What We Believe
God’s Word
The Holy Bible is the authoritative Word of God. It is the final authority for determining all doctrinal truths. God’s Word is inspired, infallible and inerrant (see Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25,26; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20,21).
Trinity
There is one living and true God, the creator of the universe (Exodus 15:11; Isaiah 45:11; Jeremiah 27:5). He is revealed in the unity of the Godhead as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, who are equal in every divine perfection (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
- God the Father is the supreme ruler of the universe. He providentially directs the affairs of history according to the purposes of His grace (Genesis 1; Psalm 19:1; Psalm 104; Hebrews 1:1-3).
- God the Son is the Savior of the world. Born of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:26-35), He declared His deity among men (John 1:14,18; Matthew 9:6), died on the cross as the only sacrifice for sin (Philippians 2:6-11), arose bodily from the grave (Luke 24:6,7,24-26; 1 Corinthians 15:3-6), and ascended back to the Father (Acts 1:9-11; Mark 16:19). He is at the right hand of the Father, interceding for believers (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25) until He returns to rapture them from the world (Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).
- God the Holy Spirit is the manifest presence of deity. He convicts of sin (John 16:8-11), teaches spiritual truths according to the written Word (John 16:12-15), permanently indwells believers (Acts 5:32; John 14:16,17,20,23), and confers on every believer at conversion the ability to render effective spiritual service (1 Peter 4:10,11).
Satan
Satan is a created being rather than a personification of evil (John 8:44), and he, with his demons, opposes all that is true and godly by blinding the world to the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:3,4), tempting saints to do evil (Ephesians 6:11; 1 Peter 5:8), and warring against the Son of God (Genesis 3:15; Revelation 20:1-10).
Virgin Birth
Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity) in the virgin Mary’s womb; therefore, He is the Son of God (see Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18,23-25; Luke 1:27-35).
Depravity
Humanity was created in the image of God (Genesis 1:26; 2:17), but by voluntary transgression, it fell. Humanity’s only hope for redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God (see Genesis 1:26-31; 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21).
Salvation
We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ: His death, burial and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human effort (see Romans 10:9,10; Acts 16:31; Galatians 2:16; 3:8; Ephesians 2:8,9; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 9:22).
Sanctification
Sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ’s character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a godly life (see Romans 8:29; 12:1,2; 2 Cor. 3:18; 6:14-18; 1 Thess. 4:3; 5:23; 2 Thess. 2:1-3).
Jesus' Blood
The blood that Jesus Christ shed on the cross of Calvary was sinless and is 100 percent sufficient to cleanse humankind from all sin. Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and our sins, enabling all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death (see John 1:29; Romans 3:10-12,23; 5:9; Colossians 1:20; 1 John 1:7; Revelation 1:5; 5:9).
Jesus Christ Indwells All Believers
Christians are people who have invited the Lord Jesus Christ to come and live inside them by His Holy Spirit. They put their trust in what Jesus accomplished for them when He died, was buried and rose again from the dead (see John 1:12; 14:17,23; 15:4; Romans 8:11; Revelation 3:20).
The Gifts Of The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the Church. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of biblical parameters (see Romans 1:11; 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; 14:1-40; Ephesians 4:16; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:5-16; Hebrews 2:4; 1 Peter 4:10).
The Church
The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus’ Great Commission. (see John 17:11,20-23; Ephesians 1:22; 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23).
Two Ordinances of the Church
Water Baptism: Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the new convert is commanded by the Word of God to be baptized in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit (see Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38).
The Lord’s Supper: A unique time of communion in the presence of God when the elements of bread and grape juice (the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) are taken in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. (See Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12,36-38; 10:47,48; 1 Corinthians 10:16; 11:23-26).
Resurrection
Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified body three days after His death on the cross. As a result, both the saved and the lost will be resurrected—they that are saved to the resurrection of life, and they that are lost to the resurrection of eternal damnation (see Luke 24:16,36,39; John 2:19-21; 20:26-28; 21:4; Acts 24:15; 1 Corinthians 15:42,44; Philippians 1:21-23; 3:21).
Heaven
Heaven is the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ (see Matthew 5:3,12,20; 6:20; 19:21; 25:34; John 17:24; 2 Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 11:16; 1 Peter 1:4).
Hell
After living one life on earth, the unbelievers will be judged by God and sent to hell where they will be eternally tormented with the devil and the fallen angels (see Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 14:9-11; 20:12-15; 21:8).
Second Coming
Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second time to establish His kingdom. This will occur at a date that only God’s knows (see Matthew 24:30; 26:63,64; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 1:7,8; Revelation 1:7).