We believe the Holy Bible comprising the 66 books of the Old and New Testament is the Word of God spoken in human history through fully engaged and participating human agents. This accounts for the varying styles and different levels of writing skills of the writers of the original texts. We believe the original manuscripts (autographs) are the inspired, infallible, and inerrant word of God, providing complete revelation of His will concerning salvation of mankind, and are the sole authority for Christian faith and practice.
On God
We believe in the One True and Living God, without beginning or end, creator and sustainer of all things and revealed in the Bible as three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – yet one God. Each person of the Godhead has distinct personal attributes yet without division of nature, essence, or being, and are co-equal in power and glory.
God the Father
We believe in God the Father, creator of the material universe out of nothing. He spoke and by His Word and His Power, the heavens and earth were created and hold together. He is all powerful, all knowing, all loving, and all wise, concerning Himself in the affairs of mankind, hearing and answering prayer and saving from sin all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
God the Son
We believe that Jesus Christ, the eternal and only begotten Son of the Father, is true God and true man. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and by his sinless life, miracles, and teaching, gave full revelation of the Father. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitute death on the cross He made provision for the redemption of man from sin. He rose from the grave in a glorified flesh and bones body, revealed himself to many, and after forty days, ascended into heaven in his glorified body. He is now exalted to the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator between God and man. He will return again in power and glory to judge the world and complete the establishing of His kingdom in righteousness and peace.
God the Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit is God, co-equal with and proceeding from the Father and the Son. He was present and active during creation, inspired the writing of the scriptures, and convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. He exalts Christ, through illumination enables man to understand truth, calls men to the Savior, and is the agent of regeneration and sanctification for believers in Christ. He teaches, guides, convicts, and enables believers to live in God honoring ways. He applies to willing man the finished work of Christ in regeneration and empowers man for service to God during this life, bestowing on believers the Fruit and Gifts of the spirit.
On Man
We believe that man was created of the dust of the earth, by God and in the image of God, male and female. They were created perfect, innocent of sin and endowed with freedom of choice. All human nature derives from these two historic persons. By his free choice man sinned against God, and fell from his original innocence, plunging himself and all subsequent humanity into sin, guilt, suffering, and death. Therefore all mankind are sinners by nature and by choice, spiritually dead and without hope apart from God.
On Salvation
We believe salvation is a sovereign work of grace involving the redemption of the whole man. While salvation is entirely of the Lord, God requires that man puts his faith in Jesus Christ. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. Saving faith begins with conviction of sin by the Holy Spirit and the sinner responding in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace. Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Savior. God then graciously and fully pardons repentant sinners and brings the believer into a relationship of peace and favor with God. Each believer is set apart to God’s purposes and enabled to grow morally and spiritually through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in them. This is evidenced by hatred of sin and a determination to seek first His Kingdom and righteousness.
We believe the Holy Spirit will reveal Jesus Christ to anyone, anywhere, anytime, in any circumstance if they are truly seeking God. This is why we proclaim the gospel.
On the Atonement
We believe the penal substitutionary death of Jesus Christ for the atonement of our sins, and His bodily resurrection provide the only ground for justification, forgiveness, and salvation for all who believe that He is the Son of God. Penal substitution expresses that Jesus Christ our Lord, moved by a love that was determined to do everything necessary to save us, endured and exhausted the destructive divine judgment for which we were otherwise inescapably destined, and so won us forgiveness, adoption and glory. Believers are indebted to Christ specifically for this work which is the source of all their joy, peace and praise both now and for eternity.
On the Ordinances
We believe in two ordinances, communion or the Lords supper, and water baptism. We believe the Lord’s Supper is taken in remembrance of Jesus’ death on the cross with the bread and wine representing this. It testifies that we belong to Him through the completed and accepted work of the cross, and that we are part of the His body – the church. We believe in water baptism by immersion in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit who is the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a personal and public declaration of our faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ on our behalf and our desire to follow Him.
On Interpretation
We believe no meaning may be read into or imposed upon Scripture that cannot clearly be read out of Scripture as plainly expressed by one or more of the human writers. Thus allegorical and figurative interpretations are to be avoided unless clearly shown to be such. It is the duty and joy of all believers to diligently study and understand the scriptures for themselves.
On the Second Coming
We believe in the physical and visible return of Jesus Christ to earth when His Kingdom will be fully established in righteousness and peace.
On the Future State
We believe in the resurrection of the body. Those who have come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ will spend eternity enjoying the presence and delights of the triune God. Those who have chosen to refuse His Lordship will suffer endlessly, not only with the absence of all that is good, but also under the weight of God’s divine standard of holiness and righteousness.
We believe in a new heaven and a new earth.
