The Holy Scriptures. We believe the
Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally
and plenary inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant,
infallible and God-breathed, and therefore are the final authority
for faith and life. The sixty-six books of the Old and New
Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to
Man. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their
normal Literal and Historical meaning, and are of no private interpretation. The King James
1611 Version of the Bible shall be the official and only translation
used by the church Preserved by God Almighty. (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21)
Dispensationalism. We believe that
the Scriptures interpreted in their natural, literal sense
reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules of life which
define man’s responsibilities in successive ages. These
dispensations are not ways of salvation, but rather are divinely
ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to
His purpose. Three of these dispensations – the law,
the church, and the kingdom – are the subjects of detailed
revelation in Scripture. (Gen. 1:28; 1 Cor. 9:17; 2 Cor. 3:9-18;
Gal. 3:13-25; Eph. 1:10; 3:2-10; Col. 1:24-25, 27; Rev. 20:2-6)
The Godhead.We believe in one Triune
God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit, each co-eternal in being, co-identical in
nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes
and perfections (Deut. 6:4; Mat. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; John
14:10, 26).
The Person and Work of Christ. 1. We believe
that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became
man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by
the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that
He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (Isa. 7:14; 9:6;
Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil.
2:5-8). 2. We believe
that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption
through his death on the cross as a representative,
vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, and, that our
justification is made sure by His literal, physical
resurrection from the dead. (Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25;
1 Pet. 2:24; Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:3-5). 3. We believe
that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is
now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High
Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor,
and Advocate. (Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; Rom. 8:34;
1 John 2:1-2)
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit. 1. We believe that
the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin,
of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural
Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body
of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption
(John 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph.
1:13-14). 2. We believe
that He is the Divine Teacher who assists believers
to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that
it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be
filled with the Spirit. (Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; 1 John
2:20, 27) 3. We believe
that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts
to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors,
and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order
that they can do the work of the ministry. (Rom. 12:3-8;
1 Cor. 12:4-11, 28; Eph. 4:7-12)
The Total Depravity of Man.We believe
that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but
that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful
nature, and became alienated from God. Man is totally depraved
and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition
(Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19)
Salvation. We believe that salvation
is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by
personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose precious blood
was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. We believe
that all sins, except blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, are forgivable. (John
1:12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Matt. 12:31-32; 1 John
1:9)
The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers. 1. We believe that
all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power
and are thus secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30;
Rom. 8:1, 38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Pet. 1:4-5) 2. We believe
that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in
the assurance of their salvation through the testimony
of God’s Word, which, however, clearly forbids
the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the
flesh (Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)
The Church. 1. We believe that
the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride
of Christ, is solely made up of born-again persons. (1Cor.
12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27) 2. We believe
that the establishment and continuance of local churches
is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament
Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 20:17; 28-32; 1 Tim 3:1-13;
Tit. 1:5-11) 3. We believe
in the autonomy of the local church free of any external
authority or control. (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28;
Rom. 16:1,4; 1 Cor. 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; 1 Pet. 5:1-4) 4. We recognize
water baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the Scriptural
ordinances of obedience for the church in this age (Mat.
28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 18:18; 1 Cor. 11:23-26)
Separation.We believe that all the
saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach
upon their Savior and Lord. God commands His people to separate
from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures,
practices and associations, and to refrain from all immodest
and immoderate appearances, body piercing, and bodily markings.
(Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1 John
2:15-17; 2 John 9:11; Lev. 19:28; 1 Cor. 6:19-20)
The Second Advent of Christ.We believe
in that “blessed hope,” the personal, imminent
return of Christ Who will rapture His church prior to the seven-year
tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will
personally and visibly return with His saints, to establish
His earthly Messianic Kingdom which was promised to the nation
of Israel. (Ps. 89:3-4; Dan. 2:31-45; Zech. 14:4-11; 1 Thes.
1:10; 1 Thes. 4:13-18; Tit. 2:13; Rev. 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6)
The Eternal State. 1. We believe in
the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal
life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment
(Mat. 25:46; John 5:28, 29; 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6, 12-13) 2. We believe
that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent
from the body and present with the Lord, where
they consciously await their bodily resurrection, when
spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be gloried forever
with the Lord. (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23;
3:21; 1 The. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6) 3. We believe
that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in
conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection,
when with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at
the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into
the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer
everlasting conscious punishment and torment. (Mat. 25:41-46;
Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thes. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7;
Rev. 20:11-15)
Abortion. We believe that human life
begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living
human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused
taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject
any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest,
birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control,
or the physical or mental well being of the mother are acceptable.
(Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1,5: Jer.1:5;
20:15-18; Luke 1:44)
Love. We believe that we should demonstrate
love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also
toward both those who are not believers and those who oppose
us. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently,
patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife,
the taking of revenge, or the threat or the use of violence
as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal
justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions,
we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such
sinful actions. (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John
13:34-35; Rom. 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; 2 Tim.
2:24-26; Titus 3:2; 1 John 3:17-18)
Lawsuits Between Believers. We believe
that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits
against other Christians or the church to resolve personal
disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources
necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We
do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation
for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company
as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander (1
Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32)
Missions.We believe that God has
given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel
to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from
every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must
use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not
wait for them to come to us. (Mat. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke
24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20)
Giving. We believe
that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s
wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local
church financially. We believe that God has established the
tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should
also give other offering sacrificially and cheerfully to the
support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the
spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes
all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once
the gift has been made. (Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37;
1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 5:17-18;
1 John 3:17)