OUR STATEMENT OF FAITH
THE SCRIPTURES
The sole basis of our beliefs is the Bible, the Christian Scriptures, God's infallible written Word, the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe that it was uniquely, verbally, and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, and that it was written by its human authors without error in the original manuscripts. It is the supreme and final authority in all matters of which it speaks, and all truth is contained in, or in agreement with, Scripture.
DOCTRINAL BELIEFS
1) There is only one true God, co-eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – each of whom possesses equally all the attributes of Deity, and the characteristics of personality.
2) Jesus Christ is God, the living Word, who became genuinely human through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His birth to the virgin Mary. Hence, He is fully God and fully man, united in one person forever.
3) Man was originally created in the image of God. Man was alienated from his Creator by disobeying God. This historic fall brought all mankind under divine judgment and condemnation and rendered them spiritually dead. Man, corrupted in nature, is totally unable to please God on his own. Every person, therefore, is in need of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. At physical death, the unbeliever enters immediately into eternal, conscious separation from the Lord, and awaits the resurrection of his body to everlasting judgment and condemnation.
4) The Lord Jesus Christ lived a perfect sinless life and voluntarily died on the cross as man's substitute in order to satisfy divine judgment against them for their sins. He physically arose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died, thus showing His power over death. He ascended into Heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, far above all principality, power, might, dominion, and every name that is named, and all things are put under His feet. He, the perfect High Priest, and only Mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own.
5) Salvation is provided to those who put their faith alone in the Lord Jesus Christ as their only personal Savior. Upon their receiving Christ, God imputes His righteousness and removes divine judgment and condemnation and justifies them in His sight. This salvation is not the result, in whole or in part, of human merit – moral or religious. It is wholly dependent upon the work of the Lord Jesus Christ and the grace of God. At physical death, the believer enters immediately into eternal, conscious fellowship with the Lord, and awaits the resurrection of his body to everlasting glory and blessing.
6) The Holy Spirit has been sent into the world to reveal and glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to men. He convicts, draws sinners to Christ, imparts new life to them, continually indwells them from the moment of spiritual birth, and seals them until the day of redemption. His fullness, power, and control are appropriated in the believer's life by faith, and obedience to His Scriptures.
7) All who are truly born from above, or of the Spirit, can be assured of their salvation from the very moment in which they trust Christ as their Savior. This is not dependent on individual worthiness or works, but is produced by the witness of the Holy Spirit, who confirms in the believer the testimony of God in His written Word. Every believer is called to live so in the power of the indwelling Spirit that he will not fulfill the lust of the flesh, but will bear spiritual fruit to the glory of God. Through the power of Christ, every believer can have victory over the schemes of the devil and his spiritual realm and need not live in fear of these things.
8) The Lord Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, His Body. The true, universal church is composed of all people, living and dead, who have been joined to Him through saving faith. The Bible commands believers to meet regularly in local assemblies for worship, for participation in ordinances, for edification through the Scriptures, for mutual encouragement and service.
9) Jesus Christ will come again to the earth – personally, visibly, and bodily – to establish His kingdom. He will reign forever as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
10) The Lord Jesus Christ commanded all believers to proclaim the Gospel throughout all the world, and to disciple men of every nation. The fulfillment of that Great Commission requires that all earthly and personal ambitions be subordinated to a total commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ , and to His commands to obedience, evangelism, and building His church.
