Our Core Beliefs
The following doctrinal distinctives comprise the Scriptural beliefs of this ministry.
- The Word of God. We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original writings, complete as the revelation of God’s will for salvation, and the supreme and final authority in all matters to which they speak. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
- The Trinity. We believe in one God, creator and sustainer of all things, eternally existing in three persons, God the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit; that these are equal in every divine perfection and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption. (Matthew 28:19)
- God the Father. We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
(1 Cor. 8:6; 2 Tim. 1:2) - Jesus Christ. We believe that Jesus Christ is God’s eternal Son, and has precisely the same nature, attributes and perfections as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. We believe further that He is not only true God, but also true man, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. We also believe in His sinless life, His substitutionary atonement, His bodily resurrection from the dead, His ascension into heaven, His priestly intercession on behalf of His people, and His personal, visible, pre-millennial return from heaven. (John 1:1-5, 1 John 2:2; 1 Thess. 4:16-17)
- Holy Spirit. We believe in the Holy Spirit, His personality, and His work in regeneration, sanctification, and preservation. His ministry is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, and implement Christ’s work of redeeming the lost and empowering the believer for godly living and service. (Acts 1:8; Eph. 1:13-14; 5:18; Phil. 2:13)
- Man. We believe God created man, male and female, in the image of God and free from sin; but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. We further believe all men are sinners by nature and choice and are therefore totally depraved and spiritually dead. We also believe that those who repent of sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit. (Romans 3:23; 5:12; 1 John 1:11-12; John 3:35)
- Salvation. We believe in salvation by grace, solely through faith in Jesus Christ alone. We further believe that this salvation is based upon the sovereign grace of God and was purchased by Christ on the cross and is received by man through faith, apart from any human merit, work, or ritual. We further believe salvation establishes a personal relationship with God, resulting in righteous living, good works, and proper social concern. (1 Cor. 15:1-3; Eph. 2:8-10)
- Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers.
- We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are therefore secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1; 38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Pet. 1:4-5)
- We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word. We also believe that our security in Jesus frees us to know and experience the joy of Christ and a victorious Christian life. (Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)
- Christian Conduct. We believe that the supreme task of every believer is to glorify God in his life; that his conduct should be blameless before the world; that he should be a faithful steward of his time, talents & possessions; and that he should seek to realize for himself the full stature of maturity in Christ. (Matt. 5:16; Romans 15:6; Eph. 1:3-6)
- The Church. We believe that the Church is the spiritual body of which Christ is the head. We believe that the true Church is composed of all persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit. We believe that this body expresses itself in local assemblies whose members have been immersed upon a credible confession of faith and have associated themselves for worship, for instruction, for evangelism, and for service. We believe the ordinances of the local church are believer’s baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper. We also believe in the interdependence of local churches and the mutual submission of believers to each other in love. (Acts 2:41-47; Matt. 28:19; 1 Cor. 11:23-29; John 13:34-35)
- Civil Government. We believe that each local church is self-governing in function and must be free from external interferences by any ecclesiastical or political authority. We further believe that every human being is directly responsible to God in matters of faith and life, and that each should be free to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience. We also believe it is the responsibility of the Church and each Christian to be salt and light in our world and our culture for Christ. (Matthew 5:13-16; Mark 12:17; Acts 5:29)
- Last Things. We believe in the personal return of Christ, the bodily resurrection of the saved and lost, the eternal existence of all men either in heaven or the lake of fire, in divine judgments, rewards, and punishments. (Matthew 25:46;1 Cor. 15:35-38; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 20:1-14)
- Creation. We believe that God created the universe in six days. (Gen. 1-2; Ex. 20:11)
- Marriage and Divorce.
- We believe that God intends marriage to be a wonderful and beautiful relationship that should be nurtured and cherished. (Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6)
- We believe that marriage is the joining of one man, who is born as and continues as a man, and one woman, who is born as and continues as a woman. (Gen. 1:27, 2:24; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23)
- Human Sexuality. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1: 26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)
- Family Relationships. We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her respectable husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are a heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them through love, the example of a consistent and Godly lifestyle, and appropriate discipline. (Gen. 1:26-28; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Ps. 127:3-5; Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mk. 10:6-12; I Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4, Col. 3:18-21; Heb. 13:4; I Pet. 3:1-7)
- Abortion. We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being at the moment of conception. Any attempt to harm or abort the unborn child is sin. (Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)
- Lawsuits Between Believers. We believe that Christians should not bring civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek reasonable compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander. (1 Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32)
- Missions. We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all peoples and nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ, we must use all available means to go to those who do not know Jesus and not wait for them to come to us. (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20)
- Giving. We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth, gifting and time that is entrusted to him, is to support his local church accordingly. We believe that God has established that every Christian should give sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. (Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17)
AUTHORITY OF DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
This Doctrinal Statement does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing Doctrinal Statement accurately represents the teaching of the Bible and, therefore, is representative of our statement of faith.