What We Believe

SECTION 1  We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory and having the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4, II Corinthians 13:14).

SECTION 2  We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired Word of God, wholly inerrant in the original writing, infallible and God-breathed, the final authority for faith and life (II Timothy 3:16, 17; Matthew 5:18; II Peter 1:20; John 16:12,13).

We believe the inspiration of Scripture has been preserved in the King James Version (Psalm 12:6, 7). We practice and promote a preference for it over all other English versions of the Bible.

SECTION 3   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 men (John 1:1,2,14; Luke 1:35). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, substitutionary sacrifice in providing an unlimited atonement for the sins of the whole world; 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). 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 9:24; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1-2).

SECTION 4  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; Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 3:22-23, 5:12). 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 our sins (Ephesians 2:8-12; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:18, 19). The Christian has two natures, one carnal and one spiritual, which become a source of spiritual conflict (Romans 8:1-13; I Corinthians 2:15-3:4). While his position is perfect in Christ, the believer’s present condition is no more perfect that his daily experience. He is called upon to live a separated life and can have a spiritually mature experience in which he will evidence the fruits of righteousness through the new nature, the Holy Spirit’s control, and the assimilation of God’s Word (II Corinthians 7:1; John 17:14, 16; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-32, 5:17-21). We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 8-39; I Corinthians 1: 4-8; I Peter 1:5). We believe it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word; which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Romans 13:13-14; Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-15).

SECTION 5  We believe that the Church, which is the body and espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this present age (Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:25-27; I Corinthians 12:12-13; II Corinthians 11:2). 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 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has left two ordinances to be observed by the local church in commemoration of His person and word. The one is that of baptism (immersion) in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The other is the partaking of the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41, 46-47; Acts 16:33; I Corinthians 11:23-32).

No person is qualified to have part in either of these two ordinances unless he has been born from above.

SECTION 6  We believe that God gives spiritual enabling gifts for service to all believers (Romans 12:6-8; I Corinthians 12:4-11; Ephesians 4:11-16). We believe that the apostolic age of signs and gifts of healing and tongues ceased with the ministry of the apostles chosen personally by Christ and with the completion of the written Word of God. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign neither of the baptism nor of the filling of the Spirit. The gifts which remain are sufficient for the ministry and the perfecting of the Church today. We believe that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith, according to His will, for the sick and afflicted (James 5:14-15.

SECTION 7   We believe that it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and by word to the truths of Holy Scripture and to seek to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians 5:19-20).

SECTION 8  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, 13).

SECTION 9  We believe, according to Scripture, in the pre-millennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ; that his second coming will be a literal, bodily, personal appearance to the earth; that His coming for His Bride – the Church – precedes the Tribulation and constitutes the “Blessed Hope” set before us, for which we should be constantly looking (Matthew 24:27,30,44; John 14:1-3; I Thessalonians 1:10; 4:13-17; Revelation 19:11-19).