Doctrinal Statement

ARTICLE III: DOCTRINAL STATEMENT 

The Scriptures

We believe that the Bible was "God-breathed" by a process of dual authorship. The Holy Spirit superintended human authors, using their own individual styles, so that they composed and recorded God's truth without error in the original manuscripts (Psa. 119:160; II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:20- 21). The Bible is the believer's only infallible rule of faith and practice (Psa. 119:105; II Tim. 3:16-17). 

The Godhead

We believe in one God, self-existent in three persons of equal nature: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Deu. 6:4; Mat. 28:19; II Cor. 13:14.) God is eternal (Psa. 90:2; I Tim. 1:17), all powerful (Jer. 32:17; Mat. 19:26), all-knowing (Psa. 139:1-4; Heb. 4:13), and unchangeable (Jam. 1:17). He is the immediate creator of all things, including the universe, heaven and earth, man, and the angels (Gen. 1:1, 21, 27; Isa. 40:26; Heb. 11:3).

The Person and Work of Jesus Christ

We believe in the Deity of Jesus Christ who became a man without ceasing to be God (Mic. 5:2; Jn. 1:1-3, 14: Php. 2:5-7; Col. 2:9). He was born of a virgin and lived a sinless life (Mat. 1:18-25; Heb. 4:15). By His substitutionary, sacrificial death on a cross, He made atonement for the sins of the world (Isa. 53:4-6; II Cor. 5:14-15; I Jn. 2:2). We believe in His bodily resurrection three days after His death, and in His ascension to heaven where He presently intercedes as High Priest on behalf of His people (Luk. 24:1-8; I Cor. 15:3-4; Heb. 4:14) and functions as head of His body, the church (Eph. 1:22-23, 5:23). We believe in the personal, imminent coming of Jesus Christ for His church before the tribulation period and in His subsequent premillennial return to earth to set up His kingdom ( I The. 1:9-10, 4:13-18; Rev. 20:1-6). 

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit as the third person in the Godhead (Mat. 28:19; Rom. 8:23; Eph. 4:30; I Cor. 12:11). He was involved in creation (Gen. 1:2; Job 33:4,) in the giving of God's revelation (Mic. 3:8; II Pet. 1:21,) and in the conception and ministry of Jesus Christ (Mat. 1:20; Luk. 4:1). He convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment (Jn. 16:7- 11). The Spirit calls men to Christ (Rev. 22:17) regenerating (Jn. 3:3-7) indwelling (Rom. 8:9) baptizing (I Cor. 12:13) and sealing them (Eph. 1:13-14, 4:30) at conversion. The Holy Spirit is active in the life of the submissive believer (Eph. 5:18) as He guides and teaches (Jn. 16:13; I Cor. 2:10), provides assurance (Rom. 8:16), empowers (Rom. 8:13), and gifts individual believers (Rom. 12:6-8; I Cor. 12:11). 

Creation

We believe that the biblical account of creation as recorded in Genesis 1 and 2 and consistently referred to in other passages is to be accepted literally rather that figuratively or allegorically; that God created all things out of nothing previously existing by the power of His Word. We believe that God did this in six days of twenty-four hours, rather than by evolutionary changes or developments over long periods of time; that all plant and animal life was created directly and subsequently reproduced only its kind. (Genesis 1 and 2; Exodus 20:11; Colossians 1:16, 17; Hebrews 4:3-4) 

Man

We believe that God created one man and one woman in the image and likeness of God, thus functioning as God’s representative on earth (Gen. 1:26-27). However, by virtue of Adam’s sin, all men are sinners, alienated from God, and unable to remedy this condition (Rom. 3:23; 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3, 12). We believe that at creation of man and woman God instituted marriage between husband (singular) and wife (singular), commanding them to be fruitful and multiply, and thus establishing the example and pattern of the family. (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:21-25; Matthew 19:4-6) We uphold the sanctity of marriage as Godordained, a special union between a man and a woman, within which sexual relations are honored and affirmed by God (Gen 2:22-25). We hold the conviction that all sexual unions, outside of marriage as thus defined, are sinful (Prov. 5:15-23; Rom. 1:26-27; 1 Cor. 6:9-10). 

Salvation

We believe that our salvation has been accomplished solely by Jesus Christ's death on the cross (Rom. 5:8-10; I Pet. 2:24). Salvation is God's free gift of eternal life provided by His grace and received by man through repentance and personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Jn. 3:16; Eph. 2:3-10). Once saved, believers are kept safe and secure in Christ forever (Jn. 10:27-30; Rom. 8:28-30). 

The Believer's Walk

We believe that Christians are exhorted to live lives controlled by the Holy Spirit and not to yield to the lusts of the flesh (Gal. 5:16-26). Christians are commanded to live holy lives and have the God-given resources to do so (Php. 2:13-14; I Pet. 1:14-16). 

The Angels and Satan

We believe that angels were created by God in holiness before the creation of the world (Job 38:4-7; Col. 1:16; Jud. 6). They are personal spiritual beings who perform a variety of ministries for God (Luk. 2:13, 15:10; Heb. 1:14; I Pet. 1:12; Jud. 6). Demons are angels who rebelled with Satan against God and are led by Satan in opposing God's work (Mat. 12:24-27, 25:41; Eph. 6:11- 12; Rev. 12:7-9). Satan is the chief of fallen angels, the originator of sin, and the enemy of God and God's people. He may be resisted by believers, and will be eternally punished with his angels in the lake of fire (Gen. 3:1-19; Job 1:6-7; Mat. 4:2-11, 25:41; Eph. 6:10-13; I Pet. 5:8). 

The Church

We believe that the church is the body and bride of Christ and is a spiritual organism made up of all Christians of this present age (Eph. 1:22-23, 5:25-27; I Cor. 12:12-14; Col. 1:24-27). This universal organism is organized into local assemblies of believers (cf. I Cor. 1:2; I The. 1:1). These local churches carry the mission of worship, evangelism and edification (cf Acts 2:42-47; and they observe the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Supper (Mat. 28:19; Acts 8:36-38; 10:48; I Cor. 11:26). Each local church maintains it's own autonomy under the headship of Jesus Christ, being led by elders (pastors) and deacons, (Eph. 5:23; Php. 1:1; Acts 20:17,28; I Tim. 3:1-13). Individual believers have the responsibility to use their gifts and do the work of service ( I Cor. 12:12-27; Eph. 4:12). 

The Second Advent

We believe in the Second Coming of Christ that His return from heaven will be pre-millennial, personal, physical, visible, and glorious - a blessed hope for which we should constantly watch and pray, the time being unrevealed, but always imminent (Acts 1:11, Rev. 1:7, Mk. 13:33-37, Tit. 2:11-13, Rev. 22:20). 

The Eternal State

At physical death, unsaved persons wait in the temporary state of conscious torment until final judgment (Luk. 16:19-31). Believers who die go to be at home with the Lord (II Cor. 5:8; Php. 1:23). They await the resurrection of their bodies (II Cor. 5:1-9). God's people, the righteous, will spend eternity in the presence of God in heaven (Jn. 14:2-3; I The. 4:17; Rev. 21:1-3, 22:5). The unrighteous will experience conscious, eternal punishment in hell, separated from the presence of God (Isa. 66:24; Mat. 8:12, 25:41, 46; Mk. 9:43-48; II The. 1:9; Rev. 20:14). 

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