| WHAT WE BELIEVE
| |
About The Bible…
We
believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without
error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the
Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith
and conduct.2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pt. 1:20, 21; Mk. 13:31; Jn. 8:31, 32; John 20:31; Acts 20:32
About The Trinity...
We believe that there
is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons; that
these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute
distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence,
and redemption.Gen. 1:1, 26; Jn. 1:1, 3; Matt. 28:19; Rom. 1:19, 20; Eph. 4:5,6
About God The Father…
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
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
About Jesus Christ…
We believe in Jesus
Christ, God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit.We
believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We
believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection,
ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and
personal visible return to earth.Matt. 1:18-25; Lk. 1:26-38; Jn.
1:1; 20:28; Rom. 8:46; 9:5; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Pt. 2:21-23; Jn. 20:30, 31;
Matt. 20:28; Eph. 1:4; Acts 1:11; Rom. 5:6-10; Heb. 7:25; 9:28; 1 Tim.
3:16
About The Holy Spirit…
We believe in
the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the
world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify,
and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy
Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding
helper, teacher, and guide.Jn. 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26, 27; Jn. 16:9-14; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; Gal. 5:22-23
About Salvation…
We believe that man
was created by God in His own image; that he sinned and thereby
incurred physical, spiritual, and eternal death, which is separation
from God; that as a consequence, all human beings are born with a
sinful nature and are sinners by choice and therefore under
condemnation.Salvation is a free gift from God to man.Man can never
make up for his sin by self-improvement or good works. We believe that
those who repent and forsake sin and trust Jesus Christ as Lord and
Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become new creatures,
delivered from condemnation and receive eternal life.Eternal life
begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.Gen.
1:26; 5:2; Gen. 3; Gen. 2:17; 3:19; Eccl. 2:11; Jn. 3:14; 5:24; Jn.
5:30; 7:13; 8:12; 10:26; Rom. 9:22; 2 Thess. 1:9; Rev. 19:3, 20; 20:10,
14, 15; 21:18; Ps. 51:7; Jer. 17:9; Jn. 1:14; Rom. 3:19; Prov. 28:13; 1
Jn. 1:9; Jn. 3:16; Jn. 1:13; 2 Cor. 5:17; Rom. 8:1; Rom. 6:23; Eph.
2:8-9; Jn. 14:6; 1:12; Titus 3:5; Gal. 3:26; Rom. 5:1
About Eternal Security…
We
believe the security of our salvation rests upon the gift that God has
given us in the death, burial, and resurrection of His Son, Jesus
Christ. It is impossible to lose your salvation because it is
maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the
Christian. It is the sealing and sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit
that gives us this security. There is a falling away of some believers,
but if it persists; it shows that their faith was not genuine and they
were not born of God.Jn. 10:29-30; 2 Tim. 1:12; Heb. 7:25, 10:10-14; 1 Pt. 1:3-5; Rom. 8:38-39, 11:29; Eph. 1:13-14; 1 Jn. 2:19; Lk. 8:9-14
About Eternity…
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
About The Church…
We believe in the
local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ,
baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship,
good works, and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the
members of the local church the primary task of giving the gospel of
Jesus Christ to a lost world. Eph. 2:19-22; Acts 1:8; Eph. 5:19-21; Acts 2:42; Heb. 10:23-25
About Christian Maturity…
We believe
that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well being of
his fellow men; that his conduct should be blameless before the world;
that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that he
should seek to realize for himself and others the full stature of
maturity in Christ.1 Cor. 10:31; Rom. 12:1-3; Heb. 12:1-2; Jn. 14:15, 23-24; 2 Cor. 9:6-9; 1 Cor. 1:9-10
About Church Ordinances…
We believe
that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local
church, baptism and the Lord's Supper. We believe that Christian
baptism is the immersion of the believer in the water in the name of
the triune God.We believe that the Lord's Supper was instituted by
Christ for commemoration of His death. We believe that these two
ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the
Lord Jesus Christ.Matt. 28:18-20; Rom. 6:3-5; 1 Cor. 11:23-26
About Last Things…
We believe in the
personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the
establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the
body, the final judgment, the eternal joy of the righteous and the
endless suffering of the wicked. Matt. 16:27; Mk. 14:62; Jn. 14:3; Acts 1:11; Phil. 3:20; 1 Thess. 4:15; 2 Tim. 4:1; Titus 2:13