Beliefs
The beliefs listed below under-gird the life and ministry of this church. They are founded on the unshakable Word of God, and we hold them as true statements about the nature of God, the world and ourselves.
THE BIBLE
We believe that every word in the original manuscripts of the Bible was
inspired by God and was without error; therefore the Bible is our supreme
and final authority for faith and practice. We use a literal approach to interpreting
Scripture, which takes into account history, grammar and internal harmony.
2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:21; John 17:17; Isaiah 40:8
GOD
We believe that there is only one God existing eternally in three equal and distinct Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14
JESUS CHRIST
We believe that God became flesh in Jesus Christ who was conceived by
the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He is therefore true God and
perfect man.
John 1:1,14,18; Matthew 1:18-25
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Godhead who convicts the world; He regenerates, indwells, baptizes and seals all Christians at the moment of salvation; and fills those yielded to Him.
Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:3,4; John 3:8,16:7-11; 1 Corinthians 6:19,12:11;
Ephesians 4:30,5:18
MANKIND
We believe that humanity was created by God in His own image. In Adam, mankind fell into sin with the result that every human being is born with a sinful nature and commits acts of sin. Therefore mankind is, by nature, separated from God—spiritually dead.
Genesis 1:27; Romans 3:23,5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3
SALVATION
We believe that a person is declared righteous by God through grace when he, by faith and apart from works, believes in Jesus Christ.
Romans 8:1; Ephesians 2:8,9; Acts 16:31
We believe that Jesus Christ died for the sins of mankind as a penal substitutionary sacrifice, and bodily He rose from the dead, guaranteeing redemption for anyone who personally places his trust in Jesus Christ for salvation.
Romans 5:8,9; Mark 10:45
We believe that all who are born of the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ can have assurance of salvation and are eternally secure in Him.
John 10:27-29; Romans 8:1,38,39; 1 John 5:13
BAPTISM
We believe that although baptism is not a precondition for salvation, individuals should be baptized after they have accepted Christ as an outward symbol of their identification with Christ and His Body, the Church.
Matthew 10:32,28:16-20; Romans 6:3-7,10,11; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
THE LORD'S SUPPER
We believe the Lord's Supper is a commemoration of Jesus' death until He comes again, the elements being used as emblems of His broken body and shed blood. It should be observed in certain church services and may be observed wherever believers gather. The Lord's Supper is open to all self-examined believers regardless of church affiliation.
1 Corinthians 11:23-34
SANCTIFICATION
Positional Sanctification—We believe that every Christian is set apart unto God in Jesus Christ at the moment of salvation.
1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 10:10
Progressive Sanctification—We believe that every Christian continues to sin in this life but is to be empowered by the Holy Spirit, growing more like Jesus Christ.
John 17:17; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4; 2 Corinthians 3:18
Ultimate Sanctification—We believe that every Christian will be completely set apart from sin in practice, as he is now in position and will be like Jesus Christ when he meets Him face -to-face.
Philippians 3:20-21; Ephesians 5:25-27; 1 John 3:2
THE CHURCH
We believe that the Church is a spiritual organism, the Body and Bride of Jesus Christ, invisible in its universal form, made up of all believers of this age, and manifests local assemblies that are voluntarily joined together to exalt Jesus Christ, edify the Body of Christ and evangelize the lost.
Colossians 1:18; Acts 2:42-47
We believe that the Church is distinct from Israel. The Church began on the day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit began baptizing individuals into the Body of Christ.
Acts 1:5,11:15-16; 1 Corinthians 12:13
We believe that the ordinances of the Church are water baptism and the Lord's Supper.
Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24-26
SPIRITUAL GIFTS
We believe that the Holy Spirit sovereignly grants spiritual gifts to each Christian for the building up of the Body for the common good, and that these gifts need to be recognized, developed and utilized, all with a heart for doing the work of Christ.
Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; Ephesians 4:11-16
We believe that the spiritual gifts must be tested against scriptural descriptions in order to authenticate them. Certain so-called charismatic gifts, as commonly practiced today (such as faith healing and speaking in tongues), do not, in our estimation, parallel the scriptural model.
Acts 4:8,31; Romans 8:23; 2 Corinthians 12:7-9; 1 Timothy 6:5-10
THE FAMILY
We believe that the institutions of marriage and family are ordained by God for procreation, instruction, discipleship and humanity's enjoyment.
Genesis 2:18-25; Deuteronomy 6:4-9
We believe that a Christian marriage is intended to be a model of Christ's relationship to the Church, that successful family leadership is a prerequisite for church leadership, and that a critical function of the Church is to provide support, encouragement and instruction to the family.
Genesis 1:26-28; 1 Timothy 3:1-16; Titus 1:6,2:1-15
ANGELS
We believe that angels are spirit beings created sinless by God, but now existing in fallen and un-fallen states.
Psalm 148:2,5; Hebrews 1:14; 2 Peter 2:4
We believe that Satan is a fallen angel, the originator of sin and an enemy of God and mankind, who leads the whole world astray; whom fallen angels serve, and who is doomed.
Isaiah 14:12-14; Genesis 3:1-19; 2 Corinthians 11:14; Matthew 25:41; 1 Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:9; Revelation 20:10
THE END TIMES
We believe in the imminent, personal return of Jesus Christ for His Church, the Tribulation, the second coming of Jesus Christ to set up a thousand-year reign on earth, the eternal punishment of the unsaved, and the eternal peace and joy of the saved.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 24:21,29-30,25:46; Revelation 20:1-6,11-15