Statement of Faith
1. The Holy Scriptures
A. We believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration and the supernatural preservation of the Holy Scriptures. (II Timothy 3:16-17, II Peter 1:20-21, Matthew 4:4, Psalm 12: 6-7)
B. We believe that the Word of God, composed of sixty six books, is our sole and final authority in all matters of faith and practice. (Matthew 4:4, Psalm 119:9)
C. We believe that the infallible, inerrant Bible is God's complete Revelation to man; therefore, nothing should be added to it, nor should anything be taken from it. (Revelation 22:18-19, Psalm 19:7, Proverbs 30:5, I Corinthians 13:10)
2. The Godhead
We believe there is only one true God, existing in three Persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-eternal and co-equal from all eternity, each with distinct personalities but of one essence. (Matthew 28:19, II Corinthians 13:14, Isaiah 48:16, 61:1, Hebrews 10:12-15, I Timothy 3:16)
3. The Person and Work Of Jesus Christ
A. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, who became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. (John 1:1, Matthew 1:18-20, Luke 1:35)
B. We believe that Christ being the God-man lived a perfect sinless life fulfilling God's demand for Perfection according to Old Testament Law. (Hebrews 4:15, Matthew 5:17)
C. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, yet not for our sins only, but for the sins of the entire human race. He took our sins upon Himself, literally becoming sin for us. Our sins were eternally judged and paid for by his voluntary sacrifice; because, He tasted death for every man. When we believe the record God has given about His Son and by faith accept what He has done for us, we are justified before God on the basis of His shed blood and are declared immediately and permanently righteous. (Romans 3:24-26, 4:22-25, II Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 2:9-14, I John 2:2, 5:9-12, I Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:11, Ephesians 1:7)
D. We believe in the literal bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and that He is right now seated at the Father's right hand making intercession for us. His resurrection was visible proof of God's acceptance of His sacrifice for sin. (I Corinthians 15:12-20, Matthew 28:5-6, Hebrews 7:23-25, Romans 1:4)
E. We believe in "that blessed hope" which is the personal, visible, pretribulational, premillennial, and imminent return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (I Thessalonians 4:16-17, Revelation 3:10, 20:3-4, I Corinthians 15:51-53, II Thessalonians 2:1-11)
4. The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
A. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, equal with the Father and the Son. (Acts 5:1-4)
B. We believe that He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement; that He testifies of Jesus Christ; that He is the agent of the New Birth; that He indwells permanently every believer, sealing them to the day of redemption; that He bears witness with our spirit thereby giving the believer assurance; and that He would never lead us contrary to the Word of God. (John 3:8, 15:26-27, 16:7-15, I Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 4:30, Romans 8:14-16)
C. We believe that He fills and empowers for service those who are yielded to Him. (Ephesians 5:18, Acts 4:29-31)
D. We believe that He bestows certain spiritual gifts outlined in the Scriptures, but these gifts no longer include the sign gifts (tongues, interpretation of tongues, healing, prophecy, miracles) which were given for a temporary period to confirm the Word that was preached.and were phased out when the Word of God was completed at the end of the first century. (Mark 16:19-20, I Corinthians 12:4-13, 13:8-11)
E. We believe that we are baptised with the Holy Spirit the moment we are saved and are thereby placed into the Body of Christ. (Acts 1:4-5, 2:38-39, I Corinthians 12:13)
5. The Fall of Man
A. We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the human race fell and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death which includes not only being eternally separated from God, but also being eternally judged in the Lake of Fire. (Genesis 1:26, 3:1-24, Romans 5:12)
B. We believe that when man is now born physically into this world, he is dead spiritually. He has inherited a sinful nature, became a willful sinner with the first expression of personal choice, is totally unable to regain his former position, and is without excuse before God. (Romans 3:23, 1:20, Ephesians 2:1-6, 12)
6. Salvation
A. We believe that salvation is offered to man as a free gift of God's marvelous grace apart from any works on man's part. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5)
B. We believe that man is justified by faith alone and is accounted righteous before God on the basis of the blood of Jesus Christ which was shed for the remission of sins. (Romans 5:1, Ephesians 1:7, Matthew 26:28, Hebrews 9:22)
C. The new birth is a divine act whereby God imparts a new nature to the believer which is wrought in the inward man, but is manifested outwardly by a changed life. At the moment of salvation, man is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. (John 3:3-8, II Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:16)
D. We believe a person is saved when he repents of his sin, and received Christ as his own personal Lord and Saviour. The conditions for salvation according to the Scriptures are repentance and faith. Repentance is a change that occurs in our minds when we understand and recognize our sin and guilt before a Holy God, and we desire and are willing to turn from that sin which will be evidenced by a change of action. Repentance is turning from sin, and faith is turning to Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable. (Acts 20:21, Revelation 3:20, Romans 10:13, I John 5:9-12, Luke 13:3,5 I Thessalonians 1:9)
E. We believe in the eternal security of the believer and that it is impossible for one born into the family of God to ever be lost. (John 10:27-30, Hebrews 7:25, Ecclesiastes 3:14, Ephesians 4:30, Philippians 1:6)
7. Sanctification
A. We believe that sanctification begins when the Holy Spirit begins to work directly in the lives of spiritually dead sinners, whereby they are convicted of their sin and its consequences, and Christ is revealed to them as the answer for their lost estate. This is referred to as preparatory sanctification. (I Peter 1:2, Romans 15:16, II Thessalonians 2:13, Hebrews 10:29)
B. We believe that immediate, positional sanctification is the act of God whereby believers are, at the time of regeneration, eternally set aparts as belonging to Him by redemption, thereby being placed in the family of God as children, joint heirs with Jesus Christ. (I John 3:1, Romans 8:14-17, I Corinthians 1:2, Hebrews 10:10-14, 13:12)
C. We believe that progressive sanctification is the process by which, according to God's will, we are made partakers of His holiness; that it is progressive; that it is begun in regeneration and continues for the rest of our earthly lives, if we are yielded to the Holy Spirit's control. (I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23, II Corinthians 3:18, 7:1, John 17:17, Romans 8:29, Philippians 1:6, Ephesians 5:25-27)
8. The Eternal State
A. We believe that the souls of all men do leave the body at death. (Luke 16:19-23, 23:43, II Corinthians 5:8)
B. We believe that the souls of those who have trusted Christ for salvation pass immediately into His presence and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body which takes place at the Rapture, when body and soul are reunited to live forever with Him in Glory. (Luke 23:43, II Corinthians 5:8 Philippians 1:23, I Corinthians 2:9, John 14:3)
C. We believe that the souls of those who have rejected Christ pass immediately into a literal Hell that burns with fire and brimstone, and there remain in a conscious state of misery until the final judgement of the Great White Throne at the close of the Millennium, when soul and body are reunited to be cast forever into the Lake of Fire where they will burn forever. (Luke 16:19-26, II Thessalonians 1:7-9, Revelation 20:11-15, Matthew 25:41, Mark 9:43-48)
9. The Church
A. The Body of Christ
We believe that all blood washed believers of this age are a part of the Body of Christ which is His Bride and will be assembled together for the first time at the Rapture. The Body of Christ or the local church are never to be associated with nor referred to as Spiritual Israel. (Matthew 15:16-18, I Corinthians 12:12-13, Revelation 19:7-9, Hebrews 12:23)
B. The Local Church
We believe that each local church is a visible representation and express of the Body of Christ on this earth. It is composed of people who have professed faith in Christ Jesus as Saviour and have followed Him in believer's baptism. This local assembly now meets together regularly for worship, instruction from God's Word, observance of the ordinances, fellowship, and evangelism. (Acts 2:41-47, 11:19-26)
We believe that the local church is responsible only to Christ and is to be completely independent from any group, denomination, fellowship, convention, etc. (Matthew 18:15-20)
We believe that that responsibility for World Evangelization has been entrusted to the Local Church; therefore, any and every church program, missions outreach, or organized endeavor should have originated in and through a local, New Testament Church. (Matthew 28:18-20)
C. Ordinances
We believe there are only two ordinances given to the Local Church; baptism and the Lord's Supper. These are for the believer, and they have no saving merit.
1. Baptism
We believe that baptism by complete immersion pictures the union of the believer with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptism is an outward demonstration of inward action which took place at conversion. Believers are baptised in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit once not three times, and thus bearing witness to the Tri-unity of the Godhead. (Matthew 28:19, Acts 8:36, Romans 6:3-5)
2. The Lord's Supper
We believe that the Lord's Supper is the partaking of unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, as symbols of Christ's body and blood, commemorating His suffering and death for us. It is to be observed by those who have been saved and scripturally baptised. The Scriptural Order is always Baptism first, then the Lord's Supper. (I Corinthians 11:23-32, Acts 2:41-42)
D. Officers
We believe that the only Scriptural officers of a local church are pastor and deacons. (I Timothy 3:1-13)
10. The Responsibility of Believers
A. We believe that all believers should seek to walk by the Spirit, not bringing reproach upon Christ nor His Church; that the exercise of Christian Liberty should be governed by love; that personal separation from worldly pleasures and practices is a Scriptural command; and that ecclesiastical separation should be maintained from any ecumenical group that would not adhere to the Doctrinal Statement. (Galatians 5:16, Romans 12:1-2, 16:7-8, I Corinthians 8:1-13, II Corinthians 6:14-17)
B. We believe that it is the responsibility of all believers to witness by life and by word to the truths of the Holy Scriptures and to assume responsibility for the propagation of the Gospel to all the world. (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8)
C. We believe that it is the responsibility of all believers to remember the work of the local church and its extension ministries in prayer, to support it with their tithes and offerings, to participate in both the regular and special services of the church unless providentially hindered, and to voluntarily submit to the watchcare and discipline of the local church. (Hebrews 10: 19-25, 13:7-8, II Corinthians 9:6-7, I Corinthians 16:1-2)
11. Creation
We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, "each after its own kind," by direct act, and not by any process of evolution and that the days of creation in Genesis chapter 1 were six twenty-four hour days. (Genesis 1,2 Colossians 1:16-17, John 1:3, Exodus 20:9-11, 31:17)
12. Satan
We believe that Satan is a literal , personal being, a fallen angel, the agent of the fall, the prince and power of the air, the god of this world, the great enticer and deceiver, the adversary and enemy of Christ and His Church, and that he has already been judged and will ultimately be forever punished in the Lake of Fire. (Ephesians 2:1-4, 6:12, Isaiah 14:12-15, II Corinthians 4:3-4, 11:14. I Peter 5:8, Genesis 3:15, Revelation 20:10)
A. We believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration and the supernatural preservation of the Holy Scriptures. (II Timothy 3:16-17, II Peter 1:20-21, Matthew 4:4, Psalm 12: 6-7)
B. We believe that the Word of God, composed of sixty six books, is our sole and final authority in all matters of faith and practice. (Matthew 4:4, Psalm 119:9)
C. We believe that the infallible, inerrant Bible is God's complete Revelation to man; therefore, nothing should be added to it, nor should anything be taken from it. (Revelation 22:18-19, Psalm 19:7, Proverbs 30:5, I Corinthians 13:10)
2. The Godhead
We believe there is only one true God, existing in three Persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-eternal and co-equal from all eternity, each with distinct personalities but of one essence. (Matthew 28:19, II Corinthians 13:14, Isaiah 48:16, 61:1, Hebrews 10:12-15, I Timothy 3:16)
3. The Person and Work Of Jesus Christ
A. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, who became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. (John 1:1, Matthew 1:18-20, Luke 1:35)
B. We believe that Christ being the God-man lived a perfect sinless life fulfilling God's demand for Perfection according to Old Testament Law. (Hebrews 4:15, Matthew 5:17)
C. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, yet not for our sins only, but for the sins of the entire human race. He took our sins upon Himself, literally becoming sin for us. Our sins were eternally judged and paid for by his voluntary sacrifice; because, He tasted death for every man. When we believe the record God has given about His Son and by faith accept what He has done for us, we are justified before God on the basis of His shed blood and are declared immediately and permanently righteous. (Romans 3:24-26, 4:22-25, II Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 2:9-14, I John 2:2, 5:9-12, I Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:11, Ephesians 1:7)
D. We believe in the literal bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ and that He is right now seated at the Father's right hand making intercession for us. His resurrection was visible proof of God's acceptance of His sacrifice for sin. (I Corinthians 15:12-20, Matthew 28:5-6, Hebrews 7:23-25, Romans 1:4)
E. We believe in "that blessed hope" which is the personal, visible, pretribulational, premillennial, and imminent return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. (I Thessalonians 4:16-17, Revelation 3:10, 20:3-4, I Corinthians 15:51-53, II Thessalonians 2:1-11)
4. The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
A. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, equal with the Father and the Son. (Acts 5:1-4)
B. We believe that He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement; that He testifies of Jesus Christ; that He is the agent of the New Birth; that He indwells permanently every believer, sealing them to the day of redemption; that He bears witness with our spirit thereby giving the believer assurance; and that He would never lead us contrary to the Word of God. (John 3:8, 15:26-27, 16:7-15, I Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 4:30, Romans 8:14-16)
C. We believe that He fills and empowers for service those who are yielded to Him. (Ephesians 5:18, Acts 4:29-31)
D. We believe that He bestows certain spiritual gifts outlined in the Scriptures, but these gifts no longer include the sign gifts (tongues, interpretation of tongues, healing, prophecy, miracles) which were given for a temporary period to confirm the Word that was preached.and were phased out when the Word of God was completed at the end of the first century. (Mark 16:19-20, I Corinthians 12:4-13, 13:8-11)
E. We believe that we are baptised with the Holy Spirit the moment we are saved and are thereby placed into the Body of Christ. (Acts 1:4-5, 2:38-39, I Corinthians 12:13)
5. The Fall of Man
A. We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the human race fell and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death which includes not only being eternally separated from God, but also being eternally judged in the Lake of Fire. (Genesis 1:26, 3:1-24, Romans 5:12)
B. We believe that when man is now born physically into this world, he is dead spiritually. He has inherited a sinful nature, became a willful sinner with the first expression of personal choice, is totally unable to regain his former position, and is without excuse before God. (Romans 3:23, 1:20, Ephesians 2:1-6, 12)
6. Salvation
A. We believe that salvation is offered to man as a free gift of God's marvelous grace apart from any works on man's part. (Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 3:5)
B. We believe that man is justified by faith alone and is accounted righteous before God on the basis of the blood of Jesus Christ which was shed for the remission of sins. (Romans 5:1, Ephesians 1:7, Matthew 26:28, Hebrews 9:22)
C. The new birth is a divine act whereby God imparts a new nature to the believer which is wrought in the inward man, but is manifested outwardly by a changed life. At the moment of salvation, man is indwelt by the Holy Spirit. (John 3:3-8, II Corinthians 5:17, Romans 8:16)
D. We believe a person is saved when he repents of his sin, and received Christ as his own personal Lord and Saviour. The conditions for salvation according to the Scriptures are repentance and faith. Repentance is a change that occurs in our minds when we understand and recognize our sin and guilt before a Holy God, and we desire and are willing to turn from that sin which will be evidenced by a change of action. Repentance is turning from sin, and faith is turning to Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable. (Acts 20:21, Revelation 3:20, Romans 10:13, I John 5:9-12, Luke 13:3,5 I Thessalonians 1:9)
E. We believe in the eternal security of the believer and that it is impossible for one born into the family of God to ever be lost. (John 10:27-30, Hebrews 7:25, Ecclesiastes 3:14, Ephesians 4:30, Philippians 1:6)
7. Sanctification
A. We believe that sanctification begins when the Holy Spirit begins to work directly in the lives of spiritually dead sinners, whereby they are convicted of their sin and its consequences, and Christ is revealed to them as the answer for their lost estate. This is referred to as preparatory sanctification. (I Peter 1:2, Romans 15:16, II Thessalonians 2:13, Hebrews 10:29)
B. We believe that immediate, positional sanctification is the act of God whereby believers are, at the time of regeneration, eternally set aparts as belonging to Him by redemption, thereby being placed in the family of God as children, joint heirs with Jesus Christ. (I John 3:1, Romans 8:14-17, I Corinthians 1:2, Hebrews 10:10-14, 13:12)
C. We believe that progressive sanctification is the process by which, according to God's will, we are made partakers of His holiness; that it is progressive; that it is begun in regeneration and continues for the rest of our earthly lives, if we are yielded to the Holy Spirit's control. (I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23, II Corinthians 3:18, 7:1, John 17:17, Romans 8:29, Philippians 1:6, Ephesians 5:25-27)
8. The Eternal State
A. We believe that the souls of all men do leave the body at death. (Luke 16:19-23, 23:43, II Corinthians 5:8)
B. We believe that the souls of those who have trusted Christ for salvation pass immediately into His presence and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body which takes place at the Rapture, when body and soul are reunited to live forever with Him in Glory. (Luke 23:43, II Corinthians 5:8 Philippians 1:23, I Corinthians 2:9, John 14:3)
C. We believe that the souls of those who have rejected Christ pass immediately into a literal Hell that burns with fire and brimstone, and there remain in a conscious state of misery until the final judgement of the Great White Throne at the close of the Millennium, when soul and body are reunited to be cast forever into the Lake of Fire where they will burn forever. (Luke 16:19-26, II Thessalonians 1:7-9, Revelation 20:11-15, Matthew 25:41, Mark 9:43-48)
9. The Church
A. The Body of Christ
We believe that all blood washed believers of this age are a part of the Body of Christ which is His Bride and will be assembled together for the first time at the Rapture. The Body of Christ or the local church are never to be associated with nor referred to as Spiritual Israel. (Matthew 15:16-18, I Corinthians 12:12-13, Revelation 19:7-9, Hebrews 12:23)
B. The Local Church
We believe that each local church is a visible representation and express of the Body of Christ on this earth. It is composed of people who have professed faith in Christ Jesus as Saviour and have followed Him in believer's baptism. This local assembly now meets together regularly for worship, instruction from God's Word, observance of the ordinances, fellowship, and evangelism. (Acts 2:41-47, 11:19-26)
We believe that the local church is responsible only to Christ and is to be completely independent from any group, denomination, fellowship, convention, etc. (Matthew 18:15-20)
We believe that that responsibility for World Evangelization has been entrusted to the Local Church; therefore, any and every church program, missions outreach, or organized endeavor should have originated in and through a local, New Testament Church. (Matthew 28:18-20)
C. Ordinances
We believe there are only two ordinances given to the Local Church; baptism and the Lord's Supper. These are for the believer, and they have no saving merit.
1. Baptism
We believe that baptism by complete immersion pictures the union of the believer with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Baptism is an outward demonstration of inward action which took place at conversion. Believers are baptised in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit once not three times, and thus bearing witness to the Tri-unity of the Godhead. (Matthew 28:19, Acts 8:36, Romans 6:3-5)
2. The Lord's Supper
We believe that the Lord's Supper is the partaking of unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine, as symbols of Christ's body and blood, commemorating His suffering and death for us. It is to be observed by those who have been saved and scripturally baptised. The Scriptural Order is always Baptism first, then the Lord's Supper. (I Corinthians 11:23-32, Acts 2:41-42)
D. Officers
We believe that the only Scriptural officers of a local church are pastor and deacons. (I Timothy 3:1-13)
10. The Responsibility of Believers
A. We believe that all believers should seek to walk by the Spirit, not bringing reproach upon Christ nor His Church; that the exercise of Christian Liberty should be governed by love; that personal separation from worldly pleasures and practices is a Scriptural command; and that ecclesiastical separation should be maintained from any ecumenical group that would not adhere to the Doctrinal Statement. (Galatians 5:16, Romans 12:1-2, 16:7-8, I Corinthians 8:1-13, II Corinthians 6:14-17)
B. We believe that it is the responsibility of all believers to witness by life and by word to the truths of the Holy Scriptures and to assume responsibility for the propagation of the Gospel to all the world. (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8)
C. We believe that it is the responsibility of all believers to remember the work of the local church and its extension ministries in prayer, to support it with their tithes and offerings, to participate in both the regular and special services of the church unless providentially hindered, and to voluntarily submit to the watchcare and discipline of the local church. (Hebrews 10: 19-25, 13:7-8, II Corinthians 9:6-7, I Corinthians 16:1-2)
11. Creation
We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, "each after its own kind," by direct act, and not by any process of evolution and that the days of creation in Genesis chapter 1 were six twenty-four hour days. (Genesis 1,2 Colossians 1:16-17, John 1:3, Exodus 20:9-11, 31:17)
12. Satan
We believe that Satan is a literal , personal being, a fallen angel, the agent of the fall, the prince and power of the air, the god of this world, the great enticer and deceiver, the adversary and enemy of Christ and His Church, and that he has already been judged and will ultimately be forever punished in the Lake of Fire. (Ephesians 2:1-4, 6:12, Isaiah 14:12-15, II Corinthians 4:3-4, 11:14. I Peter 5:8, Genesis 3:15, Revelation 20:10)