What We Believe
The following statement is a summary of the Biblical doctrines which we hold as fundamental to the Christian faith.
Scripture
We believe that the sixty-six books of the King James Holy Bible constitute the perfectly preserved,
inspired, and infallible Word of God to English speaking people. As such, we hold it to be the highest
authority for our lives. Furthermore, we believe that ALL Scripture is profitable to us today for doctrine,
for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Proverbs 30:5; Hebrews 4:12
God
We believe in the One True and Living God, Creator of all that is. We believe that He is Father, Son, and
Holy Ghost – three distinct persons and yet one God. He exists in perfection, before and independent of
His creation. He is entire goodness, benevolent, all wise, and infinite in His attributes. We furthermore
hold that God is the final and highest Just Judge of all the universe.
(Deut. 6:4; I John 5:7; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; John 14:10, 26; Exodus 34:7; I Timothy 2:5;
Romans 11:33-36; Isaiah 45:5-8)
Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ, who was born of a virgin and walked this earth in human flesh, is the Son of God, God manifest in the flesh, the eternal God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, the Savior of all, especially those who believe on His Name, and the ONLY Mediator between God and man. His death was eternally ordained for the purpose of providing a legal and just payment for the sin of the entire human race. He was raised from the dead on the third day for the justification of all who would be saved. He is presently seated at the right hand of the Father, and will bodily, visibly return to the earth for his own.
(I Timothy 2:5; John 1:1-3, 14; Isaiah 9:6; 7:14; I Timothy 3:16; Luke 1:35; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8; Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; 1 Peter 2:24; Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5; Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2)
The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit (Holy Ghost) is God Almighty, the third person of the God-head. He is
the Comforter promised by Jesus when He was with His disciples, sent into the world to teach us the
ways of God. We furthermore believe that He indwells EVERY true believer from the moment of
salvation.
(John 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9-11, 14-16, 26, Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12: 4-11, 12-14, 28; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14, 17-18; Eph. 4:7-12; Eph. 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27; John 14:26)
Sin
We believe that sin is the willful act of transgressing the eternal Law of God, which Law is inherent
within every human being.
(I John 3:4; James 4:17; Romans 1:18; Romans 5:13
Man
We believe that man was created by God, in God’s image, for God’s glory, and given freedom to choose
between good and evil. In the garden of Eden, Adam made a choice to turn away from God and follow
Satan. The willful and direct disobedience to God resulted in legal estrangement from God and
precipitated the curse of death on Adam and all his descendants. All men are born under the curse and
totally estranged from God and from all the blessings of His divine presence.
We furthermore believe that while all are separated from God because of Adam’s sin, they do not bear
responsibility for his decision. Adam acted alone. Although separation is universal; guilt is personal,
based on the daily choices of the individual. God holds every man individually accountable for his
personal acts, inasmuch as every man has retained his free will to choose between good and evil, guided by his own conscience. When a sinner is condemned to hell, he is not condemned for the state in which he was born, but because he chose to follow evil, as did his father Adam. Finally, we believe that all men have sinned through personal choice with the exception of One. No man is capable of rectifying this state of estrangement from God. Apart from the free gift of God through the substitutionary work of Christ there is no hope of salvation.
(Genesis 2-3; Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12-21; Romans 9:11; I Corinthians 15:21-22, 39-58;
Ezekiel 18; Ecclesiastes 7:29; Psalm 33:15; Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11, 28; Eph. 4:7-12)
Salvation
We believe that through His love for the world, God has provided ONE way for sinners to be cleansed
from their sin, and thus delivered from impending damnation in hell. Man’s only hope is a work of grace
by God alone. Jesus Christ, lived a sinless life, and died on a Roman cross, and by virtue of his humanity
and deity, was accounted a worthy substitute for sinners. His death and resurrection from the dead are
the basis on which God chooses to forgive the repenting-believing sinner. The ground of our salvation is
the shed blood of Jesus Christ; the occasion of our salvation is our believing God in this regard. The
merits of Christ’s atonement potentially extend to the whole world. Any sinner, who turns from faith in his own dead works to faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ will be delivered from condemnation in hell, and granted eternal life. At the moment of salvation, God imputes the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ to the sinner, translating him from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of God. From that moment forward, he is no longer counted a sinner, but a saint and a joint-heir with Jesus Christ. We furthermore believe that this salvation is completely separate from any work (past or future) of the individual, and can ONLY be obtained through faith.
(John 3:16; Romans 10:8-11; Romans 4:4-5; Titus 3:4-5; Acts 16:30-31; John 1:12; Eph. 1:7;
2:8-10; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; John 14:6)
Security of the Believer
We hold that believers, and believers only, are eternally secure, being kept by the power of their Savior,
Jesus Christ.
(Romans 8:38-39; John 10:27-29; Ephesians 1:13; Hebrews 3:14; Ephesians 4:30; 1 Cor. 15:1-2;
Hebrews 6:3, 14; Gal. 5:1, 4; Hebrews 10:35-39; Colossians 1:22-23)
Sanctification of the Believer
We believe that sanctification, that is the separation of a believer to holy living, is by faith in the finished
work of Jesus Christ. ALL believers, regardless of their understanding or experience, are forever free
from all sin based on the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. We furthermore hold that while all believers possess a free will and are capable of deliberate acts of sin, based on their freedom in Christ and the clear commands of Scripture, they are both able and obligated to walk in complete holiness before God, and to refrain from all acts of sin. Holiness is the normal Christian walk. Where there is no holiness the genuineness of true conversion should be questioned.
(Colossians 2:6-14; Romans 6; 7:4-6; 8:1-4; Hebrews 12:14; II Corinthians 5:17; 7:1; 13:11;
Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11)
Future Judgment
We believe that there is an appointed day in which every man and woman will stand before God and give account of their deeds, whether good or evil. The righteous will be rewarded with life eternal, and the wicked will be damned to everlasting torment in the lake of fire.
(Hebrews 9:27; Matthew 25:31-46; 7:1-2; 13:49-50; Revelation 20:11-15)
Creation
We believe that the universe was created in six, literal, twenty-four hour days by the Word of God (Jesus
Christ), in accordance with the account given in Genesis chapter one.
(Genesis 1; John 1:1-5; Hebrews 11:3; 3:1-4; Psalm 102:24-27; Isaiah 45:5-8; 12
The Church
We believe that a local church is an indigenous, autonomous body of baptized believers, who assemble
for the purpose of fellowship, teaching, worship, edification, and ministry as revealed in the New
Testament. We believe that the believers of a local Church are called to holiness. The church and
individuals saints are commissioned to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to every creature.
We furthermore believe the Bible uses the term church to refer to the body of our Lord Jesus Christ
which is made up of all those who have ever believed on His Name. We believe that the church on this
earth is local and visible in nature and function until all believers are gathered together in Christ. We
reject the idea of a universal church with ecclesiastical hierarchy in this present world.
(Colossians 1:18, 24; I Thessalonians 2:14; II Corinthians 8:18; 11:2; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 28; Eph.
1:22-23; 5:23; 25-27; Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)
Baptism
Water baptism by immersion is to be administered by the church to the morally-spiritually discerning
who have put their faith in the finished work of Christ, and have so testified publicly. Water baptism is a
public testimony of their new faith and a picture of the “one baptism” by the Holy Spirit, into Jesus Christ (His death, burial, and resurrection), and neither of itself nor in connection with faith has any
efficaciousness in regard to justification.
(Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:36-38; Romans 6:3-7; I Corinthians 12:13)
Heaven
We believe that heaven is a literal place where God dwells with and innumerable company of living
beings, and where believers will one day be united with Him. It is a place of indescribable beauty, free
of all evil, sin and sadness.
(Revelation 20:4-6; 21:4; 10-27; 22:3-5; Isaiah 66:1; 25:8; John 14:2-3; Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8;
Phil. 1:23; 3:21; I Thess. 4:16-17)
Hell
We believe that hell is a literal burning place of eternal judgment and torment created by God for the
devil and his angels. Furthermore, all men and women who have sinned against God, and who refuse to
believe the Gospel of Jesus Christ, will be condemned to hell without hope of deliverance. On judgment
day, the dead in hell will be raised, judged for their deeds, and cast into a lake burning with fire and
brimstone. The smoke of their torment will rise up forever before the Lamb of God, whose mercy they
rejected.
(Psalm 9:17; Matthew 5:22, 29-30; 10:28; Mark 9:43-45; Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 1:18;
Revelation 20:10-15; 19:20; 21:8; Matt. 25:41-46; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7)
Ordinances
We believe and administer two ordinances: the Lord’s supper, and water baptism. The Lord’s Supper is
a memorial of the lord’s death, and is not in any sense efficacious.
(1 Cor. 11:23-26)
Satan
We believe there exists a created, finite, fallen, heavenly creature called: the Devil, Satan, the Wicked,
the Serpent, the Dragon, etc. who, through a company of fallen angelic creatures, seeks to overthrow the work of God. He is the “accuser of the brethren” and the enemy of all righteousness.
(Job 1:6-7; Is. 14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev. 20:10)
Last Things
We believe in the pre-tribulational, pre-minlliennial rapture of the church, and the post-tribulational, pre-millinial return of Christ.
(1 Thess. 4:13 – 18; Mat. 24; Rev. 4:1 – 20:15