Our Beliefs

The Scriptures

 

We believe the 66 books of the Holy Bible consisting of the Old and New Testament Scriptures to be the verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, and infallible (2 Tim. 3:16-172 Pet. 1:20-21Matt 5:18John 16:12-13).

The Godhead

We believe in one God eternally existing in three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—and that these persons are co-equal in nature, power, and glory, having the same attributes and perfections (Deut. 6:42 Cor. 13:14).

The Person and Work of Christ

 We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man (John 1:1-214Luke 1:35). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious sacrifice, and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Rom. 3:241 Pet. 2:24Eph. 1:71 Pet. 1:3-5). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10Heb. 7:259:24Rom. 8:341 John 2:1-2).

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity, His Glory equal, His majesty coeternal. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and that He is the supernatural agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8-112 Cor. 3:61 Cor. 12:12-14Rom. 8:9Eph. 5:18).

Humanity

We believe that mankind was created in the image and likeness of God, but that through Adam's sin the race fell from its original good state, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and that man is totally depraved and of himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Gen. 1:26-27Rom. 3:22-235:12Eph. 2:1-312).

Salvation

We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins and the reconciliation of all things back to God (Eph. 2:8-10John 1:12Eph. 1:7Col 1:19-201 Pet. 1:18-19).

Security and Assurance of Believers

We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-4010:27-30Rom. 8:138-391 Cor. 1:4-81 Pet. 1:5). We believe it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's word which clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Rom. 13:13-14Gal. 5:13Titus 2:11-15).

The Ministry and Spiritual Gifts

We believe that God sovereignly bestows spiritual gifts upon His children. Furthermore, it is the believer's delight to develop these spiritual gifts in order to increasingly glorify God. We also believe that particular spiritual gifts are neither essential for salvation (proving the presence of the Holy Spirit) nor an indication of deep spiritual experience (1 Cor. 12:71113Eph. 4:7-8). We believe that God hears and answers prayers of faith for the sick and afflicted in accordance with His own will (John 15:71 John 5:14-15). We believe it is the privilege and responsibility of every believer to minister God’s grace according to the gifts that God gives (Rom. 12:1-8; 1 Cor. 13; 1 Pet. 4:10-11).

The Church

We believe that the church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of all ages (Eph. 1:22-235:25-271 Cor. 12:12-142 Cor. 11:2). We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:2718:2220:171 Tim. 3:1-3Titus 1:5-11). We believe in the autonomy of the local church—that each local church is free of any external authority and control (Acts 13:1-415:19-3120:28Rom. 16:141 Cor. 3:9165:4-7131 Pet. 5:1-4). We believe the local church is to be governed and led by a plurality of qualified male elders (Acts 20:281Tim 3:1-7). We recognize believer's baptism and the Lord's Supper as scriptural means of testimony for the church in this age (Matt 28:19-20Acts 2:41-4218:81 Cor. 11:23-26).

The Second Coming of Christ

We believe in the "blessed hope," the personal, imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones as the culmination and completion of salvation and redemptive plan of God the Father to restore creation (Eph 1:10Col 1:19-201 Thess. 4:13-18Zech. 14:4-11Rev. 19:11-1620:1-61 Thess. 1:105:91Pet 1:5Rev. 3:10).