1. The Scriptures
We believe in the authority and sufficiency of the Holy Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, as verbally inspired by God, inerrant in the original manuscripts, and is the complete, infallible, and authoritative revelation of God’s will to man, and therefore the absolute authority for Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, faith, and opinions should be judged. We believe the Scriptures should be interpreted literally (whenever possible), consistently, contextually, grammatically, culturally and historically. Psalm 119:89,160; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; 1 Corinthians 2:11-14; Revelation 22:18-19.
2. God
We believe that there is only one true and living God, Creator and Supreme Ruler of Heaven and earth, inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love, and Who eternally exists in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, known as the Trinity or unity of the Godhead, each having the same nature and attributes, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious works in the great act of redemption in the accomplishment of His eternal plan and purpose. Genesis 1:1; 1:26; Exodus 15:11; Psalm 111:9; Isaiah 45:5-6; Matthew 28:19; Mark 12:29-30; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14, Colossians 2:9.
3. The Lord Jesus Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, truly God and truly Man, and that He is both the Son of God, and God the Son. We believe in His sinless life, His atonement as a substitution for the sins of mankind by the shedding of His blood on the cross, and in His bodily resurrection from the tomb and ascension into Heaven, and figuratively sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest interceding for us and in judgment of the world.. Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:31-35; John 1:1-4; 1:14; Acts 1:9-11; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:19; l Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 2:9; 2:14-16; 4:15.
4. The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the divine third person of the Godhead, with the Father and the Son, co-equal and co-eternal, and is the source and power of all acceptable worship and service; that He was active in creation, and in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the wicked one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and is the agent in the new birth and the infallible interpreter of the Word of God, Who baptizes, indwells, seals, empowers, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer spiritually grow and to testify of Christ. Genesis 1:2; John 3:5-8;14:16-18; 16:8-15; Acts 1:8; Romans 8:9; 8:14-16; Ephesians 1:13; 5:18; 1 Corinthians 2:11-14; 12:13; 2 Corinthians 3:18.
5. Creation
We believe the Genesis account of creation is to be accepted literally and not allegorically or figuratively and that the creation was accomplished in six days. That man was created directly in God's own image and after our (God & Christ) own likeness; that man's creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species. All life forms were made directly by God, and God's established law was that they should bring forth only “after their kind.” We deny any form of atheistic or theistic evolution. Genesis 1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31; 2:2; Genesis 1:26, 27; Exodus 20:11; Romans 1:19, 20.
6. Satan
We believe in the existence of Satan, though created as a holy, angel became the author of sin and all the powers of darkness, and is the deceiver, the prince of the power of the air, the unholy ruler of this world who endeavors to keep souls from coming to Christ, and that he is at enmity with God, Christ, and the church, and by Christ’s death and resurrection on the cross, he is destined to the judgment of eternity in the Lake of fire. Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:12-19; John 8:44; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Hebrews 2:14; Ephesians 2:2; 6:11-12; Revelation 20:10.
7. Man
We believe that man was created in the image of God, that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also that spiritual death which is separation from God: and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature, and, in the case of those who reach a condition of moral responsibility, are sinners in thought, word, and deed, and are become inherently corrupt, and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse. Christ is the only mediator between man and God. Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7; 2:15-24; 3:1-19; Jeremiah 17:9; John 3:36; Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 1:18-32; 3:9-23; 5:12-19; 6:23.
8. New Birth
We believe that in order to possess eternal life, and enter the kingdom of God, sinners must be born again, and that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus, instantaneous and not a process, in which the sinner, dead in trespasses and sins, is made alive in Christ and a partaker of the divine nature; that the new creation is brought about in a manner, not by water baptism, neither by culture, nor by character, or by the will of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit, through the Word of God to secure our obedience, and that it is evidenced by repentance, faith, newness of life, and good works in the fruit of the Spirit. John 1:12-13; 3:3-8; 1 Peter 1:23-25; 2 Peter 1:4; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:1-5; Colossians 3:1-3; Titus 3:5.
9. Salvation
We believe salvation is wholly of God by grace, for whom He foreknew, and made free to all by the Gospel, received by repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, as a sovereign act of God, and includes regeneration, pardon and forgiveness of sins through justification, adoption and sanctification as led by the Holy Spirit to ultimate glorification in the presence of God, and that the true believer, who is born again, is eternally secure and cannot be lost. John 1:12; 3:16; 10:27-31;15:16; Acts 4:12; 13:38-39; 16:31; Romans 5:1-9; 8:35-39; 10:9-13; Ephesians 1:3; 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-7; I Peter 1:2; 1 John 5:11-13.
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ sovereignty and freely partook of our nature, yet without sin,was made an acceptable sacrifice for the sinner, bore our sins in His own body on the cross, and by His death and shed blood made a full and substitutional atonement for our sins, and is the only means of salvation, and that no efforts or attitudes of man can add to or diminish the finished work of Christ. Isaiah 53:4-7, Romans 5:6-8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 2:13-14; 1 John 2:1-2; Hebrews 2:9; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 2:24; 3:18; Revelation 1:5.
10. Justification and Sanctification
We believe that justification is the act of God whereby He declares the born again believer righteous upon the basis of the imputed righteousness of Christ that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any good work that we have done, but solely through repentance and faith in the Redeemer’s death and shed blood for the remissions of our sins. Romans 3:2; 4:5; 5:1, 9; Gal.2:16; Phil.3:9.
We believe that sanctification is the divine setting apart of the born again believer unto God by justification and is declared to be holy and is therefore identified as a saint. Sanctification is positional and instantaneous at salvation; as is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that that empowers a believer to spiritually grow, to be more like Christ, a work of the Holy Spirit for progressive sanctification. Acts 20:32; 1Cor.1:2, 30; 6:11; John 17:17-19.
11. The Church
We believe that a New Testament Church is a congregation of baptized born again believers associated by a covenant of faith as represent by this Statement of Faith and Church Covenant, and fellowship of the Gospel observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws and commands, and exercising the spiritual gifts and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers are or elders, and deacons, whose qualifications and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe the true mission of the church is found in the "Great Commission" which instructs us first, to go and make individual disciples second, to baptize the converts; and to teach and instruct as He commanded. Having become part of the family and kingdom of God we are responsible to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, and love with a pure heart fervently. We are to separate ourselves unto God and from worldliness and apostasy.
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 Christ is the Head of the church and superintends over the work of the local church through the Holy Spirit; that it is scriptural for the true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel that every church is the sole and only judge of the measure and method of its cooperation on all matters of membership, of policy, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, and that the will of the local Church is final. We are opposed to the ecumenical movement and the new emerging church philosophy. I Tim 3:1-13; Titus 1:6-9; Matt 28:19-20; Ephesians 1:19-23; Jude 3; Matt 18:15-20; Acts 5:29; I Corinthians 6:1-8; 1Thess.1:9-10.
12. 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 blessing of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost. Mal. 3:18; Gen. 18:23; Rom. 6:17-18; I John 5:19; Rom. 7:6; Proverbs 14:32; Luke 16:19-21; Matt. 25:34-41; John 8:21
13. Civil Government
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except in things that are 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. Rom.13:17; II Sam. 23:3; Ex. 18:21-22; Acts 23:5; Matt. 22:21; Acts 4:19-20; Dan. 3:17-18
14. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
We believe that New Testament baptism is the immersion in water of a born-again believer in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, with the authority and approval of the local church to show forth in a solemn and beautiful symbol of our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, as it pictures our death to sin and resurrection to a new life that it is pre-requisite to the privileges of church membership.We believe the Lord's Supper (Communion) should always be preceded by solemn self-examination and that the use of bread, His body, and the fruit of the vine, the cup symbolizing his blood, are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ until He returns The church supports an open communion in which the only prerequisites to participation in the Lord’s Supper is salvation and confessed sin. The Lord’s Supper must be commemorated on a regular basis. Matt 26:26-29; Matt.28:19-20; I Corinthians 11:30.
15. The Return of Christ
We believe in the visible, personal, bodily return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, first in the air to call His church unto Him, known as the Blessed Hope (Rapture). We believe that the church, the body of believers, will be translated and received into Heaven by Jesus Christ before the seven year period of Tribulation, known as Israel’s seventieth week; that this translation will be followed by a time of judgment on the whole earth lasting seven years, to conclude with the visible return of Christ to the earth to put down all rebellion and establish His Millennial kingdom, after which Satan shall be cast into eternal judgment in the Lake of Fire and joined by all unbelievers called the wicked judged at the Great White Throne, followed by the destruction of the heaven and earth in fervent heat and the creation of a New Heaven and New Earth where the Old and New Testament saints shall be forever with Christ. We believe in a literal interpretation of Revelation as comparisons are made to Old Testament books. John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:57-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11; 2 Peter 3:9-13; Daniel 9:27; Matthew 24-25; Revelation 20-22.