Statement of Faith

What We Believe...

...Of the Scriptures

• We believe that the Holy Bible as originally written was verbally inspired and the product of Spirit-controlled men, and therefore has truth without any admixture of error for its matter. We believe the Bible to be the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions, shall be tried (II Timothy 3:16,17; II Peter 1:19-21).

...Of the True God

• We believe there is one, and only one, living and true God, and infinite Spirit; the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressively glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love, that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption (Exodus 20:2,3; I Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11; I John 5:7).

...Of Jesus Christ

• We believe that Jesus Christ is a divine person of the Trinity with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit; that He was active in and sustains the creation; that He was God incarnate, begotten of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner; born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man or woman was born or can ever be born, that He, being sinless, was made sin for us; was crucified, buried and rose again victorious over death; that he ascended unto the Father and is seated at His right hand (Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:1-3, 10,14; Colossians 1:13-18; Galatians 4:4-7; I Corinthians 15:3-8, 12-21; Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 1:1-14).

...Of the Holy Spirit

• We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person; with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God's purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; that He bears witness to the Truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer. That the baptism of the Holy Spirit is that act which takes place at conversion, "By one Spirit are we all baptized into one body." That it is not something to be attained by the believer after regeneration for there is "one baptism," into the Spirit; that "tongues" have ceased and that speaking in tongues is not the sign or evidence of being baptized into or filled with the Holy Spirit (John 14:16,17; Matthew 28:19; Hebrews 9:14; John 14:26; Luke 1:35; Genesis 1:1-3; John 16:8-11; Acts 5:30-32; John 3:5-6; Luke 24:49; Ephesians 1:13-14; Mark 1:8; John 1:33; Acts 11:16; Romans 8:14-27; I Corinthians 12:12-13).

...Of the Devil

• We believe in the personality of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age, and the author of all the 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).

...Of Creation

• We accept the Genesis account of creation and believe that man came by direct creation of God and not by evolution (Genesis 1-2; Colossians 1:16,17; John 1:3).

...Of Man and His Fall

• We believe that man was created in the likeness and image of God in innocence under the law of his Maker. God is the giver of life and the final authority in the cessation of life. Therefore, all human life is sacred and to be protected, including care for the pre-born, handicapped, infirmed, needy and aged. Man, through the sin of Adam, by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not only by constraint, but of choice and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse (Genesis 1:27; 3:1-6; Job 12:9-10; Psalms 139:13-16; Exodus 20:13, Psalms 82:3-4; Romans 5:10-19; Psalms 51:5; Romans 1:18, 32; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:23).

...Of the Atonement for Sin

• We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but as a voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the Just dying for the unjust; Christ, the Lord bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; that having risen from the dead He is now enthroned in Heaven. He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and an all sufficient Savior (Ephesians 2:8; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24, 25; John 3:16; Matthew 18:11; Philippians 2:7; Hebrews 2:14; Isaiah 53:4-7; I John 4:10; I Corinthians 15:3; II Corinthians 5:21).

...Of Grace in the New Creation

• We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again, that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life (John 3:3; II Corinthians 5:17; I John 5:1; John 3:6, 7; Acts 16:30-33; II Peter 1-4; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1; II Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 2:13; John 3:8).

...Of Justification

• We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is justification: (a) That Justification includes the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life on principles of righteousness. (b) That it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood (Acts 13:39; Isaiah 53:11; Romans 5:1-9; 8:1).

...Of Faith and Salvation

• We believe that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation (Acts 16:31; John 3:14-18,36; Ephesians 2:8-9).

...Of the Local Church

• We believe that a local church is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel and observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers are pastor and deacons whose qualifications, claims and duties, are clearly defined in the Scriptures; we believe that the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy Spirit; that it is Scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; that each local church is the sole judge of the measure and methods of its cooperation on all matters of membership, of policy, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final (Acts 2:41, 42; I Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22- 23; 4:11; Acts 20:17-24; I Timothy 3:17; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23-24; Acts 15:13-18).

...Of Baptism and The Lord's Supper

• We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation. We believe that the Lord's Supper is the commemoration of His death until He comes, and should be preceded always by solemn self-examination (Acts 8:36-39; John 3:23; Romans 6:3-5; Matthew 3:16; Colossians 2:12; I Corinthians 11:23-28).

...Of the Security of the Saints

• We believe that all who are truly born again are kept forever by God the Father of Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:6; John 10:28- 29; Romans 8:35-39; Jude l).

...Of the Righteous and the Wicked

• We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in His esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse and this distinction holds among men both in and after death; in the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost (Malachi 3:18; Genesis 18:23; Romans 6:17, 23; I John 5:19; Romans 7:6; Proverbs 14:32; Luke 6:25: Matthew 25:34-41; John 8:21).

...Of Civil Government

• We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interest of and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed, except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Lord of the conscience and the coming Prince of the Kings of the earth (Romans 13:17; II Samuel 23:3; Exodus 18:21,-22; Acts 23:5; Matthew 22:21; Acts 4:19- 20; 5:20; Daniel 3:17-18).

...Of Things to Come

1. We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ (Matthew 28:6-7; Luke 24:39; John 20:27; I Corinthians 15:4; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:2-6).
2. The ascension of Christ (Acts 1:9-11; Luke 24:51; Mark 16:19; Revelation 3:21; Hebrews 12:2).
3. The High Priesthood of Christ (Hebrews 8:6; I Timothy 2:5; I John 2:1; Hebrews 2:17; 5:9-l0).
4. The Resurrection of the righteous dead (I Thessalonians 4:l3-l8; I Corinthians l5:42-44; I Corinthians l5:52).
5. The Pre-Tribulational Rapture of the church (I Corinthians l5:5l-52; I Thessalonians 4:l3-l8; Philippians 3:20-2l).
6. The Second Coming of Christ (John l4:3; Acts l:ll; I Thessalonians 4:l6; James 5:8; Hebrews 9:28).
7. The Millennial Reign of Christ on earth (I Corinthians l5:25; Isaiah 32:l; ll:4-5; Psalms 72:8; Revelation 20:6; Luke l:32; Isaiah 9:6-7; Acts 2:29-30).