Statement of Beliefs

The Triune God

There is one and only one living and true God. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal Being, the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. The eternal God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being. God, from eternity, commands or permits everything that comes to pass, and lovingly upholds, directs, and governs all creatures and all events. God’s loving sovereignty in no way makes him the author of evil, nor diminishes the will and responsibility of humanity.

Resources

  • Deuteronomy 6:4
  • Genesis 1:1
  • John 1:1-3
  • Psalm 115:3
  • Matthew 22:37-38

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the true God and true man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He died upon the cross, the just for the unjust as a substitutionary sacrifice and all who repent and believe in him are justified on the ground of his shed blood. Jesus Christ arose from the dead according to the Scriptures. He is now at the right hand of Majesty on high as our great High Priest. He will come again to establish His Kingdom, righteousness and peace.

Resources

  • Philippians 2:6-11
  • Luke 1:34-38
  • I Peter 3:18
  • Romans 5:9
  • I Corinthians 15:1-7
  • Matthew 26:64

Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is a divine person, sent to dwell, guide, teach, empower the believer, and convince the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. The Holy Spirit makes dead sinners alive so that they repent, believe and are baptized into Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit renews, guides, convicts, sanctifies and adopts believers into God’s family. The Holy Spirit is the believer’s down payment of the future that is promised to them in Christ and is the sovereign giver of all guidance and spiritual gifting. It is the will of God that all believers walk in the fullness the Holy Spirit for the glory of Christ.

Resources

  • John 14-16
  • Romans 8:9
  • I Corinthians 3:16
  • Ephesians 1:13-14
  • Ephesians 5:18

The Scriptures

The Old and New Testaments, inerrant as originally given, were verbally inspired by God and are a complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men. They constitute the divine and only rule of Christian faith and practice. The Scripture is a perfect treasure of divine instruction. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter. All Scripture is a testimony to Christ, who is Himself the focus of divine revelation.

Resources

  • II Timothy 3:15-16
  • II Peter 1:20-21
  • Hebrews 4:12
  • Luke 24:27

Humanity

Humanity was originally created in the image and likeness of God, but fell through disobedience, incurring thereby both physical and spiritual death. All people are born with a sinful nature, are separated from the life of God, and can be saved only through the atoning work of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Resources

  • Genesis 1:27
  • Romans 3:23
  • Romans 10:10-15

Salvation

Salvation has been provided through Jesus Christ for all men; and those who repent and believe in Him have been born of the Holy Spirit, receive the gift of eternal life, and become the children of God. The cross of Jesus Christ is the very center of God’s plan to save humanity. There can be no gospel, good news, apart from the preaching of Jesus’ work on the cross and subsequent resurrection.

Resources

  • John 3:16
  • Mark 1:15
  • John 1:12-13
  • John 3:1-8
  • Acts 4:12

The Christian Life

It is the will of God that all Christians walk in the fullness of the Holy Spirit and be wholly devoted to God. The dual purpose of the Christian life is the glory of God and joy of humanity: to glorify God by enjoying him forever. The Christian life can only be lived by the sanctifying power of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. All who truly trust in Christ must & will persevere faithfully by the power of the Holy Spirit until the end of their lives or the return of the Lord.

Resources

  • Ephesians 5:18
  • Romans 12:1-2
  • II Corinthians 1:24
  • John 15:5
  • I John 2:19

Eternity

The bodies of men, after death, return to dust. At death, believers go to be with the Lord and unbelievers enter conscious, eternal separation from God. The bodies of all the dead, both just and unjust, will be raised when the Lord Jesus physically returns to earth at his second coming, believers to everlasting glory and unbelievers to eternal punishment.

Resources

  • John 3:16-18
  • II Corinthians 5:6-8
  • Luke 16:19-31
  • Revelation 20:1-15

The Church

The Church consists of all those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, are redeemed through His blood, and are born again of the Holy Spirit. Christ is the Head of the Body, the church, which has been commissioned by Him to go into all the world as a witness, preaching the gospel to all nations. The local church is a body of believers in Christ who are joined together for the worship of God, for edification through the Word of God, for prayer, fellowship, the proclamation of the gospel, and observance of the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Resources

  • Ephesians 1:22-23
  • Ephesians 2:11-22
  • Matthew 28:19
  • Acts 2:41-47

Mission

It is the duty and delight of every follower and church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. We love because He first loved us. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations. It is the joy of every Christian to be a missionary wherever the Lord has providentially placed them. In complimentary fashion, the Lord has called every believer to love and serve their neighbors through deeds of love and mercy.

Resources

  • Matthew 22:35-40
  • Matthew 28:18-20
  • Jeremiah 29:4-9