Articles of Faith:
1. THE SCRIPTURES
We believe:
2. THE TRUE GOD
We believe:
2:9; Acts 5:3, 4; John 4:24
3. GOD THE FATHER
We believe:
4. THE SON
We believe:
2 Corinthians 5:22; Matthew 28:6; Acts 2:32, 33; Hebrews 1:3; 7:25; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17
5. THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe:
1 Corinthians 6:19; 12:8-13
6. HUMANITY AND SIN
We believe:
Genesis 2:24-25
7. SALVATION
We believe:
Romans 5:1; Philippians 1:6; John 10:27-29.
8. THE CHURCH
We believe:
2 Timothy 2:2, 15; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:2-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28; 2 Corinthians 5:20; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:1-13
9. ANGELS
We believe:
2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2
10. FUTURE EVENTS
We believe:
Revelation 21-22
We believe:
- that the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as originally written are God-breathed extending equally to each word and to all parts of the sixty-six books of the Bible.
- that God communicated through Spirit-controlled men so that the Scriptures are without error in the original writings.
- that all Scripture is to be interpreted in the natural, historical, grammatical, and literal manner.
- that all Scripture was designed for our practical instruction and is the believer’s sole authority for life and practice.
2. THE TRUE GOD
We believe:
- that there is one eternal, living and true God, the Creator of all things.
- that God exists as three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
- that the members of the Godhead have the same nature and attributes and are worthy of the same worship.
- that God is unlimited in time, space, matter, knowledge, and power.
- that God created the heavens and the earth including all life, each after its own species, by direct act and not by the process of evolution.
2:9; Acts 5:3, 4; John 4:24
3. GOD THE FATHER
We believe:
- that the Father is the source of all things and the one who sent the Son as His gift into the world.
- that the Father has planned all that comes to pass for His glory but he is not the author nor approver of sin.
4. THE SON
We believe:
- that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, eternal and equal with the Father.
- that He was conceived without sin by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, existing in the flesh as fully God and fully man.
- that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life and died voluntarily for our sin in our place.
- that Jesus Christ was buried and rose physically from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion.
- that He ascended to heaven and is now seated at the right hand of the Father.
- that Jesus Christ will receive us unto Himself at His appearance and will return to establish His earthly kingdom.
2 Corinthians 5:22; Matthew 28:6; Acts 2:32, 33; Hebrews 1:3; 7:25; 1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17
5. THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe:
- that the Holy Spirit is a divine person who is eternal and equal with the Father and Son.
- that He convicts the world of sin, reveals Christ and unites all believers in one body.
- that He seals, indwells, empowers, teaches, guides, comforts, sanctifies and gives gifts to believers.
- that revelatory and sign gifts of the Holy Spirit were given to the early church for the primary purpose of authenticating His ministry.
1 Corinthians 6:19; 12:8-13
6. HUMANITY AND SIN
We believe:
- that mankind is the result of the direct creative act of God, made in the image of God.
- that human life begins at conception.
- that sin is disobedience toward God.
- that through deliberate disobedience to God mankind fell from his original position of innocence and sinlessness and as a consequence became separated from God.
- that sin has been transmitted to the entire human race so that every person is conceived with a fallen nature devoid of spiritual life and is powerless to remedy this condition.
- that the punishment for sin is death.
- that gender is determined by God-given anatomy.
- that the Biblical mandate for all sexual relationships is a union between one man and one woman in marriage.
Genesis 2:24-25
7. SALVATION
We believe:
- that salvation is release from the punishment for sin.
- that salvation is entirely of God’s grace through faith completely apart from any human merit or deeds.
- that believers were chosen by God for salvation before the foundation of the world and are enabled by the Holy Spirit to believe in Jesus Christ.
- that belief includes trusting in the substitutionary death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and turning away from sin.
- that a new nature and eternal life are given to believers by a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit.
- that believers have a right standing before God because their sins have been transferred at the cross to Jesus Christ, and His righteousness has been credited to them.
- that believers demonstrate evidence of salvation.
- that salvation of the believer is eternally secure.
Romans 5:1; Philippians 1:6; John 10:27-29.
8. THE CHURCH
We believe:
- that the Universal Church is the Body of Christ consisting of all believers.
- that the Universal Church began at Pentecost and is distinct from Israel.
- that the local church is a component of the Universal Church in a particular place.
- that the purpose of the local church is to glorify God by proclaiming His Word, making disciples and observing ordinances.
- that the two ordinances of the church are baptism by immersion as the identifying symbol of one’s belief in Christ’s death and resurrection and communion which is a remembrance of Christ’s death until He comes.
- that the local church has the absolute right of self-government guided by Jesus Christ by means of the Holy Spirit.
- that the Scripture identifies two offices in the local church: the terms overseer, elder, pastor, and shepherd all refer to one office and the other office is deacon.
2 Timothy 2:2, 15; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:2-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28; 2 Corinthians 5:20; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:1-13
9. ANGELS
We believe:
- that God created an innumerable host of sinless, personal spirits known as angels to glorify and serve Him.
- that Satan was created as an angel without sin, but rebelled against God accompanied by numerous angels now known as demons.
- that Satan introduced sin to the human race by tempting Adam and Eve.
- that Satan was defeated by the death of Christ and will be tormented forever.
- that Satan and his demons cannot possess Christians and their power is limited to influences that may be resisted by Christians.
2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2
10. FUTURE EVENTS
We believe:
- in the imminent appearing of Jesus Christ to raise all church saints to heaven.
- that after the seven year Tribulation, Christ will return to earth to set up His millennial kingdom, to re-gather Israel to their promised land, and to overthrow Satan.
- in the physical resurrection of all the dead: the believers to eternal life, and the unbelievers to judgment and eternal separation from God in the lake of fire.
Revelation 21-22