Statement of Faith

We believe that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” (2 Timothy 3:16). We understand this to mean that the whole Bible is inspired in that holy men of God “were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21) to write the very words of Scripture. We believe that this divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts of Scripture as it appeared in the original manuscripts. We believe that the whole Bible in the originals is therefore without error. We believe that all the Scriptures center about the Lord Jesus Christ in His person and work, in His first and second coming, and hence that no portion, even of the Old Testament is properly read or understood until it leads to Him. We also believe that all Scripture was designed for our practical instruction. (Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39; Romans 15:44; 1 Corinthians 10:11; 2 Timothy 3:16).

We believe that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God.” (2 Timothy 3:16). We understand this to mean that the whole Bible is inspired in that holy men of God “were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:21) to write the very words of Scripture. We believe that this divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts of Scripture as it appeared in the original manuscripts. We believe that the whole Bible in the originals is therefore without error. We believe that all the Scriptures center about the Lord Jesus Christ in His person and work, in His first and second coming, and hence that no portion, even of the Old Testament is properly read or understood until it leads to Him. We also believe that all Scripture was designed for our practical instruction. (Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39; Romans 15:44; 1 Corinthians 10:11; 2 Timothy 3:16).

God, as Father, reigns over all of His universe with providential care. He is all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowing, and all-wise. He is fatherly in attitude toward all men but is Father, indeed, to those who have become children of God through Jesus Christ, who will deliver them into the Father’s hands. 

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. This redemption He accomplished by voluntarily giving Himself as a sinless, substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, thereby satisfying God’s righteous judgment against sin. After substantiating the accomplishment of that redemption and justification by His bodily resurrection from the grave, He ascended to the right hand of His Father, where He intercedes on behalf of those who trust Him. (Genesis 1:1; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 6:9; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Ephesians 4:6).

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Person who convicts the world of sin (righteousness and judgment), that He alone brings new life to those who are spiritually dead; that He baptizes (or places) all believers into the one true Church, which is the Body of Christ; that He indwells them permanently, seals them unto the day of final redemption, bestows spiritual gifts upon them, and fills (controls) those who are yielding to Him. Every believer is called to life so in the power of the indwelling Spirit that he will not fulfill the lust of the flesh but will bear fruit to the glory of God. (John 3:3-8; 14:16-17; 16:7-11; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11,13; Ephesians 4:30; 5:18).

We believe that man was created directly by and in the image of God. We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, by direct act. (Genesis 1:1; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17).

Although man was created in the image of God, he fell into sin and is lost. This is true of all men, and except a man be born again by the Holy Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (Genesis 1:26-27; John 3:3; Romans 3:10,23).

We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin, and the reason of the fall of man, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal punishment in the lake of fire. (Matthew 4:1-3; Acts 5:3; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a substitutionary sacrifice and that all who believe on Him are redeemed by His shed blood. We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord Jesus Christ and in His ascension into Heaven. He is our High Priest and Advocate. (John 1:1-3, 14; 3:1-7; Hebrews 10:4-14; 1 John 2:2).

We believe that salvation is the gift of God’s grace. It cannot be gained or made more secure by meritorious works, but is freely bestowed upon all who put their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary. All who so trust the Savior are forgiven of their sins and born into the family of God by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. (John 1:12; Acts 16:30-33; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-9).

We believe that we are called with a holy calling to walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit, and so to live in the power of the indwelling Spirit that we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. But the flesh is never eradicated in this life, and the individual chooses to keep the flesh in subjection to Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit or it will surely manifest its presence in our lives to the dishonor of our Lord. (Romans 6:11-13, 8:2,4,12-13; Galatians 5:16-23; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 2:1-10; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 1 John 1:4-7, 3:5-9).

Until the return of Christ, it is the Christian’s duty and privilege to seek the fulfillment of Christ’s Great Commission and to minister in His name to a needy world. We are to be instruments of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit ministers redemption and reconciliation in the world. (Matthew 25:31-46; 28:18-20). 

We believe that the true Church is a universal, invisible, living organism and that it is the “Body of Christ;” that He Himself is the Head of this body. The universal Church is made up of those who have been saved through faith in Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:23).

We believe that the Church was instituted and commissioned by the Lord Jesus Christ during His earthly ministry (Matthew 18; Acts 1), and empowered to do the Lord’s work by the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 1).

We believe that every believer in both the Old and New Testament eras are indwelt (baptized) by the Holy Spirit into the one Body of Christ and that the Body of Christ is the universal Church. (Acts 1:44-45, 2:1-4; 1 Corinthians 12:13)

We believe that the Scriptures teach there are to be local churches. These churches are to be the visible representation of the Body of Christ in the local community, administering and observing the ordinances of Christ (baptism and the Lord’s Supper) and teaching the Word of God (Matthew 28-19-20; Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28).

We also believe in the individual priesthood of every believer and that the Holy Spirit variously gifts every member of the local church for the edification of the body and the proclamation of the Gospel. (1 Timothy; 1 Corinthians)

We believe that the local church should be totally committed to the edifying (developing to maturity) of the believers and should always be active in outreach through local evangelism and world missions (Ephesians 4:11-16).

We believe in the literal physical, pre-millennial return of Jesus Christ to the earth where He will initiate and rule over an earthly kingdom for one thousand years. This physical kingdom will be established following the events described in the books of Daniel and Revelation. (Isaiah 11; Daniel 9:24-27; Zechariah 14:1-4; Revelation 20).

We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust in the first and second resurrections respectively; the everlasting, conscious blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting, conscious punishment of the lost.

We believe that those believers who compose the true Church will be caught up to meet the Lord immediately after the First Resurrection.

We believe that all the saved will be protected by God from the outpouring of His wrath, though not from the wrath of the unregenerate, during the Last Days. (John 3:16; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:11-16; Romans 5:9; 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 5:9; Isaiah 13:6-13; Joel 2:31; Matthew 24:29-30; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; Revelation 6:17, 8:1)