WHAT WE BELIEVE

We believe the Holy Scriptures to be the verbally inspired word of God, authoritative, eternal and without error in the original manuscripts and testify of Jesus Christ (Matt. 4:4; Luke 24-27, 47; John 5:39, 20:30, 31). We further believe that the Scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments are designed for our practical instruction in faith and conduct. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; Rom. 15:4). Although there may be various applications of any given scripture, there is only ONE true interpretation given by the Holy Spirit to the prophets and apostles (2 Peter 1:21; 1 Cor. 2:10-16).

We believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and that these three are one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19, 20). We believe God chose to reveal the invisible attributes of eternity past through His words and works (Gen. 1:1; Rom. 1:20; Psalm 19:1-6). We also believe that though they are equal, there is an apparent willful submission within their inter-relationship. The Father is God, but He is not the Son or the Holy Spirit (Matt. 3:16, 17). Jesus is God (John 1:1-4) yet He is not the Father to whom He submits or the Holy Spirit who testifies of Him (John 1:14, 5:19; Matt. 4:1). The Holy Spirit is God, yet He is not the Father from whom He proceeds or the Son who sent Him (John 15:26, 14:16, 17). We further believe that the fullness of the Godhead is embodied in Jesus Christ, and we are complete in Him (Col 2:9, 10).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, came into the world, that He might manifest God to men (John 1:1, 2, 14) fulfill prophecy, and become the Redeemer of a lost world. To this end, He was born of the Virgin Mary (Gal. 4:4-5), received a human body and a sinless human nature, without ceasing to be God (Phil. 2:5-8). We believe that in infinite love for the lost, He voluntarily accepted and obeyed His Father’s will and became the divinely provided sacrificial Lamb and took away the sins of the world (John 1:29; Rev.13:8). We believe God reconciled us to Himself through the sacrifice of His Son (2 Cor.5:21). We believe he died in the place of fallen humanity thus satisfying the wrath of God (1 John 2:2, 4:10). We believe that He was raised from the dead in the same body, though glorified (Luke 24:13-32; John 20:26, 27), in which He had lived and died. His resurrected body is the pattern of that body which ultimately will be given to all believers (1 Cor. 15:35-50). We believe that on departing from earth He was accepted by His Father, and that is the final assurance to us that His redeeming work was perfectly accomplished (Heb. 9:24-28, 12:1, 2). We believe that He became Head over all things to the church, which is His body, and in this ministry, He does not cease to intercede and to be an advocate for the saved (Eph. 1: 22, 23; Col. 2:18; Heb. 7:25). We believe that Jesus Christ will receive unto Himself into Heaven, all who have died in Christ and those who are alive and remain unto His coming, (John 14:1-4; 1Thessalonians 4:13- 18).

We believe the Holy Spirit is God (John 15:26; Acts 5:3, 4) who has personality to speak (Acts 28:25) teach (John 14:26) and convince (John 16:8). He can be grieved (Eph. 4:30) quenched (1 Thess. 5:19). He has intellect (1 Cor. 2:10-13 and helps by abiding within believers forever (John 14:16). We believe that He was sent to permanently abide in believers on the Israelite feast Day of Pentecost after the ascension of Jesus to the Father (Acts 2:1-4). Note: “He came on the Day of Pentecost and it was not “Pentecost” because He came.” We believe He baptizes believers into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:12, 13) and that He is the seal of promise concerning our redemption (Eph. 1:13, 14). He is the ultimate means for the evidence of the power of God working in our lives (1 Cor. 2:1-5) and for understanding the things of God (1 Cor. 2:10-16). We believe He is our defense against the flesh (Gal. 5:16-26). We believe that He imparts spiritual gifts to each member of the body of Christ (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11) for the express purpose of glorifying God (1 Pet. 4:10-11). We believe He came to testify of Jesus Christ and does not seek to be worshipped (John 16:7-15).

We believe sin to be the willful act of humanity in Adam and Eve to operate independently and rebelliously against God (Gen. 3:1-7) with the consequence of spiritual separation and death for all people (Rom. 5:12). We believe all people are born with sinful intentions (Gen 6:5, 8:21; Psalm 51:5) are depraved and with no inclinations to seek or know God (Gen 3:8; Rom. 1:18-23, 3:10-18). We believe God determined in eternity past that the only means to save humanity from sin was His Son Jesus Christ (Rev. 13:8; Gen. 3:15; Gal. 4:4-5; John 3:16). Therefore, He came preaching repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand (Matt. 4:17; Mark 1:15). We believe that no one can enter the kingdom of God without being born again spiritually (John 3:3; John 5:1). We believe the new birth comes only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God (John 1:12, 13; 14:1-6). We believe that the blood of our Jesus Christ has accomplished our redemption (Eph. 1:7; Heb. 9:12) by the grace of God as an unmerited gift, given in love by God and not the result of any human works (Eph. 2:4, 5, 8, 9). We believe that upon trusting the Lord Jesus Christ as our personal sin bearer we immediately move out of Satan’s realm, into spiritual life in Christ and fellowship with God (Eph. 2:1-3; 1Pet. 2:9, 10). We also believe that once salvation is accomplished, all true believers everywhere shall be kept saved forever (John 10:28, 29; John 5:11-13; 1Cor. 5:1-5). True believers embrace eternal security as a grace bestowed and not as license or liberty to sin (Rom. 6:1, 2).

We believe that the church as a group, gathers together for practical instruction in the Scriptures, fellowship with God and with other believers, and for corporate witness to the unsaved world. Our common spiritual goal is to grow toward Christ’s likeness (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:42; Ephesians 2:11-18, 4:13-16). We believe that the explicit message of our Lord Jesus Christ to those whom He has saved is to make Him known to the whole world and that is the focus of the church as individuals (Rom. 1:16, 17; 1Cor. 1:18-25). We believe the primary purpose of the church is to glorify the character attributes and perfection of God (Rom. 5:1, 2; 1Cor. 10:31; 2Cor. 3:18; Gal. 1:3-5; Eph. 1:6, 12, 14; Phil. 1:11; Col. 1:27; 1Thess. 2:12; 2Thess. 2:14; 1Tim. 1:17; 2Tim. 4:18; Heb. 13:21; 1Pet. 1:6-8, 4:11; 2Pet. 3:18; Jude 1:24, 25; Rev. 1:6). We believe Jesus gave gifts to the church (Eph. 4:11) to equip the body to help each other grow, resist false doctrine, and speak the truth in love (Eph. 4:12-15). We believe through what He supplies to each of us, we do our share for all of us (Eph. 4:16). We believe in the biblical structure of servant leadership (Exodus 18:13-27; Acts 6:1-7; 1Timothy 2:8-3:16; Titus 1:1-16; Hebrews 13:7 & 17). We believe that church discipline must be applied in cases where a believer fails to maintain holiness and unity within the local assembly (Matt. 18:15-20; 1Cor. 5; Titus 3:9-11).

We believe that all believers are indwelled by the Holy Spirit and should seek to live by His power, which includes separating ourselves from worldliness, witnessing by life and word to the truth and exercising our spiritual gifts (Gal. 5:16-26; Romans 12:1, 2; 1Cor. 12:1-11). We believe that we work out our own salvation (Phil 2:12) not in order to be saved but because we are saved (Eph. 2:10). We also believe we should prepare ourselves for spiritual warfare by putting on the whole armor of God (Eph. 6:10-17) and pray without ceasing (Matt. 6:9-13, Luke 18:1; Phil. 4:6; 1Thess. 5:17).