What We Believe

Every word in the original writings of the Holy Scriptures of both the Old and New Testaments is inspired of God, without error, and of supreme authority in all matters of faith and life. (2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21)

We believe the approach to interpreting the Scriptures is the literal, grammatical, historical approach.

The Godhead exists eternally in three Persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and these three are one God. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 90:2; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-3, 8:58, 10:30; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

The eternal Son of God became incarnate in the Lord Jesus Christ, being born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man. (John 1:1, 1:14, 1:18, 5:18; Philippians 2:6-11; Colossians 1:19, 2:9; 1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 1:1-9; 1 John 5:20)

The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Godhead, who regenerates, indwells, baptizes, and seals all believers in Christ; and fills those yielded to God. (Acts 5:3-4; Matthew 28:19; John 3:3-7; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 6:19, 12:13; Ephesians 1:13, 4:30, 5:18)

Man was created in the image and likeness of God, but in Adam all mankind fell into sin with the result that all men are sinners, hopelessly sinful in themselves, apart from the grace of God. (Genesis 1:27, 9:6; Romans 3:23, 5:12, 8:6-7; Ephesians 2:1-3)

Salvation is received by faith alone in Christ, who died as a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures and rose again, and all who believe on Him are justified on the basis of His shed blood and receive the gift of eternal life. This is the message of the gospel.(Acts 4:12, 16:31; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 1:12, 3:16; Romans 5:1)

Every believer has positional sanctification and is promised progressive and ultimate sanctification. (John 17:17; 1 Corinthians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 5:26-27; Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, 5:23-24; Hebrews 10:10, 10:14; 1 John 3:2)

All who are born of the Spirit through faith in Christ can have assurance of salvation and are eternally secured in Christ. (John 5:24, 10:27-29; Romans 8:1; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2 Timothy 1:12; 1 John 5:11-13)

The church is composed of all believers, is the body and bride of Christ, is formed by the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and exists in two aspects, universal and local. The universal church is an elect company of believers, baptized by the Holy Spirit into one Body; its mission is to witness to its Head, Jesus Christ, preaching the Gospel among all nations. The local church is a group of believers voluntarily joined together to worship God with praise and thanksgiving, and to glorify Jesus Christ through an aggressive effort to disciple others by the preaching of the Gospel and the exercise of spiritual gifts. (Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 12:4, 12;27; Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:24-30)

We believe that the purposes for which the Spirit gives ministry gifts to believers are described in Ephesians 4:12-16 and that the gift of tongues was, like the gifts of apostleship and prophecy, given for the founding of the Church and is therefore not being given today. While we recognize that God may give any gift to the church at any time, we believe that the current resurgence of the practice of tongues is not the Scriptural gift of tongues. (1 Corinthians 14:21-22; Ephesians 2:20; Hebrews 2:3-4)

Christians are called to a holy life of service and testimony in the power of the Holy Spirit, which service includes the propagation of the Gospel message to the whole world. There is promised reward in heaven for faithfulness in such service. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 3:12-17; 1 Peter 1:1-16)

The Scriptural ordinances of Baptism and the Lord's supper are for all believers in Christ. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 8:12, 8:36-28; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

Angels were originally created holy, but now exist as unfallen and fallen, including Satan. (Job 38:6-7; Psalm 148:2, 148:5; Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Matthew 25:41; Ephesians 6:11-12; Colossians 1:16; 1 Timothy 5:21; 2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6; Revelation 12:9)

We are now living in the age of grace, awaiting the blessed hope of the imminent return of the Lord for His church which is to be followed in order by: the tribulation; the Second Coming of Christ to the earth after the tribulation; the establishment of the reign of Christ on earth for one thousand years; the eternal state of punishment for the unsaved and the eternal state of blessing for the saved. (Matthew 24:21, 24:29-30, 25:31-46; John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-18, 5:4-10; Titus 2:13; Revelation 3:10, 20:1-6, 20:11-15)