What We Believe:

2. There is only one true God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – each of whom possess equally all the attributes of Deity and the characteristics of personality (Matt. 28:19; John 10:30; Acts 5:3,4; 2Cor. 13:14).

3. God the Father is the Creator of heaven and earth, is the functional head of the Trinity (Father, Son Holy Spirit). He is spoken of as the Father of all creation, of angels, of Israel, of believers, and of Christ (John 14:17; 20:17; Job 1:16; Ps. 103:13).

4. Jesus is fully perfect Deity and fully perfect humanity united in one person forever. He is true God and true man, the Living Word, who became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. He lived a sinless life, and voluntarily atoned for the sins of men by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and securing and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which he lived and died. He ascended bodily into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, and there, He, the only mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own as High Priest and Advocate (Matt. 1:16, 20, 23; Luke 1:34; Heb. 4:15; 2 Cor. 5:21; I Cor. 15; Acts 1:9-11; I Peter 2:5-9; I John 2:1).

5. The Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, has come into the world to reveal and glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to men. He convicts and regenerates believing sinners, imparts new life to them, continually indwells them from the moment of spiritual birth, He guides and instructs them, baptizes them into the body of Christ, seals them until the day of redemption and enables them for service (John 16:8-11; Titus 3:5; I Cor. 6:19; Rom. 8:9b; Eph. 5:18; Gal. 5:22,23).

6. Man was originally created in the image of God. He sinned by disobeying God; thus, he was alienated from his Creator. The historic fall brought all mankind under divine condemnation. Man’s nature is corrupted, and he is totally unable to please God. Every man is born separated from God and in need of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:26,27; Eph. 2:1; Rom. 1:18; 3:20; 7:21-25; 5:12).

7. The salvation of man is wholly a work of God’s free grace, and is not the result, in whole or in part, of human work or goodness or religious ceremony. The shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection provide the only ground for justification and salvation for all who believe. The believer is eternally secure once Christ is received through faith. The believer is at the moment of salvation baptized by the Spirit into Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit’s fullness, power and guidance are appropriated in the believer’s life by faith (Rom. 5:9,10; 6:23; 8:1, 29, 30, 38, 39; John 3:16; 5:24; 10:27-30; 14:16; I Tim. 1:12; Eph. 2:8,9; Phil. 1:6; Titus 3:5-8; Heb. 7:25; Jude 24). Every believer is called to live in the power of the indwelling Spirit that he will not fulfill the lust of the flesh, but will bear fruit to the glory of God. The Scriptures set out the principles and rules of the Christian life (Rom. 12:1,2; Gal. 5:16-26; 2 Cor. 6:14).

8. Jesus Christ is the head of the Church, His Body, which is composed of all men, living and dead, who have been joined to Him through saving faith. God admonishes His people to assemble together regularly for worship, for participation in the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper though they are not means of grace, for edification through the Scriptures, and for mutual encouragement. Those who are true believers are eligible for membership in the local church and each church under the headship of Christ has the right to govern it own affairs (I Cor. 12:12,13; Col. 1:18; Eph. 2:15,16).

9. At physical death, the believer enters immediately into eternal, conscious fellowship with the Lord and awaits the resurrection of the body to everlasting glory and blessing (I Cor. 15:12ff; 2 Cor. 5:1-10; Phil 1:23; John 12:26). At physical death, the unbeliever enters immediately into eternal, conscious separation from the Lord and awaits the resurrection of the body to everlasting judgment and condemnation (Eph. 2:12; Rom. 3:23; 5:12; Matt. 25:31-46; Rev. 20:11-15).

10. The Lord Jesus Christ will return to rapture His church out of the world to rescue them from the tribulation. He will return with His personal, physical, Second Advent to earth. He will establish His millennial kingdom on earth for 1,000 years at the conclusion of which He will judge all men except believers at the great white throne judgment. Those names that are not found in the book of life will be thrown into an eternal punishment called the lake of fire along with Satan his fallen angels. Believers will enter into eternity with the Lord (I Thess. 4:13-18; Matt. 24,25; Revelation 20-22.)