What We Believe

Explaining a belief in something is not easy, especially when it is faith in God. Here’s how our community best articulates our faith according to our understanding of the Scriptures.

THE BIBLE is complete in the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament. This book is the inspired, infallible Word of God. God divinely influenced the writer so completely as to secure, through the writer’s style, His very thoughts and expression of these thoughts. Therefore, each word and part is without error in its original writings and is the final authority in every matter of faith and life.

GOD is a Triune God who exists eternally in three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Each is co-equal in all aspects of deity including glory, power, honor and majesty. Each is a person in that they possess intellect, emotions, and will, yet they are God in one unified being.

JESUS CHRIST is the eternal Son of God. Sent by the Father, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin and is fully God and fully man. He willingly, humbly and obediently came to earth as the sinless, substitutionary final sacrificial lamb to take away the sins of the world by His shed blood. Having accomplished this by His death on the cross, burial, and bodily resurrection, God exalted Him in a place of authority and glory to be the Advocate and Intercessor for the believer.

The HOLY SPIRIT is the third person of the Triune God. He convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgement. The Spirit regenerates, seals, indwells, enlightens and empowers those who believe in Jesus Christ. He further gives gifts to these believers, as He wills to edify the saints in order to do the work of the ministry.

MAN is created in the image of God. Adam, the first man sinned and thereby incurred, not only physical death, but also spiritual death which is separation from God. As a result of this original sin, all human beings are born with a sinful nature. That sinful nature is demonstrated through active rebellion and passive indifference to God. Man has absolutely no personal ability to merit God’s favor, change his nature or his spiritual condition.

SALVATION comes only by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We deserve death because of our sin. He paid the penalty our sin deserves by dying on the cross. Everyone who confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord, that He died on the cross for our sins, was buried, and raised on the third day, is born again by the Spirit and thereby becomes a child of God. Each child is sealed by the Holy Spirit and preserved unto the day of redemption.

THE CHURCH is comprised of believers in Jesus Christ. It is the Body of Christ and Jesus is its head. The Church is called to meet regularly for worship, edification, equipping, fellowship and correction so that God is glorified, the Gospel is preached and believers come to maturity. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are prescribed practices and are for believers only. Baptism is a testimony portraying the believer’s union with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper so that we will remember His death till He comes again.

THE BELIEVER’S RELATIONSHIP TO THE WORLD is that they are called to be in the world, but not of the world. Believers are to be in the world for the purpose of seeking and saving the lost. Believers are not to be of the world, but instead are to be a holy people.

THE FUTURE will bring the return of Christ for His Church. At that time, the bodies of believers who have died will be resurrected and reunited with their spirits. Those believers, along with believers who are living, will be united with Christ in the air and return to heaven with Him. Then, at our Lord’s second coming, He will come to earth in power and glory to establish His kingdom for a thousand years. All will be judged by God which will result in the eternal state blessing for the believer and punishment for the unbeliever.

SATAN is a fallen angel and the god of this age. He is the enemy of Christ and His Church. He exercises his power under the sovereignty of God. His eventual and final destiny is eternal punishment.