The Holy Scriptures

 We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God.  The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed, and therefore are the final authority for truth, faith, and life.  The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man.  The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning.  We believe the King James Version of the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, infallible Word of God preserved in English and it shall be the official and ONLY English translation used by the church (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20, 21-25; Deut. 8:3; Job 23:12; Ps. 12:6,7; 18:30; 29:4; 33:4; 100:5; 119:89, 140; 138:2; Prov. 30:5a; Matt. 4:4; 24:35; Mark 13:31; Luke 4:4; 21:33; John 6:63; 17:17; Heb. 4:12; Rev. 22:18, 19).

 

The Godhead

We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons:    Father, Son, and Holy Spirit each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19: 2 Cor. 13:14; John 14:10, 26).

 

The Person and Work of Christ

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became a man as prophesied by Holy Scripture, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (Gen. 3:15; Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Matt. 1:18, 23; Luke 1:26-38; John 1: 1-2, 14; 2 Cor. 5:19-2 1; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through his death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; 1 Peter 2:24; Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2).

 

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, spiritually birthing all believers into the family and kingdom of God, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 3:3-8; 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14). We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27). We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every born-again believer.  God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry.  We do not accept the current tongues movement as being authentic or in agreement with the scriptures.  (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11, 28; Eph. 4:7-12).

 

The Total Depravity of Man  

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and, that man is totally depraved, and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Gen. 1:26-27; Ps. 51:5; Rom. 3:10-12, 22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19).

 

Salvation 

We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (John 1:12; Rom. 5:8, 9; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).

 

The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers

We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Pet. 1:4-5). We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Rom. 13:13, 14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15).

 

The Church

We believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born-again persons (1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27). We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Tit. 1:5-11). We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control (Acts 13:14; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom. 16:1, 4; 1 Cor. 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; 1 Peter 5:1-4). We recognize water baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41, 42; 18:18; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).

 

Separation   

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God (Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11).

 

The Second Advent of Christ   

We believe in that “blessed hope,” the personal, imminent return of Christ Who will rapture His Church prior to the seven-year tribulation period.  At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with His saints, to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel (Ps. 89:3-4; Dan. 2:31-45; Zech. 14:4-11; 1 Thess. 1:10; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6).

 

The Eternal State

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28, 29; 11:25-26; 14:1-3; Rev. 20:5-6, 12-13). We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6). We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious damnation, punishment, and torment (Matt. 25:41-46; Mark. 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15).

 

The Personality of Satan   

We believe that Satan is a person, a created living entity, a fallen Archangel, the author of sin, and the one responsible for the temptation of Eve which resulted in the Fall of Man; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job 1:6-7; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev. 20:10).

 

Creation  

We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods.  We reject the Theory of Evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin (Genesis 1-2; Ex. 20:11).

 

Civil Government 

We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the family and home; 2) the church; and 3) the state.  Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word.  God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other.  The family and home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God (Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 2:13-14).

 

Human Sexuality

We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity or promiscuous physical contact be engaged in outside of a legal marriage between a man and a woman.  We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, incest, fornication, adultery, or pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex.  Any employee of the church engaging in such activities or becoming pregnant or causing pregnancy as a result of consensual intercourse, outside of the marriage relationship, shall be immediately terminated from employment or dismissed from any office or position of responsibility in the church (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:89; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom 1: 26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4). We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7: 10; Eph. 5:22-23). 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 the church.  The husband is to be the leader of 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)

 

Abortion   

We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being.  Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life.  Abortion is murder.  We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable (Job 3:16; Psalms 51:5; 139:14-16: Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).