What We Believe

Inspiration of The Bible

We believe that the Bible in the original writings, consisting of sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, was given by divine inspiration and is the Word of God (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21; I Thessalonians 2:13); that it reveals man’s state by nature and presents the only means of his salvation (Romans 3:10-12; Acts 4:12); that it constitutes the only perfect rule and final authority in all matters pertaining to Christian faith and practice (II Timothy 3:16-17); and that it sets forth the principles by which man will be judged (Romans 2:16).

Belief in God

We believe that there is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).

God the Father-We believe in God the Father who created the universe in six solar days, who sustains all things visible and invisible, who is true holiness, eternal power, infinite love, perfect justice, and absolute truth (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 90:1-2; Acts 4:24; 14:15-17; 17:24; Romans 1:20).

God the Son-We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ, His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood, His bodily resurrection, His bodily ascension to the right hand of the Father where He ever liveth to make intercession for His saints, His pre-millennial coming for His saints, and His return to earth to reign in power and glory (John 1:14; Matthew 1:18-23; 28:6; Acts 1:9-11; 10:38; Hebrews 4:15; 7:25; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Zechariah 14:4-9).

God the Holy Spirit-We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person who moved holy men of God to write the Scriptures, who convicts of sin, who quickens in the new birth, who seals and is the earnest of our inheritance, and who indwells the believer with power for holy living and service (John 14:16-17; 16:8-9; II Peter 1:21; Romans 8:11; Ephesians 1:13-14; I Corinthians 12:13).

Man: His Creation, Fall, and need of Redemption

We believe that man was created by an immediate act of God and in His own image as given in the Genesis account and not by process of evolution; that through disobedience to God, man lost his first estate and thereby became a sinner in need of a Savior; and that through Adam all men are born sinners, spiritually dead, alienated from God, and stand in need of personal redemption that is in the Lord Jesus Christ alone (Genesis 1:26-27; 3:1-24; Romans 5:12; 3:23-24; Psalm 51:5; Ephesians 2:1; 4:18; Colossians 1:14, 21; 2:13).

Blood Atonement for Sin

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly by grace; that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins shedding His blood on the cross as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice; and that all who repent and believe in Him, receiving Him by faith as personal Savior, are thereby justified on the ground of His shed blood (Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-9; Romans 4:4-5; 5:9; I Corinthians 15:1-3; Isaiah 53:6; Acts 17:30; 10:43; 13:38-39: Matthew 9:14; John 1:12; I Peter 1:18-19).

Personal New Birth

We believe that in order to be saved, all men must be born again by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God; that this new birth is instantaneous with faith in Christ, not a process; that in the new birth God justifies the believer; that the Holy Spirit indwells the believer with power for holy living and service; and that every believer stands as a priest before God (John 1:12-13; I Corinthians 6:19-20; II Corinthians 5:17; Acts 16:30-34; I Peter 1:23; 2:5; Titus 3:5-7; Galatians 5:22-23).

Justification

We believe that justification is a judicial act of God by which He imparts to the born again believer complete pardon of sins, and imputes to the believer His own righteousness. believe that justification is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which the believer had done, but solely because of his faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 4:6-8; 3:21-25; 5:9; Acts 13:38-39; John 5:24; 6:47; Philippians 3:8-9; Titus 3:5).

The Difference Between the Righteous and the Wicked

We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and wicked. The righteous are those who have been born of the Spirit of God through faith in the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the wicked are those who have never been born of the Spirit of God. We believe that the righteous are assured of eternal life with the Lord Jesus Christ, whereas the wicked are destined to everlasting conscious suffering in a real and literal Lake of Fire eternally separated from God (Psalm 1:1-6; Malachi 3:18; I John 5:11-13; Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:15).

Satan

We believe in the reality of Satan, a living personality who is the unholy prince of this world, the ruler of all powers of darkness, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the Lake of Fire (Matthew 4:1-3; II Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10).

The Security of the Believer

We believe that all who are truly born again are eternally secure since they have been saved by believing on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, have been sealed by the Holy Spirit, and are kept by the power of God (I John 5:1; John 10:27-29; Romans 10:9-13; 8:31-39; Jude 1:1-25; I Peter 1:3-5; Philippians 1:6).

The Church

We believe that the church is the body of Christ and is manifested through local congregations of immersed believers observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; that their officers are pastors and deacons whose qualifications and duties are defined in the Scriptures (Acts 2:41-47; 20:17-28; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:11-16; 5:25-32).

The Ordinances of the Church

We believe that Christ as the Head of the church commanded two ordinances: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Baptism – We believe that baptism is by immersion, is not necessary for salvation, yet is the privilege and duty of every child of God as an open confession of his identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Mark 1:9; John 3:23; Acts 8:36-39; 10:47-48).

The Lord’s Supper – We believe that the Lord’s Supper is to be observed by the church in order to remember the suffering and death of Christ, to hope in His future return, and to encourage faithful living until He returns. The administration of the Supper should be preceded by self-examination. (Matthew 26:26-29; Luke 22:19-20; I Corinthians 11:23-34).

Attitude Toward Civil Government

We believe that civil government is ordained of God for the punishment of evildoers and for the protection of the good. We ought, therefore, to be obedient to their authority except in things opposed to the will of God as revealed in the Word of God. We believe in the separation of church and state, meaning both that the state should not impede on the religious liberty of the church and that the New Testament church should not seek to establish a Christian nation; instead, we wait in expectation for future Millennial kingdom of Christ (Romans 13:1-7; Luke 20:22-25).

We believe that the education of our children is the responsibility of the parents and not that of the state (Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4b).

The Resurrection of Christ

We believe in the bodily resurrection of our Lord and in His bodily ascension into heaven where He now is at the right hand of God as our high priest, mediator, intercessor, and advocate (Matthew 28:5-7; Mark 16:5-7; Luke 24:36-40, 50, 51; John 20:27; Acts 1:9; Hebrews 1:3; 8:1).

The Second Coming of Christ

We believe in the personal, visible, pre-millennial, and imminent return of Christ. This will be accomplished in two stages: First, the rapture—Christ’s coming for His saints—when Christ will descend into the air to catch away His waiting bride, the church; and Second, the revelation—Christ’s descending with His saints to establish the long promised kingdom and to reign upon the earth for a thousand years. Between these two stages the great tribulation judgments are visited upon the apostate and rebellious world (Acts 1:10-11; I Thessalonians 4:14-18; I Corinthians 15:1-58; Revelation 5:9-10; 6:17; 19:11-16; 20:4-6; Daniel 7:13-14).

Separation

Ecclesiastical – We believe that the Bible demands ecclesiastical separation from unbelief in any of its compromising forms as well as from those churches and organizations whose doctrine or practice deviate from the gospel of Christ (II Corinthians 6:14-18; 7:1; II John 1:7-11).

Personal – We believe this world system is controlled by Satan and is opposed to Christ. The Christian is to have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, and should flee from the lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, and the pride of life (II Corinthians 5:15-17; 7:1; I John 2:16; 5:17-19).

Miraculous Gifts

While we do not limit the power of God to do miracles today, we believe that the gifts of apostleship, New Testament tongues, prophesying future events, and healing the sick were special gifts of the Holy Ghost designed to aid in the formation of the church and biblical canon. Because the revelation of God in Scripture has been completed, all miraculous spiritual gifts have ceased. (I Corinthians 13:1-13; 14:1-40; Acts 2:1-47).