The
Scriptures - We believe the Old and New Testaments
to be verbally inspired by God, inerrant in the original writings, and
that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life. (I
Timothy 3:15-17; II Peter 1:19-21) We will use the King James
Translation of the Bible as our text in all ministries of this church.
Christian education must be Christ centered, and Bible based.
The Godhead - We
believe the Godhead eternally exists in three persons Father, Son, and
Holy Spirit... that these three are one in God, having precisely the
same nature, attributes, and perfections. (Gen. 1:1; 1:26; Matt.
3:16-17; Matt. 28:19-20; II Cor. 13:14; Romans 8:9)
The Lord Jesus Christ -
We believe in:
- His eternal existence as God (Heb. 1:8);
- His incarnation by means of the Virgin Birth (Luke 1:35; Isa.7:14);
- His death on the cross as the propitiation for sin (Rom. 3:25;
Heb. 9:14);
- His literal bodily resurrection from the dead (Luke 24:36-43;
Acts 10:40-41);
- His present ministry of intercession in Heaven (Acts 1:9; I John
2:1; Heb. 3:12);
- His personal, bodily return to earth. (Acts 1:11; I Thess. 4:16;
Col. 2:9; Matt. 26:64).
Holy Spirit - We
believe the Holy Spirit, the Third person of the Godhead, convicts men
of sin (John 16:8); regenerates, indwells, seals (I Cor. 3:16; Eph.
1:13-14), and sets believers apart unto a holy life. He keeps and
empowers believers day by day. (Acts 18) He is the teacher of the Word
of God and guide for our daily life. (I Cor. 2:13) Anyone who does not
have the Spirit living in him is not a child of God. (Rom. 8:9) We
believe that the sign gifts, including speaking in tongues, were a sign
only to unbelieving Jews in the Apostolic Age and are no longer given
after the completion of God's Word. (I Cor. 13:8-12; I Cor. 14:20-22;
Heb. 2:4)
Man - We believe:
- Man was created innocent and pure. (Gen. 1:26);
- Adam fell through the sin of disobedience. (Rom. 5:19);
- Thereby all men are corrupted in body, mind, and soul. (Rom. 5:12;
Jer. 17:9; Eph. 2:3);
- Therefore, all are in need of redemption.
Satan - We believe in
the reality and personality of Satan. (Job 1:6-9; Job 2:3; Matt.
4:1-11; I Peter 5:8; James 4:7)
Salvation - We
believe:
- That salvation is solely by grace through faith in Jesus Christ
and His finished work. (Eph. 2:8-10);
- All who receive His are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and
become children of God. (Titus 3:5);
- All who are truly saved are kept forever. (John 10:27-30);
- However, God cannot overlook sin in his children and will
chasten and correct them in love. (Heb. 12:5-8)
The Church - We
believe:
- That the local church is composed of regenerated, baptized
believers who are voluntarily united together for the purpose of
worship, edification, fellowship of believers, spiritual growth
and service;
- That it has been commissioned by Christ to propagate the Gospel
unto the uttermost parts of the earth;
- That the local church has absolute right of self-government,
free from interferences of any hierarchy of individuals or
organizations; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ,
through the Holy Spirit;
- That on all matters of membership, of policy of government, and
of benevolence, the will of the local church is final.
(Acts2:41-47; 4:33-37; 5:1-20; Eph. 4:11-16)
The Ordinances - We
believe that Christ gave only two (2) ordinances to the church to be
observed "till He comes."
It should be made clear that there is no regenerative power in
baptism- it is meant as the first step of obedience for those who
are already saved--giving a clear picture of the fact that the
believer is dead, buried, and raised spiritually with Jesus Christ
by faith in Him. (Romans 5:6)
The Future - We
believe in the personal, pretribulational, premillennial return of
Jesus Christ. He will come for His saints together at the rapture, (I
Thess. 4:13-18; Titus 3:13) and He will be coming back with His saints
to set up His kingdom on this earth. (Jude 14-15) We believe in the
eternal conscious blessedness of the saved and the eternal conscious
punishment of the lost. (Luke 16:19-31)
Separation - We
believe it is our duty to call the attention of believers to the
Scriptural teaching of separation and that we should abstain from
worldly practices and live a life devoted unto the Lord. (Rom. 12:1-2;
II Cor. 6:14--7:1; I Peter 1:15-16)
Missions - We believe
it is each Christian's privilege and responsibility to be a witness
for Christ in life and in word and seek to lead others to a saving
knowledge of Christ. (Romans 10:14; Matt. 28:19-20)
