Beliefs

Doctrinal Statement

(What we believe)

Following is a brief description of our beliefs. For a fuller treatment We MAY REFER TO CERTAIN SECTIONS OF the 1689 Confession of Faith.

1. The Holy Scriptures

We believe the sixty six books of the Bible to be God’s inspired, infallible, inerrant, and authoritative revelation to man; that, though the Scripture was written over a span of 1600 years, by over forty authors, in many diverse places, and in three languages, it nevertheless forms one unified body of truth which never contradicts itself. We further believe that only the original manuscripts were plenarily and verbally inspired, yet today we do have accurate and correct translations of those manuscripts; that the Word of God is to be the standard by which we are to live: that it reveals our shortcomings, is the source of our faith, and that it cleanses and sanctifies our lives.
(2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 3:2, 3:15-16; Deut. 4:2; Matt. 5:18; Rev. 22:18-19; Heb. 4:12-13; Rom. 10:17)

2. The Godhead.

We believe in the unity of God, one God with a divine nature that is undivided and indivisible; that there are three distinct persons-God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; that these three are co-eternal in being, co identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory and possess the same attributes and perfections.
(Deut. 6:4; 1 Cor. 8:4, 6; Ex. 3:14; John 14:11; Matt. 28:19-20; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 4:6; John 14:16)

3. Creation

We believe God created the heavens, the earth, and the human race by a direct act; that this creation covered a literal six-day period with man being the culmination of the creative work; that man was created in God’s own image and after His likeness.
(Gen.1:1-2, 24-27; Ex. 20:11; Acts 4:24; Heb. 11:3; John 1:3; Acts 17:24-27; Jer. 10:12; Neh. 9:6)

4. God

A. Concerning His attributes
We believe the Lord our God is one God infinite in being and perfection; that He is a most pure Spirit, invisible, without body, who alone is eternal and is immutable; that He is loving, merciful, gracious, longsuffering, the source of all truth; that He is forgiving yet hating all evil, and that He will by no means clear the guilty.  We further believe that God is omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent; that He is sovereign over all creatures, nations, and individuals; that He is holy in all His counsels, works, and commands; that to Him is due worship, service, and obedience from both man and angels.
(John 4:24; 1 Tim. 1:1-2; Mal. 3:16; Heb. 13:8, 1:12; James 1:17; Ex. 34:6-7; John 16:30, 21:17, 2:24-25; Col. 2:3; Prov. 15:3; Rev. 1:8; Matt. 28:19-20; John 3:13; Jer. 23:23; Dan. 4:24, 34-35; Rom. 9:20-21; Eph. 1:11; 1 Tim. 6:15; Ps. 145:17; Rev. 5:12-14)

B. Concerning His decree
We believe that everything that comes to pass is the direct result of the decree of God which He has decreed in Himself from all eternity according to the wise and holy counsel of His own will freely and unchangeably; that this decree in no way makes God the author of sin nor destroys the will of the creature or the contingency of second causes; we believe the unchangeable decree of God has as its source only the good pleasure of His will.
(Is. 46:10; Rom. 9:15-18; Eph. 1:11; Heb. 6:17; James 1:13; 1 John 1:5; Acts 4:27-28; John 19:11; Acts 15:18; Rom. 9:11, 13, 16, 18; Eph. 1:5; 2 Tim. 1:9)

5. Total Depravity

We believe man was created in the image of God, possessing an intellect, emotions, and a will that was free to choose to do good or evil; and that at creation man was absolutely righteous and experienced unbroken fellowship with God; that man fell and that, as a result he forfeited his position of original righteousness and enslaved his will to sin. We further believe that Adam was the representative head of the human race, and because he fell, all mankind fell with him; that all men are sinners by choice, totally depraved, opposed to God, and unable to remedy their lost condition.
(Matt. 17:12; James 1:14; Eccl. 7:29; Gen. 1:26, 2:16-17; 2 Cor. 11:13; 2 Tim. 2:14; Titus 1:15; Rom. 3:10-19, 5:6, 8:7, 5:19; 1 Cor. 15:22; Eph. 2:2, 3:12; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5)

6. Soteriology

We believe that salvation is the application of the finished work of Christ to the individual sinner: that salvation is an instantaneous act which takes place here in time when God effectually calls the elect and causes him to place his faith in Christ; that a perfect, holy God demanded satisfaction for the sins of fallen man, and that the only proper satisfaction was the shed blood of Christ, which blood satisfies Him and redeems and reconciles us to Him; We further believe that faith is a gift of God granted to His elect to enable them to believe to the saving of their souls; that true saving faith is always accompanied by repentance, which is also a gift of God; that this faith is the means by which one turns from sin to God.
(Rom. 8:30, 11:7; Eph. 1:10, 11:2; 2 Thes. 2:13-14; Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:19; Rom. 3:25; 1 John 2:2; Is. 53:6; 2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 2:8-9; Gal. 2:16; Luke 13:3,5; Acts 17:30-31; 2 Tim. 2:25; Acts 11:18; 1 Thes. 1:9; Is. 55:7; Rom. 5:1, 18, 3:28, 12:19; Gal. 3:9; Rom. 4:22-24; John 3:5-8; Titus 3:5; 1 Peter 1:23; 2 Cor. 5:17)

7. Christ

A. The Person of Christ
We believe Jesus Christ to be the Virgin born, Son of God; that He became man without ceasing to be God; that He united the nature of man, without its curse of sin, and God’s divine nature into one body.
(Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:18; Luke 1:27-38: John 1:1-2, 14, 8:58; Is. 9:6; John 10:38; Col. 1:13-17; John 1:23; Titus 2:13; Heb. 2:6-10; Phil. 2:6-8; 2 Cor. 5:21)

B. The Work of Christ
We believe Christ was active in the creation; that all things were made by Him and for Him; that Christ’s earthly ministry included supernatural miracles, which were performed to testify of His divinity; that Christ’s purpose in the incarnation was to take upon Himself the form of a man and to become our sacrifice for sin; that this sacrifice was not just an example, but a substitute, the just for the unjust; that now, having risen bodily from the dead, He is enthroned in heaven where He mediates for the believer, and that one day He will judge the world in righteousness.
(Col. 1:16; John 20:30-31; Rom. 5:10; Mark 10:45; John 3:16; 1 John 4:10; Heb. 9:12-15; 1 Cor. 15:12-19; Rom. 1:4; Luke 24:3-5; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 1:4, 7:25; Acts 17:31)

8. Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit is a divine Person who is equal with God the Father and God the Son, and that He has the same nature; that He was active in creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world, He restrains Satan until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of judgment, and of righteousness; that He bears witness to the truth of the gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the chief agent of the New Birth; that He seals, indwells, fills, helps, guides, teaches, sanctifies, and witnesses to the believer.
(John 14:16-17; Matt. 28:19; Heb. 9:14; Acts 5:3-4; John 14:26; Gen 1:1-3; John 16:8-11: Eph. 1:13-14; John 3:5-8; Rom. 8:26-27; 2 Thes. 2:13-14; Rom. 8:16; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8)

9. Sanctification

We believe sanctification is the process by which according to the will of God, we are conformed to the image of Jesus Christ: that sanctification is a progressive work begun in regeneration; that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit; that this power enables true believers to endure unto the end and distinguishes them from superficial professors; that the Holy Spirit continues this work of sanctification through the use of the following appointed means: The Word of God, prayer, self-examination, self-denial, and personal watchfulness.
(1 Thes. 4:3; Rom. 8:29-30; 2 Cor. 7:1; Phil. 3:12-16, 1:4, 2:12-13; 1 John 2:29; Rom. 8:5; 1 Peter 2:1-2; 2 Cor. 13:5; Gal. 2:20; Matt. 26:41; Eph. 6:18)

10. Eternal Security

We believe those whom God has accepted in the Beloved, effectually called, and regenerated can never fall from this state of grace; that the security of the believer does not include a license to sin.
(John 10:28-29; Phil. 1:6; 1 Peter 6:5,9; John 6:37-40; Rom. 8:30, 9:11, 16; Jer. 31:3; Eph. 1:13-14, 4:30; 2 Cor. 1:22; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15; Rom. 13:13-14)

11. Satan

We believe Satan was once a holy, heavenly creature, but that through pride he fell from this state; that he is a real personality and is presently the Prince of the Power of the Air and the unholy god of the world system; that he is man’s great tempter, the enemy of God and Christ, and the author of all the powers of darkness; that he is destined, however, to final defeat at the hands of God’s Son; that his eternal fate is the Lake of Fire, a place prepared for him and his angels.
(Is. 14:12-15; Ez. 28:14-17; Rev. 12:9; Eph. 2:2; John 14:30; 1 Thes. 3:5; 1 Peter 5:8; Luke 22:3-4; Rev. 12:19; 2 Cor. 11:13-15; Rev. 20:1-3; Matt. 25:41)

12. The Church

We believe the church is made up of all believers who are partakers of God’s grace; that the Church is also referred to in Scripture as His body and the Bride of Christ.

We further believe that the local church is a group of baptized believers united in fellowship and purpose whose chief aim is to glorify God; that the function of the church as it exists as a gathered community is to edify one another; and the function of the church as it exists in the world is to evangelize the lost.
(Rom. 12:4-5; Eph. 5:24-27, 30-32; Rev. 21:9, 27; Acts 2:42-47; Eph. 4:12-13; Matt. 28:19-20)

13. The Ordinances

We believe the local church is to celebrate the two ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

A. Baptism
By baptism we mean the immersion in water of a believer as a testimony of his death to the old life and his quickening to a new life in Christ. We believe, however, Christian liberty can be exercised in this area; when administered by this church baptism shall be by immersion.

B. Lord’s Supper
By the Lord’s Supper we mean the voluntary partaking of the symbolic elements, the bread and the cup, to commemorate the body and the blood of Christ; that the Lord’s Supper is to remind us of Christ’s sacrificial work and is a perpetual ordinance to be observed until He comes. 

C. Baptism & Lord’s Supper
We do not believe there is any saving efficacy in either ordinance, but that both are symbols to represent deeper spiritual truths. (Rom. 6:3-6; Col. 2:12; Acts 8:36-38; 1 Cor. 10:16-17; Luke 22:19-20: 1 Cor. 11:23-27)

14. Missions

We believe the New Testament command is clear that we as believers are to give the gospel to the world; that the Great Commission is three-fold and includes evangelizing, baptizing, and discipling; that the organization God uses to fulfill the commission in this age is the church; yet, the individual believer is still in no way relieved of his personal responsibility to witness.
(Mark 16:15; Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; Acts 13:1-3; 2 Cor. 5:20)

15. Eschatology

We believe in the imminent, personal return of Jesus Christ for His saints.
(1 Thes. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; Phil. 3:20-21; Titus 2:11-14; Zech. 14:4-11; Rev. 20:1-6; Is. 32:1)

16. Eternal State 

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, saved and unsaved; that the saved will be raised to eternal life in heaven and the unsaved will be raised to spend eternity in the Lake of fire.

A. Souls of believers
We believe that the souls of believers go to be with the Lord immediately upon death; that they remain in a conscious unclothed state until the rapture, at which time the soul is reunited with the body, which will be glorified.

B. Souls of unbelievers
We believe the souls of unbelievers go immediately to hell upon death; that they remain in this state of torment until the second resurrection when the soul is reunited with the body to appear at the Great White Throne Judgment; that after the judgment they will be forever cast into the Lake of Fire where they will be tormented forever.
(Matt. 18:4, 25:41-48; John 5:28-29, 11:25-26, 14:1-3; Rev. 29:10-15; Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8, 5:1-4; 1 Cor. 15:51-57; Phil. 1:23; 1 Thes. 4:13-18; Luke 16:19-26; Mark 9:43-48; 2 Thes. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7)

17. Spiritual Gifts

We believe that every believer in Christ has been equipped by the Holy Spirit with particular gifts or abilities.  Christ, as the head of His church, will do as He pleases and bestows gifts upon each saint for the building up and strengthening of the church.
(1 Cor. 12-14; Rom. 12:6; 1 Tim. 4:14; 1 Pet. 4:10-11)

We believe that Christ gave some as apostles, some as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastor-teachers; that the revelatory gifts, including apostles and prophets, were foundational in establishing the church with Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone; and that while we still benefit greatly from these gifts through Scripture, the offices of apostles and prophets as well as other revelatory and confirmatory gifts have ceased.  We believe that the canon of Scripture is closed.  The offices of evangelists and pastor-teachers continue to be given to the church until Christ Jesus returns for His church.
(Eph. 4:11; Eph. 2:20; Rom. 1:11; Heb. 1:1-2)