What We Believe

1. The Scriptures Inspired The Scriptures, being the sixty-six books contained in the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God. They are given by Divine inspiration, revealing infallibly the will of God to mankind. They are the only authoritative rule of faith and conduct for Man. (II Tim. 3:15-17; II Pet. 1:3-4; Heb. 4:12).

2. The One True God The triune Godhead is comprised of three separate and distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who are eternally self-existent, self-revealed and are at the same time one God (Deut. 6:4). He alone, who is holy in His nature, attributes and purposes, is to be worshipped as prescribed in Scripture (Is. 44:6; Lk. 3:22).

3. The Deity of Jesus Christ The Lord Jesus Christ is the Eternal Son of God. The names Son of God and Son of Man were used as titles of Deity in Scripture and should not be understood to mean that Christ was not God, or that He was not co-equal with God the Father in nature. He is fully God and fully man, the one unique God-man (Jn 1:14, 18). The Scriptures declare: a. His virgin birth (Mt. 1:23; Lk. 1:31,35) b. His sinless life (Heb. 7:26; I Pet. 2:22) c. His substitutionary work on the cross (I Cor. 15:3; II Cor. 5:21) d. His bodily resurrection from the dead (Mt. 28:6; I Cor. 15:4) e. His exaltation to the right hand of God the Father (Acts 1:9,11; Ph. 2:9-11)

4. The Fall of Man The human race was created good and upright; for God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” However, man by voluntary transgression fell and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God (Gn. 1:26, 27; 2:17; 3:6; Ro. 5:12-19).

5. The Salvation of Man Man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
a. Conditions to Salvation: Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God according to the hope of eternal life (Lk. 24:47; Jn. 3:3; Ro. 10: 13-15; Eph. 2:8; Tit. 2:11; 3:5-7).
b. The Evidence of Salvation: The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit (Ro. 8:16). The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness (Eph. 4:24; Tit. 2:12).

6. The Baptism in the Holy Spirit All believers are entitled to, and should ardently expect and earnestly seek, the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian church. With it comes the endowment of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts of the Spirit and their uses in the work of the ministry (Lk. 24:49; Acts 1:4-8; I Cor. 12:1-31). This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the new birth (Acts 2:38; 10:44-46; 11:14-16; 15:7-9). Every believer baptized in the Spirit has the capability of speaking with new tongues whether or not they chose to exercise this gifting (Acts 2:4;10:44-46; 19:2,6). However, we reject any form of instruction (trying to teach someone to speak in tongues) or “spiritual” intimidation (such as overcrowding an individual, shouting at them, pushing them, etc....), especially around the altars, while believers are seeking this gift. We also reject any form of charismatic or Pentecostal extremism, and reject totally any form of tradition-based or experience-oriented theology that cannot be clearly substantiated from the Word of God.

7. Sanctification Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of dedication unto God (Ro. 12:12; I Thes. 5:23; Heb. 13:13). The Scriptures teach a life of “holiness without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). By the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to obey the command, “Be holy, for I am holy” (I Pet. 1:15,16). Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing our individual identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Spirit (Ro.6:1-11, 13; 8:1,2,13; Gal. 2:20).

8. Divine Healing Divine healing is an integral part of the Gospel. It is the privilege of all believers to ask God for physical healing (Mt. 8:16,17; James 5:14-16).

9. Ordinances
a. Baptism in Water: The ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded in the Scriptures. All who repent and believe in Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. Thus they declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they also have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life (Mt. 28:19; Mk. 16:16; Acts 10:47,48).
b. Communion The Lord’s Supper, consisting of the elements--bread and the fruit of the vine-- is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Pet. 1:4); a memorial of His suffering and death (I Cor. 11:26); and a prophecy of His second coming (I Cor. 11:26); and is enjoined on all believers “till He comes”.

10. The Blessed Hope The Scriptures declare in no uncertain terms that Jesus Christ will come again (Mt. 24:44; Acts 1:11). His return is clearly outlined in God’s word as being imminent (Lk. 12:40; 21:19, 34-36), premillennial (Rev. 19:11- 20:2) and pretribulational (Lk. 21:36; 1Thes. 1:10; 5:1-11; Rev. 3:10). After the rapture of the church, there will be a literal seven year tribulation on the earth (Dan. 9:27). This will be followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on earth for 1000 years (Jude 14,15; Rev. 19:14). This millennial reign will bring the salvation of national Israel (Zeph. 3:19,20; Zech. 14:1-9; Ro. 11:26,27) and the establishment of universal peace (Is. 11:6-9; Micah 4:3-4).

11. The Final Judgment There will be a final judgment at which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake of fire, which is the second death (Mt. 25:46; Mk. 9:43-48; Rev. 19:20; 20:11-15; 21:8).

12. The New Heavens and the New Earth We, according to His promise, look for a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness (II Pet. 3:13; Rev. 21:22).