What We Believe

We believe that all Scripture (the 66 book canon) is given by inspiration of God, by which we mean that God superintended human authors so that using their individual human personalities they composed and recorded without error His message to man in the words of the original autographs. Therefore, all Scripture is true and trustworthy and is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation. (Matthew 5:17-18; John 10:35; II Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

We believe that God eternally exists in three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who are one God deserving precisely the same homage, confidence and obedience. Whatever attributes and power God the Father has, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit have as well. Thus, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit are also eternal, omnipresent, omnipotent, infinitely wise, infinitely holy, infinitely loving, and omniscient. There is one and only one true and living God and Creator of the universe and everything in it. (Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 4:24; 10:30; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

God the Father is self-existent, everlasting, holy, righteous, loving; the life-giver, law-giver, protector, and the great I AM. God created the world in 6 days as set forth in the Genesis account. Everything is His. He is truth. (Gen. 1:1-31; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11; 20:2; 1 Chron. 29:10; Is. 43:3; Jer. 10:10; Matt. 6:9; 7:11; John 4:24; Acts 1:7; Rom. 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Eph. 4:6; I Tim. 1:17)

We believe that the eternal Son of God, the second person of the Trinity - Jesus - became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, died a substitutionary death, rose bodily from the grave and, after appearing to over 500 witnesses, ascended into heaven, thus to continue as both undiminished deity and perfect humanity united in one person forever. (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:1-25; Luke 1:31-35; John 1:1; 14; 18; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 5:23; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 2:9-10; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 1:2-9; 4:14-15; 7:23-28; 12:2-3; 1 Peter 1:19-21; 1 John 5:20; Revelation 19:11-16)

We believe the Holy Spirit is God, a divine, eternal Person, having intellect, and emotions. We believe the present ministry of the Holy Spirit is restraining sin in the world, convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He also, in the present age, regenerates believers in Christ, baptizes them into the body of Christ, indwells them permanently, seals them unto the day of redemption, and bestows spiritual gifts upon each one according to His will – and in harmony with the will of the Father and the Son. (Matthew 28:19; John 3:8, 14:16-17; 14:26, 15:26, 27; 16:5-14; Acts 5:3-4; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 2:11-12, 6:19, 12:4-13; 2 Corinthians 2:6-16; 5:5; 13:14; Galatians 5:16-18; Ephesians 4:30)

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, apart from any evolutionary process. He created them male and female thus gender is part of the goodness of God’s creation. In Adam all mankind fell into sin with the result that all men are sinners, hopelessly sinful in themselves, apart from the grace of God. (Genesis 1:26-31; 9:6; Romans 3:23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:1)

We believe that salvation is the free gift of God brought to men by His grace and received by faith alone, in Christ alone, who died for our sins and rose again. Christ’s death was and is the atonement for all sin. Salvation is offered freely by God apart from any sacraments, good works or human merit. (John 1:12-13; 3:15-18; 3:36; 6:47; 11:25-26; Acts 4:12; 13:38, 39; 16:31; Romans 4:4, 5; 5:1; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 2:8,9)

We believe that every believer is promised positional, progressive and ultimate eternal sanctification .(John 17:14-19; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Ephesians 5:26-27; 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 4; Hebrews 10:10, 14; 1 John 3:2)

We believe that Christians are called to a holy life of service and testimony in the power of the Holy Spirit, which service includes the propagation of the Gospel message to the whole world. There is promised reward in heaven for faithfulness in such service. (Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 3:9; 16; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; 1 Peter 1:15, 16; 2:5, 9-10; 2 Peter 3:18)

We believe that all persons that are born of the Holy Spirit through faith in Christ have assurance of salvation and are eternally secure in Christ. (John 6:37; 10:27-29; 17:12; Romans 8:38-39; Ephesians 4:30; 2 Timothy 1:12; 1 John 5:13)

We believe the church is composed of all believers of all races, colors, and nations; is the body and bride of Christ; is formed by the baptism of the Holy Spirit and exists in two aspects, universal and local. The universal church is an elect company of believers, baptized by the Holy Spirit into one body; its mission is to bear witness of its Head, Jesus Christ, preaching the gospel among all nations; it will be caught up to meet the Lord, after which He will return to set up His Kingdom. The local church is a group of believers voluntarily joined together to worship God with praise and thanksgiving, and to glorify Jesus Christ through an aggressive effort to disciple others by the
preaching of the gospel, and the exercise of spiritual gifts. (Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:25-30; Hebrews 10:25)

We believe in the imminent return of the Lord for His Church; the tribulation; the second coming of Christ to the earth after the tribulation; the establishment of the reign of Christ on earth for one thousand years; the eternal state of punishment for the unsaved and the eternal state of blessing for the saved. (Titus 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 4:13-18; 5:4-10; John 14:1-3; Revelation 3:10; Matthew
24:21, 29-30; 25:31-46; Revelation 20:1-6; 11:15; Matthew 25:46)

We believe marriage has been established by God. The Holy Bible and this church define “marriage” as the exclusive covenantal union of one man and one woman in which such union is a lifetime commitment. God has provided man and woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for propagation of the human race. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His People. A civil government’s sanction of a union will be recognized as a legitimate marriage by this church only to the extent that it is consistent with the definition of “marriage” found herein. God ordained the family as the foundational unit of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another in marriage, as defined above, by blood or adoption.

The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both were created in His image and each should submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. 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 to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ.

Parents are to demonstrate to their children God’s pattern for marriage. Parents should teach their children spiritual and moral values and lead them through their consistent example and loving discipline to make choices based on biblical truths. Children from the moment of conception are a gift and blessing from the Lord. Children are to honor and obey their parents.  (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 24:15; 1 Samuel 1:26-28; Psalm 78:1-8; 127; 128; Proverbs 1:8; 5:15-20; Matthew 5:31-32; Mark 10:1-12; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-23; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 5:8, 14; 2 Timothy 1:3-5 Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7)

We believe legitimate sexual relations are exercised solely within marriage. Hence, sexual activities outside of marriage, including but not limited to, adultery, premarital sex, homosexuality, and pedophilia are inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible and the Church. Further, lascivious conduct, transgender behavior, and the creation and/or distribution and/or viewing of pornography, are incompatible with the biblical witness. (Romans 1:22-32; Colossians 3:5; 1Thessalonians 4:3-8; Gal. 5:19-21; 1 Cor. 6:9-11; 1 Cor. 6:13-20; Jude 7)

We affirm God’s laws were given to help people love God and to provide for the foundation of society as a whole. Christians were called by Jesus to give to God and the government all that is due. To God this means to worship God in its fullest and most complete sense and keeping the will of Christ as foremost in our own lives. To government it means to obey leaders and authorities with the understanding that only when the means and methods of society are rooted in the regeneration of the individual through the grace and salvation of Jesus Christ can the improvement of society and establishment of righteousness among men take place. Thus Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, vice, and the practice of all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography. Christians should work to provide for the needy, care for those who are abused, aged, or helpless, visit those who are sick or in prison, and speak on behalf of the unborn and support the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death. Every believer should seek to bring industry and business, government, and society into alignment with the principles of truth, righteousness, and love. We should work with all men of good will in any good cause and act in love without compromising the truth of Jesus Christ. (Exodus 20:3-17; Leviticus 6:2-5; Deuteronomy 10:12; Psalm 101:5; Micah 6:8; Zechariah 8:16; Matthew 5: 13-16; 43-48; 22:36-40; 25:35; Mark 1:29-34; 2:3-5; 10:21; Luke 4:18-21; 10:27 37; 20:25; John 15:12; Acts 5:29; Romans 12-14; Galatians 3:26-28; Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:12-17; 1 Thessalonians 3:12;
Philemon; James 1:27; 2:8)