What we believe

The Scriptures

We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit, and therefore is absolute truth without any trace of error in its content. It therefore is and shall remain the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man, and is the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and opinions shall be tried. II Tim. 3:16-17 II Pet. 1:19-21 Prov. 30:5

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The One and Only True God

We believe there is one, and only one living and true God, an infinite Spirit, the Maker and supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; and in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. Ex. 20:2-3 I Cor. 8:6 Rev. 4:11 I John 5:7

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The Divine Trinity

God the Father- We believe that God the Father, the first person of the trinity, orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace. He is the creator of all things. As the only absolute and omnipotent ruler in the universe, He is sovereign in creation, providence and redemption. His fatherhood involves both His designation within the trinity and His relationship with mankind. He saves from sin all those who come to Him through Jesus Christ. Ps. 145:8-9 I Cor. 8:6 Eph. 3:9 Ps. 103:19 Rom. 11:36

God the Son-We believe that God the Son is the second person of the Godhead. He is God manifested in the flesh, born of a virgin and known as Jesus Christ, Savior of the World. He is worthy of all honor and worship as God the sacrificed Lamb for our sins and as befitting of His divine office. Matthew 1:23-25 John 10:30, 14:9

God the Holy Spirit-We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person; equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in Creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the Evil One until God's purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment to come; that He areas witness to the Truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth that seals, endues, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies and helps the believers. John 14:16-17 Matthew 28:19 Hebrews 9:14 John 14:26

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The Devil or Satan

We believe that Satan was once holy, and enjoyed heavenly honor; but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the malignant prince of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world. We hold him to be man's great tempter, the enemy of God and His Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions; the lord of the Antichrist, and the author of all the powers of darkness-destined, however to final defeat at the hands of God's own Son, and to the judgment of an eternal judgment in hell, a place prepared for him and his angels. Isa. 14:12-15 Ezek. 28:14-17 Rev. 12:9 II Peter 2:4

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The Creation

We believe in the Genesis account of creation, and that it is to be accepted literally, not allegorically or figuratively; that man was a special creation on the sixth day directly made in God's own image and after His own likeness; that man's creation was not a process of evolution or evolutionary change of species; that all animal and plant life was made directly and God's established law was that they bring forth only "after their kind". Gen. 1-2 Ex. 20:11 Acts 4:24 Col. 1:16-17

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The Fall of Man

We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state, in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not only by constraint, but of choice; and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse. Gen. 3:1-6, 24 Rom. 5:10-19 Rom. 1:18, 32

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The Atonement for Sin

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, through the mediatory office of the Son of God, who by appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting an example by His death as a martyr, but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the Just dying for the unjust, Christ. The Lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; that having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven, and is in every way qualified to be a suitable, compassionate and all-sufficient Savior. Eph. 2:8 Acts 15:11 Rom. 3:24 John 3:16 Matt. 18:11

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The Grace of the New Creation

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again: that the new birth makes one a new creature in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, nor by the will of man, but wholly and sole by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, and as to secure our voluntary obdience to the gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruit of repentance and faith and newness of life. John 3:3-7 II Cor. 5:17 Luke 5:27 I John 5:1

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The Freeness of Salvation

We believe in God's electing grace; that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept forgiveness and salvation by cordial penitent and obedient faith; and nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel; which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation. I Thess. 1:4 I Peter 1:2 Titus 1:1 Rom. 8:29-30 Matt. 11:28

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Justification 

We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is Justification; that Justification includes the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life on principles of righteousness; that it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done; but solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood, His righteousness is imputed unto us. Acts 13:39 Isa. 53:11 Rom. 5:8, 8:1 Titus 3:5-7

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Repentance and Faith

We believe that Repentance and Faith are solemn obligations, and also inseparable graces wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of God; thereby, being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession and supplication for mercy; at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confessing Him as our only and all-sufficient Savior. Acts 2:37-38, 20:21 Mark 1:15 Luke 18:13 Rom. 10:13

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Local Church

We believe that a new testament church is a congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers are pastors, and deacons whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures; we believe the true mission of the church is laid out in the Great Commission. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the inheritance of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy Spirit; that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; that each local church is the sole judge of the measure and methods of its cooperation; on all matters of membership, of policy, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final. Acts 2:41-42; 15:13-18; 20:17-28 I Cor. 11:1 Eph. 1:22-23, 4:11, 5:23-24 I Tim. 3:1-7 Col. 1:18

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Baptism and the Lord's Supper

We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of the believer, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, with the authority of the local church to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is a prerequisite to the privileges of church membership. We believe that the Lord's Supper is the commemoration of Christ's death until He returns, it is by the sacred use of unleavened bread and the unleavened fruit of the vine, that the recipients, which are not restricted to church members only, but are individuals who have been born again and scripturally baptized, after solemn self-examination partake of these elements in remembrance of Him. Acts 8:36-39 John 3:23 Romans 6:4-5 Matthew 3:16, 28:19 I Cor. 11:23-33

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The Security of the Believer 

We believe that all redeemed, once saved, are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever. John 6:37-40, 10:27-30 Rom. 8:1, 38-39 I Cor. 1:4-8 I Peter 1:4-5

We also believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word, which, however clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to commit sin. Rom. 13:13-14 Gal. 5:13 Titus 2:11-15 Heb. 12:6-9

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The Righteous and the Wicked

We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the lord Jesus Christ, and sanctioned by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in His esteem, while all such as continue in impenitence, and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse; and this distinction holds among men both in and after death, for the saved in everlasting joy in the presence of God in Heaven, and in everlasting conscious suffering of the lost in hell. Mal. 3:18 Gen. 18:23 Rom. 6:17-18 I John 5:19 Rom. 7:6 Rom. 6:23 John 8:21 Pro. 14:32 Luke 6:25 Matt. 25:34-41

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The Resurrection of the Dead and Return of Christ

We believe in and accept the sacred Scriptures, upon these subjects, at their face and full value. Of the resurrection, we believe that Christ rose bodily "the third day according to the Scriptures" and "...this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." -bodily, personally and visibly. At the Rapture, "the dead in Christ will rise first and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air". This will happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump. Christ will establish His thousand year reign over the earth. Matt. 28:6-7 Luke 24:39 John 20:27 I Cor. 15:4 Luke 24:2, 4-6 Rev. 3:21, 20:6

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The Family

God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman is covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God's unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework, for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for recreation of the human race.

The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God's image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation. 

Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God's pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents. Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25; 3:1-20; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 24:15; I Samuel 1:26-28; Psalms 51:5; 78:1-8; 127; 128; 139:13-16; Proverbs 1:8; 5:15-20; 6:20-22; 12:4; 13:24; 14:1; 17:6; 18:22; 22:6, 15; 23:13-14; 24:3; 29:15, 17; 31:10-31; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 9:9; Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 5:31-32; 18:2-5; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-12; Romans 1:18-32; I Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; I Timothy 5:8, 14; II Timothy 1:3-5; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; I Peter 3:1-7

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Human Sexuality

We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity should be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God's original intent for the proper Biblical sexual relationship. 

Genesis 2:24, 19:5, 13; 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; I Corinthians 5:1, 6:9; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4

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Abortion

We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexecuted taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, population or birth control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5, 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24, 49:1, 4; Jeremiah 1:5, 20:15-18; Luke 1:44

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