Core Beliefs
THE BIBLE
We believe the Word of God is recorded, in Its’ entirety, in both the Old and New Testaments. They are inspired of God, in whole and in part. They are error-free in the original writings and are the supreme authority of faith and practice for the believer in Jesus Christ. We also believe that there is but one true interpretation of any biblical passage with different practical applications.
(Psalm 119:160; II Tim.3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Heb. 1:1-2, 4:12)
GOD
We believe there is One living and true God who is infinite, eternal and unchangeable. We further believe that God is one in essence while existing in three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Though each person of the Godhead possesses precisely the same nature and attributes, each functions differently in respect to God’s purposes and dealings with man.
(Deut. 4:39, 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14)
THE FATHER
The first person of the Trinity orders and directs all things according to his own purpose, pleasure and grace. The Father is sovereign in creation, providence and redemption. He has decreed all things that come to pass for his own glory. He graciously involves himself in the affairs of men, hears and answers prayer, and saves from sin and death all who come to him through Jesus Christ.
(I Chron.29:11; Psalm 103:19; Matt. 6:9; John 5:19-24; Eph.1:3-6)
THE SON
The second person of the Trinity is both the eternal Son of God and virgin-born Son of man. Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, surrendered nothing of his deity during his earthly life. Having led a sinless life, he satisfied the Father’s justice concerning sin by his substitutionary death. We believe in his bodily resurrection, his physical ascension and his visible return to earth to establish his earthly kingdom.
(John 1:14-18; Acts 1:11; Rom. 3:24-26; 1 Cor. 15:1-8; Col. 2:9; Heb. 2:16-18; Rev. 20:11-15)
THE HOLY SPIRIT
The third person of the Trinity executes the will of God in the world of men. It is the Holy Spirit who applies the salvation that Jesus Christ secured through his death on the cross. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. It is the Holy Spirit who empowers the church to live a lifestyle pleasing to God, endowing it with special gifts that equip believers to accomplish distinct ministries, planned beforehand by God the Father.
(John 3:1-8 & 15-16, 15:4-15; 1 Cor. 12; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 1:13-14, 5:18-21)
HUMANKIND
We believe that humankind was directly created in the image of God to enjoy his fellowship and to fulfill God’s will on earth. Through the first humans, Adam and Eve, humanity sinned by a voluntary act of personal disobedience to the will of God; as a result, all people are spiritually dead and subject to the certainty of physical death. The fall of humanity was a non-repeatable historical fact, the effects of which are transmitted to all persons, each of whom is born with a sinful nature and sins habitually in thought, word and deed.
(Gen. 1:26-27, 2:7, 3:3-4; Rom. 1:18-32, 3:10-23; Eph. 2:1-3)
SALVATION
We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins as the only sufficient, substitutionary sacrifice. All who believe in him are declared justified by the Father on the grounds of Jesus’ death and resurrection. All who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by grace through faith have been regenerated by and baptized in the Holy Spirit. They become, thereby, the children of God forever and members of the one true church, the universal Body of Christ. We also maintain that salvation will result in righteous living and good works as the believer submits his or her life to the control of the Holy Spirit who directs the life of the believer in harmony with the Word of God.
(John 1:12, 3:16, 5:24, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Rom. 3:21-26, 5:8; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Gal. 3:26; Eph.1:7, 2:8-10; Titus 3:4-7; Heb. 10:10-12; 1 John 5:11-13)
THE CHURCH
We believe that all who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit belong to the one true universal church and are directed by the Scriptures to associate themselves in local, visible churches. The local church is the only scriptural representation of Christ’s invisible church and consists only of regenerated believers. The local church is autonomous in its government and recognizes its own members for biblical offices and leadership positions. Two ordinances have been committed to the local church — baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The purpose of the church is to lead men to Christ, mature them in the faith, and equip them for personal ministry.
(Matt. 16:13-28, 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-47, 4:1-16; 1 Cor. 11:23-29; Eph. 2:19-22, 4:11-13; Heb. 10:23-25; 1 Peter 5:1-3)
FUTURE
We believe that God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring an appropriate end to the earth. This will include Jesus Christ’s bodily and visible return to earth in which the redeemed will be “caught up” to meet Him and the unredeemed will be condemned to an eternity of judgment in a place called hell.
(Matt. 24-25; Jn 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Cor. 15:20-28; 1Thess. 4:15-17; Rev. 20:1-4)
We believe the Word of God is recorded, in Its’ entirety, in both the Old and New Testaments. They are inspired of God, in whole and in part. They are error-free in the original writings and are the supreme authority of faith and practice for the believer in Jesus Christ. We also believe that there is but one true interpretation of any biblical passage with different practical applications.
(Psalm 119:160; II Tim.3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Heb. 1:1-2, 4:12)
GOD
We believe there is One living and true God who is infinite, eternal and unchangeable. We further believe that God is one in essence while existing in three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Though each person of the Godhead possesses precisely the same nature and attributes, each functions differently in respect to God’s purposes and dealings with man.
(Deut. 4:39, 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14)
THE FATHER
The first person of the Trinity orders and directs all things according to his own purpose, pleasure and grace. The Father is sovereign in creation, providence and redemption. He has decreed all things that come to pass for his own glory. He graciously involves himself in the affairs of men, hears and answers prayer, and saves from sin and death all who come to him through Jesus Christ.
(I Chron.29:11; Psalm 103:19; Matt. 6:9; John 5:19-24; Eph.1:3-6)
THE SON
The second person of the Trinity is both the eternal Son of God and virgin-born Son of man. Jesus Christ, fully God and fully man, surrendered nothing of his deity during his earthly life. Having led a sinless life, he satisfied the Father’s justice concerning sin by his substitutionary death. We believe in his bodily resurrection, his physical ascension and his visible return to earth to establish his earthly kingdom.
(John 1:14-18; Acts 1:11; Rom. 3:24-26; 1 Cor. 15:1-8; Col. 2:9; Heb. 2:16-18; Rev. 20:11-15)
THE HOLY SPIRIT
The third person of the Trinity executes the will of God in the world of men. It is the Holy Spirit who applies the salvation that Jesus Christ secured through his death on the cross. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. It is the Holy Spirit who empowers the church to live a lifestyle pleasing to God, endowing it with special gifts that equip believers to accomplish distinct ministries, planned beforehand by God the Father.
(John 3:1-8 & 15-16, 15:4-15; 1 Cor. 12; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 1:13-14, 5:18-21)
HUMANKIND
We believe that humankind was directly created in the image of God to enjoy his fellowship and to fulfill God’s will on earth. Through the first humans, Adam and Eve, humanity sinned by a voluntary act of personal disobedience to the will of God; as a result, all people are spiritually dead and subject to the certainty of physical death. The fall of humanity was a non-repeatable historical fact, the effects of which are transmitted to all persons, each of whom is born with a sinful nature and sins habitually in thought, word and deed.
(Gen. 1:26-27, 2:7, 3:3-4; Rom. 1:18-32, 3:10-23; Eph. 2:1-3)
SALVATION
We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins as the only sufficient, substitutionary sacrifice. All who believe in him are declared justified by the Father on the grounds of Jesus’ death and resurrection. All who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by grace through faith have been regenerated by and baptized in the Holy Spirit. They become, thereby, the children of God forever and members of the one true church, the universal Body of Christ. We also maintain that salvation will result in righteous living and good works as the believer submits his or her life to the control of the Holy Spirit who directs the life of the believer in harmony with the Word of God.
(John 1:12, 3:16, 5:24, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Rom. 3:21-26, 5:8; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; Gal. 3:26; Eph.1:7, 2:8-10; Titus 3:4-7; Heb. 10:10-12; 1 John 5:11-13)
THE CHURCH
We believe that all who have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit belong to the one true universal church and are directed by the Scriptures to associate themselves in local, visible churches. The local church is the only scriptural representation of Christ’s invisible church and consists only of regenerated believers. The local church is autonomous in its government and recognizes its own members for biblical offices and leadership positions. Two ordinances have been committed to the local church — baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The purpose of the church is to lead men to Christ, mature them in the faith, and equip them for personal ministry.
(Matt. 16:13-28, 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-47, 4:1-16; 1 Cor. 11:23-29; Eph. 2:19-22, 4:11-13; Heb. 10:23-25; 1 Peter 5:1-3)
FUTURE
We believe that God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring an appropriate end to the earth. This will include Jesus Christ’s bodily and visible return to earth in which the redeemed will be “caught up” to meet Him and the unredeemed will be condemned to an eternity of judgment in a place called hell.
(Matt. 24-25; Jn 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Cor. 15:20-28; 1Thess. 4:15-17; Rev. 20:1-4)