans 5:12-19, Romans 6:20)

We believe that Adam, in exercise of his free will, chose to disobey God, and as the representative of mankind, brought physical, spiritual, and eternal death upon every man. Because of man’s sin, he is totally depraved, free from righteousness, and is therefore under the just condemnation of God.

SOTERIOLOGY

We believe that salvation is the free and gracious gift of God, available to all mankind, whereby He restores sinful men to a right relationship with Himself on the basis of the finished work of Christ.

Grace (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 2:11; Titus 3:5)

We believe that grace is the unmerited goodness and love of God for those who have forfeited it, giving us what we do not deserve, namely, salvation by faith in Christ Jesus.

Repentance (John 16:7-9; Mark 2:17; 2 Peter 3:9)

We believe that repentance in salvation is a change from unbelief to belief. It is the process that leads one to recognize his unbelief as sin and turn from that sin to Christ for salvation.

Faith (Ephesians 2:8, Romans 3:28, Romans 4:2-3, Romans 5:1, Romans 10:9-10)

We believe that faith is an act of the heart which involves an intellectual, emotional, and volitional change, based on the recognition of biblical truth, whereby the sinner turns to Christ and trusts in Him alone as the only means of salvation.

Justification (Romans 3:28, Romans 4:2-8, Romans 5:1, 9, 18; 1 Corinthians 6:11)

We believe that justification is the judicial act of God which occurs at salvation. On the basis of the shed blood of Christ, He declares the guilty sinner to be righteous and free from guilt and punishment.

ECCLESIOLOGY

We believe that the church is the institution through which God is carrying out His plan and purpose for this age. It is revealed in Scripture in two aspects: the universal church and the local church. We believe that the church is distinct and separate from the nation of Israel.

The Universal Church (Matthew 16:18; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:22-23; Ephesians 2:20; Hebrews 12:23)

We believe that the universal church consists of the invisible body of Christ, who is the founder, foundation, and head of His church. It is composed of all those who have been washed by the blood of the Lamb and have their names written in heaven.

The Local Church (Acts 2:41-47, 2 Corinthians 11:28)

We believe that the local church is the visible gathering of believers in a local community for the purpose of fulfilling the obligations, ordinances, and offices of the New Testament church.

Obligations

Evangelism (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8)

We believe that it is the responsibility of the members of the local church to be involved in fulfilling the Great Commission, both individually and as a group.

Edification (Acts 2:42,47; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13, 1 Corinthians 12:12-15, Ephesians 4:12, 2 Timothy 4:1-3)

We believe that there are four aspects of edification: fellowship, discipline, Bible teaching, and the exercise of spiritual gifts.

Ordinances

The Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-34)

We believe that the Lord’s Supper is to be observed by believers in remembrance of the Lord’s death and in examination of their own present relationship with Christ.

Baptism (Acts 8:35-39; Romans 6:1-4)

We believe that baptism by immersion demonstrates the believer’s obedience and public identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Offices

Pastor (Bishop, Elder) (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11-13; 1 Timothy 3:1-7; 1 Peter 5:2)

We believe that the pastor is the under-shepherd of the local body of believers and must fulfill the requirements of Scripture for his office.

Deacon (Acts 6:2-3; 1 Timothy 3:8-13)

We believe that a deacon is to be a servant, assisting the pastor with the daily ministry of the church, allowing the pastor to devote more time to prayer and to God’s Word.

ANGELOLOGY

We believe that angels are spirit beings created by God during the six days of creation. Angels are messengers and ministers to both God and man.

The Nature of Angels (Psalm 148:2-5; Hebrews 1:6-7; Hebrews 1:14)

We believe that angels were created by God in a very great number. They are personal beings, but they are not human. Angels have differing ministries: they continue to serve and worship God in heaven and protect and minister to believers on earth.

The Nature of Satan (Isaiah 14:12-15; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 2 Timothy 2:26; 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 20:10)

We believe that one of the angels created by God was Lucifer. Because of his pride, Lucifer rebelled and was cast out of heaven along with a great host of angels. Satan and those angels who followed him are active today seeking to blind men to the gospel, tempt and deceive men to sin, and hinder the work of God’s servants. Their destiny is eternal damnation in the Lake of Fire.

ESCHATOLOGY

We believe that the next event in fulfillment of prophecy is the imminent two-fold return of Christ. His first return will be for His bride at the rapture of the church, before the Great Tribulation, to judge the saints. His second return will be at the end of the Great Tribulation to set up His millennial kingdom, which will end with the Great White Throne judgment. Finally, after casting Satan into the Lake of Fire, He will create a new heaven and a new earth.

The Second Coming of Christ

The Rapture of the Church (1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10)

We believe in the pre-tribulational, pre-millennial rapture of the church, which signifies the beginning of the Tribulation.

The Great Tribulation (Daniel 9:24-27; Matthew 24:15-30)

We believe that there will be a seven-year period of the out-pouring of God’s wrath upon the earth called the Tribulation.

In Heaven (1 Corinthians 3:12-17; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 19:6-9)

We believe that during this time the believers will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to be judged for their works and will attend the Marriage Supper of the Lamb to be eternally wed to Christ as His bride.

On Earth (Matthew 24:29-30; Revelation 19:11-21)

We believe that during this time, all who remain on earth will be judged and Israel will be purged to be made ready to receive their Messiah. This period will end with the coming of Christ with His saints from heaven, the Battle of Armageddon, and Christ conquering the armies of men and binding Satan.

The Millennial Reign of Christ (Revelation 20:1-10)

We believe in the Millennial Kingdom of Christ which He will establish on earth, reigning for one thousand years. Following the thousand years, Satan will be loosed, will again revolt against Christ, and will be captured and cast into the Lake of Fire forever.

The Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15)

We believe that at the Great White Throne Judgment, the unbelieving of all ages will stand before God to be judged and will be eternally condemned to the Lake of Fire because their names were not written in the Book of Life.

The New Heaven and the New Earth (Revelation 21:1-22:5)

We believe that following the Great White Throne Judgment, there will be a new heaven, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem where Christ will reign as the eternal King of kings, and the redeemed of all ages will dwell with Him forever.