THE BIBLE

We believe and teach the authority and sufficiency of the Holy Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, as originally written; that it was verbally and plenarily inspired, the product of Spirit-controlled men, and, is truth without any admixture of error, and therefore is infallible and inerrant in all matters of which it speaks. We believe the Bible to be the true center of Christian unity and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions, shall be tried.

          2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3,19-21

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TRUE GOD

We believe and teach that there is one and only one living and true God, and infinite Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.

          Exodus 20:2, 3; 1 Corinthians 8:6;  Revelation 4:11

 

HOLY SPIRIT        

We believe and teach that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that he was active in the creation; that in his relation to the unbelieving world he restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that he convicts of sin, of righteousness and of judgment; that he bears witness to the truth of the gospel in preaching and testimony; that he is the agent in the new birth; that he seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, comforts and helps the believer.  We believe that the sign/revelatory gifts of the Holy Spirit have fulfilled their purpose and are not applicable to the work of the Holy Spirit today, gradually ceasing with the death of the apostles and the completion of the canon of Scripture.

          John 14:16, 17;  Matthew 28:19;  Hebrews 9:14;  John 14:26;  Luke 1:35; Genesis 1:1-3;  John 16:8-11;  Acts 5:30-32;  John 3:5, 6;  Ephesians 1:13, 14; Mark 1:8;  John 1:33;  Acts 11:16;  Luke 24:49;  Romans 8:14, 16, 26, 27;  1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28-30; 13:8-10; 14:1-40;  2 Corinthians 12:12;   Hebrews 2:2-4

 

DEVIL/SATAN     

We believe and teach the reality and personality of Satan, the Devil; that he was created by God as an angel but through pride and rebellion became the enemy of his Creator; that he is the unholy god of this age, and the ruler of all the powers of darkness, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire.

          Matthew 4:1-3;  2 Corinthians 4:4;  1 Peter 5:8;   Revelation 20:10

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CREATION        

We accept and teach the Genesis account of the creation of the physical universe, angels and man; that this account is neither allegory nor myth, but a literal, historical account of the direct, creative acts of God in six twenty-four hour days without any evolutionary process; that man was created by a direct work of God and not from previously existing forms of life; and that all men are descended from the historical Adam and Eve, the first parents of the entire human race.

          Genesis, chapters 1 and 2;  Acts 17:28;   Romans 11:36; Colossians 1:16-17;   John 1:3

 

FALL OF MAN        

We believe and teach that man was created in innocence (in the image and likeness of God) under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression  Adam fell from his sinless and happy state, and all have sinned in him, the consequence of which is that all mankind are now sinners, not only by constraint, but of choice; and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse.

          Genesis 3:1-6, 24;  Romans 5:10-19;   Romans 1:18, 32

 

VIRGIN BIRTH

We believe and teach that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner, and in total fulfillment of Old Testament Messianic  prophecy was born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man has ever been born or can ever be born of woman, and that he is totally man and totally God.

          Genesis 3:15;  Isaiah 7:14;  Matthew 1:18-25;  John 1:4

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ATONEMENT FOR SIN

We believe and teach that the salvation of sinners is divinely initiated and wholly by grace; through the mediatorial offices of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father, voluntarily took upon himself our nature, and yet was without sin.  He honored the divine law by his personal obedience, and by his death made a full and  vicarious atonement for our sins; his atonement consisted not in setting us an example by his death as a martyr, but was a voluntary substitution of himself in the sinner’s place, the just dying for the unjust; Christ, the Lord, bearing our sin in his own body on the tree. Having risen from the dead, he is now enthroned in Heaven, and uniting in his wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection.  He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, compassionate, and all-sufficient Savior.

          Ephesians 2:8;  Acts 15:11;  Romans 3:23-25;  John 3:16;  10:18;  Matthew 18:11;  Philippians 2:7-8;  Hebrews 2:14-17;  Isaiah 53:4-7;  1 John 4:10;  1 Corinthians 15:3;  2 Corinthians 5:21;  1 Peter 2:24; 3:18

 

GRACE AND THE NEW CREATION

We believe and teach that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous, not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and sin is made partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life.  This free gift of God is brought about in a manner beyond our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with the truth of the Word of God, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel. The evidence of the new birth appears in the fruit of the Spirit, repentance, faith and newness of life.

         John 3:3;  2 Corinthians 5:17;  1 john 5:1;  John 3:6-7;  Acts 16:20-33; 2 Peter 1:4;  Romans 6:23;   Ephesians 2:1;  Colossians 2:13; John 3:8; Galatians 5:22-23

 

JUSTIFICATION

We believe and teach that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to those who trust in him is justification; including the pardon of sin and the gift of eternal life, on the principles of Christ’s righteousness.  It is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely on the basis of faith in the Redeemer’s shed blood, through which his righteousness is imputed to us.

          Acts 13:39;  Isaiah 53:11;  Zechariah 13:1;  Romans 3:24; 4:5; 8:1; 5:1, 9; Philippians  3:9;  Galatians 2:16

 

FAITH, SALVATION, and SANCTIFICATION

We believe and teach that the new birth of the believer comes only through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and that repentance is a vital part of believing.

          Matthew 26:28;  John 1:12; 3:5,16,18,36;  5:24; 6:29; 14:6; Acts 13:39; 16:31;  Romans 1:16-17; 3:22,26; 4:5; 5:6-9; 6:23; 10:4; 2 Corinthians 5:21;  Galatians 6:15;  Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-9; Philippians 3:4-9;  Titus 3:5-7;  James 1:18;  1 Peter 1:18-19,23

 

We further believe and teach that sanctification is the divine setting apart of the believer unto God accomplished in a threefold manner;  first, an eternal act of God, based upon redemption in Christ,   establishing the believer in a position of holiness at the moment he trusts the Savior; second,  a continuing process in the saint as the Holy Spirit applies the Word of God to the life; third, the final accomplishment of this process at the Lord’s return.

          John 17:17; 1 Corinthians 1:2,8,30; 6:11; 2 Corinthians 3:18, 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, 5:23; Hebrews 3:1; 10:10-14; 12:14;  1 Peter 2:11;  1 John 1:5-7; 3:2,5-9;  Jude 1:24-25

 

LOCAL CHURCH

We believe and teach that a local church is a congregation of redeemed and immersed believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by his laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by his Word. Its officers are pastors, and deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties, are clearly defined in the Scriptures. 

We believe and teach that the true mission of the church is the faithful making of disciples, proclaiming Christ to all men as we have opportunity. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only head is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is scriptural for true churches to co-operate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; that each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its co-operation; on all matters of membership, of  policy, of government , of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final.

         Acts 2:41-42;  1 Corinthians 11:2;  Ephesians 1:22-23;  Ephesians 4:11; Acts 20:17-28;  1 Timothy 3:17;  Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23-24; Acts 15:13-18;  1 Timothy 3:1-13;  Titus 1:6-9

 

BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER

We believe and teach that Christian Baptism is the single immersion of a believer in water to show a solemn and beautiful demonstration of our identification with the crucified, buried and risen Savior, through whom we die to sin and are raised to a new life. Baptism is to be performed under the authority of the local church and is pre-requisite to the privileges of church membership.

 

We believe and teach that the Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of his death until he comes, and should be preceded always by solemn self-examination.

          Acts 8:26-39;  John 3:23;  Romans 6:3-5;  Matthew 3:16;  Colossians  2:12;  1 Corinthians 11:23-28

 

SECURITY and PERSEVERANCE of BELIEVERS

We believe and teach that all who are truly born again are kept by God the Father for Jesus Christ and will endure unto the end; that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that providence watches over their welfare; and they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.

          Philippians 1:6;  John 10:28-29;  Romans 8:35-39;  Jude 1:1; 2 Corinthians 5:17

 

RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED

We believe and teach that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in his sight.  All such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight, wicked and under the curse. This distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost.

          Malachi  3:18;  Genesis 18:23;  Romans 6:17-18;  1 John 5:19;  Romans 7:6;  Romans 6:23;  Proverbs 14:32;  Luke 6:25; Matthew 25:34-41;  John 8:21

 

CIVIL GOVERNMENT

We believe and teach that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society; that God ordained leaders are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed; except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the coming Prince of the Kings of the earth.

          Romans 13:1-7;  2 Samuel 23.23:  Exodus 18:21-22;  Acts 23:5; Matthew 22:21

 

RAPTURE AND SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

We believe and teach the pretribulational and premillennial return of Christ, an event which can occur at any moment, and that at that moment the dead in Christ shall be raised in glorified bodies, and the living in Christ shall be given glorified bodies without tasting death, and all shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air before the seven years of the Tribulation.  We believe that the Tribulation, which follows the rapture of the church, will be culminated by the revelation of Christ in power and great glory to sit upon the throne of David and to establish the millennial kingdom.

          John 14:1-6;  1 Thessalonians 4:13-18;  1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 51-54; Philippians 3:20, 21;  Revelation 3:10;  Daniel 9:25-27; Matthew 24:29-31;  Luke 1:30-33;  Isaiah 9:6,7;  11:1-9;  Acts 2:29, 30; Revelation 20:1-4, 6

 

SANCTITY OF LIFE

We believe and teach that human life is a gift from God and that we are created in the image of God and are the crown of his creation.  We believe life begins at conception, that the unborn child is a living human being, and that man does not have the authority to intentionally terminate an innocent life of any age or condition, whether our own or that of another.  Furthermore, we will seek to meet the needs of the elderly and sick and seek to protect others from harm, whether from abortion, euthanasia, human trafficking, or other abuses.

          Genesis 2:7;  Genesis 1:27;  Exodus 20:13;  Psalm 127:3;  Psalm 119:73; Psalm 139:13-16;  Acts 17:25

 

MARRIAGE AND HUMAN SEXUALITY

1. We believe and teach that any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pedophilia, pornography, any attempt to change one's sex or disagreement with one's biological sex, is sinful and offensive to God.

          Leviticus 18:1-30;  Matthew 5:8;  Romans 1:26-27;  1Corinthians 5:1-5; 6:9-10; 1 Thessalonians  4:1-8

 

2. We believe and teach that homosexuality, in particular, is subject to God's wrath of abandonment, is a matter of choice and not inherited status, and epitomizes man's ungrateful rebellion against God.

          Romans 1:18-27

 

3. We believe and teach that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity. Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward any individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture or the doctrines of the church. We teach that the faithful proclamation of the Scripture, including the call to repentance, does not constitute hate speech, or hateful and harassing behavior, but is instead a fundamental part of the church's loving mission to the world.

          Matthew 28:16-20;  2 Corinthians 5:11-20;  1 Timothy 1:5;  2 Timothy 4:1-5

 

4. We believe and teach that the term "marriage" has only one meaning and that is marriage sanctioned by God which joins one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in scripture.

          Genesis. 2:23-24

 

5. We believe and teach that God offers redemption and forgiveness to all who confess and forsake their sin, including sexual sin, seeking his mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. We teach that his forgiveness is total and complete and that God imputes the full righteousness of Christ to the believing sinner. We teach that the forgiven sinner has been cleansed from the guilt of sin, set apart unto God, or made holy, and justified before him and that any man or woman who has received that forgiveness is "in Christ" and is a "new creation."

          Psalm 103:11-12; 130:3-4;  Isaiah 43:25; 44:22;  John 5:24;  Colossians 2:13-14; 2 Corinthians. 5:21;  1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 2 Corinthians 5:17

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