We Believe

1. The Holy Scriptures.
We believe the Bible is God's revelation to man; verbally inspired; inerrant in the original writings; and is therefore the supreme and final authority in all matters of doctrine, faith, and life. (II Timothy 3:16-17).  We also believe these Scriptures were perfectly preserved, in English, in the King James Version, 1611 AV. We recognize the liberty of those who come to worship to use different translations but teaching and preaching shall only be done from the King James Bible.

2. The Trinity of the God-Head.
We believe in one God - one in unity and purpose; eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19, II Corinthians 13:14)

3. The Pre-Existence, Deity, and Incarnation of Jesus Christ.
We believe that Jesus Christ always existed with the Father and Holy Spirit and that His incarnation was begotten by the Holy Spirit. He was born of the Virgin Mary and is true God and true man. (Matthew 1:18-25, John 1:1-20, Colossians 1:15-16, I Timothy 3:16)

4. The Creation and Fall of Man.
We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death which is separation from God; that all human beings are born with a sinful nature - are totally depraved; and those who reach moral responsibility are sinners in thought, word, deed, and are
totally alienated from God by their sin. Man, therefore, must be born again to be accepted by God. (John 3:1-21, Romans 3:10,23; 5:12, Ephesians 2:1-3)

5. The Death, Resurrection, and Ascension of Jesus Christ.
We believe Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as our substitutionary sacrifice and that all who receive Him as Savior are justified on the ground of His atoning death and shed blood. We believe that He arose bodily from the dead on the third day. He then ascended into Heaven; is now seated at the right hand of the Father; and is our High Priest and Divine Advocate with the Father. By His finished work on the cross and the unceasing ministry of intercession, Jesus Christ has secured for every believer - Total Redemption, Complete Salvation, and Everlasting Life. (Mark 16:19, John 20:26-28, Romans 5:8-9, I Corinthians 15:3,4, Hebrews 7:22-8:7, 9:11-15, I John 2:1,5:11-15)

6. The Personality and Ministry of the Holy Spirit.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person; that He convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; that He regenerates the sinner by the Word of God; that He permanently indwells each believer; that He seals, enlightens, instructs, and guides every born-again person; that He is sufficient power for Godly living, Christian Service, and Spiritual Worship. (John 3:5-7, 14:16, 17, 26, 16:7-15, Ephesians 4:30)

7. The Nature of the Church.
We believe that the Church of Jesus Christ was begun at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit descended from Heaven and came into the Church; that it is composed solely of born-again people who have been called out from among the Jews and Gentiles to become the body and bride of our Lord. Christ, glorified in heaven, is its Head and the Holy Spirit, on earth, is the active agent of the God-Head who ever seeks to bring about, within its rank, conformity and obedience to the Word of God and the Will of God. The one body unites believers to each other and all to Christ; and its purpose of existence is to evangelize the world, build up the believers, and gather together in spiritual worship. (Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8, 15:14, Romans 1:16, I Corinthians 12:12-13, Ephesians 5:23-24a, Acts 2)

8. The Ordinances.
We believe in the ordinances of the New Testament Church which we are commanded to observe. Water Baptism has no saving merit but after salvation, it is the next step in confession of the believer's union with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Water Baptism by immersion is observed as a sign of the believer's identification with Christ and a testimony to newness to life in Him. The Lord's Supper was instituted by Christ and is to be observed as a memorial of His broken body and shed blood for our sin. It is to be observed as a symbol of His sacrifice for us - until He comes. The Washing of the Saints' Feet is a voluntary act which portrays the deep humbleness of Jesus Christ; His great love for His followers; and servanthood among the brethren. (John 13:1-17, Romans 6:4, I Corinthians 11:23-33, Colossians 2:9-13)

9. The Second Advent.
We believe in the Blessed Hope, the personal, pre-millennial, pre-tribulation, and imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ which is known as the rapture of the Church. We believe in the personal, visible, and glorious return of Christ to the earth with His saints at the end of the Tribulation period. This phase of His coming is known as the Revelation of Jesus Christ or His Coming in glory. When He returns to the earth with His saints, we believe He will establish His millennial kingdom and will reign for 1000 years on this earth. (John 14:3,
I Thessalonians 4:13-17, Titus 2:13, Revelation 19:11-21; 20:1-6)

10. The Resurrection of the Dead.
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the Just at the Rapture and of the Unjust at the end of time. (John 5:28-29, I Corinthians 15:51-57, I Thessalonians 4:14-17, Revelation 20:11-15)

11. The Eternal State of the Saved and the Lost.
We believe in a literal Heaven and Hell. Heaven is a place of eternal conscious joy for all who receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior. Hell is the place of eternal conscious punishment in the Lake of Fire for all who reject Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and die in their sin. (Psalm 9:17; 16:11, John 8:24; 14:1-6, Philippians 1:21,23, II Thessalonians 1:7-9, Revelation 20:10-15)

12. The Personality of Satan.
We believe that Satan is a personal being; a fallen angel; prince of demons; the god of this age; the great enticer and deceiver; the adversary of Christ and His people; and the accuser of the believer whose end is the Lake of Fire. (Isaiah 14:12-25, Ezekiel 28:12-29, Matthew 25:41, II Corinthians 4:3-4, I Peter 5:8, Revelation 12:9-10; 20:10)

13. Salvation.
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. (John 1:12, Ephesians 2:8-10, I Peter 1:18-19)

14.The Assurance of Believers and The Keeping Power of God.
We believe it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their Salvation through the testimony of the Word of God. Believers are both saved and kept by Grace. However, this clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh and no one living in open rebellion and sin has any assurance of Salvation. Such a person is to be treated as if he were never saved. (Matthew 18:15-17, Romans 5:2; 13:13-14, Galatians 5:13, Titus 2:11-15, Jude 1:24)

15. 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. Therefore, 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, John 3:5-9)

16. Separation and Sanctification.
We believe that the Scriptures clearly teach non-conformity to the world for every believer; that born-again people should be separated from the world unto Christ; that it is clearly commanded of God for all believers to live lives of separation from all worldly and sinful practices, and to be Holy as God is Holy. We believe that positional sanctification occurs at the moment of regeneration and that practical sanctification is to be progressive throughout the entire life span of the believer here on earth. God's provision for Holy Living is possible as the believer yields to the power of the Word of God through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit. (John 17:17, Romans 6:13, II Corinthians 3:18; 6:14-17; 7:1, Ephesians 5:25-27, Colossians 1:13,3:1-4, Titus 2:14, Hebrews 4:12; 10:1-14, I Peter 1:14-16, II Peter 3:18)

17. Moral Purity.
We believe that God has designed the Scriptural standard regarding Moral Sexual Behavior and that it is to be obeyed or there will be dire consequences for violating these standards. The following standards we find in Scripture:
a.The physical union is designed only for a man and woman in the marriage covenant and therefore is not to be entered into outside the marriage covenant. (I Corinthians 7:2-5)
b. Anyone who engages in sexual behavior before marriage is committing "fornication". (I Corinthians 7:19-20) A married person engaging in sexual behavior with any person other than his/her spouse is committing "adultery".  (Exodus 20:14, Matthew 5:32, Matthew 19:9)
c.Men or Women who engage in the practice of sodomy are violating the moral standard of God. (Romans 1:26, 27)

18. Sanctity of the Marriage and the Family.
The Covenant of Marriage and the Institution of the Family have been designed by God and is therefore to be maintained to the highest degree and preserved at all cost. The following areas are of utmost importance:
a.Scripture plainly states that a man is to leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife and what God joins together shall not be put asunder. The marriage covenant is to be broken only by the death of one of the partners. (Genesis 2:23-24, Matthew 19:4-6)
b.Marriage is to be only between a MALE and a FEMALE. A marriage between two individuals of the same sex is definitely not a design of God and therefore it is forbidden by Scripture. (Genesis 2:23-24, Matthew 19:4-6)
c.Divorce is to be discouraged because of what God thinks of it. (Malachi 2:14-16) The participants are to work toward reconciliation. (Matthew 19:3-9, I Corinthians 7:10-11, I Corinthians 7:39)