“. . . A declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us.” Luke 1:1.
The Holy Scriptures – We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed. II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:16, 21.
B. 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. Deut. 6:4; II Cor. 13:14; Matt. 3:16, 17; 28:19; I John 5:7.
C. 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, that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. John 1:1, 2, 14; 20:31; Luke 1:35; Matt. 1:18-25.
2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the Cross as the only representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal physical resurrection from the dead. Rom. 3:24, 25; 4:25; I Pet. 1:3-5; 2:24; Eph. 1:7.
3. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. Acts 1:9, 10; Heb. 7:25; 9:24; Rom. 8:34; I John 2:1, 2.
D. The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit – We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, John 14:16, 17, equal with God the Father, and God the Son, and of the same nature, Matt. 28:19; Heb. 9:14, that He was active in the creation, Gen. 1:2; John 16:8-11, that He is the agent in the new birth, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling, and sealing them unto the day of redemption. John 1:12, 13; 3:5, 6; Eph. 1:13, 14; I Cor. 12:12-14; II Cor. 3:6; Rom. 8:9.
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. John 16:13; I John 2:27; Eph. 5:18.
E. The Total Depravity of Man – We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, and that by voluntary transgression fell from his innocent state to a sinful state and that all mankind are now sinners not only by inheritance, but by practice, and that man is totally depraved in the sight of God and is himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. Gen. 1:26, 27, 31; 3:1-6; 6:5; Psa. 14:1-3; Rom. 1:18-21; 3:10-19; John 8:44; Eph. 2:1-3, 12; Isa. 64:6.
F. Salvation – We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, wholly apart from all human works. We believe the Lord Jesus Christ shed His precious blood on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; John 1:12; I Pet. 1:18, 19; Rom. 10:13; Acts 17:30; 20:21.
G. The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers
1. We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38, 39; I Cor. 1:4-8; I Pet. 1:5; Phil. 1:6; Heb. 10:10.
2. 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 for the flesh. Rom. 12:1, 2; 13:13, 14; Gal. 5:13, Tit. 2:11-15; II Cor. 5:10.
H. 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. Rom. 6:13; 8:12, 13; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:10; I Pet. 1:14-25; I John 1:8.
I. Separation – We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner so as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and that lack of separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is condemned by God. II Tim. 3:1-5; Rom. 12:1, 2; 14:13; I John 2:15-17; II John vss. 9-11; II Cor. 6:14; 7:1.
J. Spiritual Gifts and Christian Service
1. We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts and that these gifts are given by the Spirit to all that are saved for service and that while there is a diversity of gifts, they each and all are energized by the same Spirit; and that while each believer is called to his own divinely appointed service as the Spirit may will, there are certain ministry gifts: apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers; and that these are appointed by God for the perfecting of the saints unto their work of the ministry. Rom. 12:6-8; I Cor. 12:4-11; II Cor. 12:12; Eph. 4:7-12.
2. We believe that it is the obligation of the saved, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to witness by life and by word to the truths of the Holy Scripture and to seek to proclaim the gospel to all mankind. Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; II Cor. 5:19, 20; I Tim. 2:1-4.
3. We believe that God hears and answers the prayer of faith, in accord with His own will, for the sick and afflicted. John 15:7; I John 5:14, 15; James 5:14-16.
4. We believe that, apart from salvation benefits which are bestowed equally upon all who believe, rewards are promised according to the faithfulness of each believer in his service for his Lord; and that these rewards will be bestowed at the coming of Christ to receive His own unto Himself. I Cor. 3:9-15; 9:18-27; II Cor. 5:10.
K. 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 of grace. Eph. 1:22, 23; 3: 1-12; 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 that the local church is to be governed by God’s laws as taught in the New Testament; and that the members of the local church are to exercise the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by God’s Word. The Scriptural officers of the local church are bishops, or elders, and deacons. Acts 14:23, 27; 20:17, 28-32; I Tim. 3: 1-13; Titus 1:5-11.
L. Water Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
1. We believe that water baptism and the Lord’s Supper are not means to salvation, but are visible signs and seals of the facts and realities of salvation.
2. We believe that baptism by water by immersion is a public confession of Christ as Savior and Lord; it is a symbol of one’s union, by faith, with Christ in death, burial, and resurrection, and therefore is to be administered only to those who have given evidence of faith in Christ as Savior. Matt. 3:16; 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:33-41; 8:36, 39; 18:8; Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12.
3. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is an ordinance instituted by the Lord for observance by His children until He comes again. It symbolizes the death of Christ for the remission of our sins, and our continual dependency upon Him for our sustenance. The Lord’s Table should be open to all believers who are in fellowship with Christ, regardless of denominational affiliation. Matt. 26:26-30; Luke 22:19; I Cor. 10:16; 11:23-28.
M. The Personality of Satan – We believe in the personality and reality of Satan, that he is the author of sin and the cause of the fall of man, that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. Job 1:6, 7; Isa. 14:12-27; Ezek. 28:11-19; Matt. 4:2-11; Rev. 20:10.
N. Dispensationalism – We believe in the dispensational view of Bible interpretation but reject the extreme teaching known as “Hyper Dispensationalism,” which teaching opposes the Lord’s Table and water baptism as a Scriptural means of testimony for the church in this age. Matt. 28:19, 20; Acts 2:41, 42; 18:8; I Cor. 11:23-26.
O. The Second Advent of Christ – We believe in that “blessed hope,” the personal imminent, pre-tribulation, pre-millennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ into the air to take His redeemed ones, and in His subsequent return to earth with His saints to establish His millennial kingdom. I Thess. 4:13-18; Zech. 14:4-11; Rev. 3:10; 19:11-16; 20: 1-6.
P. Resurrections and the Eternal State
1. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and after the thousand year reign of Christ, the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. Matt. 25:46; John 5:28, 29; Rev. 20:5, 6, 12, 13.
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. Luke 23:43; Rev. 20:4-6; II Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; I Thess. 4:16-17.
3. We believe that the souls of the 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. Luke 16:19-26; Matt. 25:41-46; II Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6, 7; Mark 9:43-48; Rev. 20:11-15.
Note: In subscribing to this Statement of Faith we by no means set aside or undervalue any of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testament; but we deem a knowledge, belief, and acceptance of the truth as set forth in this statement of faith to be essential to sound faith and fruitful practice.