Doctrinal Statement
A. THE HOLY SCRIPTURES
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally, inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God breathed. (II Timothy 3:16,17; II Peter 1:20,21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12,13).
B. THE GODHEAD
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - co-eternal in being, co-identical in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deuteronomy 6:14; II Corinthians 13:14).
C. THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST
1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. (John 1:12,14).
2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal physical resurrection from the dead. (Romans 3:24,25; I Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5).
3. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:9,10; Hebrews 8:1, 7:25, 9:4; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1,2).
D. THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
1. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; II Corinthians 3:6; I Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14).
2. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Teacher who guides believers unto all truth; and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Holy Spirit. (John 16:13; I John 2:20,27; Ephesians 5:18).
3. We believe that the Holy Spirit bestowed spiritual gifts upon all believers and that every believer glorifies God and edifies the body of Christ when maturely exercising those gifts. No gift mentioned in the Scripture, when exercised decently and in order, according to His will, should be discouraged or forbidden as this is contrary to the will of God. (I Corinthians 12:1-11, 13:1-13, 14:37-40; Ephesians 4:1-6; James 1:16-19).
E. THE TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MAN
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and that man is totally depraved, and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Genesis 1:26,27; Romans 3:22,23, 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3,12).
F. SALVATION
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of sins. (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:18,19).
G. THE SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER
We believe that every true child of God possesses eternal life and is therefore, safe and secure for all eternity, being justified by faith, sanctified by God, and sealed by the Holy Spirit; he cannot lose his salvation. However, a Christian can through sin, lose his fellowship, joy, power, testimony, and reward and incur the Fathers chastisement. Relationship is eternal being established by the new birth; fellowship, however, is dependent upon obedience. (1 Corinthians 3:11-17; Hebrews 12:5-11; 1 Corinthians 11:30-32)
H. THE TWO NATURES OF THE BELIEVER
We believe that every saved person possesses two natures, with provision made for the victory of his/her new nature in Christ over his/her old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit; and that all claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural. (Romans 6:13, 8:12,13; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:10; I Peter 1:14-16; I John 3:5-9)
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I. MISSIONS
We believe that it is the privilege of the saved to witness by life and by word to the truths of the Holy Scripture and to seek to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind. (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians 5:19,20).
J. THE CHURCH
1. We believe that the Church, which is the body of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons. (Ephesians 1:22,23, 5:25-27; I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 11:2).
2. We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. (Acts 14:27, 20:17,28-32; I Timothy 3:13
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3. We recognize the ordinances of water baptism by immersion subsequent to salvation and the Lord's Supper as a Scriptural means of testimony for the church of this age. Matthew 28:19,20; Acts 2:41,42, 18:8; I Corinthians 11:23-36).
K. THE PERSONALITY OF SATAN
We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the fall; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. (Job 1:6,7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11, 25:41; Revelation 20:10.
L. THE ETERNAL STATE
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29, 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5,6,12,13).
