Our Beliefs

“Holding fast the faithful word…by sound doctrine.” Titus 1:9

The Holy Scriptures

Accepting fully the writings of the Holy Bible, consisting of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments, as the very Word of God, verbally inspired in all parts and therefore wholly without error as originally given of God, all together sufficient in themselves as our only infallible and authoritative rule of faith and practice.  We use the King James Version of the Bible in our services, but make reference to other literal modern translations such as the New King James, New American Standard and English Standard Versions.  We are not “King James Only.”   (2 Timothy 3:15-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Psalm 19:7-9, John 17:17, James 1:22-25, 2 Peter 1:3-4, Ephesians 4:1-3, 1 Corinthians 14:40)

One True God

Who is an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, 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 the Upholder of all things.  He is revealed to us as the triune God, consisting of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three distinct persons without division of nature, essence or being, and each having a distinct ministry in God’s relation to His creation and all mankind. (Deuteronomy 6:4, Jeremiah 23:24, Psalm 147:5, Revelation 1:8, Daniel 2:20-22, John 4:24, Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 90:2, 1 Peter 1:15-16, 1 John 4:8, 1 Timothy 1:17, Psalm 62:11, Isaiah 55:9, Colossians 1:16-18, 1 John 5:7)

The Person and Work of God the Father

Who is the first person of the Triune God, the greater of the three, in essence, He is Spirit, perfect in holiness, infinite in wisdom, limitless in power.  He begat the Son and dispatched the Spirit. He is a person; He grieves, He repents, He loves, He hates, He hears, He sees.  He creates, He provides, He promotes, He cares. We believe that it is by His grace, mercy and love that He draws all men to His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that they may receive salvation by faith and thereby come to know the Father.  He may provide salvation for lost mankind through faith in the complete work of  His only begotten Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 4:24, John 14:28, Leviticus 19:2, Romans 11:33, Matthew 19:26, John 3:16, John 14:26, Genesis 6:6, Proverbs 6:16, Psalm 94:9-10, Genesis 1:1, Psalm 104:27-30, Psalm 75:6-7, 1 Peter 5:6-7)

The Person and Work of 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 and yet without sin. (Hebrews 1:8, John 1:1-3, 14, Matthew 1:23, Psalm 2:7, Colossians 2:9, Hebrews 4:15).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ provided redemption for all mankind, satisfying the righteous demands of our holy God by the shedding of His blood and by His death on the cross.  And through faith in His complete and finished work, all that believe are once and for all declared righteous (justified) by God. (Romans 3:24, 1 John 2:2, 1 Peter 2:24, Romans 8:33, Hebrews 10:10-14)

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, and is now exalted and is set down at the right hand of God.  As our High Priest, He is the believer’s Intercessor, Advocate and Mediator. (1 Peter 3:22, Philippians 2:9, Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:34, 1 John 2:1-2, 1 Timothy 2:5)

The Person and Work of 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, seals and anoints all who become children of God through faith in Christ; spiritually baptizing them into the Body of Christ. (John 16:7-15, Titus 3:5, Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30, 1 John 2:27, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14)     He further empowers, guides, teaches, sanctifies and fills believers who daily surrender to Him.  It is the privilege and duty of all believers to be filled with and controlled by the Holy Spirit.  He equips each believer with at least one spiritual gift for effective service in the body of Christ. (Acts 1:8, John 16:13, Ephesians 5:18, Romans 12:3-8, 1 Peter 4:10)

All Men by Nature and Choice Are 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 1:26-27, Romans 5:12, Ephesians 2:1-3,12, Psalm 143:2, Romans 3:10-12)

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 repentance of sin and 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. (Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5, Acts 20:21, John 1:12, John 5:24, 2 Peter 1:3, John 10:28-29, John 14:6)

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 privilege of bearing the gospel to a lost world; remembering that a victorious and fruitful Christian life is possible only for those who in gratitude for the infinite and undeserved mercies of God have presented themselves wholly to Christ.  For this reason we oppose all practices which detract from a spiritual life. (Ephesians 2:10, James 1:22-25, Colossians 3:1-3, Ephesians 5:8-10, Matthew 28:19-20, Romans 12:1-2, Titus 2:11-14)

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 14:12-16, Ezekiel 28:12-19, 1 Peter 5:8-9, John 8:44, Job 1:8-12, Colossians 2:15, Revelation 20:10, Ephesians 6:12-18, Revelation 12:11, 1 John 4:4)

Second Coming of Christ

That His coming in the air to rapture His saints, which is our blessed hope, is always imminent; that when He has first by resurrection of the dead and translation of the living removed from the earth His waiting saints, He will then pour out the righteous judgments of God upon the unbelieving world and afterwards descend with His saints and establish His glorious and literal kingdom over all nations for a thousand years. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Zechariah 14:4-11, Revelation 19:11-16)

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 Hell 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 the Lake of Fire, the place of final and everlasting punishment. (John 14:1-6, 2 Corinthians 5:8, John 5:28-29, John 11:25-26, 1 Corinthians 3:9-15, Revelation 20:5-6, 12-15)

Separation of Church and State

Though we do not believe in the separation of God and the State, each has definite and distinct spheres of responsibility, but both should be “under God.” (Romans 13:1-8)

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. (1 Peter 1:5,9, John 14:6, Hebrews 4:16, 2 Timothy 2:15, 1 Corinthians 2:10-14)

Importance of the Local Church

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. (Hebrews 10:24-25, 2 Thessalonians 1:11, Matthew 28:19-20)

Independence and Autonomy of the Local Church

That each New Testament church is free to govern itself without ecclesiastical interference and should cooperate with other New Testament churches as the Holy Spirit leads; that it is responsible to follow the pattern of the New Testament church and is directly accountable to God. (1 Peter 5:1-4)

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

That baptism is by immersion of believers, thus portraying the death, burial, and 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 28:18-20, Romans 6:3-6, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

Separation from Apostasy

Collaboration or participation with all forms of modernism whether in the World Council of Churches, the National Council of Churches or otherwise is wrong and demands separation on our part. (Ephesians 5:11, 2 John 1:9-11)