Section 1: The Bible
We believe the sixty-six canonical books of the Bible to be God-inspired: written by holy men under the complete power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. As a result, the Bible is completely without error and the only instrument of written revelation God has given to humanity. It alone suffices to guide the believer in faith and practice (II Pet. 1:20-21; John 17:17; II Tim. 3:15-17).
Section 2: God
We believe in one triune God, existing in three persons: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit-who are co-equal and co-eternal, yet one in essence. In addition, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are distinct from one another in personality and function within the Trinity. God is eternal, self-existent, immutable, omnipotent (all-powerful), omnipresent (everywhere), omniscient (all-knowing), loving, just, holy, and true. God spoke the world and all its contents, including humankind, into existence within six literal days (Duet. 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:4; John 1:1, 14; 10:30; 14:26; 16:7-15; 17:3; Matt. 3:16-17; 28:19; 1 Pet. 1:2, 15-16; Psa. 90:2; 139:7-12; 147:5; Rev. 1:8; Exod. 3:14; Mal. 3:6; Job 42:2; 1 John 3:20; 4:8; Tit. 1:2; Rom. 12:19; Gen. 1:1-2:7).
A. God the Father
We believe God, the father of our Lord Jesus Christ is the father of all who come to have a saving knowledge in His one and only son. As father, He gives gifts and rewards to His children (John 1:14; 3:16; 20:17; 1 Pet. 1:3-5; Matt. 6:1, 4, 31-32; 7:7-11; 5:45).
B. God the Son
We believe that Jesus Christ, God the Son, is the second person of the Trinity whose existence is eternal and whose essence is equal with the Father. Jesus was and still is the God-Man. As God in the flesh, He possessed two natures—human and divine. He was 100% God and 100% man. Jesus’ incarnation was accomplished by the Holy Spirit through a supernatural conception in the virgin Mary. As a child, Jesus grew mentally, physically, and spiritually. He experienced human life as any other human has—full of suffering, temptation, and pain, yet He was without sin in nature and deed. Although he became a perfect man He never ceased being perfect God. He took on humanity with all its limitations (John 1:1, 14; 3:34; 5:30; 14:9-11; 17:5; Col. 2:9; Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:28-35; 2:52; Gal. 4:4; 1 Tim. 2:5; 1 Pet. 1:19; 2:21—23; Phil. 2:5-8; Isa. 11:1-2; Heb. 1:8; 2:14-18; 4:14-15; 13:8).
We believe Jesus’ voluntary and substitutionary death on the cross sufficiently satisfied the Father’s wrath concerning humanity’s sin. We believe in Jesus’ literal bodily resurrection, His ascension into heaven where He performs continual high priestly, mediatorial, and advocating work for sinful humankind, His future and imminent pre-tribulational and pre-millennial second coming, and the consummation of His redemptive work on the behalf of humankind by His ultimate triumph over Satan and his hosts (Luke 23:46; John 3:14-15; 10:17-18; Isa. 53:5-6; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 2:14-18; 4:14-16; 7:14-28; 9:24; 10:12; 1 John 1:7; 2:2; 1 Tim. 2:6; Matt. 24:3, 42; 25:1-13; 28:5-6; Rom. 1:4; 1 Cor. 15:1-28; Rev. 20:7-10).
C. God the Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is eternally God and as the third person of the Trinity is equal in essence with God the Father and God the Son. He has the same attributes, nature and personality as the Father and Son. He is not simply an influence, but a divine person who convicts people of their sinful condition and shows them their need for Jesus Christ. Upon conversion, He regenerates, indwells, seals, and baptizes the new convert into the body of Christ. He empowers, guides, teaches, intercedes, and fills for service those who are completely committed to Him. He bestows spiritual gifts to believers. We believe certain gifts were temporarily given to the early church (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor. 3:16; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; Psa. 139:7; Zech. 4:6; John. 14:16-17; 16:7-15; 1 John 5:6b; Eph. 4:11, 30; 5:18; Tit. 3:5; 1 Cor. 2:12-14; 6:19, 12:7-13; 2 Cor. 1:22; Rom. 8:14, 26-27; 15:13; Eph. 2:20; 2 Tim. 4:20).
Section 4: Spirit Beings
We believe that God created an innumerable company of immortal and sinless spirit beings known as angels that assist and worship God and minister to believers. One of these, though created holy by God, sinned through pride, thereby becoming Satan, the Devil, the enemy of his Creator, leading a host of angels (now known as demons) in rebellion against God. He became the god of this age and the ruler of all the powers of darkness that opposes God and God’s people. He and the demons are destined to the judgment of an eternal punishment in the lake of fire (Col. 1:16; Jude 6; Heb. 1:14; 12:22; Luke 20:36; Matt. 18:10; Psa. 148:2; Isa. 6:1-6; Ezek. 28:12-17; Matt. 25:41; 2 Cor. 4:3-4; Dan. 10:10-14; Job 1-2; Eph. 6:12-18; Rev. 5:11-12; 8:3-4; 12:7-9; 20:10).
Section 5: Humanity
We believe everyone is created in God’s image, but as a result of Adam’s fall in the garden he plunged himself and the entire human race into spiritual and physical death. As a result, every person born into this world is a sinner who is unconsciously and consciously a rebel against God. Consequently, everyone is in need of a saving relationship with Christ. Those that receive Christ as their Savior will enjoy everlasting life with Him in heaven rather than everlasting separation from God in hell (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:10-12, 23; 5:8-21; 6:23; John 3:16-17; Rev. 21:8).
Section 6: Salvation
Salvation cannot be attained through one’s own efforts, but only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone. In order to receive the gift of salvation, one must acknowledge and repent of their sinful state before God and trust in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior to save them from their sin. Upon conversion, one is instantaneously declared righteous (justification) and given a new nature (sanctification). One who is truly saved should live a new life. They should forsake their past sinful ways and strive to live a life pleasing to God. Once an individual comes to know the Lord, their salvation is eternally secure. (Eph. 2:1-10, 4:24; Titus 3:5; Luke 13:3; Acts 26:20; 1 John 5:12-13; Rom. 5:1-2, 8:8-13, 12:1-2; Col. 2:11-15; 2 Cor. 5:14-21; John 6:37-40; 17:3; Rom. 8:37-39).
Section 7: The Church
A. We believe the Bible speaks of a universal and local church. The church is universal in that it comprises itself of every born-again believer from the time of the Church’s earthly inception at Pentecost to its heavenly reception when Christ comes for it at the rapture. However, the universal church is comprised of local churches throughout the world that individually assemble and worship God every Sunday. The local church is the means by which God is accomplishing His plan for humankind. It exists for the purpose of worshipping God, gathering for fellowship, performing acts of service, sharing the good news of salvation with unbelievers, and discipling believers (Matt. 16:17-19; Acts 2:1-47; 9:31, 11:15; 1 Cor. 12:12-31; Eph. 5:22-32; 3:21, 4:12, 15-16; 1 Thess. 1:1; Col. 1:18; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; Heb. 10:24-25; Matt. 28:18-20; 1 Cor. 11:17-34).
B. Jesus Christ is the head of both the universal and local church. Christ has given the Senior Pastor the primary responsibility of leading the local church. In addition, He has given the Church Deacons to help him in many avenues of ministry in the church. As a result, God has established the leadership to train and equip everyone within the church to use their God-given gifts to perform the avenue(s) of ministry that God has called them to do for His glory and honor (1 Pet. 5:1-4; Eph. 4:11-13; 5:23; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Tit. 1:6-9; Acts 6:1-7; Heb. 13:7, 17).
C. We believe in the autonomy of the local church, free of any external authority or control (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom. 16:1-4; 1 Cor. 5:4-7, 12-13; 1 Pet. 5:1-4).
D. We believe in protecting the local church from apostasy. While recognizing the unity of all true believers, we will not unite ourselves with any church, organization, or movement where recognized apostasy and false teaching exist. Our Church will maintain relationships with only those churches, organizations, or movements that are of like faith and practice (2 Cor. 6:14-18; Eph. 5:11-15; 2 Tim. 4:2-4; 2 John 10-11).
Section 8: Ordinances
We recognize Water Baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church today.
A. Water Baptism
We believe that immersion is the only form of baptism revealed and commanded in the Scriptures, that it has no saving or forgiving power, but is only for those who have been born-again; and that the new birth, which comes through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, is the Scriptural prerequisite to baptism; therefore, only those who are old enough to believe for themselves should be baptized (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:38; 10:47-48; Rom. 6:3-5).
B. Lord’s Supper
We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a memorial of the death of Christ, consisting of the eating of bread that represents the broken body of Christ and the drinking of grape juice that represents Christ’s blood that was shed on our behalf. Only those who have been born-again and are walking in obedient fellowship with Him ought to partake of it. It is purely a symbolic act that has no power to forgive sins (Luke 22:14-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-32; Acts 2:42).
Section 9: Last Things
We believe in the imminent pre-tribulational rapture of the church and the pre-millennial return of Christ. We believe a seven-year period of time known as the Great Tribulation will follow the rapture and precede the 1000-year Millennial Kingdom in which Jesus Christ will rule and reign over a national and political Israel. At the end of the Millennium, Satan will lead a rebellion against Christ. Christ will defeat and judge Satan and his forces. God will create a new heaven and new earth. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all dead, the saved to heaven and the unsaved to hell (Phil. 3:20; Tit. 2:13; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 5:1-12; 2 Thess. 2:3-8; Dan. 7:13-14; 9:24-27; 12:1; Jer. 30:7; Rev. 7:14; 20:1-21:27; Zech. 12:10-14; 14:9-11; Rom. 11:25-27; 1 Cor. 15:22-28; 51-52).
Section 10: The Walk and Life of the Believer
We believe born-again believers should live righteously and manifest good works. These acts however, do not procure salvation in any sense but are proper evidence and fruit of the new birth. We believe that all Christians are called with a holy calling to walk, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, and so to live surrendered to and empowered by the Spirit, that they should not fulfill the lusts of the flesh; for the flesh being still in us to the end of our earthly pilgrimage; that is, not eradicated; needs to be kept constantly in subjection to Christ or it will surely manifest its presence to the dishonor of His Name. We believe that a Christian is called to lovingly live in such a manner as to not bring reproach upon our Savior the Lord and that separation from all sinful pleasures, practices, associations, and from definite religious apostasy as revealed by the Holy Spirit through the Word, is commanded by God. (Eph. 2:10; Titus 2:7, 14; 1 John 2:6; Rom. 8:12-13; 13:14; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:1-10; 1 Pet. 1:14-16; Rom. 12:1-2; 1 John 2:15-17; James 4:4; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 4:2-5; 2 John 10-11).
Section 11: Moral Issues
A. Abortion
We believe that all human life begins at conception and that an unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life (Psa. 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; Luke 1:44).
B. Human Sexuality
We believe our sex and every aspect of what it means to be men and women is a gift from God. God gave the sexual act to humanity as an expression of intimacy between husbands and wives in a marital relationship. Any sexual activity outside of a heterosexual marriage is sinful. Consequently, We do not endorse homosexuality, same-sex civil unions or marriages, heterosexual cohabitation, or common law marriages (Gen. 2:18-25; 19:5, 13; 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-28; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4).
C. Divorce and Remarriage
We believe that marriage is a divine institution between one man and one woman for one lifetime. We believe divorce is a distortion of God’s intention for marriage. Scripture does teach that there is one circumstance in which divorce may be initiated (though not required): in the case of sexual unfaithfulness. Although a divorced and remarried person or a divorced person may hold a position of service in the local church and be greatly used of God, they may not be considered for the offices of Pastor or Deacon (Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 5:31-32; 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6).