Statement of Faith
We believe in the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired by God and without error in the original writings; that it has been preserved in the English language in the King James Version; that the Bible is reliable in science, history, and every other matter that is discusses; and that the Bible is of supreme and final authority in faith and life. II Timothy 3: 16-17; II Peter 1:19-21.
We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; co-eternal in being , co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. Exodus 20:2-3; I Corinthians 8:6; I John 5:7; Matthew 28: 19-20; II Corinthians 13:14.
We believe in God, the Father, perfect in absolute holiness, infinite in wisdom, measureless in power: that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from eternal death and from Hell all that come to Him by faith through Jesus Christ our Lord. Psalm 22:3; John 17:11; Psalm 147:5; I John 3:20; Matthew 19:26; John 3:16; Matthew 6:26, 28-30; Psalm 65:2; Hebrews 11:6; Romans 5:8; I Timothy 2:5; John 14:6.
We believe in the absolute deity of the Lord Jesus Christ; His eternal existence as God; co-equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit, His vicarious death through the shedding of His blood as an atonement for the remission of sins; His literal bodily resurrection from the dead; His ascension; His present High Priest ministry in heaven for believers; and His personal return to earth. I John 5:20; John 1:18, 14:9; Hebrews 1:8; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35; I Peter 2:22; Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:14; Luke 24:36-43; Acts 10:40-41, 1:9;Luke 24:51; Hebrews 8:1-2; I John 2:1; Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:16.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with the Father and the Son and of the same attributes and nature; that He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment; that He bears witness to the truth; that He is the agent of the new birth; that He baptizes all true believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sanctifying all of them sealing and thus securing unto the day of redemption; that He endures, guides, teaches, directs, and helps believers; and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit, the evidence being the fruit of the Spirit and soul winning power, not speaking in tongues. Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14; Acts 5:3-4; Romans 6:3; Ephesians 1:13
We believe that in six literal days God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, each after its own species, by direct act and not by the process of evolution. Genesis 1 & 2; Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:3.
We believe that man, in the person of the first Adam, was created in the image of God, in innocence under the law of his maker, but by reason of his voluntary sin, fell from his high and holy state; that as a result the whole human race plunged into condemnation and death, so that now all human beings are born with a sinful nature; and that all who reach the age of moral responsibility become willful sinners in thought, word, and deed, and so are without excuse before God.
Genesis 3; 1:26-27; Romans 5:10-19; Psalm 51:5; Romans 1:18-32; 3:10-23.
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through faith in the blood sacrifice, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ; that all who receive him are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become children of God; that no rite, ceremony, or work can avail one whit for the sinners salvation or make the believer more secure; that Christ is the only and all sufficient Saviour; and that all who are truly saved are kept forever. Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7; John 5:24; 1:12; Romans 10:9-13; Acts 16:31, 4:12; II Timothy 1:12; John 10:28-29; Romans 8:35-39; Philippians 1:6.
We believe that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinners on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel, which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation, John 3:16-21, 5:40; I Timothy 1:15, 2:3-4; Hebrews 7:25; Revelation 22:17; Ezekiel 33:11: II Peter 3:9.
We believe that every saved person possesses two natures; that he has the old nature for the duration of his earthly life; but that provision is made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Romans 7:155-25, 6:11-14; Philippians 4:7-14. 3:7-14.
We believe that sanctification for the believer is immediate, upon acceptance of Christ as Saviour, and progressive, continuing to the end of the earthly life; and that the progressive phase of sanctification is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit in the continual use of the appropriate means, especially study of God’s word, self examination, self-denial, faithfulness in and through a fundamental local church, prayer, and soul winning. I Corinthians 1:2, 6:11; Hebrews 10:10, 14, 10:25; I Thessalonians 3:12-13, 4:1-12; II Peter 3:18; Ephesians 4:11-16; II Timothy 2:15.
We believe that the saved are called into a life of separation from religious apostasy, and from all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations.
Romans 12:1-2, 16; 17-18; I Thessalonians 5:22; I John 2:15-17; II Corinthians 6:14-18; II John 7-11; Ephesians 5:11.
We believe that the local New Testament church is composed of regenerated baptized believers, voluntarily united together for the purpose of worship, edification, observing the clearly defined doctrines in the scriptures; that the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity in the local community and unto the uttermost parts of the earth; that the one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy Spirit; that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other for contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the gospel, with each local church as the sole judge of the measure and the method of its cooperation; and that in all matters of membership, policy of government, discipline and benevolence the will of the local church is final. Acts 2:41-47, 4:4, 20:7, 11:26, 1:8, 6:1-8. 15:1-27. 11:29-30, 13:1-4, 20:28, 31; Romans 1:7; Colossians 1:2, 18; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 5:1-6:11; Hebrews 10:25, Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:23-26
We believe that Bible baptism is the burial of a believer in water, thus setting forth in symbol his union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection; that every believer should be baptized because of the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, and His command to do so; that it is an act of obedience by those who are already saved to picture that they are dead, buried, and raised spiritually with Jesus Christ by faith in Him. We reject infant baptism as unscriptural. John 5:24; Romans 6:3-5; Matthew 3:13-17, 28:19-20; Acts 8:36-39; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5.
We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of the Lord’s death until He comes again; and that, in this ordinance, the Lord’s table should be available to all regenerated persons living in fellowship with, and in obedience to Jesus Christ; that participants should be scripturally baptized, a member in good standing of a church of like faith and practice; that all who partake of the Lord’s table should carefully and prayerfully examine himself so that he partakes worthily. I Corinthians 11:11:23-32; Luke 22:14-20.
We believe in the literal, bodily, personal, premillennial, and imminent coming of our Lord in the air to catch away all believers unto Himself before the tribulation period; also, in the personal, visible, and glorious return of Christ to the earth, with believers, at the close of the tribulation period to judge the living nations and to set up His millennial kingdom on earth. Acts 1:11; John 14:3; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 4:1; Matthew 24:42-44; II Thessalonians 2:7-8; Matthew 24:29-31, 25:31-46; Revelation 19:11-21, 20:1-6.