Statement of Faith

Section 1.  The Scriptures.  We believe the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings, and the Divine and final authority for Christian doctrine and practice.  (II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:20-21; John 17:17)

Section 2.  The Godhead.  We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinite, and eternal, existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – who have the same nature and attributes, but who are distinct in office and activity.  (Deut. 6:4; Gen. 1:1; Isa. 6:3; Ps. 90:2; Mt. 28:19; II Cor. 13:14; John 14)

Section 3.  God the Father.  We believe in God the Father, omnipotent, omniscient, omni-present, eternal and immutable; full of love, justice, goodness, mercy and truth.  (Eph. 4:6; I Cor. 8:6; I Tim. 2:5; Gen. 1:1)

Section 4.  God the Son.  We believe that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.  He died on the cross for our sins according to the Scriptures, arose bodily from the dead, and ascended into heaven, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of inter-cession and advocacy for His people.  (John 1:1,14; Luke 1:35; I Cor. 15:3-4; Acts 1:9; Heb. 4:14-16; 7:25)

Section 5.  God the Holy Spirit.  We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, and during this age to convict sinners, regenerate those who receive Christ as Savior, baptize them into the Church (the body of Christ), indwell them permanently, keep them eternally secure, give spiritual gifts to each one, and fill those yielded to Him.  (John 16:7-15; 3:6-8; I Cor. 12:13; John 14:16-17; Eph. 4:30; Rom. 12:4-8; Eph. 5:18)

Section 6.  Creation and Fall.  We believe that all things in heaven and earth were created by God and exist by His power (Gen. 1:1; Col. 1:16-17).  We believe that angels are spiritual beings who were created as sinless personalities and presently exist in both fallen and unfallen states, the former consisting of Satan and his angels.  Satan is the author of sin and cause of the fall; he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire (Heb. 1:13-14; II Peter 2:4; Rev. 7:11-12; 20:10).  We believe that man was created innocent and in the image of God, but that he sinned, bringing both physical and spiritual death to himself and his posterity.  We believe that man has inherited a sinful nature, is alienated from God, and is in need of salvation.  (Gen. 1:27; 3:1-24; Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3)

Section 7.  Salvation.  We believe that God in His mercy did not leave sinful man to suffer the eternal punishment he deserves, but that Jesus Christ by His shed blood did purchase salvation, so that all who repent of their sins and in faith turn to Christ, receiving Him as Savior, are justified by grace through faith apart from works and given the free gift of eternal life.  We believe that all true believers, once saved, are kept secure in Christ forever.  (Rom. 8:38-39; John 10:27-30)

Section 8.  Sanctification.  We believe that sanctification is the work of God by which He set the believer apart for Himself and works in the believer’s life to conform him to the character of Christ.  Because the believer is united to Christ and adopted into His family, sin no longer has complete dominion over him.  Because the Holy Spirit indwells him and he has been given a new nature which conflicts with his sinful nature, he is continuously at war with sin.  The believer is to participate in the process of sanctification by diligently applying himself to cooperate with God’s working in his life.  The believer will not be completely sinless in practice until Christ returns and the believer is made like Him.  (Rom. 8:29; I Cor. 1:2, 30; 6:11; II Cor. 3:18; Eph. 5:15-27; I Thes. 5:23; Rom. 6:12-14; Gal. 5:17; II Peter 1:5-11; I John 3:2)

Section 9.  The Church.  We believe that the church, the Body of Christ, consists of all born-again believers anywhere in the world.  We believe that the local church is an assembly of believers – persons who come together under divinely ordained leadership to worship and praise God, to study His Word, to observe the ordinances, to have fellowship with one another, to make disciples, and to serve the community and mankind.  We believe that the authority of the local church rests with the congregation – persons who have joined together to support the church body with their prayers, presence, gifts, and service – under the leadership of Christ.  (Mt. 16:16-18; Eph. 4:11-13; 5:23-29; Mt. 28:18-20; I Cor. 3:11; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:19-22; Col. 1:18; Acts 2:42-47)

Section 10.  Marriage.  We believe that God established marriage as a holy institution at creation and is exclusively the covenantal union of one man and one woman as defined by God and joined together by God as a lifelong commitment. (Gen. 1:26-28, 2:22-24; Matt. 19:5-6, Mark 10:6-9)

Section 11.  The Ordinances.  We believe that Christ instituted the ordinances of water baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which are to be observed by believers until He returns.  We believe that by water baptism a believer is publicly identified with his Savior.  The mode of baptism practiced by this church is immersion, because we believe it best portrays the believer’s death to sin and new life in Christ.  We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a memorial of Christ’s death, the elements being symbols of His body and blood.  The ordinance also represents the unity of believers and looks forward to the second coming of Christ.  We believe that every Christian has the privilege to partake of the elements of the Lord’s Supper, but that participation should be preceded by reflection and self-examination.  (Mt. 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12; Acts 8:35-39; Mt. 26:26-30; I Cor. 11:23-26)

Section 12.  The Second Coming of Christ.  We believe in the personal, visible, premillenial, and imminent second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ; and this fact motivates the Christian to holiness and faithful service to Him.  We believe that at the second coming He will raise the dead: the believers to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord, and the unbelievers to judgment and everlasting, conscious punishment. (I Thes. 4:13-18; Rev. 20:1-6, 11-15; Mt. 24:14-31;  II Pet. 3:10-13; I Cor. 15:50-58)