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Statement of Beliefs

The Scriptures

We believe that "all Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (2 Timothy 3:16). We understand this to mean that the whole Bible is inspired, in that holy men of God "were moved by the Holy Spirit" (2 Peter 1:21) to write the very words of Scripture. We believe that this divine inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts of Scripture as it appeared in the original manuscripts. We believe that the whole Bible in those original manuscripts is, therefore, without error. We believe that all Scripture centers around the Lord Jesus Christ in His person, work, and in His first and second coming. Therefore, no portion of the Old Testament is properly read or understood until it leads to Christ. We also believe that all Scripture was designed for our practical instruction. (Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11; 2 Timothy 3:16)

The Triune Godhead

We believe in the one true and living God, the Creator, Redeemer, Sustainer, and Ruler of all things. God is all powerful, infinite, eternal, and never changing; and is revealed to us as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

God the Father: God, as Father, reigns over all of His universe with providential care. He is all-powerful, all-loving, all-knowing, and all-wise. He is fatherly in attitude toward all men but is Father, indeed, to those who have become children of God through Jesus Christ, who will deliver them into the Father’s hands. The Father is spirit, and does not have a body of flesh and bone. (Genesis 1:1; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 6:9; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 15: 24; Ephesians 4:6; John 4:24; 1 Timothy 6:16;)

God the Son: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. Jesus became man, but never ceased to be God. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man. Jesus accomplished this redemption by giving Himself as a prefect and sinless, substitutionary sacrifice on the cross. Through his sacrifice, He satisfied God’s righteous judgment against sin. After substantiating the accomplishment of that redemption and justification by His bodily resurrection from the grave, He ascended to the right hand of His Father, where He intercedes on behalf of those who trust Him. (Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1, 2, 14, 18; Romans 3:24-26; Romans 5:18; Romans 8:3)

God the Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. He is a divine Person who convicts the world of sin (righteousness and judgment); He alone brings new life to those who are spiritually dead; that He baptizes (or places) all believers into the one true Church, which is the Body of Christ; that He indwells them permanently, seals them unto the day of final redemption, bestows spiritual gifts upon them, and fills (controls) those who are yielding to Him. Every believer is called to live in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit so that he will not fulfill the lust of the flesh but will bear fruit to the glory of God. (John 3:3-8; 14:16-17; 16:7-11; 1 Corinthians 12:7-11, 13; Ephesians 4:30; 5:18)

Creation

We believe that man was created directly by and in the image of God. We believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including all life, by direct act. Nothing was created, that was not created by God. (Genesis 1:1; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17) Man

Although man was created in the image of God, through the fall of Adam he fell into sin and was lost. Before accepting Christ we were enemies of God and children of wrath; This is true of all men; and except a man be born again by the Holy Spirit, he cannot see the kingdom of God. (Genesis 1:26-27; John 3:3; Romans 3:10, 23, Romans 5:12, Ephesians 2:3)

The Devil - Satan

We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin, a fallen angel, and the reason for the fall of man; he is destined to the judgment of an eternal punishment in the lake of fire. (Matthew 4:1-3; Acts 5:3; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10)

Atonement For Sin

We believe that through the atonement of Christ all mankind may be saved, through confessing Jesus as Lord and believing in their heart that God raised Him from the dead. Christ died for all sins, as a substitutionary sacrifice and that all who believe on Him are redeemed by His shed blood. We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord Jesus Christ and in His ascension into heaven; He is our High Priest and Advocate. (John 1:1-3, 14; 3:1-7; Hebrews 10:4-14; 1 John 2:2)

Salvation

We believe that salvation is the gift of God’s grace. Salvation cannot be earned or secured through works; rather it is freely bestowed upon all who put their faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ at Calvary. All who so trust the Savior are forgiven of their sins and adopted into the family of God by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. (John 1:12; Acts 16:30-33; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-9)

The Christian Walk

We believe that we have been called, those who are saved, to walk after the Spirit, rather than the flesh. We are to live in the power of the indwelling Spirit in order that we will not fulfill the lust of the flesh. In this life the flesh is never eradicated; we must actively choose to keep the flesh in subjection to God through the power of the Holy Spirit. (Romans 6:11-13; 8:2, 4, 12-13; Galatians 5:16-23; Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 2:1-10; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 1 John 1:4-7; 3:5-9)

The Great Commission

Until Christ return, we have the duty and privilege to seek the fulfillment of Christ's Great Commission and to minister in His name to a desperate world. We are to be instruments of Jesus Christ as the Holy Spirit ministers’ redemption and reconciliation in the world. (Matthew 25:31-46; 28:18-20)