God the Father

We believe that God the Father, the first person of the Trinity, orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace  (Ps. 145:8,9; 1 Cor. 8:6). He is the Creator of all things (Gen. 1:1-31; Eph. 3:9). As the only absolute and omnipotent ruler in the universe, He is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption (Ps. 103:19; Rom. 11:36). His fatherhood involves both His designation within the Trinity and His relationship with mankind. As Creator He is Father to all men (Gen. 1:26-27), but He is Spiritual Father only to believers (Rom. 8:14; 2 Cor. 6:18 ). He has decreed for His own glory all things that come to pass (Eph.1:11). He continually upholds, directs, and governs all creatures and events (1 Chr. 29:11). In His sovereignty He neither author nor approver of sin (Hab. 1:13), nor does He abridge the accountability of moral, intelligent creatures (1 Pet. 1:17). He has graciously chosen from eternity past those whom He would have as His own (Eph. 1:4-6); He saves from sin all those who come to Him through Jesus Christ; He adopts as His own all those who come to Him; and He becomes, upon adoption, Father to His own (John 1:12; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:5; Heb. 12:5-9).

 

God the Son

    We believe that Jesus Christ, the second person in the Trinity, possesses all the divine excellencies, and in these He is coequal, consubstantial, and coeternal with the Father (John 10:30; 14:9).                                                     

We believe in the incarnation (God becoming man) Christ surrendered only the perogatives of deity but nothing of the divine essence, either in degree or kind. In His incarnation, the eternally existing second person of the Trinity accepted all the essential characteristics of humanity and so became the God-man (Phil. 2:5-8; Col. 2:9).

We believe that Jesus Christ represents humanity and deity in indivisible oneness (Mic. 5:2; John 5:23;14:9-10; Col. 2:9).

We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ was virgin born (Is.7:14; Matt. 1:23, 25; Luke 1:26-35); that He was God incarnate (John 1:1,14;); and that the purpose of the incarnation was to reveal God, redeem men, and rule over God's kingdom (Ps. 2: 7-9; Is. 9:6; John 1:29; Phil. 2:9-11; Heb. 7:25,26; Pet. 1:18,19).

We believe that Our Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through the shedding of His blood and sacrificial death on the cross and that His death was voluntary, vicarious, substitutionary, propitiatory, and redemptive (John 10:15; Rom. 3:24,25; 1 Pet. 2:24).

We believe that in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave, God confirmed the deity of His Son and proof that God has accepted the atoning work of Christ on the cross. Jesus bodily resurrection is also the guarantee of the a future resurrection life for all believers (John 5:26-29; Rom. 4:25; 6:5-10; 1Cor. 15:20,23).

We believe that Jesus Christ will return to receive the church, which is His body, unto Himself at the Rapture and, returning with His church in glory, will establish His millennial kingdom on earth (Acts 1:9-11; 1
Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 20).

We believe that the Jesus Christ is the one through whom God will judge all mankind (John 5:22-23): 

 believers (1 Cor. 3:1-10; 2 Cor. 5:10);

 Living inhabitants of the earth at His glorious return (Matt. 25:31-46

 Unbelieving dead at the Great White Throne (Rev. 20:11-15).

 

God the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, eternal, underived, possessing all the attributes of personality and deity.  In all the divine attributes He is coequal and consubstantial with the Father and the Son (Matt.28:19; Acts 5:3-4;28:25,26: 1Cor. 12:4-6; 2Cor. 13:14; and Jer. 31:31-34 with Heb. 10:15-17).

We believe that the unique work of the Holy Spirit in this age began at Pentecost when He came from the Father as promise by Christ (John 14:16,17;15:26) to initiate and complete the building of the body of Christ . His activity includes convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment ; glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ and transforming believers into the image of Christ (John 16:7-9; Acts 1:5;2:4; Rom.8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18; Eph. 2:22).

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the supernatural and sovereign agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ (1 Cor.12:13). The Holy Spirit also dwells, sanctifies, instructs, empowers them for service, and seals them unto the day of redemption (Rom. 8:9-11; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13). The Holy Spirit is the divine teacher who guided the apostles and prophets into all truth as they committed to writing God's revelation, the Bible (2 Pet.1:19-21). Every believer possesses the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit from the moment of salvation, and it is the duty of all those born of the Spirit to be filled with (controlled by ) the Spirit (Rom. 8:9-11; Eph. 5:18; 1 John 2:20,27).

We believe that the Holy Spirit administers spiritual gifts to the church. The Holy Spirit glorifies neither Himself nor His gifts by ostentatious displays, but He does glorify Christ by implementing His work of redeeming the lost and building up believers in the most holy faith (John 16:13,14; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11; 2 Cor. 3:18). The Holy Spirit is sovereign in the bestowing of all His gifts for the perfecting of the saints today and that speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles in the beginning days of the church were never intended to be characteristic of the lives of believers (1Cor. 12:4-11; 2 Cor. 12:12 ;Eph. 4:7-12; Heb. 2:1-4).

 

Man

 

We believe that man was directly  and immediately created by God  in His image and likeness. Man was created free of sin with a rational nature, intelligence, volition, self-determination, and moral responsibility to God (Gen. 2:7, 15-25; James 3:9).               

We believe that God's intention in the creation of man was that man should glorify God, enjoy God's fellowship, live his life in the will of God, and by this accomplish God's purpose for man in the world. (Is.43:7, Col.1:16; Rev. 4:11).                                               

We believe that in Adam's sin of disobedience to the revealed will and Word of God, man lost his innocence; incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death; became subject to the wrath of God; and became inherently corrupt and utterly incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace. With no recuperative powers to enable him to recover himself, man is hopelessly lost. Man's salvation is thereby wholly of God's grace through the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gen. 2:16,17; 3:1-19: John 3:36; Rom. 3:23; 1 Cor.2:14; Eph. 2:1-3; 1 Tim. 2:13,14; 1 John 1:8).                                                                

We believe that because all men were in Adam, a nature corrupted by Adam's sin has been transmitted to all men of all ages, Jesus Christ being the only exception. All men are thus sinners by nature, by choice, and by divine declaration (Ps. 14:1-3; Jer. 17:9; Rom. 3:9-18,23;5:10-12).

 

Salvation

We believe that salvation is wholly of God by grace on the basis of the redemption of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood, and not on the basis of human merit or works (John 1:12, Eph. 1:4-7;2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:18,19).

 

Election

We believe that election is the act of God by which, before the foundation of the world, He chose in Christ those whom He graciously regenerates, saves and sanctifies (Rom. 8:28-30; Eph. 1:4-7; 2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:1,2).

We believe that sovereign election does not contradict or negate the responsibility of man to repent and trust Christ as Savior and Lord (Ezek. 18:23,32; 33:11; John 3:18,19,36; 5:40; 2 Thess. 2:10-12; Rev.22:17). Nevertheless, since sovereign grace includes the means of receiving the gift of salvation as well as the gift itself, sovereign election will result in what God determines. All whom the Father calls to Himself will come in faith and all who come in faith the Father will receive (John 6:37-40, 44: Acts 13:48; James 4:8).

We believe that the unmerited favor that God grants to totally depraved sinners is not related to any initiative of their own part nor to God's anticipation of what they might do by their own will, but is solely of His sovereign grace and mercy (Eph. 1:4-7; Titus 3:4-7; 1 Pet. 1:2).

 

Regeneration

We believe that regeneration is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit by which the divine nature and divine life are given (John 3:3-8; Titus 3:5). Its is instantaneous and is accomplished solely by the power of the Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of the Word of God (John 5:24), when the repentant sinner, as enabled by the Holy Spirit, responds in faith to the divine provision of salvation. Genuine regeneration is manifested by fruits worthy of repentance as demonstrated in righteous attitudes and conduct. Good works will be its proper evidence and fruit (1 Cor.6:19; Eph. 5:17-21; Phil. 2:12b; Col. 3:12-17; 2 Pet. 1:4-11).

 

Justification

We believe that justification before God is an act of God (Rom. 8:30,33) by which He declares righteous those who, through faith in Christ, repent of their sins (Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38: 3:19;11:18; Rom. 2:4; 2 Cor.7:10; Is. 55:6,7) and confess Him as sovereign Lord (Rom. 10:9,10; 1 Cor.12:3 ; 2 Cor. 4:5; Phil. 2:11).  This righteousness is apart from any virtue or work of man (Rom. 3:20; 4:6 ) and involves the placing of our sins on Christ ( Col. 2:14; 1Pet.2:24) and the imputation of Christ's righteousness to us (1 Cor. 1:2,30; 6:11; 2 Cor. 5:21). By this means God is enabled to " be just, and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus" (Rom. 3:26).

 

Sanctification

We believe that every believer is sanctified (set apart ) unto God by justification and is therefore declared to be holy and is therefore identified as a saint. This sanctification is positional and instantaneous and should not be confused with progressive sanctification. (Acts 20:32 ;1 Cor. 1:2,30; 6:11; 2 Thess. 2:13; Heb. 2:11; 3:1; 10:10,14; 13:12, 1 Pet.1:2) We believe that there is also by the work of the Holy Spirit a progressive sanctification by which the state of believer is brought closer to the likeness of Christ through obedience to the Word of God and the empowering of the Holy Spirit. The believer is able to live a life of increasing holiness in conformity to the will of God, becoming more and more like our Lord Jesus Christ (John 17:17,19; Rom. 6:1-22; 2 Cor. 3:18; 1 Thess. 4:3,4; 5:23).

 

Security

We believe that all the redeemed once saved are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 5:24; 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 5:9,10; 8:1,31-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-9; Eph. 4:30; Heb. 7:25; 13:5; 1 Pet. 1:4,5; Jude 24).

 

Separation

We believe that all the save should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and that seperation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures or associations is commanded  by God (2 Tim. 3:1-5; Rom. 12:1,2: 14; 13; 1 John 2-11; 2 Cor. 6:14; 7:1).

 

The Church

We believe that the church is thus a unique spiritual organism designed by Christ, made up of all born-again believers in this present age(Eph. 2:11-3:6). The church is distinct from Israel (1 Cor. 10:32) a mystery not revealed until this age (Eph. 3:1-6; 5:32). We believe that the formation of the church, the body of Christ, began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21, 38-47) and will be completed at the coming of Christ for His own at the Rapture (1 Cor. 15:51,52; 1 Thess. 4:13-18).

We believe that the one supreme authority for the church is  Christ (Eph. 1:22; Col.1:18) and church leadership, gifts, order, discipline, and worship are all appointed through His sovereignty as found in the  Scriptures.

We believe in the autonomy of the local church, free from any external authority or control, with right of self-government and freedom from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations (Titus 1:5). We believe that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other for the presentation and propagation of the faith. Local churches, however, through their pastors and their interpretation and  application of Scripture, should be the sole judges of the measure and method of their cooperation (Acts 15:19-31; 20:28; 1 Cor. 5: 4-7,13; 1 Pet. 5:1-4).

We believe the purpose of the church is to glorify God (Eph. 3:21) by building itself up in the faith (Eph. 4:13-16), by instruction of the Word (2 Tim. 2:2, 15; 3:16,17), by fellowship (Acts 2:47; 1 John 1:3), by keeping the ordinances (Luke 2:38-42) and by advancing and communicating the gospel to the entire world (Matt. 28:19; Acts 1:8).