Statement of Faith

The Holy Scriptures 

We believe in the plenary, verbal inspiration of the Old and New Testaments, which are the Word of God, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed, and that they are the final authority for faith and life.  We believe in their normal, literal interpretation (dispensational, not covenant) (II Pet. 1:21; II Tim. 3:16,17; Mt. 5:18; Jn. 16:13).

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 nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Dt. 6:4; Lk. 3:21-22; Jn. 1:1; II Cor. 13:14).

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 men (Mt. 1:20-23; Lk. 1:35; Jn. 1:1,2,14).

  2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross as the representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice in providing unlimited atonement for the sins of the whole world; that no other manner of redemption is possible; and that all who believe on Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood (Rom. 3:24,25; I Jn. 2:2; Rom. 5:9; II Cor. 5:14-21; Ac. 4:12).

  3. We believe in the literal, physical resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His ascension into heaven, and in His personal presence there for us as High Priest, thus fulfilling the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Jn. 20:19-28; Ac. 1:2-7; Heb. 7:25; 9:24-28; Rom. 8:34; I Jn. 2:1,2).     

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

  1. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the 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 (Jn. 16:8-11; II Cor. 3:6; I Cor. 12:12-14; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 1:13,14). 

  2. We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth, and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit (Jn. 16:13; I Jn. 2:20,27; Eph. 5:18).

  3. This fellowship is non-Charismatic and believes that speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles gradually ceased 1) with the ministry of the apostles chosen personally by Christ and 2) as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established (I Cor. 12:4-11; II Cor. 12:12; Eph. 4:7-12; I Cor. 13:8-10).

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 incapable of pleasing God; and, that man is totally depraved, and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Gen. 1:26,27; Rom. 3:22,23; 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3,12).

Salvation

  1. We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and that all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God (Eph. 2:8-10; Jn. 1:12; Eph. 1:7; I Pet. 1:18,19; Jn. 3:3-17).

  2. We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever (Jn. 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1,38,39; I Cor. 1:4-8; I Peter 1:5).

  3. We believe that 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 (Is. 32:17; II Tim. 1:12; Heb. 10:22; Rom. 13:13,14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15).

   

The Two Natures of the Believer

We believe that every saved person possesses two natures, with provision made for victory of the new nature over the 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.  We rejoice in our identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection and in our present position in Him in the heavenlies (Rom. 6-8; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 2:6; 4:22-24; Col. 3:1,10; I Pet. 1:14-16; I Jn. 1:8; 3:5-9).

Separation

We believe that all the saved are separated to God and should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God (II Tim. 3:1-5; Rom. 12:1,2; 14:13; I Jn. 2:15-17; II Jn. 9-11; II Cor. 6:14-7:1).

Missions

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 (Mk. 16:15; Ac. 1:8; II Cor. 5:19,20).

The Church

  1. 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 (Eph. 1:22,23; 5:25-27; I Cor. 12:12-14; II Cor. 11:2).

  2. We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures, and we believe in the autonomy of the local church, free of any external authority or control (Ac. 14:27; 20:17,28-32; I Tim. 3:1-13; Ti. 1:5-11; Ac. 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom. 16:1,4; I Cor. 5:4-7,13; I Pet. 5:1-4).

The Ordinances

We believe that the Lord’s Supper and water baptism are ordinances to be observed by the Church during this present age.  We believe that the elements used for the Lord’s Supper are symbolic of our Lord’s body and blood and do not grant life or convey grace.  Neither does water baptism in any way grant forgiveness of sins nor confer grace.  No person is qualified to have part in either of these two ordinances unless he has been born from above (I Cor. 11:23-26; Mt. 28:19,20; Ac. 18:8; Ac. 2:41,42).

The Personality of Satan

We believe that Satan is a fallen angel, who led a great company of angels into rebellion against God and is now the accuser of the brethren and the prince of this present world system.  He is the author of sin, the cause of the fall, the open and declared enemy of God and man; and he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job 1:6,7; Is. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:12-15; Mt. 4:2-11; 25:41; Jn. 12:31; II Cor. 4:4; Rev. 12:10; 20:10).

The Second Advent of Christ

We believe in that blessed hope, the personal, bodily, visible, pre-tribulation and premillennial, imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones; and in His subsequent return to earth with His saints to establish His Millennial Kingdom

(I Th. 4:13-18; Zech. 14:4-11; Rev. 19:11-16; 20:1-6; I Th. 1:10; 5:9; Rev. 3:10; Ac. 1:11; Ti. 2:11-14; John 14:1-3).

The Eternal State

  1. We believe that at death, all men continue in conscious existence, awaiting the bodily resurrection of the just and unjust:  the saved to everlasting blessedness, and the lost to everlasting torment (Lk. 16:19-31; Jn. 5:28-29; Rev. 20:12-15).

  2. We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Lk. 23:43; Rev. 20:4-6; II Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; I Th. 4:16,17).

  3. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment (Lk. 16:19-26; Mt. 25:41-46; II Th. 1:7-9; Jude 6,7; Mk. 9:43-48; Rev. 20:11-15).