SCRIPTURES

We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as verbally and plenarily inspired of God, and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are the supreme and final authority in faith and practice (Proverbs 30:5, 6; II Peter 1:21; II Timothy 3:16-17).

II Timothy 3:16–17  "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
 That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works."

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GOD

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:1; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30).

Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

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JESUS CHRIST

• We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the second person of the Triune God, the Eternal Word, and only Begotten Son.

• We believe that Jesus, without any change in His divine Person, became a man by the miracle of the Virgin Birth, thus to continue forever as both true God and true man, one Person with two natures. As a man, Jesus was tempted in all points as we are, yet he was without sin. Jesus is the perfect Lamb of God. He gave Himself in death upon the cross by His own blood. On the cross He became the sin of the world. His suffering paid the full penalty of God’s divine wrath in our stead.

• We believe Jesus arose bodily from the grave and was glorified. Jesus is our great High Priest who ascended into Heaven to appear before the face of God as our Advocate and Intercessor (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Colossians 2:9).

Colossians 2:9 "For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."

 

HOLY SPIRIT

We believe in the Holy Spirit, who is the third person of the Trinity and the divine agent in creation, revelation, and redemption. The Holy Spirit is the divine agent in the conviction of sin, righteousness, and judgment. At salvation, the Holy Spirit regenerates, indwells, seals, and anoints all who become children of God through Christ. After salvation, the Holy Spirit empowers, guides, teaches, sanctifies, and fills believers who daily surrender to Him.

(John 7:38-39; 14:16-17; 15:26; 16:13-14; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Romans 8:9; Philippians 3:3; Ephesians 1:13-14).

John 15:26 "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, He shall testify of Me."

 

SPIRITUAL BEINGS 

• Satan: We believe that Satan is a real being, a fallen angel, the god of this world, the prince and power of this world, the author of all that is wicked and sinful, the one whom God will judge and cast into the lake of fire (Ephesians 2:1-4; II Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:1-10).

• Angels: We believe that angels are real beings that were created by God. Some of the originally created angels remained loyal to God and now function as heavenly messengers and servants. These angels are now confirmed in their holiness and they will serve God for eternity (Matthew 13:41, 16:27; Hebrews 12:22; Revelation 12:7-9, 20:1-10).

• Demons: We believe that all spiritual beings were created by God. Demons are real beings that were created with the original intention of serving God in heaven. Although God created everything in a perfect state, some of spiritual beings in their pride rebelled against God. These rebellious angels were led by the prince and power of this world, Satan. Those angels who chose to follow Satan will be judged and cast into the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41; Luke 8:30; Revelation 12:7-9).

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CREATION

We believe that God created the universe in six literal 24 hour periods. We reject evolution and other similar theories as unscriptural (Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11).

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THE FALL OF MAN

We believe all men by nature are sinful and lost. We believe that man was created in the likeness and image of God. God provided Adam and Eve, the first of the race, a choice in which they fell into sin. We now, by birth, have a sin nature and are lost without hope except through salvation in Jesus Christ. Because of Adam’s sin, death-both physical and spiritual-has passed on all men. We are now separated from God and are sinners by birth. We are under condemnation and in danger of Hell without defense or excuse. Adam became sinful, and the father of the fallen race which is universally sinful. Thus we are alienated from God, and have within ourselves have no possible means of salvation (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:17, 3:7-13, 6:5-13; Psalm 51:2-5, 58:3; John 3:18; Romans 1:20, 5:12-21; I Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:2-5).

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SALVATION

We believe in salvation by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. We believe salvation is the free gift of God, neither merited nor secured in part or in whole by virtue of the work of man, but received only by personal repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom all true believers have as a present possession the gift of eternal life, sonship in the family of God, deliverance and security from all condemnation. At the moment of salvation every spiritual resource needed for life and godliness, and the divine guarantee that they shall never perish is promised. Salvation affects the whole man. Apart from Christ there is no possible salvation (John 3:3-7, 16, 14:6; Romans 3:20-26, 4:24-25, 5:1, 9, 19, 20, 21; II Corinthians 5:19-21; Ephesians 1:5-7, 2:8-9; I Peter 1:23, 2:24).

 

RAPTURE

We believe in an imminent pre-tribulation rapture of the Church. The dead in Christ will rise first and the saved that are yet alive will be taken out of this world to live in Heaven with Christ (Mark 13:32-37; I Corinthians 15:51-53; I Thessalonians 4:16-18). 

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 THE SECOND COMING

We believe that the Second Coming of Christ to this earth in power and glory will occur at the end of the Tribulation. Jesus will come with the armies of Heaven to destroy the armies of Satan and begin His Millennial Reign (Revelation 19:1-16).

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FUTURE LIFE, RESURRECTION, JUDGEMENT

We believe the spirits of the saved at death go immediately to be with Christ in Heaven. We believe their works shall be brought before the Judgment Seat of Christ for the determination of rewards which will take place at the time Christ comes for His own. The spirits of the unsaved at death descend immediately into Hell, where they are kept under punishment until the final day of judgment at which time their bodies shall be raised from the grave, that they shall be judged and cast into the Lake of Fire, the place of final and everlasting judgment (Psalm 9:17; Revelation 20:10-15).

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THE CHURCH

We believe in the divine institution of the local church as God’s organization for the spread of the Gospel in this age. The true New Testament church is a local assembly of born-again (saved), baptized believers, who have agreed to unite together for the purposes of practicing the New Testament ordinances of baptism and communion, worship, prayer, fellowship, teaching, and spreading of the Gospel. We believe in the unity of the universal church, which is composed of all true believers, and constitutes the invisible body of Christ, who is the Head of the church. We believe in the independence and autonomy of the local church. The local church is answerable to no ecclesiastical body, but is directly accountable to God. The Holy Scriptures are the source of faith and practice for the local church. (Matthew 18:15-20, 28:19-20; Acts 2; Ephesians 1:22-23, 2:14-22, 5: 23, 25-27).

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ORDINANCES

The ordinances of the local church are baptism and the Lord’s Supper, as commanded in the New Testament. These ordinances do not have the power to save a person’s soul. For a believer, baptism is an outward sign of obedience to and identification with our Lord Jesus Christ. Baptism is to be by immersion in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; portraying the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Lord’s Supper is the partaking of the bread (symbolizing Jesus’ broken body) and the cup (symbolizing Jesus’ shed blood) in remembrance of Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary’s cross. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is to be taken by obedient, baptized believers (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians 11:23-32).

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SANCTIFICATION AND SEPARATION

We believe that scriptural sanctification for the believer is setting one’s self aside unto a holy purpose. We believe that sanctification is a progressive process for the believer that begins after salvation and is accomplished through the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. Because of progressive sanctification we also believe in separation of the believer from the world and its philosophy (Joshua 24:15; Romans 12:1-2; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1; Ephesians 5:11-18; II Timothy 4:2-4; Titus 3:10; I John 2:15-17).

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We believe that separation involves at least two areas.

1. Personal: We believe in personal separation in which the believer is to separate from the world and sin in order to serve and honor God. We believe that those who confess Christ must live a life that is above reproach in all areas of their life; this involves separation from acts of sin, the world’s system, heretics, and false teachers. The believer is to live in the world, but is to separate himself/herself from worldly practices, ideas, and goals that detract from his/her testimony of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. We are commanded to reflect holiness in the fear of God and to be transformed in the renewing of our mind (II Corinthians 7:1; II Thessalonians 3:6).

2. Ecclesiastical: We believe in ecclesiastical separation. This involves the separation of the church from apostasy. While we recognize the unity of all true believers there are those who have allowed compromise and apostasy into their midst. We believe in separating ourselves from those who are accepting of unbelief and religious apostasy. We believe a local New Testament church that is in conformity to the Word of God and is being led by the Holy Spirit cannot cooperate with nor have fellowship with those that tolerate apostasy (I Corinthians 5:11; II Corinthians 6:14-18; Ephesians 5:11).

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MORAL ISSUES

1. Marriage: We believe that marriage is a lifelong commitment between one man and one woman (Genesis 2:24; Proverbs 5:18-19; Malachi 2:14; Ephesians 5:22-23).

2. Divorce and Remarriage: We believe that God hates divorce and intends marriage to last until one spouse dies (Malachi 2:14-17; Matthew 19:3-12; Romans 7:1-3).

3. Human Sexuality: We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity 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 and are perversions of God’s gift of sex (Genesis 19:4-11; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-28;I Corinthians 5:1, 6:9-10; I Thessalonians 4:1-8).

4. Abortion: We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of an unborn human life (Psalm 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24, 49:1; Jeremiah 1:5; Luke 1:44).

5. Training and education of children: Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s, and unto God that which is God’s.” Our children are made in the image of God, and are not the property of Caesar. God has delegated to parents the ultimate responsibility for training children to love Him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength. Parents are ultimately responsible to God and to His church for the education of their children, not to the state or any other human institution. We recognize that God will hold each one of us individually accountable for our sins against our children, and we commit ourselves to supporting one another as Christian parents in raising our children in the “nurture and admonition of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Matthew 18:5-6; Ephesians 6:4).

6. Lawsuits between believers: We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians. We believe that the church is the context in which personal disputes can be biblically resolved (I Corinthians 6: 1-8).

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MISSIONS

We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all biblical means to go to all people locally and abroad (Mark 16:15; Luke 24:44-49; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians 5:20).