WHAT WE BELIEVE

We believe in the authority and sufficiency of the Holy Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, as originally written. It  is the product of Spirit-controlled men who recorded the revelation given to them by God. Scripture is God-breathed and is therefore infallible and inerrant in all matters of which it speaks. We believe the Bible to be the true center of Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creed and opinions shall be tried.
2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:19–21.

We believe there is only one living and true God who is sovereign over all of creation. He is the Maker and supreme ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love. In the unity of the Godhead there are three coequal, co-eternal persons – the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. They are equal in every divine perfection and execute distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
Exodus 20:2-3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11.

We believe in Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, the eternal Word manifested in the flesh. We believe that Jesus Christ is the second person of the trinity. We believe that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary, and that He is truly God and truly man.  We believe that by becoming a man He possesses two natures which are inseparable, unchangeable and which are preserved without mixture and without division into two persons. We believe in His vicarious, substitutionary and redeeming death where Christ received in Himself the penalty of man’s sin. We believe in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension, and in His glorious future return where He will gather the saints to Himself in glory.  He was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin as the perfect lamb of God. He is our mediator, He is our perfect high priest, He is our advocate, He is the author and finisher of our faith and He is the judge of the living and the dead.
Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18–25; Luke 1:35; John 1:14.

We believe that man was created in innocence (in the image and likeness of God) under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression Adam fell from his sinless and happy state, and all men sinned in him. As a result of this fall, all men are totally depraved, are partakers of Adam’s fallen nature, are sinners by nature and by conduct, and  are therefore under the just condemnation of a holy God without defense or excuse.
Genesis 3:1–6; Romans 1:18, 32; 3:10–19; 5:12, 19.

We believe that the salvation of sinners is divinely initiated and wholly of grace through the mediatorial office of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In perfect obedience to the Father He voluntarily took upon Himself our nature, yet without sin, and kept the divine law by His personal obedience, thus qualifying Himself to be our Savior. By the shedding of His blood through His death on a cross He fully satisfied the just demands of a holy and righteous God regarding sin. His sacrifice was a voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the Just dying for the unjust, Christ the Lord bearing our sins in His own body on the tree. He was crucified, buried, raised on the third day, ascended to the right hand of the Father and now lives to make intercession for those who are redeemed in Him.

The scriptures are clear that salvation occurs when a person turns from their sin and trusts in Christ alone for salvation, not in their own dead works. Because God is the one who justifies and sanctifies the sinner, the person who has placed their faith in Christ will show forth good fruits and evidence of a changed life. The believer is regenerated by the Holy Spirit, repents and believes in Christ. They are thus kept by the grace of God in their salvation and will one day be raised to newness of life.
Jonah 2:9; Ephesians 2:8; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24, 25; John 3:16; Matthew 18:11; Philippians 2:7, 8; Hebrews 2:14–17; Isaiah 53:4–7; 1 John 4:10; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians. 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; Titus 3:4-8.

We believe that justification is that judicial act of God whereby He declares the believer righteous upon the basis of the imputed righteousness of Christ. It is not bestowed in consideration of any work of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in Jesus’ shed blood.
Romans 3:24; 4:5; 5:1, 9; Galatians 2:16; Philippians 3:9.

We believe that sanctification is the divine setting apart of the believer unto God which is accomplished in a threefold manner. It is first an eternal act of God, based upon redemption in Christ, establishing the believer in a position of holiness at the moment he places his faith in Christ. Second,  it is a continuing process in the saint as the Holy Spirit applies the Word of God to their life. Third, it is the final process of sanctification which will bring about the glorification of the saint at Christ’s return.
Hebrews 10:10-14; 3:1; John 17:17; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 5:25–27; 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 4; 5:23, 24; 1 John 3:2; Jude 24, 25; Revelation 22:11.

We believe that the church is made up of all of those who are redeemed by the shed blood of Christ. Only those who have been saved by God’s grace comprise the universal Church. We believe that the local Church assembly is made up of those who are truly in Christ and those who are not in Christ. Because Christ is still building His Church, it is necessary for the officers of the local Church to preach the word and to deal justly with ungodliness in the local assembly until Christ returns. The Church is the bride of Christ and should be nourished and cared for by those whom God has put as caretakers of her.
1 Corinthians 11:2; Acts 20:17–28; 1 Timothy 2:12; 3:1–13; Titus 1:5– 9; Acts 2:41, 42; 1 Corinthians 12:12, 13; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 3:1-6; 4:11; 5:23; Colossians 1:18; Acts 15:13–18; Matthew 18:15-20.

We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked. Only those who are justified by faith in our Lord Jesus Christ and sanctified by the Spirit of our God are truly righteous according to God’s standard. All who continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked and under the curse of the fall. This distinction remains among men after death in the everlasting joy of the saved with Christ and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost in the lake of fire.
Malachi 3:18; Genesis 18:23; Romans 6:17, 18; 1 John 5:19; Romans 7:6; 6:23; Proverbs 14:32; Luke 16:25; Matthew 25:34–41; John 8:21; Revelation 20:14, 15.