What We Believe

The Bible

We believe that the Old and New Testaments alone are the verbal, plenary inspired Word of God inerrant in its original writing. The Scripture is the sole authority in Christian faith and practice. The Scripture is the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tried. (2 Tim 3:16, 17; 2 Pt 1:19-21)

God

We believe in the existence of the one True and Living God. He is an infinite Spirit, the Supreme Ruler and Creator of heaven and earth. He is eternal and unchangeable in His being, wisdom, power, holiness, goodness, and truth. He is incomparably glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love. (Deut 6:4; Ps 90:1-2; 1 Cor 8:6; Rev 4:11)

 

We believe that within the unity of the God-head, there exist three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) who are co-equal and co-eternal in essence, yet are distinct through their harmonious works. (Is 48:16; 1 Cor 8:4; 1 Tim 2:5-6; Jn 1:1; Heb 1:8)

Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ is the Second Person of the Godhead. He is the eternal Son of God and is equal in essence with the Father. As God, Christ is the Creator of all things, uncreated and unending, possessing the divine attributes, and equal with the Father. Through the incarnation, Jesus became fully man. He was the virgin born Son of God. The virgin birth made possible the uniting of full deity and full humanity. Although He took on human flesh, at no time did He surrender His Deity. Jesus Christ lived a sinless life, and voluntarily gave up His life on Calvary as a sufficient atonement sacrifice for sin. Jesus Christ arose bodily from the grave, ascended into heaven, and is presently ministering as the believer’s advocate, mediator, and High Priest. We believe in the imminent, personal return of Christ.  (Jn 10:33; Is 7:14; Matt 1:23; Heb 4:15; Eph 1:7; Jn 11:25; Acts 1:11; Heb 7:25; 1 Thess 4:13-18; Rev 19:11-16).

Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Godhead. He is not an influence, but a person equal in essence with the Father and Son, and with the same attributes. He was active in creation, and restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled. He convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgement; bears witness to the truth of the gospel in preaching and testimony; makes believers children of God through the new birth, assuring them of Heaven; seals, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer, enabling them to lead godly lives. He imparts gifts to all believers at His will. We believe that sign gifts, including speaking in tongues, ceased with the end of the ministry of the apostles. (Jn 14:16-17; 16:7-11; Matt 28:19; Heb 9:14; Jn 14:26; Lk 1:35; Gen 1:1-3; Jn 16:8-11; Acts 5:30-32; Rom 8:16; 26-27; 1 Cor 12:4-7)

Satan

We believe that Satan is a created being, the author of sin, the tempter in the fall, the declared enemy of God and man, and the god of this age. He shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire (Job 1:6, 7; Is 14:12-17; Matt 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev 20:10)

Man

We believe that man was created in the image of God in a state of sinless perfection. Through Adam’s disobedience, mankind was plunged into sin and sentenced to death (spiritual and physical). Because of Adam’s sin, all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint, but by choice; and therefore, are under just condemnation and without excuse. (Gen 1:26-27; 3:1-24; Rom 1:18, 32; 3:10, 23; 5:10-21; Eph 2:1-6)

Salvation

We believe that God has provided the way of salvation from the condemnation of sin through the shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross. The shedding of Christ’s blood on the cross made a full and vicarious atonement for man’s sin. This atonement consisted not in setting an example by martyrdom, but was a voluntary substitution of Christ in the sinner’s place. Salvation is a result of the love and grace of God alone apart from human merit. The sinner can only accept the gift of salvation after the hearing of the gospel and the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. All those who repent and believe are regenerate sons of God and are kept eternally secure in Christ. This regeneration is evident in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life in the believer (Eph 2:8-9; Jn 1:12; 3:5-7, 16; 10:28-29; Acts 15:11; Rom 3:24-25; Phil 2:7; Heb 2:14; Is 53:4-7, 1 Jn 4:10; 1 Cor 15:3; 2 Cor 5:21; Jam 2:14-26)

The Local Church

We believe that the local church is a congregation of immersed believers, bound by covenant of faith and the gospel; observing the ordinances; exercising their spiritual gifts for the mutual benefit of the body of Christ. Its officers are pastor (also called bishops and elders) and deacons, whose qualifications are clearly laid out in Scripture. The local church is autonomous with the absolute right of self-government free from the interference of and hierarchy of individuals or organizations. While it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with one another for the defense and furtherance of the gospel, each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation. On all matters of membership, polity, government, discipline, or benevolence the will of the local church is final. (Acts 2:41-42; 1 Cor 11:2; Eph 1:22-23; 4:11; Acts 20:17-28; 1 Tim 3:1-13; Col 1;18; Eph 5:23-24; Acts 15:13-18)

Ordinances

We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water as a public demonstration of the believer’s faith in and identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. Baptist is to be administered only by a New Testament Church and is a pre-requisite to the privileges of church membership.  We believe that the Lord’s supper is the commemoration of Christ’s death until He returns. This ordinance is to partaken of by obedient Christians and should always be preceded by solemn self-examination. (Acts 8:38-39; 2:41; Rom 6:3-5; Matt 3:15-16; 1 Cor 11:23-29)

The Eternal State

We believe in the both the resurrection of the saved and the lost: the saved to the resurrection of life and the lost to the resurrection of damnation. The saved will be in eternal conscience blessedness in the presence of the Lord. The lost will be judged at the Great White Throne and condemned to everlasting conscience punishment in the lake of fire. (Jn 5: 28-29; Matt 25:46; 1 Thess 4:17; Rev 20:11-15)

Creation

We believe in the Genesis account of creation. It is to be accepted literally and not allegorically or figuratively. Creation was an actual seven-literal-day event and not a myth narrative. The days were twenty-four hour days, and man was created in the image of God after God’s own likeness. We reject all forms of evolution (including theistic evolution). (Gen 1; 2:7, 21-23; Neh 9:6; Jer 10:12; Acts 17:23-26; Heb 11:3)

Civil Government

We believe that human civil government is divinely appointed for the interests and order of human society. God commands believers to pray for and honor civil leaders. God further commands that civil government is to be obeyed, except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ as presented in His Word, as all civil leaders will one day bow to him. (Rom 13:1-7; Acts 4:19-20; 5:17-21; 23:5; Matt 22:21)

Human Sexuality

We believe that marriage was divinely ordained to be the lifelong and exclusive union of one man and one woman, and affirm that the Scriptures command that sexual intimacy be reserved for this Biblical, marital relationship alone, condemning all other forms of sexual intimacy as sexual immorality. We believe that God created both male and female, and then He designed gender distinctions between men and women, including the Biblically-defined and distinctive roles of husband and wife. Since gender distinctions are rooted in divine order, changing or disguising one’s inherited sex (and correlated gender) reflective of this order transgresses God’s design. (Gen 2:18-24; Rom 1:24-32; Eph 5:22-23; Heb 13:4)

Family Relationships

We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and church. The husband is to be the leader in the home, and men are to be the leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church. (Gal 3:28; Col 3:18; 1 Tim 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12)

We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love the wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are a heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them, through consistent lifestyle examples and appropriate discipline. (Gen 1:26-28; Ex 20:12; Deut 6:4-9; Ps 127:3-5; Prov 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mk 10:6-12; 1 Cor 7:1-16; Eph 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Col 3:18-21; Heb 13:4; 1 Pet 3:1-7)