Section 1- THE SCRIPTURES:
We believe in the complete verbal inspiration of the Scriptures, including both Old and New Testaments, by which we understand that the Holy Spirit not only inspired the thoughts of the writers but also formulated the very word structure into which the thoughts were cast in the original documents. The Bible, as the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God, is the standard for all we believe and do. (1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:20,21)
Section 2- THE GODHEAD:
We believe there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; that they are equal in every divine perfection; and that they execute distinct, but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption. (Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-4; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 9:14; Genesis 1:2
Section 3- THE FATHER:
We believe in God, the Father, an infinite personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, that He saves from sin and spiritual death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. (John 3:16-17; John 4:24; John 17:5).
Section 4- JESUS CHRIST:
We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, who was 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, future return for His Church, and personal visible return to earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. (Isaiah 7:14; John 1:14; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 1:2-3; 1 John 1:7; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 19:11-16).
Section 5- THE HOLY SPIRIT:
We believe that the Holy Spirit in the present age indwells all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, baptizes them into the body of Christ at the time of their salvation, seals them unto the day of redemption, empowers believers for witnessing, equips them with spiritual gifts for service, and that every believer is commanded of God to be filled with the Holy Spirit. We are mindful of the cautions in Scripture regarding the use of “sign gifts,” especially as it relates to public worship and would describe ourselves as "non-charismatic". (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:12,14; 1 Corinthians 14; Ephesians 1:13,14; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:18,20).
Section 6- MAN'S CREATION AND FALL:
We believe that humanity was created in the image and likeness of God. We believe God creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image of God. We believe that in Adam's sin the race fell, inherited a sin nature, consequent alienation from God, came under a judicial sentence of death and apart from the redeeming work of Christ stand radically depraved and justly condemned. (Genesis 1:25,27; John 3:17-18; Romans 3:22,23; Ephesians 2:12; Romans 5:12)
Section 7- SALVATION:
We believe that all men are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation. We believe that those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are saved from the penalty of sin, born again unto eternal life by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, and brought into personal fellowship with God. We believe that this salvation is a free gift from God, effected upon the grounds of the shed blood of Jesus Christ alone, that it is given by grace and received by faith, and that apart from Jesus Christ salvation is impossible. (John 1:12-13; 3:3, 16-17; Acts 4:12; 20:21; Ephesians 2:1-9; Titus 3:5)
Section 8- THE CHURCH:
We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the Head and all born again persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a community of believers in Jesus Christ, who have been baptized by immersion subsequent to profession of their faith in Christ, and who are associated for worship, work, 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. (Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 2:38-41; Ephesians 2:19-22; 5:25-27; Matthew 28:18-20)
Section 9- CHRISTIAN CONDUCT:
We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well-being of his fellow man, 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. (Matthew 5:16; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 2:14-16; Colossians 3:17-23; 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18)
Section 10- THE 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 a believer into 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 the two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41; 8:38-39; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32).
Section 11- RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
We believe that human beings have a direct relationship with God, and are responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and must be free from interference by an ecclesiastical or political authority; that, therefore, Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from dictation or patronage of the other. (Matthew 22:21; Acts 4:18-19, 29; Romans 13:7; 1 Peter 2:9).
Section 12-THE LAST THINGS/ END TIMES
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 blessedness of the saved, and the endless destruction of the lost. (Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:1-15).
Section 13- THE SANCTITY OF LIFE AND MARRIAGE
Because humanity has been created in the image of God, all human life is sacred. We affirm the infinite value of pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We believe God has ordained marriage to unite one genetic man and one genetic woman in a single, exclusive union under the authority of God. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to only occur between a man and a woman who are married to each other. We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest and the use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. (Genesis 1:27; Genesis 2:18-25; Hebrews 13:4-7; Matthew 15:18-20; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 7:2-5).
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