SCRIPTURE

 

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally inspired word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible, and God-breathed.

 

(2 Tim. 3:16, 17; 2 Pt. 1:20, 21; Mt. 5:18; Jn. 16:12, 13)

 

 

IDENTITY OF GOD

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We believe there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in power and glory; that this triune God created all, upholds all, and governs all.

 

(Ps. 104; 139; Mt. 10:29-31; 28:19; Acts 17:24-28; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 1:9-12; 4:4-6; Col. 1:16-17; Heb. 1:1-3; Rev. 1:4-6)

 

 

HOLY SPIRIT

 

We believe in the Holy Spirit, who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower in ministry all who believe in Christ. We believe the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Jesus Christ and that He is an abiding Helper, Teacher, and Guide. We believe that Jesus Christ baptizes the seeking believer with the Holy Spirit and power for service, either at the time of or subsequent to regeneration, which is a separate work from the indwelling Spirit for salvation. We also believe that signs and wonders, as well as all the gifts of the Spirit described in the New Testament, are operative today and are designed to testify to the presence of the kingdom and to empower and edify the Church to fulfill its calling and mission. We practice the laying on of hands for the empowering of the Spirit, for healing, and for recognition and empowering of those whom God has ordained to lead and serve the Church.

 

(Acts 8:14-19; Mk. 1:41; Luke 6:18-19; Mk. 16:18; Acts 13:1-3; I Tim. 4:14; II Tim. 1:6; Jn 16:7; Jn 14:26; Jn 16:13-15; Rom. 8:14; Lk. 24:49; Acts 4:31; Acts 19:1-2, 6; I Cor. 2:4-5; II Cor. 4:7; II Cor. 6:4-7; Jl. 2:28-29; Acts 2:15-17; I Cor. 12:7-13; I Cor. 14:1; I Cor. 14:5; I Thess. 5:19-21, Mt. 3:11; Jn. 1:12-13; Jn. 3:1-15; Acts 4:29-30; Rom. 8:9; Rom. 12:3-8; 2 Cor. 1:21-22; Gal. 3:1-5; Eph. 1:13-14; Eph. 5:18)

 

 

THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST

 

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. We believe in His sinless life, miracles, and teachings, and that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry as Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. We believe Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead.

 

(Jn. 1:1-2, 14; Lk 1:35; Rom. 3:24; 1 Pt. 2:24; Eph 1:7; 1 Pt. 1:3-5; 1 Pt. 4:5; Rom. 14:9; 2 Tim. 4:1; Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 7:25; Heb. 9:24; Rom. 8:34; 1 Jn 2:1-2)

 

 

SALVATION

 

We believe that salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. No ordinance, ritual, work, or any other activity on the part of man is required or accepted in order to be saved. Through the preaching of the Good News of Jesus and the Kingdom of God and the work of the Holy Spirit, God regenerates, justifies, adopts and sanctifies all who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. By this they are released from Satan's domain and enter into God's kingdom reign. This saving grace of God, through the power of the Holy Spirit, also sanctifies us by enabling us to do what is pleasing in God's sight in order that we might be progressively conformed to the image of Christ.

 

(Jn. 1:12-13; 6:37-44; 10:25-30; Acts 16:30-31; Rom. 3:1-4:2; Rom. 8:1-17, Rom. 31-39; Rom. 10:8-10; Eph. 2:8-10; Phil. 2:12-13; Titus 3:3-7; 1 Jn. 1:7, 1 Jn. 9; Mk. 1:14-15; Acts 8:12; Acts 28:31; Eph. 5:5; Jn. 16:7-11; Jn. 3:5-8; I Pt. 1:23; Rom. 5:1-2; Rom. 5:9; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:6; Eph. 5:25; Heb. 13:12; I Pt. 1:1-2; Acts 2:38; Rom. 10:9; I Jn. 4:13-15; Col. 1:13-14; Phil. 3:20)

 

 

ORIGINAL SIN

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We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that through Adam's sin, all mankind has now inherited a sinful nature. All humans are therefore, by nature and choice, the children of wrath, justly condemned in the sight of God, wholly unable to save themselves or restore relationship to God.

 

(Gen. 1:1-3:22; Ps. 51:5; Isa. 53:5; Rom. 3:9-18; Rom. 22-23; Rom. 5:12-21; Eph. 2:1-3, 12)

 

 

BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER

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We believe that Jesus Christ committed two ordinances to the Church: water baptism and the Lord's Supper. Both are to be observed until the time of Christ's return and are available to all believers.

 

(Mt. 26:26-29; Mt. 28:19; Rom. 6:3-11; 1 Cor. 11:23-34; 1 Pt. 3:21)

 

 

THE CHURCH

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We believe that the Church is God's primary instrument through which He is fulfilling His redemptive purposes in the earth. All who repent of their sins and confess Jesus as Lord and Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and form the living Body of Christ, of which He is the head and of which we are all members. To equip the saints for the work of ministry, God has given the Church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. We also affirm the priesthood of all believers and the importance of every Christian being joined with and actively involved in a local community of the saints.

 

(Mt. 16:17-19; Acts 2:17-18, 42; Eph. 1:22; Eph. 3:14-21; Eph. 4:11-16; Eph. 5:23; 1 Tim. 2:11-15; Heb. 10:23-25; 1 Pt. 2:4-5; 1 Pt. 9-10; Ti. 3:4-7; Rom. 12:4-5; I Cor. 12:27)

 

 

SECOND COMING OF CHRIST/THE END TIMES

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We believe in the literal second coming of Christ at the end of the age when He will return to earth personally and visibly to consummate His kingdom. We believe in and are praying for a great end-time harvest of souls and the emergence of a victorious Church that will experience an unprecedented unity, purity, and power in the Holy Spirit.

 

(Ps. 2:7-9; Ps. 22:27-28; Jn. 14:12; Jn. 17:20-26; Rom. 11:25-32; 1 Cor. 15:20-28, 50-58; Eph. 4:11-16; Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Thes. 4:13-5:11; 2 Thes. 1:3-12; Rev. 7:9-14)

 

 

SATAN

 

We believe that Satan, originally the great and good angel Lucifer, rebelled against God, taking a multitude of angels with him. He was cast out of God's presence and is at work with his demonic hosts to establish his counter-kingdom of darkness, evil, and unrest on earth. Satan was judged and defeated at the cross of Christ and will be cast forever into the lake of fire which has been prepared for him and his angels.

(Isa. 14:10-17; Ezek. 28:11-19; Mt. 12:25-29; 25:41; Jn. 12:31; 16:11; Eph. 6:10-20; Col. 2:15; 2 Pet. 2:4; Jude 6; Rev. 12:7-9; Rev. 20:10)