Statement of Faith
The Holy Scriptures
We believe the scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to be the verbally inspired word of God, written by men in God's control, without error, infallible in the original manuscripts, and the final authority in faith and practice. (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; Psalm 19:7-9)
The Godhead
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit - identical in nature, equal in power and glory and possessing precisely the same attributes and perfections. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 3:16, 17 & 28:19; 2 Corinthians 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 of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, in order the he might reveal God and redeem sinful man. He accomplished this redemption by voluntarily giving Himself as a sinless substitutionary sacrifice on the cross; thereby, satisfying God's righteous judgments against sin. After the accomplishment of that redemption by His bodily resurrection from the grave, he ascended to the right hand of his Father where, as our Great High Priest, He intercedes on behalf of those who trust Him for salvation. (John 1:1, 2, 14, 18; Luke 1:34, 35; Romans 3:24-26 and 8:34; 1 John 2:1, 2)
The Person and work of the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the divine person who convicts mankind of sin, that He alone brings new life to the spiritually dead. He baptizes (places) all believers into the one true church, the body of Christ, and indwells them permanently, sealing them until the day of redemption. He bestows spiritual gifts upon them and fills those who yield to Him. (John 3:5-8, 14:16, 17, 16:7-11; 1 Corinthians 12:7 - 13; Ephesians 4:30; and 5:18)
The Condition of Man
We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and thereby brought about not only a physical death, but also a spiritual death which separates man from God. As a consequence of this sin, all mankind is declared by God to be totally depraved; therefore, having inherited a sinful nature and having become sinners in thought, word and deed. (Genesis 1:26, 27, 2:16, 17 and 3:6 -19; Romans 3:10, 23, 6:23, 7:18, and 11:32; Galatians 3:22)
Salvation
We believe that salvation is a gift of God's grace. It cannot be gained by our own works, but is freely bestowed upon all who put their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ by the shedding of His blood at Calvary. All who so trust Jesus Christ as Savior are forgiven of their sins and are born into the family of God by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. (Ephesians 1:7, 2:8, 9; John 1:12)
Security, Assurance, and Responsibility
We believe that all the saved, those in whom God has accomplished His transforming work of grace, are kept by His power and are thus secure in Christ forever. It is their privilege to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation. God, in His infinite love, does not tolerate persistent sin in His children without correction. True faith in Christ is expressed by a fruitful, God pleasing life. (John 10:27-29; Romans 8:29-39; 1John 5:13; Hebrews 12:16; Matthew 7:20; James 2:2)
The Church
We believe that the true church, called in scripture the body of Christ, is the spiritual body into which every person who has trusted Jesus Christ for salvation has been baptized by the Holy Spirit. It is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and by word to help proclaim the gospel to all mankind. (Ephesians 1:22, 23; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Act 2:42, 13:1, 2)
The Ordinances
We believe that there are two ordinances instituted by our Lord Jesus Christ to be observed by all believers until His return: baptism and the Lord's Supper.
The Coming of Christ
We believe in the second coming of Jesus Christ, "the blessed hope." Who will come again personally and bodily, and that he will come in the air just before the seven year tribulation to receive His church body unto Himself. Then following the end of the Great Tribulation, he will return visibly with the saints to establish His millennial kingdom of universal peace and righteousness. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Zechariah 14:4-11; Revelations 19:11-16, 20:1-6)
The Eternal State
We believe that at death the souls of those who have trusted Christ for salvation pass immediately into His presence and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the church body at His coming. Then soul and body reunited in a glorified body shall be with him forever. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery until the final judgment of the great white throne at the close of the millennium. Then soul and body reunited shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to be separated from God forever in conscious punishment. (Luke 16:19-26; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelations 20:11-15)