Statement of Faith
Statement of Faith
God The Father
God, our omnipresent Father, reigns over His entire universe with providential care. He is all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowing, and all-wise. He is fatherly in attitude toward all men but is Father, indeed, to those who have become children of God through Jesus Christ, who will deliver them into the Father’s hands. (Genesis 1:1; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 6:9; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Ephesians 4:6)
God The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Person who convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment; that He alone brings new life to those who are spiritually dead; that He baptizes and places all believers into the one true Church, which is the Body of Christ; and that He indwells them permanently, seals them unto the day of final redemption, bestows spiritual gifts upon them, fills and controls those who are yielding to Him. Every believer is called to life so in the power of the indwelling Spirit that he will not fulfill the lust of the flesh but will bear fruit to the glory of God. (John 3:3-8; 14:16-17; 16:7-11; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, 13; Ephesians 4:30; 5:18)
Creation
We believe that man was created directly by and in the image of God. We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, by His direct act. (Genesis 1:1; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17)
God The Son
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. This redemption He accomplished by voluntarily giving Himself as a sinless, substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, thereby satisfying God’s righteous judgment against sin. Jesus Christ alone made the full and complete atonement for all sin. After substantiating the accomplishment of that redemption and justification by His bodily resurrection from the grave, He ascended to the right hand of His Father, where He intercedes on behalf of those who trust Him. All who believe in and receive the Lord Jesus Christ have eternal life, those who do not will be eternally lost. (Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1, 2, 14, 18; Romans 3:24-26, 8:34)
We are waiting for His return (Titus 2:13) and we believe all things shall be subjected to God through Him.
The Triune Godhead
We believe in one God, existing in a trinity of persons-Father, Son and Holy Spirit-who are eternal and of equal dignity and power.
We believe He is the one true and living God, the Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, and Ruler of all things. He is infinite, eternal and unchangeable.
God The Father
God, our omnipresent Father, reigns over His entire universe with providential care. He is all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowing, and all-wise. He is fatherly in attitude toward all men but is Father, indeed, to those who have become children of God through Jesus Christ, who will deliver them into the Father’s hands. (Genesis 1:1; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 6:9; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 15:24; Ephesians 4:6)
God The Son
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. This redemption He accomplished by voluntarily giving Himself as a sinless, substitutionary sacrifice on the cross, thereby satisfying God’s righteous judgment against sin. Jesus Christ alone made the full and complete atonement for all sin. After substantiating the accomplishment of that redemption and justification by His bodily resurrection from the grave, He ascended to the right hand of His Father, where He intercedes on behalf of those who trust Him. All who believe in and receive the Lord Jesus Christ have eternal life, those who do not will be eternally lost. (Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1, 2, 14, 18; Romans 3:24-26, 8:34)
We are waiting for His return (Titus 2:13) and we believe all things shall be subjected to God through Him.
God The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Person who convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment; that He alone brings new life to those who are spiritually dead; that He baptizes and places all believers into the one true Church, which is the Body of Christ; and that He indwells them permanently, seals them unto the day of final redemption, bestows spiritual gifts upon them, fills and controls those who are yielding to Him. Every believer is called to life so in the power of the indwelling Spirit that he will not fulfill the lust of the flesh but will bear fruit to the glory of God. (John 3:3-8; 14:16-17; 16:7-11; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, 13; Ephesians 4:30; 5:18)
The Triune Godhead
We believe in one God, existing in a trinity of persons-Father, Son and Holy Spirit-who are eternal and of equal dignity and power.
We believe He is the one true and living God, the Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, and Ruler of all things. He is infinite, eternal and unchangeable.
Creation
We believe that man was created directly by and in the image of God. We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, by His direct act. (Genesis 1:1; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17)
The Scriptures
We believe the Bible is the Word of God, verbally inspired and without error as originally written, and that it is the only infallible rule of faith and practice for the Christian. (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:21). We believe the Old and New Testaments contain the whole duty of man. We also believe that all Scripture was designed for our practical instruction. (Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11; 2 Timothy 3:16)
Satan
We believe that Satan is the author of sin and the agent of all deception. He is destined to the judgment of an eternal punishment in the lake of fire. (Matthew 4:1-3; Acts 5:3; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10)
Atonement For Sin
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a substitutionary sacrifice and that all who believe on Him are redeemed by His shed blood. We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord Jesus Christ and in His ascension into heaven; He is our High Priest and Advocate. Jesus Christ alone made the full and complete atonement for all sin. (John 1:1-3, 14; 3:1-7; Hebrews 10:4-14; 1 John 2:2)
Man
Although man was created in the image of God, he fell into sin and is lost. This is true of all men, and except a man be born again by the Holy Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (Genesis 1:26-27; John 3:3; Romans 3:10, 23) We believe that the main duty of man is to glorify God and to live for the praise of His glory.
Salvation
We believe that salvation is the gift of God’s grace. It cannot be gained or made more secure by meritorious works, but is freely bestowed upon all that put their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary. All who so trust the Savior are forgiven of their sins and born into the family of God by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. (John 1:12; Acts 16:30-33; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-9)
The Church
We believe the true church, the body of Christ, consists of all individuals that put their trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior. We believe that Christians are called to love God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength; and to love their neighbor as themselves.We believe that in the church of Christ there are two standing ordinances that should be observed: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
We believe the scriptural officers of the church are the pastors, elders, bishops, and deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are defined in the Epistles of Timothy and Titus.
The Christian Walk
We believe that we are called with a holy calling to walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit, and so to live in the power of the indwelling Spirit that we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. Yet, the flesh is never eradicated in this life. The individual chooses to be transformed through living the truth, in subjection to Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 6:11-13; 8:2, 4, 12-13; Galatians 5:16-23; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 2:1-10; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 1 John 1:4-7; 3:5-9)
The Great Commission
Until the return of Christ, it is the Christian’s duty and privilege to seek the fulfillment of Christ’s Great Commission and to minister in His name to a needy world. We are to be instruments of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit ministers redemption and reconciliation in the world. (Matthew 25:31-46; 28:18-20)