WHAT WE BELIEVE

STATEMENT OF FAITH

We as a church accept those large areas of doctrinal teaching on which, historically, there has been general agreement among all true Christians. We also desire to allow for freedom of conviction and freedom of interpretation on other doctrinal matters, provided that any interpretation is based upon the Bible alone, and that no such interpretation shall become an issue which hinders the ministry that God has called us to as a church.

We explicitly affirm our belief in the following basic Biblical teachings:

We believe in…

THE HOLY SCRIPTURE: accepting fully the writings of the Old and New Testaments as the Word of God, without error, verbally inspired in all parts and therefore altogether sufficient as our only infallible and authoritative rule of faith and practice. Psalm 19:7-9, 119:160; Proverbs 30:5a; II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21.

THE TRINITY: We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; these three being identical in essence, equal in power and glory. Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; John 1:1,14, 10:30, 14:7-26; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Heb. 1:1-3

GOD THE FATHER: reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. Gen. 1:1; Deut. 32:6; 1 Chron. 29:10 ff.; Isa. 64:8; Matt. 6:9 ff., 7:11; John 1:12; Rom. 8:14-15; 1 Cor. 8:6; Gal. 4:6.

GOD THE SON: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. This redemption He accomplished by voluntarily giving Himself and shedding His blood as a sinless substitutionary sacrifice on the cross and thereby satisfying God’s righteous judgments against sin. After substantiating the accomplishment of that redemption by His bodily resurrection from the grave, He ascended to the right hand of His Father where He intercedes on behalf of those who trust Him. John 1:1, 2, 14, 18; Luke 1:34-35; Acts 1:9-11; Rom. 3:24-26, 8:34; 2 Cor 5:21; Heb. 7:25

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT: He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. He calls men to the Savior, and effects regeneration. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the assurance of God to bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service. His fullness, power, and control are appropriated by faith. John 3:5, 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:13; 2 Cor 3:18; Gal. 5:22-23; Eph. 5:18

THE STATUS OF MAN: All men are by nature and choice Sinful and lost. Man was created by the special act of God, in His own image, and is the crowning work of His creation. In the beginning man was innocent of sin and was endowed by His Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. Through the temptation of Satan man transgressed the command of God, and fell from his original innocence; whereby his posterity inherits a nature and an environment inclined toward sin, and as soon as they are capable of moral action become transgressors and are under condemnation. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore, every man possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love. Gen. 1:26; 3:1-24; Rom. 3:10-18; 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3.

SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH: that salvation is the free gift of God neither merited nor secured in part or in whole by any virtue or work of man, but received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom all true believers have as a present possession the gift of eternal life, a perfect righteousness, sonship in the family of God, deliverance and security from all condemnation, every spiritual resource needed for life and godliness, and the divine guarantee that they shall never perish; that this salvation affects the whole man; that apart from Christ there is no possible salvation. It is the privilege of all who are born again to be assured of their salvation from the very moment in which they trust Christ as their Savior. This assurance is not based upon any kind of human merit but is produced by the witness of the Holy Spirit, who confirms in the believer the testimony of God in His written Word. Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; John 1:12, 3:14, 10:28-29; Rom. 8:1; Phil. 1:6; 1 John 5:13.

THE PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS: that Christ is our Great High Priest and through Him every born-again person has direct access into God’s presence without the need of a human priest; that the believer has the right and responsibility to personally study and interpret the Scriptures guided by the Holy Spirit. John 14:6; Heb. 4:16; 2 Tim. 2:15; 1 Peter 2:1, 5, 9.

THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST: We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ for His Church and the subsequent establishment of His righteous rule as King of kings and Lord of lords. The first time Jesus came He did so humbly and as a lowly servant in order that he might provide for us salvation, but at his second coming He will be clothed in righteousness, victory, and glory as He comes to establish His Sovereign rule. 1 Thes. 4:13-18; Heb. 10:37; Rev. 19:11-16.

THE CHURCH: We believe that Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, His body, which is composed of all people who have been joined to Him through saving faith. The Scripture also teaches the establishment and continuation of the local church, groups of born again, baptized believers joined together to practice New Testament ordinances, to meet together for worship, prayer, fellowship, teaching, and united testimony, and to actively engage in carrying out the Great Commission. Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 1:18; 1 Cor. 12:13; Acts 2:42, 13:1-2; Matt 28:19-20

ORDINANCES: We believe the Christian Ordinances this Church should observe are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Since baptism is the outward testimony of an inward spiritual transformation, in obedience to our Lord’s command, it shall be administered to those who have made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. We believe that baptism by immersion best represents the meaning of baptism, therefore all members shall be baptized by immersion except if physically unable. The Lord’s Supper shall be administered as a commemoration of Jesus’ death; the elements being used symbolically of His body and blood. It shall be open to all self- examined believers regardless of church affiliation. Matt 28:18-20, Rom. 6:3-5; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-29.