DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
1.The Scriptures – We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New to the verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible and God-breathed ( II Timothy 3:16,17; II Peter 1:21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12,13).
2.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 (Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 1:9-11; John 14:9; II Corinthians 13:14).
3.Creation – We believe that each of the members of the Godhead had His individual part in creating the heavens and the earth, including all life, each “after his kind,” by direct act and not by the process of evolution. We believe that the creative days of Genesis one and two are solar days, each as today, being 24 hours duration. We believe that the scriptures are the only authority with reference to creation and that any theory contrary to the Word of God is not truth (Genesis 1:1,2; John 1:3; Exodus 20:11; Genesis 1:3-5; Hebrews 11:3; Psalms 33:6-9;Colossians 1:16,17).
4.The Person and Work of Christ –
A. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man (John1:1,2,14; Luke 1:35; James 1:13).
B. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, and, that our justification is made sure by His literal physical resurrection from the dead (Romans 3:24,25: I Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5).
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, 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; Hebrews 9:24, 7:25; Romans 8:34; I John2:1,2).
5.The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit –
A. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement, and, that He is the supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the Body of Christ, indwelling, and sealing the unto the day of redemption (John 16:7-15; II Corinthians 3:6; I Corinthians 12:12-24; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13,14).
B. 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 2:20,27; Ephesians 5:18).
6.The Total Depravity of Man – We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and that man is totally depraved, and is of himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Genesis 1:26,27; Romans 3:22,23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3,12).
7.Salvation –
A. 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 precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:18,19).
B. We believe that the new birth of the believer comes, only through faith in Christ and that repentance is a vital part of believing, and is in no way, in itself, a separate and independent condition of salvation, nor are any other acts, such as confession, baptism, prayer, or faithful service, to be added to believing as a condition of salvation. (John 1:12; 3:16,18, 36, 5:24, 6:29; Acts 13:39, 16:311; Romans 1:16-17, 3:22,26, 4:5, 10:4; Galatians 3:22).
8.The Security and Assurance of Believers –
A. 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; Romans 8:1, 8:28-39; I Corinthians 1:4-8; Ephesians 1:13; Hebrews 7:25; Jude 24; Philippians 1:6; II Thessalonians 3:3; I Peter 1:5; I John 5:13).
B. We believe, however, that Scripture clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh, and that God is a holy and righteous Father and that, since He cannot overlook the sin of His children, He will when they persistently sin, chasten them and correct them in infinite love ( I Corinthians 6:19, 14:16-17, 17:11; Romans 8:29; I John 5:11-13).
C. We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word and the witness of the Holy Spirit within. (John 5:24; 14:16-17; John 20:30,31; I John 5:11-13).
9. 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. (Romans 6:13; 8:12,13; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:10; I Peter 1:14-16; I John 3:5-9).
10. Separation of the Believer – We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord, or to cause others to stumble. We believe that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded by God(Romans 12:1,2; 14:13; II Corinthians 6:14, 7:1; Ephesians 5:11; II Timothy 3:1-5; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; James 4:4).
11.Mission of the Believer – We believe that it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and word to the truths of The Holy Scripture and to seek to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind. (Mark 16:15; Matthew 28:19,20; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians 5:19,20).
12.The Ministry and Spiritual Gifts –
A. We believe that divine, enabling gifts for service are bestowed by the Spirit upon all who are saved. While there is a diversity of gifts, each believer is energized by the same Spirit, and each is called to his own divinely appointed service as the Spirit may will. We believe also that today some men are especially called of God to be evangelists, pastors, and teachers, and that it is to the fulfilling of His will and to His eternal glory that these shall be sustained and encouraged in their service for God (Romans 12:6; I Corinthians 12:4-11; Ephesians 4:11).
B. We believe that speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established (I Corinthians 12:4-11; 13:8; II Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:7).
C. We believe that God does hear and answer the believer’s prayer of faith, in accord with His own will, for the sick and afflicted (John 15:7; I John 5:14, 15; James 5:13-15).
13.The Church –
A. (Invisible and Universal). We believe that the Church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this present age (Ephesians 1:22,23; 55-25-27; I Corinthians 12:12,14; II Corinthians 11:2).
B. (Visible or Local). We believe that the establishment and continuance of the local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 28:32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).
14.Ordinances –
A. Baptism: We believe immersion to be the New Testament form of baptism to be administered upon the personal acceptance and public confession of Christ our Savior. Baptism in our church, therefore, shall be administered by immersion only. We believe Christ Himself established and commanded the ordinance to symbolize the believer’s death to the old life of sin and his spiritual resurrection to the new life in Christ (Acts 2:41; 8;12; 9:18; 10:47, 48; Romans 6:3-6). We believe that neither water baptism nor any particular form of its administration is required for membership in the body of Christ.
B. The Lord’s Supper – We believe that the Lord’s Supper is an ordinance instituted by the Lord Jesus Christ to be observed by the redeemed in remembrance of His death until He comes again. It is not to be considered as having any sacramental merit nor are the elements to be considered in any way to be the literal body and blood of Christ (I Corinthians 11:23:26; Luke 22:19,20).
15. Dispensationalism – We believe in the dispensational view of Bible interpretation but reject the extreme teaching known as “Hyperdispensationalism” such as that teaching which opposes either the Lord’s Table or water baptism as a Scriptural means of testimony for the Church in this age ( Matthew 28:19,20; Acts 2:41,42; 18;8; I Corinthians 11:23-26).
16. The Personality of Satan – We believe that Satan (Lucifer) is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the fall; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man, that he is the “god of this age”, the “Prince of the power of the air”, and that he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire. (Job 1:6,7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; 25:41; Revelation 20:10).
17.The Second Coming of Christ – We believe in that “Blessed Hope”, the personal, imminent, pretribulational, and premillennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for his redeemed ones; and in His subsequent return to the earth, with His saints, to establish His Millennial Kingdom ( I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Zechariah 14:4-11; Revelations 19:11-16; 20:1-6; II Thessalonians 1:5-10; Revelation 3:10).
18. The Eternal State –
A. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgement and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28,29; 11:25,26; Revelation 20:5,612,13).
B. 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; Revelation 20:4-6; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; 3:21; I Thessalonians 4:16,17).
C. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection, when soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgement, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment. ( Luke 16:19-26; Matthew 25:41-46; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude 6,7; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 20;11-15).
19.Marriage –
A. We believe God’s Word, being the final authority concerning truth and morality, (article IV #1)has established marriage as only between one man and one woman, (Genesis 2:24 and Matthew 19:4,5) and that all sexual conduct outside the bonds of said marriage is sin and unacceptable in the eyes of God ( I Corinthians 6:9,10).
B. This church affirms that all marriage ceremonies performed in the name of this church and any related celebrations or activities allowed at its facilities shall be for unions that meet the standards named in this church constitution, and further, that church ministers and staff engage only in marriage ceremonies in keeping with this church’s adopted biblical and theological definition of marriage.