Beliefs

BIBLE – Every word in the original writings of the Holy Scriptures is inspired by God and without error (2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21).

GOD – The Godhead exists eternally in three persons: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one God.  (Gen. 1:1; Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; John 4:24; 10:30; 2 Cor. 13:14).

MAN – Man was created in the image and likeness of God, but in Adam all mankind fell into sin with the result that all men are sinners, hopelessly sinful in themselves apart from the grace of God. (Gen. 1:27; 9:6; Rom. 3:23; 5:12; Eph. 2:1).

JESUS CHRIST – The eternal Son of God became incarnate in the Lord Jesus Christ, was born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man (Luke 1:26-37; John 1:14, 18; Phil. 2:5-8; 1 Tim. 2:5-6; Heb. 1:1-9; 5:8; 1 John 5:20).

SALVATION – We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins and rose again.  We believe that our redemption is accomplished solely by His blood.  We believe that eternal life is a free gift, and comes only through faith in Jesus Christ.  No other acts, such as confession, baptism, prayer, walking an aisle, or faithful service are to be added to believing as a condition for salvation. (John 1:12; 3:16, 18, 36; 5:24; Acts 4:12; 16:31; Rom. 4:4-5; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Eph. 2:8-9; 1 Peter 1:18-19, 23).

SANCTIFICATION – Every believer is set apart unto God.  However, every believer retains his sinful nature.  Therefore, while the believer’s standing in Christ is perfect, his present state is not.  He is therefore challenged to “grow in grace” and to “walk in the Spirit.”  When Christ returns, the believer will be sanctified in his state as he already is in his standing.  (John 17:17; 2 Cor. 3:18; 7:1; 1 Thess. 5:23; 1 John 3:3).

ASSURANCE – All who are born of the Spirit through faith in Christ can have assurance of salvation and are eternally secure in Christ.  (John 3:16; 6:37; 10:27-29; 17:12; Acts 16:31; Rom. 4:4-5; 5:1; Eph. 2:8-9; 4:30; 1 John 5:10-13).

THE HOLY SPIRIT – We believe the Holy Spirit is a divine eternal person.  He is not just an influence.  He has intellect, emotions, and will of His own.  (Matt. 28:19; John 15:26; 16:13-14; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor. 2:11; 12:11; 13:14; Eph. 4:7-30; Heb. 1:14).  We believe the present ministry of the Holy Spirit is restraining sin in the world and convicting the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement.  He also regenerates believers in Christ, baptizes them into the church (the body of Christ), indwells them permanently, seals them unto the day of redemption, bestows spiritual gifts upon each one, and fills those yielded to Him.  (John 3:8; 14:16; 15:26-27; 16:7-15; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:19; 12:4-13; Eph. 4:30; 5:18).

We believe that the gifts of apostleship and prophecy were foundation gifts, and available only during the first century as the foundation was being laid.  (1 Cor. 3:11; Eph. 2:20; Heb. 2:3-4).  We believe that gifts such as speaking in tongues and miraculous healing were confirmatory gifts, and ceased to be available by the time the New Testament Scriptures were completed.  We believe that the deliverance of the body from sickness and death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection.  (Rom. 8:18-23; 1 Cor. 13:8-10; 14:21-22; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:3-4).

CHURCH – The church is composed of all believers of all races, color, and nations, is the body and bride of Christ, is formed by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and exists in two aspects, universal and local.  The universal church is an elect company of believes, baptized by the Holy Spirit into one body.  Her mission is to serve her Head, Jesus Christ, making disciples of all nations.  She will be caught up to meet the Lord, after which he will return to set up His Kingdom.  The local church is a group of believers voluntarily joined together to worship God with praise and thanksgiving and to glorify Jesus Christ through an aggressive effort to disciple others by the preaching of the gospel and the exercise of spiritual gifts.  (Matt. 16:18; Acts 13:1; 1 Cor. 12:4-13, 27; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:24-30).

CHRISTIAN LIFE – Christians are called to a holy life of service and testimony in the power of the Holy Spirit, which service includes the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ.  There is promised reward in heaven for faithfulness in such service.  (John 14:1-3; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 3:12-17; Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Peter 1:15-16; 4:10-11).

ORDINANCES – We believe that water baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the only sacraments and ordinances of the church and that they are a scriptural means of testimony for the church in this age.  (Matt. 28:19; Luke 22:19-20; Acts 10:47-48; 16:32-33; 18:7-8; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).

ANGELS – Angels were originally created holy, but now exist as unfallen and fallen, including Satan.  (Job 38:6-7; Psa. 148:2-5; Matt. 25:41; Eph. 6:11-12; Col. 1:16; 1 Tim. 5:21; Jude 6; Rev. 12:9).

DISPENSATIONS – God has revealed different dispensations or stewardships with corresponding rules of life.  We believe that three of these dispensations or rules of life are the subject of extended revelations in the Scriptures, viz., the dispensation of the Mosaic Law, the present dispensation of grace, and the future dispensation of the millennial kingdom.  We believe that these are distinct and are not to be intermingled or confused, as they are chronologically successive.  We believe that according to the “eternal purpose” of God (Eph. 3:11) salvation in the divine reckoning is always “by grace through faith,” and rests upon the basis of the shed blood of Christ.  (Rom. 6:14; Eph. 3:2-6; 9-11; Col. 1:25-27; Heb. 7:18-19).

SECOND COMING – The blessed hope of the imminent return of the Lord for His Church is to be followed in order by: The tribulation, the second coming of Christ to the earth after the tribulation; the establishment of the reign of Christ on earth for one thousand years; the eternal state of punishment for the unsaved and the eternal state of blessing for the saved.  (Matt 24:21, 29-30; 25:46; John 14:1-3; 1 Thess. 1:10; Titus 2:13; Rev. 20:1-6; 20:11-15).

MARRIAGE AND THE FAMILY – We believe that marriage was ordained by God at creation as the sacred union of one man and one woman. All sexual relations must therefore be reserved for that union. Christian marriage is to be a representation of Christ’s relationship to His church. We also believe that children are a blessing from the Lord. Thus all human life is sacred and worthy of protection from the moment of conception.  (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:24; Psalm 127:1-5; 128:1-6; 139:13-16; Matthew 19:1-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Ephesians 5:22-23; Hebrews 13:4)