STATEMENT OF BELIEFS
Statement of Beliefs
Of the Scriptures …
We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as verbally inspired and divinely preserved in all parts and therefore wholly inerrant as originally given by God. The Bible is then the supreme and final authority in faith and practice (I Timothy 3:16-17; I Peter 1:19-21).
Of God …
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; I Corinthians 13:14), who are equal in being, nature, power, and glory, having the rare attributes and perfection.
We believe in the absolute deity of the Son; that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was born of the virgin Mary and is fully God and fully Man (John 1:1,18; 5:23; Romans 9:5; Hebrews 1:8).
We believe the Holy Spirit is a divine Person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He was active in creation and is active in redemption. He indwells, baptizes, seals, anoints, empowers, guides, teaches, and fills the Christian (John 3:6-7; 16:13-14; Romans 8:14-27; I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:13-14; 5:18; I John 2:27).
Of Creation …
We believe that God created the heaven and the earth, including all forms of life, by direct act (Genesis 1-2; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 11:3).
We believe that man was created in the image of God and that Adam sinned and thereby fell from his sinless state and incurred physical and spiritual death so that now all men are born with a sinful nature, are sinners by choice, positively inclined to practice evil, and so are under just condemnation to eternal ruin without defense or excuse (Genesis 1:27; 3:1-24; Isaiah 53:6; Romans 3:10-19, 23; 5:12).
Of Christ …
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, His bodily ascension into heaven, and His bodily presence at the right hand of God the Father, as our High Priest and Advocate (I Corinthians 15:1-4; Acts 1:9-11; Hebrews 7:25; 9:24; I John 2:1).
Of Salvation …
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ lived a sinless life and died for the sins of all: those who repent and believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood (Matthew 1:20; I Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; I Peter 2-24; I John 4:10).
We believe that the Scriptures teach that the new birth is a change in the soul by which a new nature and spiritual life, not before possessed, are imparted. The person becomes a new creation in Christ (John 3:3-6; 2 Corinthians 5:17; I Peter 1:23).
We believe that the salvation of every believer is secure for all eternity from the moment of salvation (John 5:24, 10:27-30; Romans 8:1; Hebrews 7:25).
Of Satan…
We believe that Satan is literal and personal, that he was the agent of the fall, that he is the prince and power of this world, and that he will be judged and eternally punished along with his host of demons (Matthew 4:1-3; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:1-4; Revelation 20:1-10).
Of the Church…
We believe that the church was established by Jesus Christ who alone is the Head, that it was constituted and empowered on the day of Pentecost by the coming of the Holy Spirit, and that all believers from Pentecost to the Rapture, both Jew and Gentile, are added to the church by the baptism of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 16:18; Acts 1:8; 2:1-47; I Corinthians 12:12-14).
We believe that the local church is an assembly of born again believers united in organization for teaching, fellowship, observing of the ordinances, and prayer; for a united testimony to carry out the commands and commission of the Lord Jesus (Acts 2:41-47; 14:23, 27; 20:17; I Corinthians 11:17-20).
We believe that the ordinances of the church are two:
a) Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water as a symbol of their union with the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, and as a public testimony to their faith in Him; that baptism is a simple act of obedience and offers no special grace or merit with God (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:37-42; Romans 6:3-5).
b) The Lord’s Supper is a symbol of the believer’s communion with the Lord Jesus Christ and a commemoration of His death until He comes; that the Lord’s Supper offers no special merit or favour with God and should always be preceded by solemn self-examination (Matthew 26:26-29; Acts 2:42-47; 20:7-11; I Corinthians 10:16-22; 11:23-34).
Of Separation …
We believe that all believers are called into a life of separation. This separation is clearly taught in the Scriptures and involves separation from the world (2 Corinthians 6:15-7:1; I John 2:15-17), separation from false teachers (Romans 16:17-18; I Timothy 6:20-21; 2 John 9-11), and separation from disobedient believers (Matthew 18:15-18; I Corinthians 5:1-13; 2 Thessalonians 3:6). We, therefore, stand in opposition to the World Council of Churches, ecumenical evangelism, new evangelicalism, the charismatic movement, and any other church, organization, movement, or individual that would be in sympathy with them.
Of the Last Things …
We believe in the personal, bodily, premillennial return of Christ for His Church, and that at that moment the dead in Christ shall be raised in glorified bodies, the living in Christ shall be given glorified bodies without tasting death, and all shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air (I Corinthians 15:51-57; I Thessalonians 4:13-17).
We believe that after the great tribulation, Christ will return to the earth with the saints to sit upon the throne of David and establish His millennial reign (Zechariah 14:1-11; Matthew 24:27-31; Revelation 19:1-16; 20:1-6).
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men - the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29).