Statement of Faith
Our Statement of Faith…What We Believe.
We believe in Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God as the only mediator between sinful man and a
holy God.
We believe a person is saved by faith in Jesus Christ, His death, burial and resurrection.
We believe the Bible to be the inspired, and only infallible, authoritative Word of God.
We believe that the true basis of Christian fellowship is His Love,
which is greater than any differences we
possess.
We believe worship of God should be a spiritual experience and be both intelligent and fruitful.
Therefore, we remain flexible and yielded to the leading of the Holy Spirit to direct our worship.
We believe that our faith should lead us to win people to Jesus, disciple people in Jesus, and
send people for Jesus in obedience to His last command.
About God
God is the creator and ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three persons – the Father, the Son,
and
the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.
Genesis 1:1, 26, 27; 3:22; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 2; 1 Corinthians 13:14
About Man
Man is made in the spiritual image of God, to be like him in character. He is the supreme object of God’s creation.
Although man has tremendous potential for good, he is marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God
called "sin." This attitude separates man from God.
Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1, 2
About Eternity
Man was created to exist forever. He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin or in union with God
through
forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is hell. To be eternally in union with
him is eternal life. Heaven and hell are places of eternal existence.
John 3:16; John 2:25; John 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; 1 John 5:11-12; Matthew 25:31-46
About Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered
himself as
the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three
days to demonstrate
His power over sin and death. He ascended to heaven’s glory and will return again to
earth to reign as King of Kings
and Lord of Lords.
Matthew 1:22, 23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5, 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14, 15; 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4;
Romans 1:3, 4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14, 15; Titus 2:13
About Salvation
Salvation is a gift from God to man. Man can never make up for his sin by self-improvement or good works –
only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God’s offer of forgiveness can man be saved from sin’s penalty.
Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.
Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8, 9; John 14:6, 1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1
About Eternal Security
Because God gives man eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in salvation for eternity.
Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian.
John 10:29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; 10:10, 14; 1 Peter 1:3-5
About The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son as God. He is present in the world to make men aware
of their
need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the
Christian with
power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right.
The Christian seeks to live under
his control daily.
2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13, 14:16, 17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13;
Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:1
About The Bible
The Bible is God’s word to all men. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the
Holy Spirit.
It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it
is truth without any
mixture of error.
2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20, 21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105,160, 12:6; Proverbs 30:5
The Bible
We believe the Bible, comprised of the Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired, infallible, and authoritative
Word of
God (Matthew 5:18; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). In faith we hold the Bible to be inerrant in the original writings,
God-breathed,
and the complete and final authority for faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
While still using the individual writing
styles of the human authors, the Holy Spirit perfectly guided them to
ensure they wrote precisely what He wanted
written, without error or omission (2 Peter 1:21).
God
We believe in one God, who is Creator of all (Deuteronomy 6:4; Colossians 1:16), who has revealed Himself in
three
distinct Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14), yet who is one in being, essence,
and glory (John 10:30).
God is eternal (Psalm 90:2), infinite (1 Timothy 1:17), and sovereign (Psalm 93:1).
God is omniscient (Psalm 139:1-6),
omnipresent (Psalm 139:7-13), omnipotent (Revelation 19:6),
and unchanging (Malachi 3:6). God is holy (Isaiah 6:3),
just (Deuteronomy 32:4),
and righteous (Exodus 9:27). God is love (1 John 4:8), gracious (Ephesians 2:8),
merciful (1 Peter 1:3), and good (Romans 8:28).
Jesus Christ
We believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is God incarnate, God in human form, the expressed image
of the Father,
who, without ceasing to be God, became man in order that He might demonstrate who God is
and provide the means of
salvation for humanity (Matthew 1:21; John 1:18; Colossians 1:15).
We believe that Jesus Christ was conceived of the Holy Spirit and was born of the virgin Mary; that He is truly
fully God and
truly fully man; that He lived a perfect, sinless life; that all His teachings are true
(Isaiah 14; Matthew 1:23). We believe that
the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross for all humanity (1 John 2:2)
as a substitutionary sacrifice (Isaiah 53:5-6). We hold
that His death is sufficient to provide salvation for all who
receive Him as Savior (John 1:12; Acts 16:31); that our justification
is grounded in the shedding of His blood
(Romans 5:9; Ephesians 1:17); and that it is attested by His literal,
physical resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:6; 1 Peter 1:3).
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven in His glorified body (Acts 1:9-10) and is now
seated at the right
hand of God as our High Priest and Advocate (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25).
The Holy Spirit
We believe in the deity and personality of the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4). He regenerates sinners (Titus 3:5)
and indwells
believers (Romans 8:9). He is the agent by whom Christ baptizes all believers into His body
(1 Corinthians 12:12-14).
He is the seal by whom the Father guarantees the salvation of believers unto the day of redemption
(Ephesians 1:13-14).
He is the Divine Teacher who illumines believers’ hearts and minds as they study the Word of God
(1 Corinthians 2:9-12).
We believe that the Holy Spirit is ultimately sovereign in the distribution of spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:11).
We believe that the miraculous gifts of the Spirit, while by no means outside of the Spirit’s ability to empower,
no longer function to the same degree they did in the early development of the church
(1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 2:20; 4:7-12).
Angels and Demons
We believe in the reality and personality of angels. We believe that God created the angels to be His servants
and
messengers (Nehemiah 9:6; Psalm 148:2; Hebrews 1:14).
We believe in the existence and personality of Satan and demons. Satan is a fallen angel who led a group
of angels in
rebellion against God (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:12-15). He is the great enemy of God and man,
and the demons are
his servants in evil. He and his demons will be eternally punished in the lake of fire
(Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10).
Humanity
We believe that humanity came into existence by direct creation of God and that humanity is uniquely made
in the image and
likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). We believe that all humanity, because of Adam's fall,
has inherited a sinful nature, that all
human beings choose to sin (Romans 3:23), and that all sin is exceedingly
offensive to God (Romans 6:23).
Humanity is utterly unable to remedy this fallen state (Ephesians 2:1-5,12).
Salvation
We believe that salvation is a gift of God’s grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the
cross (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Christ’s death fully accomplished justification through faith and redemption from sin.
Christ died in our place (Romans 5:8-9) and bore our sins in His own body (1 Peter 2:24).
We believe salvation is received by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. Good works and
obedience are results of
salvation, not requirements for salvation. Due to the greatness, sufficiency,
and perfection of Christ’s sacrifice, all those who
have truly received Christ as Savior are eternally secure in
salvation, kept by God’s power, secured and sealed in Christ forever
(John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 Peter 1:5; Jude 24).
Just as salvation cannot be earned by
good works, neither does it need good works to be maintained
or sustained.
Good works and changed lives are the inevitable results of salvation (James 2).
The Church
We believe that the Church, the Body of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all believers of this present
age
(1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:25-27). We believe in the ordinances
of believer’s water
baptism by immersion as a testimony to Christ and identification with Him, and the Lord’s
Supper as a remembrance of Christ’s
death and shed blood
(Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42, 18:8; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
Through the church, believers are to be
taught to obey the Lord and to testify concerning their faith in Christ
as
Savior and to honor Him by holy living.
We believe in the Great Commission as the primary mission of the Church. It is the obligation of all believers
to witness,
by word and life, to the truths of God’s Word. The gospel of the grace of God is to be preached
to all the world
(Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:19-20).
Things to Come
We believe in the blessed hope (Titus 2:13), the personal and imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ to
rapture His saints
(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18). We believe in the visible and bodily return of Christ to the earth
with His saints to establish His promised
millennial kingdom
(Zechariah 14:4-11; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 3:10, 19:11-16, 20:1-6). We believe in the physical
resurrection of all men—the saints to everlasting joy and bliss on the New Earth, and the wicked to eternal
punishment in the lake
of fire (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29; Revelation 20:5-6, 12-13).
We believe that the souls of believers are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord,
where they await their
resurrection when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with
the Lord
(Luke 23:43; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23, 3:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until their 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 to suffer everlasting
punishment
(Matthew 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 20:11-15).