We believe in the Scriptures, consisting of the Old and New

Testaments only, as the verbal-plenary inspired Word of God,

inerrant in the original writings, and that they are the supreme and

ultimate authority for faith and practice.  II Timothy 3:16-17;

Isaiah 8:20; II Peter 1:21; I Thessalonians 5:21.

 

 

We believe that there is one and only one, living and true God,

an infinite, intelligent Spirit whose name is JEHOVAH, the Creator

and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; that He is 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 Spirit--equal in every

divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in

the great work of redemption.  John 4:24, 14:7-12, 16:7;

Matthew 28:19; Psalm 83:18; Exodus 15:11, Mark 12:30;

John 10:30; Ephesians 2:1

 

 

 

We  believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, begotten by the Holy Spirit,

born of the Virgin Mary, whose humiliation in the days of His flesh

did not include laying aside His deity.  Matthew 1:18-20;

John 1:1, 2, 14.

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according

to the Scriptures, as a substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who

receive Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood. 

I Corinthians 15:3-4; II Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:21-26.

W believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord

Jesus Christ; in His bodily ascension into heaven, and in His

present life there for us as High Priest and Intercessor. 

Matthew 28:5-6; Acts 1:9; Hebrews 7:25-26.

We believe in "that blessed hope"--the personal, visible, pre-

tribulational, pre-millennial, and imminent return of our Lord and

Savior, Jesus Christ.  I John 3:2-3; I Thessalonians 4:14-17;

I Corinthians 15:51-53; Titus 2:13.

 

 

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, equal with the

Father and the Son and of the same substance.  We believe that

the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment; bears

witness to the truth; is the agent of the new birth; and that He

seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses to, sanctifies, and helps

the believer; that He takes up His abode within the individual at

the time of regeneration, and thus indwells every born-again

believer; that He infills the believer for service upon each

experience of surrender and dedication.  We believe that the Holy

Spirit testifies concerning Jesus Christ and never leads any person

at any time contrary to the teaching of the Bible.  Acts 5:1-4;

John 16:7-11.

 

 

We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he

sinned and thereby incurred physical and spiritual death, which is

separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a

depraved sinful nature, and in the case of these who reach moral

responsibility, become sinners in thought, word, and deed. 

Romans 5:12, 19; Ephesians 2:1-6; Genesis 1:27; Isaiah 53:6;

Romans 1:20; Genesis 1:31; 3:6-24

 

 

 

We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by

grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ,

whose blood was shed onCalvary for the forgiveness of sins. 

Salvation is solely through faith in that shed blood and is not

earned by any good works whatsoever.  All those who receive

Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are regenerated and become

sons of God.  Ephesians 2:8-9; John 1:12; 3:5-7.

We believe that once a person is saved they are kept by God's

power and are secure in Christ forever.  John 10:27-30;

Romans 8:31-39.


Sanctification

Sanctify means separate or set apart.  We believe sanctification is

in three tenses:  every saved person has been sanctified through

the death of Christ, is being sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and will be

sanctified completely when he goes to be with Christ.  Every

believer has two natures, an old and a new; and the old cannot be

eradicated during this life.  Hebrews 10:10; John 17:17;

Ephesians 5:25-27.

We believe in the Biblical doctrine of separation which

encompasses three things:  the separation of the local church from

all affiliation and fellowship with those who deny the verities of the

"faith once delivered to the saints"; the separation of the believer

from all worldly practices that may dishonor the Savior; and the

separation of the church and the state.  II Timothy 3:1-5;

Romans 12:1-2; 14:13

 

 

 

We believe in the church, the Bride of Christ now being prepared; and                                                                                                 in the local church as a company of believers in the Lord, immersed as                                                                                     believers, and associated for worship, evangelism,                                                                                       indoctrination, the observance of the ordinances, and                                                                                   fellowship.  We believe that to the local church are committed                                                                               for perpetual observance the two ordinances, baptism and                                                                                   the Lord's Supper.  We believe that the task of reaching the                                                                               world for Christ is the responsibility of the local church.

The Ordinances

We believe that there are two church ordinances: baptism                                                                                   and the Lord's Supper.  Baptism is the immersion of a                                                                                     believer in water and is the only mode of baptism revealed                                                                                  and commanded in the Scriptures and is properly called                                                                              "Believer's Baptism."  This baptism sets forth in a beautiful                                                                                  and solemn way our faith in a crucified, buried, and risen                                                                                Savior.  The believer's immersion in water symbolizes death,                                                                         burial, and resurrection to a new life in Christ (II Corinthians                                                                               5:17) and is the visible credential for membership in the local                                                                         church which corresponds to Holy Spirit baptism, the                                                                                   credential of membership in Christ's body.  Believer's baptism                                                                                is a Scriptural prerequisite to church membership (Acts 2:                                                                                   38-41). The Lord's Supper is a church ordinance in                                                                                 commemoration of the Lord's death until He comes, and                                                                               signifies the continual fellowship of baptized believers with                                                                                 Him and each other in Him.  Each believer should exercise                                                                             careful self-examination before participation in this ordinance                                                                             (Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians 11:23-32).                                                                                           We believe that obligation for proper and Scriptural                                                                                      administration of the ordinances is the responsibility of the                                                                             church, and that authority and prerogative of administration                                                                                 does not rest in the minister as an expiatory priest.  (John 3:                                                                                   22-23; Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:4.)

The Great Commission

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has commissioned the                                                                             church to take the Gospel to the world, and that evangelism                                                                                     at home and abroad should be primary in the program of the                                                                                 local church.  Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8.

Last Things