Our Beliefs

The Bible is the complete, written word of God, sixty-six books in the Old and New Testaments, verbally inspired in all parts, and thereby wholly without error in the original manuscripts. It is to be interpreted and understood in terms of a literal, historical-grammatical approach. (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:19-21

The one, true God, Creator of all things is infinitely perfect, and eternally exists in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three persons of the Godhead have precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections, and are worthy of precisely the same homage, confidence, and obedience. (Mt. 28:18-19; Mk. 12:29; John 1:1, 14; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Hebrews 1:1-3; Rev. 1:4-6)

We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love.  We believe that He infallibly foreknows all that shall come to pass, that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and spiritual death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.  Lk. 10:21, 22; Matt. 23:9; Jn. 3:16; 6:27; Rom. 1:7; 1 Tim. 1:1, 2; 2:5, 6; 1 Pt. 1:3; Rev. 1:6

Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. He has always been, and will ever continue to be absolute deity. In His incarnation He took upon himself true humanity, and thus became the unique God-man: He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary. His purpose in the incarnation was that He might reveal God, and redeem sinful man. He lived a sinless life, died for our sins, bodily arose from the dead, and ascended into heaven. He is presently preparing a place for us as our high priest, and is coming again. (Micah 5:2; John 1:1-4, 14-18, 29; Matthew 1:16, 18-23; Hebrews 1:8, 4:15; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 Cor. 15:3-19; Acts 1:9-11; John 14:1-6, 8-12; lsa. 7:14; Luke 1:34-35; Ph. 2:5-8: 1 Tim. 2:5-6; Mt. 20:19: Eph. 1:19-21; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 12:2)

The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Godhead. He convicts the world regarding sin, righteousness, and judgment. At every believer’s point of conversion, the Holy Spirit causes spiritual rebirth, indwells, seals, bestows gifts, and baptizes the believer into the body of Christ. He continues to sanctify, guide, teach, and fill the believer who walks in obedience to the Word. (Acts 5:3-4; John 16:7-13. 3:5; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 4:30; 1 Corinthians 12:1-13, 6:11. 19; Romans 8:14; John 14:16-17; Ephesians 5:18-21)

Man was created in the image of God. Man fell into sin, resulting in physical and spiritual death, and all mankind is now sinful by nature and practice, unable to achieve salvation from sins.  Salvation is a free gift from God to man.  Man can never make up for his sin by self-improvement or good works.  (Genesis 1:26—28. 2:7. 3:1-24: Romans 3:25, 5:1 2. 6:23; Rev. 20:14: Ephesians 2:3)

The Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a substitutionary sacrifice acceptable to God, and all who receive Him “by grace through faith” are justified on the basis of His shed blood. (Mt. 20:18; l Cor. 15:3-4; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 John 2:2: Eph. 2:8-9: 1 Peter 1:18-19: Ro. 3:23-26; Ro. 5:8-10) All true believers, once saved, are forever secure in their salvation; the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit as a seal and pledge is one’s guarantee of His inheritance. All believers will be finally presented faultless in His presence. (Eph. 1:3-4; 4:30: T Pet. 1:3-5; Jude 24)

Sanctification, which is a setting apart unto God, is positional, progressive. and ultimate. Positionally it is already complete since the believer is in Christ; however, since he retains the indwelling sin principle (commonly called the “sin nature”), there is need for progressive sanctification in his daily experience whereby the Christian grows in grace by the power of the Holy Spirit. Ultimately in the presence of the Lord with the absence of the sin nature, position and practice will be consistent. Moreover, many doctrinal controversies (such as the so-called “Lordship Salvation” issue) can be resolved more readily if viewed through the grid of the entire doctrine of Sanctification as stated above. (Ro. 6-8; John 17:17; 2 Cor. 3:18; Ga. 5:16ff; I Th. 5:23; Heb. 10:10, 14; 1 Pet. 1:13-16)

All true believers are members of the body of Christ, the church, which Christ is building. This body is manifest on earth in local churches where believers assemble for teaching, fellowship, prayer, ministry, and the observance of the ordinances (non-meritorious, non-salvific) of water baptism and the Lord’s supper. (Ephesians 1:22-23, 3:4-6, 5:32: Matthew 16:18: Acts 2:41-47: Matthew 28:19-20: 1 Cor. 11:7-22; 1 Tim. 5:10; 1 Co 11:23-24)

We believe man was created to exist forever.  He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation.  To be eternally separated from God is Hell.  To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life.  Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence.  Jn. 3:16; 1 Jn. 2:25; 5:11-13; Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:15