Statement of
Faith
The
Scriptures
We believe
in the Holy Scripture: accepting fully the writings of
the Old and New Testaments as the inerrant Word of God,
verbally inspired in all parts and therefore altogether
sufficient as our only infallible and authoritative rule
of faith and practice. Psalm 119:160; Proverbs 30:5a; II
Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:19-21.
The True
God
We believe
in the one true God: who is an intelligent, sovereign,
spiritual and personal Being; perfect, infinite, and
eternal in His being, holiness and love, wisdom and
power; absolutely separate from and above the world as
its Creator, yet everywhere present in the world as the
Upholder of all things. He is revealed to us as Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, three distinct persons but without
division of nature, essence or being, and each having a
distinct ministry in God's relation to His creation and
people. Genesis 1:1; Exodus 15:11; Psalm 83:18; 139:7-9;
Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; 15:26.
Jesus
Christ
We believe
in the Lord Jesus Christ: who is the second Person of
the Triune God, the eternal Word and Only Begotten Son;
that without any change in His divine Person, He became
man by miracle of the virgin birth, thus to continue
forever as both true God and true Man, one Person with
two natures; that as Man He was tempted in all points as
we are, yet without sin; that as the perfect Lamb of God
He gave Himself in death by the shedding of His blood
upon the cross, bearing there the sin of the world, and
suffering its full penalty of divine wrath in our stead;
that He arose from the grave in a glorified body; that
as our great High Priest He ascended into Heaven, there
to appear before the face of God as our Advocate and
Intercessor. John 1:1, 14; 3:16; Matthew1:18-25;
Galatians 4:4, 5; Philippians 2:6-10; I Corinthians
15:3-7; Hebrews 4:14-16; I John 2:1, 2.
The Holy
Spirit
We believe
in the Holy Spirit: who is the Third Person of the
Trinity, and the divine Agent in nature, revelation and
redemption; that He convicts the world concerning sin,
righteousness and judgment; that He regenerates,
indwells, baptizes, seals and anoints all who become
children of God through Christ; that He further
empowers, guides, teaches, sanctifies and fills
believers who daily surrender to Him. John 3:5; 14:16,
17, 26; 16:7-14; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:13; II
Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 1:13; 5:18.
The
Condition of Man
We believe
all men are by nature and choice sinful and lost: that
man was the direct creation of God, made in His image
and likeness; that by personal disobedience to the
revealed will of God, man became a sinful creature, the
father of a fallen race which is universally sinful in
both nature and practice, thus alienated from the life
and family of God, under the righteous judgment and
wrath of God, and has within himself no possible means
of salvation. Genesis 1:27; 3:6; Psalm 51:5; Romans
3:23; 5:12, 19; Galatians 3:11.
Salvation
We believe
in salvation by grace through faith: that salvation is
the free gift of God, neither merited nor secured in
part or in whole by any virtue or work of man, but
received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ, in whom all true believers have as a present
possession the gift of eternal life, a perfect
righteousness, sonship in the family of God, deliverance
and security from all condemnation, every spiritual
resource needed for life and godliness, and the divine
guarantee that they shall never perish; that this
salvation affects the whole man; that apart from Christ
there is no possible salvation. Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus
3:5; John 1:12; 3:14; 10: 28, 29;
Romans 8:1; Philippians 1:6.
The
Priesthood Of Believers
We believe
in the priesthood of all believers: that Christ is our
Great High Priest and through Him every born-again
person has direct access into God's presence without the
need of a human priest; that the believer has the right
and responsibility to personally study and interpret the
Scriptures guided by the Holy Spirit. John 14:6;
Hebrews 4:16; II Timothy 2:15; I Peter 2:1, 5, 9.
The Local
Church
We believe
in the importance of the local church: that all
believers should assemble and identify themselves in
local churches; that a New Testament church is a local
assembly of born-again, baptized believers united in
organization to practice New Testament ordinances, to
meet together for worship, prayer, fellowship, teaching
and a united testimony, and to actively engage in
carrying out the Great Commission. Acts2:41,42; I
Corinthians 11:2; Matthew 28: 19, 20.
Ordinances
We believe
the ordinances given to the local church are two,
baptism and the Lord's supper: that baptism is by
immersion of believers, thus portraying the death,
burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ; that the
Lord's Supper is the partaking of the bread and cup by
the believer as a continuing memorial of the broken body
and shed blood of Christ. Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 2:41;
8:38, 39; Matthew 26:26-30; I Corinthians 11:23-34.
Christian
Living
We believe
in righteous living and godly works: not as a means of
salvation in any sense, but as its proper evidence and
fruit; and therefore as Christians we should obey the
Word of our Lord, seek the things which are above, walk
as He walked, accept as our solemn responsibility the
duty and privileges of bearing the gospel to a lost
world; remembering that a victorious and fruitful
Chrisitan life is possible only for those who in
gratitude for the infinite and underserved mercies of
God have presented themselves wholly to Christ.
Ephesians2:10; Romans 12:1, 2; Philippians 2:16.
Satan
We believe
in the existence of Satan: who originally was created a
holy and perfect being, but through pride and wicked
ambition rebelled against God, thus becoming utterly
depraved in character, the great adversary of God and
His people, leader of all other evil angels and wicked
spirits, the deceiver and god of this present world:
that his powers are vast, but strictly limited by the
permissive will of God who overrules all his wicked
devices for good; that he was defeated and judged at the
cross, and therefore his final doom is certain; that we
are able to resist and overcome him only in the armor of
God, by the blood of the Lamb and through the power of
the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 14:12-15; Ephesians 6:12; I
Peter 5:8; I John 3:8; Revelation 12: 9-11; 20:10.
The
Glorious Future
We believe
that God, with his unique approach and timing, and
according to
His promises, will end the world by the return of the
Lord Jesus Christ. He
will return in person, visible to all and in full
glory. Following His
return, the dead will rise and He will judge the
people. Believers will
join Christ in His glorious heavenly kingdom and
nonbelievers will receive
their eternal judgment in hell.
Eternity
We believe
in future life, bodily resurrection and eternal
judgment: that the spirits of the saved at death go
immediately to be with Christ in Heaven, that their
works shall be brought before the Judgment Seat of
Christ for the determination of rewards which will take
place at the time when Christ comes for His own; that
the spirits of the unsaved at death descend immediately
into Hades where they are kept under punishment until
the final day of judgment, at which time their bodies
shall be raised from the grave, that they shall be
judged and cast into Hell, the place of final and
everlasting punishment. I Corinthians 15; II Corinthians
5:8-10; Luke 16:19-23;
Revelation 20:11-15. |