Statement of Faith

The Bible

We believe the Bible, in its sixty-six book entirety, is God's word written by men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and is the record of God's revelation of Himself to humanity (Ex 24:4; Is 34:16; Jer 36; 2 Tim 3:15- 17; Acts 2:16). It is a perfect treasure of divine instruction (Deut 4:1-2; Josh 8:34). It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its content (Rom 15:4; 16:25-26). Therefore, the Bible is complete, trustworthy, sufficient, inerrant, understandable, and the supreme authority and guide for all doctrine, conduct, and religious opinion (Ps 19:7-10; Ps 119; Is 40:8; Jn 17:17). It is the truth by which God reveals His character, activity, judgment, and mercy toward His creation (Deut 17:19; Jer 15:16). All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation (Matt 5:17-18; 22:29; Lk 21:33; 24:44-46; Jn 5:39; 16:13-15).

God

We believe that there is one and only one living and true God (Gen 1:1; Deut 6:1-4; Ps 83:18; Rom 1:20). He is infinite and perfect in intelligence, power, wisdom, sovereignty, holiness, justice, mercy and love (Jer 10:10; Ex 15:11; Ps 147:5; Is 6:3; Rev 4:11). To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience (Jer 2:12-13; Mk 12:30; 1 Pet 1:15-16; Rev 4:6-8). The eternal triune God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being (Jn 4:24; Jn 15:26; 1 Cor 2:10-11; 12:4-6). This Triune God acts together in creation, providence, revelation, and redemption (Mt 28:19; Jn 10:30; Jn 14:23; Heb 3:4).

The Father

The Father is the first person of the God-head. God the Father reigns with providential care over all life and history in the created universe according to His glorious purposes (Gen 1:1; 2:7; Ex 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11; Deut 6:4; 1 Chr 29:10; Ps 19:1-3; Is 43:15; 64:8; Jer 10:10-13; Mt 6:9; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19). He initiated salvation by sending His Son, and He is the Father to those who become His children through saving faith in Jesus Christ (Mk 1:9-11; Jn 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8).

The Son

The Son is the second person of the God-head (Ps 2:7) and known as Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God (Mark 1:1; Mark 3:11; Luke 4:41; Luke 22:70), became incarnated man by being conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (Is 7:14; Matt 1:18-23; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-18) Jesus perfectly revealed and did the will of God (Col 2:9; Heb 1:1-3), taking upon Himself human nature with its demands and necessities and identifying Himself completely with mankind yet entirely without sin (Matt 3:18; Matt 14:33; Matt 16:16; Gal 4:4-5). He honored the divine law by His personal obedience (Matt 17:5), and in His substitutionary death on the cross He made atonement and provision for the redemption of humanity from sin (Is 53; Lk 24:46; John 1:29; 2 Cor 8:9; Heb 7:14-28; 1 Jn 1:7-9). He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion (Matt 28:1-6; John 11:25-27; John 20:1-20; John 21; Acts 2:22-24; Rom 1:3-4; 1 Cor 15:1-8). He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God (Ps 110:1; Acts 1:8; Acts 7:55-56; Eph 1:20; Eph 4:7-10; Phil 2:5-11; Col 1:13-22; 1 Tim 3:16; Heb 12:2; 1 Pet 3:22) where He is making intercession for all the children of God as the One Mediator (Rom 8:34; 1 Tim 2:5-6; Heb 4:14-15; Heb 9:12-15). Jesus being truly God and truly man is the only possible way of reconciliation between God and man (John 3:16-18; Rom 3:23-26; Rom 5:6-21; Rom 8:1-3; 1 Cor 1:30; 2 Cor 5:19-21). He will return one day in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission (Matt 16:27; John 12:44-50; 1 Cor 15:24-28; Titus 2:13-14; Heb 9:24-28; 1 Jn 3:2; Rev 19-20).

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the third person of the God-head (Gen 1:2; Ps 139:7; Matt 3:16; Matt 28:19; Mark 1:10; Acts 5:3; Acts 13:2). He inspired men of old to write the Scriptures (Is 61:1-3; 2 Tim 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21). Through illumination He enables men to understand truth (Ps 51:11; 1 Cor 2:10-14). He exalts Christ (Matt 12:28-32; Jn 16:7-14; Acts 7:55; 1 Tim 3:16). He convicts humanity of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment (Acts 10:44). He calls men to the Savior and enacts their regenerating new birth (Rom 8:9-11; 1 Jn 4:13; Rev 22:17). At regeneration and conversion, the Holy Spirit baptizes the believer into the body of Christ (Joel 2:28-32; 1 Cor 12:13; Heb 9:14). The Spirit intercedes, indwells, seals, sanctifies, comforts, guides, teaches, guarantees, assures, enlightens, empowers and bears fruit for and in every believer (Lk 11:13; Lk 12:12; Lk 24:49; Jn 14:16-17; Jn 14:26; Jn 15:26; Acts 2:38; Rom 8:14-16; Rom 8:26-27; 1 Cor 3:16; Eph 1:13-14; Eph 4:30; 2 Tim 1:14). He grants spiritual gifts to all believers for ministry in the building up of the church (Acts 1:8; Acts 4:31; 1 Cor 12:3-11).

Humankind

We believe humankind is the special creation of God, created male and female in His own image to glorify Him by enjoying perfect fellowship with Himself and being stewards over His creation (Gen 1:26-30; Gen 2:7; Acts 17:26-31). In the beginning humankind was innocent of sin and enjoyed a perfect relationship with each other and with God. Through the temptation of Satan, Adam willfully rebelled against the good command of a Holy God. This one act by the representative head of the human race, Adam, (Gen 3; Rom 5:12-19) brought sin, death, and comprehensive physical and spiritual corruption to the entire human race (Rom 1:19-23; 1 Cor 15:19-22). This resulted further in the cursing, disordering, and suffering of creation (Rom 1:24-32). Therefore, everyone is born spiritually dead, morally corrupt, and hopelessly inclined toward sin through the inherited sinful nature of Adam and stands eternally condemned before an infinitely Holy God (Ps 32:1-5; Ps 51:5; Is 6:5; Rom 3:10-23; Eph 2:1-3; Col 1:21-22). Satan tempts people to rebel against God, even those who love Him (Rom 7:14-25). Nonetheless, everyone is personally responsible to God for thoughts, actions, and beliefs (Ps 1; Jer 17:5). Only the grace of God can bring any human into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God (Rom 5:6; Rom 6:6; Rom 8:14-18; Rom 8:29; Eph 2:4-22).

Salvation

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ alone (Acts 15:11). Salvation is the redemption of the whole person from sin, corruption, death, and eternal hell (Eph 2:1-10; Rom 3:21-26; Heb 9:13-15). It is accomplished through Jesus Christ, who took upon Himself our nature yet without sin, honored divine law with perfect obedience (John 1; Is 42:21), and by His death made a full atonement for our sins (2 Cor 5:21; Is 53:4-5); having been risen from the dead (Rom 4:25), he is now enthroned in heaven and has thus proven to be a sufficient and effective Savior for all who will trust in Him (Heb 1:3,12:1-2; Phil 2:3-11; 1 Cor 15:1-6). This salvation is offered as a free gift by God to all and must be received personally through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ (1 Jn 4:10; Jn 3:16; Heb 7:25; Acts 2:38). Each individual believer is united to Christ by the regeneration of the Holy Spirit. As a child of God, the believer is acquitted of all guilt and brought into a new relationship of peace with God (Heb 4:14; Gal 4:4-5; Matt 20:28; Col 3:1-4). Christians grow as the Holy Spirit enables them to understand and obey the word of God (1 Cor 3:5-7; 1 Jn 2:3; Matt 3:8).

The Church

We believe that a New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a local assembly of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth (Rom 1:7; 1 Cor 1:2; Acts 2:41-47, 6:3-6). Each assembly operates under the Lordship of Christ (Matt 16:15-19; Rev 2-3). In such an assembly each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord (Matt 18:15-20; 1 Cor 5:4-5; Eph 5:22-31). The New Testament speaks also of the church as the Body of Christ which includes all the redeemed of all the ages, believers from every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation (Acts 15:1-30; Eph 1:22-23, 2:19-22, 3:8-21; Col 1:18).

Ordinances & Offices

We believe that the Bible defines the two ordinances of the church as baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit upon the verification of the believer’s credible profession of saving faith in Jesus Christ (Matt 28:18-20). It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's identification with the death, burial and resurrection of the Savior Jesus Christ (Rom 6:3-5; Col 2:12). It is to be normally practiced within the confines of the gathered local church as a public witness, endorsement, and celebration of the person’s faith (Acts 2:41; Eph 4:5). The Lord's Supper is the partaking of bread and of the cup by believers together as a continuing memorial of the broken body and shed blood of Christ (Matt 26:26-28; Mk 14:22-28; Lk 24:14-18). It is an act of thankful dedication to Him and serves to unite His people until He returns (1 Cor 11:23-26). Baptism is the initial endorsement of one’s credible profession of faith and the Lord’s Supper is the ongoing affirmation that one is living consistent with their profession. As such, baptism and Lord’s Supper serve as the God-ordained mechanisms for authenticating and protecting the witness of the gospel in the world and preservation of individual Christian souls (Matt 18; 1 Cor 6).

We believe the local church is to be led, under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, by men whose character serves as an example to the flock and who are able to teach (Titus 1; 1 Peter 5:3; Heb 13:7). Such men, recognized and affirmed by the church, oversee the church in the office of elder/pastor (Acts 15:4- 6, 15:22-23, 16:4, 20:17, 21:18; Phil 1:1). This office is to be held only by men, because God’s creation of the man before the woman indicates God’s intention for the man to lead in the home and church (1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:1-7; Eph 5:22-33). The membership of the assembly exercises God given authority in decisions by giving their recommendations and affirmations as well as formal votes (Matt 16:19; Acts 6:1-6; 13:2). The membership holds the right and responsibility to submit to, pray for, and build up Godly eldership (Heb 13:17). The membership also holds the right and responsibility to admonish and even discipline any Elder when biblically warranted substantiation of an accusation has been made against him (1 Tim 5:19). Also, the membership of the assembly holds the solemn responsibility to exercise church discipline on any member, including elders, that is caught in clear public unrepentant sin (Matt 18; 1 Cor 6). The Biblical office of deacon is for men or women who have met the Biblical qualifications and are recognized as being capable and trustworthy to assist the elders in the task of meeting the physical needs of the church, its members, and its ministries (1 Tim 3:8-13; Phil 1:1). The deacons serve under the authority of the elders to maximize the comprehensive flourishing of the assembly (Acts 6:1-6).

Evangelism and Missions

We believe that it is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations (Matt 22:9-10, 28:18-20; 1 Thess 1:8). The new birth of man's spirit by God's Holy Spirit means the birth of love for others (Jn 15:7-16). Missionary effort on the part of all rests thus upon a spiritual necessity of the regenerate life and is expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of Christ (Matt 9:37-38; Acts 1:8, 13:2-3; Rom 10:13-15). The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations (Matt 24:14; Lk 24:46-53; Jn 20:21). It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ (Matt 10:5-15, 13:18-43; Lk 10:1-18; Acts 2; 2 Tim 4:5).

The Return of Christ

We believe God, in His own time and His own way, will bring all things to their appropriate end (Matt 24:14; 24:36-44). The certain hope of the Christian is that Jesus Christ will return suddenly, personally and visibly in glory to receive His bride, the church (Jn 14:1-3; Rev 21). The righteous, in their resurrected and glorified bodies, will receive their reward and dwell forever with the Lord (1 Cor 15:51-58; 1 Thess 4:13-18; Phil 3:20- 21). Christ will return to establish His kingdom when the earth will be full of the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea (Hab 2:14). The Lord will conquer all human rebellion and bring the wicked to judgement, when the unrighteous will be assigned to the everlasting punishment prepared for the devil and his angels (Is 2:2-4; Dan 2:44-45; Matt 25:41-46; 2 Cor 5:10; Rev 20:10). The ultimate victory is the eternal state, the establishment of the new heavens and the new earth where all is made perfect and right (Is 11:6-8; Eph 1:9-10; Rev 21-22).