Statement of Faith
About the Bible
We believe the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men and the Divine and final authority for Christian faith and life.
All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17; cf. I Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:19-21).
About God
We believe in one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all (2 Corinthians 13:14; cf. Matthew 28:19; John 14:26; John 15:26; 1 Peter 1:2).
About Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been conceived of the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin Mary. He died on the cross as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. Further, He arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, where at the right hand of the Majesty on High, He is now our High priest and Advocate.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...In Him was life, and the life was the light of men...And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:1,John 4, John 14; cf. Luke 1:35; John 2:1; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Acts 4:10-12; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 4:14-16).
About the Holy Spirit
We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, and during this age to convict men, regenerate the believing sinner, indwell, guide, instruct, and empower the believer for godly living and service.
In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory (Ephesians 1:13-14; cf. John 15:26; John 16:8).
About Man and Sin
We believe that man was created in the image of God but fell into sin and is therefore lost.
Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world , and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned (Romans 5:12; cf. Romans 5:17-21; Hebrews 9:14-22; John 1:12; John 3:3; Genesis 1:27-28, Genesis 1:31; Ecclesiastes 7:29; Ephesians 2:1-9).
About Salvation
We believe that the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His subsequent resurrection provide the only ground for justification and salvation for all who believe, repent of their sin, and only such as receive Jesus Christ are born of the Holy Spirit, and thus become children of God.
How much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (Hebrews 9:14; cf. Hebrews 9:15-22; Romans 5:17-21; Acts 4:10-12; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Ephesians 2:4-9).
About the Church
We believe the true Church is composed of all such persons who, through saving faith in Jesus Christ, have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are united together in the body of Christ of which He is the Head.
For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13; cf. 1 Corinthians 5:6; John 3:5).
About the Ordinances of the Local Church
We believe the Lord Jesus Christ gave his Church two ordinances. These two are Water Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. In obedience to the command of Christ every Christian is to be immersed in water as a public testimony of his personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and as a sign of his identification with the visible Body of Christ.
So then, those who had received his word were baptized...And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer (Acts 2:41a, 42; cf. Acts 8:36-38; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28, Matthew 28:18-20).
About Last Things
We believe in the personal, premillenial and imminent coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and that this “Blessed Hope” has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer.
This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen Him go into heaven (Acts 1:11b; cf. 2 Peter 3:10-13; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 19:16; Revelation 21:1-7, Revelation 20:4).
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead, the believer to the everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord, the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting conscious punishment.
Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt (Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:11-15; Revelation 21:26-27).
All Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible ® Copyright © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission.