Our Statement of Faith

Read an introduction to biblical Christianity.  Or read our complete Statement of Faith below: 

The Word of God. We believe that the Bible is the very Word of God, fully inspired and without error written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and that it has supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and conduct. By the Bible, we mean the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, Genesis to Revelation.  We believe the Bible should be interpreted in its normal grammatical-historical meaning.  We believe that the Hebrew and Greek manuscripts which underlie the King James Version (the Masoretic text of the Old Testament and the Textus Receptus of the New Testament) are the preserved words of God. Furthermore, we believe that the King James Version of the Bible is an accurate English translation of God's preserved words and therefore, it shall be the official and only English translation of the Holy Scriptures used by this church in all of its ministries (2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Matthew 24:35; Psalm 12:6-7; Matthew 5:18)

The Trinity. We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. We believe that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption. We believe in literal creation of the universe and man as described in Genesis with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit all active in creation. (Matthew 28:19;  1 John 5:7;  Genesis 1 & 2;  John 1:3;  Deuteronomy 6:4;  2 Corinthians 13:14).

God the Father. We believe in God, the Father, an infinite personal spirit, perfect in holiness, and wisdom, power, and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (Isaiah 6:3;  John 4:24;  John 14:6).

Jesus Christ. We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinlesslife, miracles, and teachings. We believe He is fully God and fully man, eternally coexistent with the Father. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; bodily resurrection,  ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth. (Acts 2:18-36;  Romans 3:24-25;  1 Peter 1:3-5 1 Peter 2:24;  Ephesians 1:7;  John 1:1; John 1:14;  1 Corinthians 14:3-4)

The Holy Spirit. We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forthfrom the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells and seals every believer in Christ at the moment of the new birth, and that He is anabiding helper, teacher and guide. We believe that He illuminates the Word of God and assists believers to understand the Bible. We believe that the Holy Spirit imparts gifts to every believer, equipping them to serve God in the unique way He desires. We believe the gift of tongues were unlearned literal languages given by the Holy Spirit to demonstrate God’s wisdom and power in the establishment of the early church. We do not believe that speaking in tongues is normative today or is an evidence of salvation. We believe that the gift of healing was given in the early church to the Apostles and early church fathers as confirmation of God’s power and the authority of His Word. We believe God heals today in answer to the prayers of believers, but sometimes in His wisdom and providence chooses not to heal. We do believe that a believer should seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit which simply means he should be controlled by the Holy Spirit to bring forth fruit and others to Christ.   (John 16:8-13;  1 Corinthians 3:16;  Ephesians 1:17-18; Ephesians 4:7-12; Ephesians 5:18;  1 John 2:20;  1 John 2:27;  Romans 12:3-8;  1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 1 Corinthians 12:28;  Acts 2:1-13;  Hebrews 2:3-4;  Mark 16:20;  2 Corinthians 12:5-10).

Salvation. We believe that all men are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation. We believe that those who repent and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit. We believe that salvation comes by faith alone in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, apart from any works or merit of the believer.  We believe that once saved, all true believers are secure in Christ forever, kept by the power of God. (John 3:3;  Titus 3:5;  John 3:16-18;  Ephesians 2:8,9;  Galatians 2:16;  1 Peter 1:4-5;  John 10:28).

The Church. While all regenerated persons share a kinship as joint-heirs with Christ, we believe that the church is a local, visible body, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, work, and fellowship. We believe the local church is God's only institution to carry out His work today. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.  We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control.  Cooperation in a fellowship is voluntary and may be terminated at any time.  (Matthew 16:18; Mark 16:15,16; Ephesians 1:22,23; Colossians 1:18; Romans 8:17)

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church, baptism and the Lord's Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water into the name of the triune God. We believe the Lord's Supper was instituted by Christ for the commemoration of His death and should only be received after solemn self-examination. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.  (Acts 2:41-42;  Acts 8:36-38;  Romans 6:3,4;  1 Corinthians 10:16; 11:16.)

We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members.  We do believe, however, that aChristian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander.  (1 Corinthians 6:1-8;  Ephesians 4:31-32).

We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church in tithes and offerings. The tithe is the basis for giving, but believers should give offerings cheerfully and sacrificially in support of the church, and in furtherance of the gospel. We believe the local church has an obligation to support and sendmissionaries around the world to present the gospel of Christ to all peoples. We believe that aChristian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has beenmade. (Genesis 14:20;  Proverbs 3:9-10;  Acts 4:34-37;  I Corinthians 16:2;  2 Corinthians 9:6-7;  Galatians 6:6;  Ephesians 4:28;  1 Timothy 5:17-18;  1 John 3:17;  Matthew 28:19-20;  Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8;  2 Corinthians 5:20).

Religious Liberty. We believe that every human being has direct relations with God, and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority; that therefore Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other. By separation of church and state, we do not mean that references to God and the freedom to preach the gospel should be removed from the public or private arena.

We do believe that God has created the three basic institutions of 1) the home, 2) the church, and 3) civil government. Christians should exercise their civil liberties to vote, influence our nation for good, be good citizens, and obey the laws of the land unless those laws oppose the principles ordered in the Word of God.  (Matthew 22:21;  Romans 14:12; Romans 13:1-7;  Acts 4:18-20; Acts 5:29).

Christian Conduct. We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well-being of his fellow men; that his conduct should be blameless before the world; that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; that he should seek to realize for himself and others the full stature of maturity in Christ; and that all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ are called into a life of separation from worldly and sinful practices and should abstain from such amusements and habits as will cause others to stumble or bring reproach upon the Cross of Christ.  Believers are created in Christ Jesus unto good works.  We believe that God commands his people to separate from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful practices and   associations, and to refrain from all immodest and immoderate appearances.  (Romans 12:1-2;  Romans 14:13; 1 Timothy 4:7; 2 Peter 3:18;  1 John 1:7; 1 John 2:15-17;  2 Corinthians 6:14-17;  2 Timothy 3:1-5; 2 John 9-11; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. We do however believe while such conduct is sinful and abominable in the sight of God, that those involved in such behavior may be forgiven through repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. (Genesis 2:24; Genesis 19:5, Genesis 13; Genesis 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; 1 Corinthians 5:1; Corinthians 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4; Acts 13:38-39).

We believe that marriage is between one man and one woman, intended by God to last until one of the spouses dies.  Although divorced persons may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon (unless re-married to the same spouse).    (Deuteronomy 24:2-4; Malachi 2:14-17; Matthew 19:3-12; Romans 7:1-3; 1 Corinthians 7:10-15; 1 Timothy 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6)

We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life(Job 3:16; Psalm 51;5; Psalm 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; Isaiah 49:1, Isaiah 49:5; Jeremiah 1:5; Jeremiah 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).

We believe that life is sacred and any act of putting to death a person suffering from a distressing disease, illness or health problem from injury (euthanasia or mercy killing) for his own good is virtually an instance of self-deification usurping a right that belongs to God. (Psalm 68:20; 2 Kings 5:7; Job 1:21; Job 2:6; Hebrews 9:27).

The Last Things.  We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His Kingdom.  We believe the rapture will take place before the seven-year Great Tribulation, that Christ will return to the earth with His saints at the end of the Tribulation to set up His Messianic Kingdom, which was promised to the nation of Israel. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment and eternal felicity of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked. We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment. (John 11:25-26; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Revelation 20:4-6,Revelation 20:11-15; Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; Philippians 3:21;1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Matthew 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6,7).

Satan. We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. (Job 1:6-7;  Isaiah 14:12-17;  Matthew 4:2-11; Matthew 25:41;  Revelation 20:11-15).

Authority of the Statement of Faith. The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing Statement of Faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible and therefore, is binding upon all members. All literature used in the church shall be in complete agreement with the Statement of Faith.
 

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