What We Believe

What We Believe

The Holy Scriptures

We believe the Holy Scriptures in the Old and New Testament to be the complete and final revelation to man; that they are the Word of God and not just contain the Word of God; that they are the verbal, plenary, inspired Word of God, the Final Authority for faith, and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed. (II Tim. 3:16, II Peter 1:20,21; Matt 5:18; John 16:12-13)

The Godhead

We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deut. 6:4; II Cor 13:14; Col 1:16, 17; Matt. 28:19)The Father: We believe in God the Father, the only true God, who created all things and in whom we live and have our being. (John 17:3; Rev 4:11; Acts 17:28)

  1. The Son: We believe in the:
    1. Virgin birth of Christ. (Isa 7:14; Luke 1:35)
    2. Deity of Christ. (John 8:58, Rev 1:8)
    3. Miracles of Christ. (John 2:11; John 11:43,44)
    4. Sacrificial death of Christ for our redemption as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice (I Cor 15:1-6; I Peter 2:24)
    5. Literal bodily resurrection of Christ for our justification. (Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12)
    6. Intercessory priesthood of Christ as intercessor, representative and advocate (Heb 9:24, 7:25; Rom 8:34; I John 2:1,2)
    7. Pre-millennial, Pre-tribulational return for the Church by Christ. (John 14:3; I Thess 4:13-18; I Cor 15:52)
    8. Coming again of Christ to rule and reign on the earth for a thousand years during the millennial kingdom. (Rev 20:3-6; I Cor. 15:24,25)
  2. The Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person; equal to God the Father and God the Son, and of the same nature; that He was active in the Creation; and in His relation to the unbelieving world; that He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of unrighteousness, and of judgment to come; that He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the new birth; that He seals, fills, motivates, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and controls the believer. (John 14:16-17,26; Matt 28:19; Luke 1:35; Gen 1:13; John 16:8-11; Acts 5:30-32; Rom 8:14,16,26,27)

The Total Depravity of Man

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; that man is totally depraved, and of himself, totally unable to change his lost condition. (Gen 1:26-27; Rom 3:22-23; 5:12; Eph 2:1-3,12)

Salvation

We believe that John 3:7 teaches one must be born from above and that this salvation is the gift of God, not of works, brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. (Eph 2:8-10; John 1:12; Eph 1:7; I Peter 1:18-19)

The Two Natures of the Believer

We believe that every saved person possesses two natures, with provision made for victory of the new man over the flesh through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and that all claims to the eradication of the flesh in this life are unscriptural. (Rom 6:13; 8:12-13; Gal 5:16-25; Eph 4:22-24; Col 3:10; I Peter 1:14-16; I John 3:5-9)

Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers

We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Rom 8:1, 38-39; I Cor 1:4-8; I Peter 1:5)

We believe that it is the privilege of the believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word; which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. (Rom 13:13-14; Gal 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)

Separation

We believe a Christian is separated to the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 1:1)

We believe a Christian should walk free of all known sin and worldly activities in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon his Saviour and Lord. (II Cor 6:14-17, 7:1; I John 2:15-17)

We believe a Christian should obey the command of Scripture to “come out from among them” and be separate from religious apostates, and to such doctrinal principles held dear to this Church, maintaining a separated position from liberalism, neo-orthodoxy, neo-evangelicalism and Pentecostalism. (Tit 3:10; I Tim 6:5; II Thess 3:6,14; Rom 16:17)

The Church

We believe that the Church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this present age. (Eph 1:22-23; 5:22-27; I Cor 12:12-14; II Cor 11:2)

We believe that the local church has the right of self-government free from interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations. (Rom.1:1-4; Acts 13:1-4)

We believe that the local church’s scriptural designated officers are Pastors (Elders or Bishops) and Deacons. (I Tim 3:1-13); that on matters of policy, government, discipline and benevolence, the will of this local church is final. (I Cor 6:1-3; 5:11-13)

The Ordinances

We recognize two ordinances of the church of this age: The Lord’s Supper and Water Baptism. They are not to be regarded, however, as a means of salvation, nor as a means of grace by which special merit is obtained.

  1. The Lord’s Supper: This ordinance shall be observed as often as the Pastor shall decide. All who have accepted Jesus Christ as personal Savior and are walking in fellowship with the Lord shall be welcome to join in this service – unless they are under the discipline of the Church. (I Cor 11:17-34)
  2. Water Baptism: When administered by this Church, baptism shall be by immersion at the request of those who have personally acknowledged Christ as Savior. (Acts 8:36-39; 10:47-48; I Cor 1:14-17)

Missions

We believe that Matthew 28:18-20 is for Christians today and that it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and by word to the truths of Holy Scripture and to seek to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind, by their service, prayers and gifts. (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; II Cor 5:19-20)

The Ministry and Spiritual Gifts

We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of all His gifts; and that the gifts to the church of evangelists, pastors, and teachers is sufficient for the perfection of the saints today; that speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles gradually ceased as the New Testament scriptures were completed and their authority became established. (I Cor 12:4-11; II Cor 12:12; Eph. 4:7-12).

We believe that God hears and answers the prayer of faith, in accord with His own will, for the sick and afflicted. (John 15:7; I John 5:14-15)

Satan

We believe that Satan is an actual person, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall; 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; Isa 14:12-17; Matt 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev 20:10)

Coming Events

We believe in the “Blessed Hope,” the personal, imminent, pretibulational and premillennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones; and in His subsequent return to the earth, with His saints, to establish His Millennial Kingdom. (I Thess 4:13-18; Zech 14:4-11; Rev 19:11-16; 20:1-6; I Thess 1:10; 5:9; Rev 3:10)

The Eternal State

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matt 25:46; John 5:28,29; 11:25-26; Rev 20:5-6,12-13)

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. (Luke 23:43; Rev 20:4-6; II Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23; I Thess 4:16-17) We reject all theories of soul sleep and believe that the souls of unbelievers remain after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection; when the soul and body are reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne of Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment. (Luke 16:19-26; Matt 25:41-46; II Thess 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Mark 9:43-48; Rev 20:11-15)

Creation

We believe in the Genesis account of creation, and that it is to be accepted literally, not allegorically or figuratively; that man was created directly in God’s own image and after His own likeness; that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species, or development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animal and vegetable life was made directly, and God’s established law was that they should bring forth only “after their kind.” (Gen 1:1; Acts 4:24;17:23-26; Jer 10:12; Neh 9:6; Gen 1:26-27; 2:7; 2:21-23; 1:11; 1:24; I Cor 11:7; Col 1:16-17; Heb 11:3; John 1:3; Rev 10:6; Rom 1:20)

Civil Government

We believe that civil government is of divine appointment, for the interest and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed; except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ; who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the coming Prince of the kings of the earth. (Rom 13:1-7; II Sam 23:3; Exodus 18:21-22; Acts 23:5; 5:29; 4:19-20; Matt 22:21; 10:28; 23:10; Titus 3:1; I Peter 2:13-14; 2:17; Dan 3:18; Phil 2:10-11; Ps 72:11)