Our Statement Of Faith
The following is what we adhere to in our statement of faith:
The Bible is the inerrant, infallible, authoritative Word of God. It is inspired of God (II Timothy 3:16; I Peter 1:20-21). It has been preserved by God. It is the church’s authority on faith and practice. The church is to submit to it humbly. The preacher is to teach it faithfully. It is part and parcel of abiding in Christ (Psalm 12:6; James 1:22-25; II Tim. 4:2; John 15).
God is the eternal, immutable, holy Creator and Sovereign of heaven and earth. He is one God existing eternally in 3 persons. He is holy in all his works. He is faithful in all his Word. (Gen. 1:1; Ps. 145:17; Deut. 7:9-10)
Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God the Father. He is God. He is one with His Father. He willingly emptied Himself, became poor, and lovingly lived and died for all men. In His earthly life, He completely fulfilled the righteous demands of the Law, glorified and pleased His Father in all He did, and was mercilessly crucified at the hands of sinful men by the predeterminate counsel of God. He was buried and rose again three days later. He ascended into Heaven, and is now seated at the right hand of the Father, as the only mediator between God and men. He is the way, the truth, and the life, and by none other name will men enter into Heaven. He has gone to prepare a place for His Bride, the Church, and will imminently return in body to receive His bride unto Himself. He is the Lord, and at his name, every knee shall bow in heaven, on earth, and under the earth. (John 1:1-14; 3:16; 10:30; 14:1-6; II Cor. 8:9; I Tim. 2:5; Acts 4:12; Phil. 2:1-11)
The Church is the Bride of Christ and the body of Christ. It consists of saved, baptized believers who have voluntarily joined themselves together to learn the Word, pray, fellowship, and carry out the Great Commission. The head is Christ. They love Christ and each other. They have been given authority by Christ to make disciples. (Eph. 5:25-27; Acts 2:42-47; Matt. 28:19-20; 18:15-20)
Man was created by God as described in Genesis. He was made in the image of God and is therefore, a relational, rational, and responsible being. He was designed to glorify God (Isaiah 43:7). The first man, Adam, willfully disobeyed God and brought the Curse upon all of creation. Because man is fallen, every man is born a sinner, goes astray, and does not seek after God. He is hopelessly lost, and under the wrath and condemnation of God in his natural state. (Gen. 1:26-30; Rom. 1-3; 5:12; John 3:16-36)
Salvation is the means by which God has chosen to redeem His creation. All men have sinned. The penalty for sin is death; therefore all men are under the condemnation of God. Jesus Christ satisfied the righteous demands of the law by living a sinless life. He then became sin for us, and while we were yet sinners died for us. His death satisfied the penalty for all men, and in doing so, reconciled the world unto God. This is the Gospel – the good news that Christ has done for man what he is unable to do for himself – provide salvation. This new birth is obtained by repentance of sins, and faith in Christ and His work. It is given by grace through faith alone. Upon salvation, man is justified before God, and given the earnest of his inheritance, the Holy Spirit. (Rom. 1-5; Eph. 2:8-9)
Sanctification is the process by which a Christian advances to maturity in Christ. At no point does a Christian reach sinless perfection in this life, but is guaranteed complete sanctification in the next. In this life, sanctification will be signified by a life of constant dying to self, mortifying sin, confessing sin, growing in the Word, abiding in Christ, and fellowshipping with other believers. (II Peter 1:3-8; John 15; I John; James; Phil. 3:8-14)
The Holy Spirit is oftentimes called the third person of the Trinity. He convicts men of their sin, shines the light of the glorious gospel into men’s minds, indwells believers, and bears with our infirmities. He can be grieved and resisted (John 16:7-11; Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30)
We believe in the imminent return of Christ. Upon his return, all men will stand before God in judgment. All unbelievers will suffer eternally and consciously in Hell, and all believers will enter into the eternal conscious blessedness of the new heaven and new earth. (Dan. 9; Revelation; I Thess. 5:1-4; II Thess. 2:6-12; Matt. 24)