What We Believe
Scriptures – We believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Holy Scriptures (2 Tim 3:16-17). We believe that the Bible was revealed without error in the original autographs of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments by the Holy Spirit, of His volition and through holy men, so that it is the very word of God, not men (2 Peter 1:21; 1 Thessalonians 2:13). We believe that God has indeed preserved His Word (Psalm 119:89; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 24:35), and that it is sufficient as our only rule of faith and practice (2 Peter 1:3; Romans 15:4; Ephesians 6:17). We do not hold to any version as the only inspired and preserved word of God. We believe that any given text may have several applications but only one true meaning.
God – We believe in the one true God, eternally existing in three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God having precisely the same nature, attributes and perfections, and worthy of precisely the same reverence, confidence, and obedience (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14;1 Timothy 1:17). We believe that God is completely sovereign (2 Chronicles 20:6; Isaiah 42:8), and that He is perfect in His attributes, all of which are governed by His supreme holiness (Isaiah 6:3). We believe that God is glorified by all His works, most notably by the creation of all that exists by His direct act (Genesis 1:26; Colossians 1:16) and by his redemption of sinful mankind (Colossians 1:3-14).
The Virgin Birth of Christ – We believe that Jesus was begotten of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner; born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of woman, and that He is both the Son of God and God the Son (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:35; John 1:14; Galatians 4:4; 1 John 5:20).
The Holy Spirit – We believe that the Holy Spirit, not as an influence, but as a Divine Person, the source and power of all acceptable worship and service, is our abiding Comforter and Helper who is ever present to testify of Christ (John 7:38-39; 14:16-17; 15:26; Acts 1:8), seeking to occupy us with Him, and not with ourselves nor with our experiences. In relation to unbelieving mankind He restrains evil (2 Thessalonians 2:7); convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8); and is the Agent of the new birth (Titus 3:5; John 3:3-6). We believe that the Holy Spirit is very active in the life of the believer: He seals, indwells and baptizes the believer irrevocably at the point of salvation (Eph 1:13; 4:30; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1Corinthians 12:13); He assures the believer of salvation (Romans 8:16); He illuminates the believer’s mind, enabling him to understand Scripture (1 Corinthians 2:14-15); He progressively controls and sanctifies believers who submit to Him (2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:16-23; Ephesians 5:18) and convicts those who do not (I John 3:20-21; Ephesians 4:30). We believe that the Holy Spirit gifts every believer for service (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:11). We believe that the miraculous gifts were a form of direct revelation and were vital for the founding of the church. However, we believe that they were needed only during the lives of the Apostles to authenticate their message. Therefore, we believe miraculous gifts ceased with the death of the last apostle and the completion of the book of Revelation (1 Corinthians 13:8-12).
The Devil or Satan – We believe in the existence of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age and the prince of all the powers of darkness (2 Corinthians 4:4). Scripture reveals him to be a murderer, the father of lies (John 8:44), the deceiver of the world and the accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:9-10). We believe that he was created by God and is therefore subject to and limited by God (I John 4:4; Job 1:6-10). We believe that He rebelled against God in times past (Isaiah 14:12-17), is the enemy of God and man at present (2 Corinthians 4:4; I Peter 5:8), and faces sure damnation in the lake of fire for eternity (Revelation 20:1-10; 2 Thessalonians 2:8-11).
Creation – We accept the Genesis account of Creation and believe that man came by direct creation of God and not by evolution (Genesis 1:2; Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:3; Hebrews 11:3; Romans 1:20).
The Fall of Man – We believe that man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27); that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also the spiritual death which is separation from God (Genesis 2:16-17; Romans 6:23); that all human beings are born with a sinful nature (Romans 5:12), and in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word, and deed — that is, man is totally depraved, unable and unwilling to seek after God or do good (Romans 3:10-11; 8:7-8; Jeremiah 17:9), and incapable of achieving his own salvation (Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:1-9). We believe that man’s only hope of salvation is God’s grace, by which he may repent of sin and trust in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). We believe that man is eternal and will exist forever in heaven (John 3:16) or the lake of fire, depending on his personal acceptance or rejection of Jesus Christ (Revelation 20:14-15; John 3:36).
Salvation – We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of Grace, through the office of the Son of God as mediator, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Himself our nature (yet without sin); honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was a voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the just dying for the unjust (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:24-25; 5:18; John 3:16; Hebrews 9:26; I Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The Lord Jesus Christ, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree, having risen from the dead, is now enthroned in heaven making intercession for believers. We believe that the process of practical, progressive sanctification by which we are transformed into Christlikeness is begun at the moment of salvation and will be completed at the appearance of Christ (Romans 8:29; 2 Thessalonians 5:23; 1 John 3:2). We believe that Scripture teaches both divine sovereignty and human responsibility and that the two are not contradictory. We believe that all who reject Christ’s offer of salvation have no part in God’s grace and will consciously suffer torment in a literal lake of fire for eternity (Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:15; 21:8).
We further believe that due to universal depravity and death in sin, no one can enter into the Kingdom of God unless born again (John 1:12-13; 3:3-5). A new nature imparted from heaven, a new life implanted by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, are absolutely essential to salvation (Titus 3:5; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23). We believe that the moment we trust in Christ as our Savior, we pass out of death into everlasting life (John 5:24; 1 John 5:11-12). We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to those who believe in Him is justification, which includes the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life; it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the work of Christ alone; His righteousness is imputed to us, not earned by us (Isaiah 53:11; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7). We further believe that such only are real believers as endure unto the end; that their persevering attachment to Christ is the mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special Providence watches over their welfare (Hebrews 1:14); and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation (Rom 8:28; Jude 24, 25) .We believe that we are called with an holy calling to walk, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit; that we should not fulfill the lusts of the flesh; but the flesh being in us to the end of our earthly pilgrimage needs to be kept constantly in subjection to Christ, or it will surely manifest its presence to the dishonor of His name (Romans 8:13; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians. 4:22-24; Colossians 3:1-10; 1 Peter 1:14,16; 1 John 3:5-9).
The Universal and Local Church – We believe that the universal church, the body of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again believers of this present age (Col 1:18); that we are united by the Holy Spirit to the risen and ascended Son of God, and that by the same Spirit we are all baptized into the body of Christ; and thus being members one of another, we are responsible to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, and are commanded to love one another (Acts 2:32-47; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Colossians 3:14-15). We believe that Jesus Christ is the sole head and builder of His church (Matthew 16:17-18). We believe in the organization and establishment of local churches, as taught throughout the New Testament (Acts 14:23). We believe that a local church is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant in faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers, their qualifications, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9). We further believe that the ordinances of the church are two: first, baptism by immersion (Matthew 3:16; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; John 3:23; Romans 6:3-5), which shows our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life (baptism by immersion is a prerequisite to the privileges of a local church membership); second, the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-28), which we believe is the commemoration of Christ’s death till He comes, and should be preceded always by solemn self-examination. We believe that the local church is the primary means through which God is working in this age and that its purpose is to glorify Him through exaltation, evangelism, and edification (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 1:12; 3:20-21; Colossians 1:28). We believe that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the domination of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy Spirit: that it is Scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; and that each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation (Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 3:4; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).
The Wicked and the Righteous – We believe that at death the souls that have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation pass immediately into the presence of the Lord, and the souls of those who have rejected Christ pass immediately into condemnation and misery in hell (2 Corinthians 5:8; Luke 16:19-26; Phil. 1:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men: the righteous dead will partake of the first resurrection unto eternal life, and the wicked dead will partake of the second resurrection unto eternal and conscious damnation following the Great White Throne Judgment at the close of the Millennium, when soul and body reunited shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power (John 5:28-29; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26; Revelation 20:11-15).
Last Things – We believe in the imminent, pre-tribulation rapture of the living church and the resurrection of the dead in Christ, at which time both companies will meet the Lord in the air to be with Him forever (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13). We believe that following the rapture will be a seven year Tribulation period, which will be closed by the triumphant and pre-millennial return of Jesus Christ who will return in power and great glory with His saints to this earth, where He will sit on the throne of David, reign in righteousness, judge the wicked, cast Satan into the abyss, and establish His literal millennial kingdom (Matthew 24:29-30; Revelation 19:11-21; 20:1-6). At the close of the Millennium, we believe that Satan will be loosed for a final and great rebellion, following which he will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-10), and all the unsaved of all ages shall be raised to stand before Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment where they will be condemned to the lake of fire to suffer conscious torment forever (Revelation 20:10–15). The present heavens and earth will be destroyed, and a new heaven and earth created, wherein the redeemed of all ages will dwell with their God forever (2 Peter 3:12, 13; Revelation 21–22).
Scriptures – We believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Holy Scriptures (2 Tim 3:16-17). We believe that the Bible was revealed without error in the original autographs of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments by the Holy Spirit, of His volition and through holy men, so that it is the very word of God, not men (2 Peter 1:21; 1 Thessalonians 2:13). We believe that God has indeed preserved His Word (Psalm 119:89; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 24:35), and that it is sufficient as our only rule of faith and practice (2 Peter 1:3; Romans 15:4; Ephesians 6:17). We do not hold to any version as the only inspired and preserved word of God. We believe that any given text may have several applications but only one true meaning.
God – We believe in the one true God, eternally existing in three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God having precisely the same nature, attributes and perfections, and worthy of precisely the same reverence, confidence, and obedience (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14;1 Timothy 1:17). We believe that God is completely sovereign (2 Chronicles 20:6; Isaiah 42:8), and that He is perfect in His attributes, all of which are governed by His supreme holiness (Isaiah 6:3). We believe that God is glorified by all His works, most notably by the creation of all that exists by His direct act (Genesis 1:26; Colossians 1:16) and by his redemption of sinful mankind (Colossians 1:3-14).
The Virgin Birth of Christ – We believe that Jesus was begotten of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner; born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of woman, and that He is both the Son of God and God the Son (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:35; John 1:14; Galatians 4:4; 1 John 5:20).
The Holy Spirit – We believe that the Holy Spirit, not as an influence, but as a Divine Person, the source and power of all acceptable worship and service, is our abiding Comforter and Helper who is ever present to testify of Christ (John 7:38-39; 14:16-17; 15:26; Acts 1:8), seeking to occupy us with Him, and not with ourselves nor with our experiences. In relation to unbelieving mankind He restrains evil (2 Thessalonians 2:7); convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8); and is the Agent of the new birth (Titus 3:5; John 3:3-6). We believe that the Holy Spirit is very active in the life of the believer: He seals, indwells and baptizes the believer irrevocably at the point of salvation (Eph 1:13; 4:30; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1Corinthians 12:13); He assures the believer of salvation (Romans 8:16); He illuminates the believer’s mind, enabling him to understand Scripture (1 Corinthians 2:14-15); He progressively controls and sanctifies believers who submit to Him (2 Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:16-23; Ephesians 5:18) and convicts those who do not (I John 3:20-21; Ephesians 4:30). We believe that the Holy Spirit gifts every believer for service (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12; Ephesians 4:11). We believe that the miraculous gifts were a form of direct revelation and were vital for the founding of the church. However, we believe that they were needed only during the lives of the Apostles to authenticate their message. Therefore, we believe miraculous gifts ceased with the death of the last apostle and the completion of the book of Revelation (1 Corinthians 13:8-12).
The Devil or Satan – We believe in the existence of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age and the prince of all the powers of darkness (2 Corinthians 4:4). Scripture reveals him to be a murderer, the father of lies (John 8:44), the deceiver of the world and the accuser of the brethren (Rev 12:9-10). We believe that he was created by God and is therefore subject to and limited by God (I John 4:4; Job 1:6-10). We believe that He rebelled against God in times past (Isaiah 14:12-17), is the enemy of God and man at present (2 Corinthians 4:4; I Peter 5:8), and faces sure damnation in the lake of fire for eternity (Revelation 20:1-10; 2 Thessalonians 2:8-11).
Creation – We accept the Genesis account of Creation and believe that man came by direct creation of God and not by evolution (Genesis 1:2; Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:3; Hebrews 11:3; Romans 1:20).
The Fall of Man – We believe that man was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27); that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also the spiritual death which is separation from God (Genesis 2:16-17; Romans 6:23); that all human beings are born with a sinful nature (Romans 5:12), and in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word, and deed — that is, man is totally depraved, unable and unwilling to seek after God or do good (Romans 3:10-11; 8:7-8; Jeremiah 17:9), and incapable of achieving his own salvation (Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:1-9). We believe that man’s only hope of salvation is God’s grace, by which he may repent of sin and trust in Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9). We believe that man is eternal and will exist forever in heaven (John 3:16) or the lake of fire, depending on his personal acceptance or rejection of Jesus Christ (Revelation 20:14-15; John 3:36).
Salvation – We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of Grace, through the office of the Son of God as mediator, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Himself our nature (yet without sin); honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was a voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the just dying for the unjust (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:24-25; 5:18; John 3:16; Hebrews 9:26; I Peter 3:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21). The Lord Jesus Christ, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree, having risen from the dead, is now enthroned in heaven making intercession for believers. We believe that the process of practical, progressive sanctification by which we are transformed into Christlikeness is begun at the moment of salvation and will be completed at the appearance of Christ (Romans 8:29; 2 Thessalonians 5:23; 1 John 3:2). We believe that Scripture teaches both divine sovereignty and human responsibility and that the two are not contradictory. We believe that all who reject Christ’s offer of salvation have no part in God’s grace and will consciously suffer torment in a literal lake of fire for eternity (Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:15; 21:8).
We further believe that due to universal depravity and death in sin, no one can enter into the Kingdom of God unless born again (John 1:12-13; 3:3-5). A new nature imparted from heaven, a new life implanted by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, are absolutely essential to salvation (Titus 3:5; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23). We believe that the moment we trust in Christ as our Savior, we pass out of death into everlasting life (John 5:24; 1 John 5:11-12). We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to those who believe in Him is justification, which includes the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life; it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the work of Christ alone; His righteousness is imputed to us, not earned by us (Isaiah 53:11; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7). We further believe that such only are real believers as endure unto the end; that their persevering attachment to Christ is the mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special Providence watches over their welfare (Hebrews 1:14); and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation (Rom 8:28; Jude 24, 25) .We believe that we are called with an holy calling to walk, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit; that we should not fulfill the lusts of the flesh; but the flesh being in us to the end of our earthly pilgrimage needs to be kept constantly in subjection to Christ, or it will surely manifest its presence to the dishonor of His name (Romans 8:13; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians. 4:22-24; Colossians 3:1-10; 1 Peter 1:14,16; 1 John 3:5-9).
The Universal and Local Church – We believe that the universal church, the body of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again believers of this present age (Col 1:18); that we are united by the Holy Spirit to the risen and ascended Son of God, and that by the same Spirit we are all baptized into the body of Christ; and thus being members one of another, we are responsible to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, and are commanded to love one another (Acts 2:32-47; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Colossians 3:14-15). We believe that Jesus Christ is the sole head and builder of His church (Matthew 16:17-18). We believe in the organization and establishment of local churches, as taught throughout the New Testament (Acts 14:23). We believe that a local church is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant in faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers, their qualifications, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9). We further believe that the ordinances of the church are two: first, baptism by immersion (Matthew 3:16; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; John 3:23; Romans 6:3-5), which shows our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life (baptism by immersion is a prerequisite to the privileges of a local church membership); second, the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-28), which we believe is the commemoration of Christ’s death till He comes, and should be preceded always by solemn self-examination. We believe that the local church is the primary means through which God is working in this age and that its purpose is to glorify Him through exaltation, evangelism, and edification (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 1:12; 3:20-21; Colossians 1:28). We believe that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the domination of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy Spirit: that it is Scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; and that each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation (Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 3:4; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).
The Wicked and the Righteous – We believe that at death the souls that have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation pass immediately into the presence of the Lord, and the souls of those who have rejected Christ pass immediately into condemnation and misery in hell (2 Corinthians 5:8; Luke 16:19-26; Phil. 1:23; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9). We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men: the righteous dead will partake of the first resurrection unto eternal life, and the wicked dead will partake of the second resurrection unto eternal and conscious damnation following the Great White Throne Judgment at the close of the Millennium, when soul and body reunited shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power (John 5:28-29; 1 Corinthians 15:20-26; Revelation 20:11-15).
Last Things – We believe in the imminent, pre-tribulation rapture of the living church and the resurrection of the dead in Christ, at which time both companies will meet the Lord in the air to be with Him forever (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13). We believe that following the rapture will be a seven year Tribulation period, which will be closed by the triumphant and pre-millennial return of Jesus Christ who will return in power and great glory with His saints to this earth, where He will sit on the throne of David, reign in righteousness, judge the wicked, cast Satan into the abyss, and establish His literal millennial kingdom (Matthew 24:29-30; Revelation 19:11-21; 20:1-6). At the close of the Millennium, we believe that Satan will be loosed for a final and great rebellion, following which he will be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 20:7-10), and all the unsaved of all ages shall be raised to stand before Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment where they will be condemned to the lake of fire to suffer conscious torment forever (Revelation 20:10–15). The present heavens and earth will be destroyed, and a new heaven and earth created, wherein the redeemed of all ages will dwell with their God forever (2 Peter 3:12, 13; Revelation 21–22).