What We Believe

#1  THE WORD OF GOD

 

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct.

 

2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Mark 13:31; John 8:31,32; John 20:31; Acts 20:32

 

#2  THE TRINITY

 

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three Persons; that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious roles.

 

Genesis 1:1,26; John 1:1,3; Matthew 28:19; John 4:24; Romans 1:19,20; Ephesians 4:5,6

 

#3  GOD THE FATHER

 

We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He infallibly foreknows all that shall come to pass, that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.

 

Luke 10:21,22; Matthew 23:9; John 3:16; 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Timothy 1:1,2 & 2:5,6; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6

 

#4  JESUS CHRIST

 

We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal visible return to earth.

 

Matthew 1:18–25; Luke 1:26–38; John 1:1, 20:28; Romans 9:5, 8:32; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:21–23; John 20:30, 31; Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 1:4; Acts 1:11; Romans 5:6–8 & 6:9,10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:28; I Timothy 3:16

 

#5  THE HOLY SPIRIT

 

We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and to regenerate, sanctify, and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide.

 

John 14:16,17,26 & 15:26,27; John 16:9–14; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19; Galatians 5:22–26

 

#6  REGENERATION

 

We believe that man was created by God in His own image; that he sinned and thereby incurred physical, spiritual and eternal death, which is separation from God; that as a consequence, all human beings are born with a sinful nature and are sinners by choice and therefore under condemnation. We believe that those who repent and forsake sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become new creatures, delivered from condemnation and receive eternal life.

 

Genesis 1:26, 5:2; Genesis 3; Genesis 2:17, 3:19; Ecclesiastes 2:11; John 3:14, 5:24; John 5:30, 7:13, 8:12, 10:26; Romans 9:22; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 19:3,20, 20:10,14 & 15, 21:18; Psalm 51:7; Jeremiah 17:9; James 1:14; Romans 3:19, 5:19; Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9; John 3:16, John 1:13; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8:1

 

#7  THE CHURCH

 

We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a group of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a profession of faith, and who gather for worship, ministry, and fellowship. We believe that God has given the local church the primary task of giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.

 

Ephesians 2:19–22; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:19–21; Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:23–25

 

#8  CHRISTIAN CONDUCT

 

We believe with Christ that the greatest commandments are to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul, and mind, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We believe that a Christian should therefore live for the glory of God and the well-being of his fellow men; that his conduct should be blameless before the world; that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that he should pursue holiness and seek maturity in Christ.

 

Matthew 22:36-40; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Romans 12:1–3; Hebrews 12:1–2; John 14:15,23-24; 1 John 2:3-6; 2 Corinthians 9:6–9; 1 Corinthians 4:2; Colossians 1:9–10

 

#9  THE GREAT COMMISSION

 

We believe the final instruction of the resurrected Christ, to spread the gospel and make disciples in all nations, was directed to all Christians, to be obeyed through a collaboration of goers and senders.  We believe missionaries are those who are sent cross culturally to take the gospel to places where it has not yet been taken, or where there is no healthy gospel message being preached.  We believe missionaries must be able to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ to others and build up those who believe through continued instruction and discipleship in the Bible.  We believe Missionaries are primarily “gospel bearers” and therefore must make it their great priority to know God’s Word and how to proclaim it and teach it correctly to others.

 

Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:13-17; John 20:21; Matthew 9:37-38; Romans 15:20-23

 

#10  THE ORDINANCES

 

We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of the believer in water into the name of the triune God. We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Matthew 28:18–20; Romans 6:3–5; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26

 

#11  CHURCH COOPERATION

 

We believe that local churches can best promote the cause of Jesus Christ in reaching the nations by cooperating with one another, so long as essential doctrine is not compromised.

 

Acts 15:36,41; 16:5; 1 Corinthians 16:1; Galatians 1:1–3; Revelation 1:4,10,11

 

#12  THE LAST THINGS

 

We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His kingdom. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgement, the eternal joy of the righteous and the endless suffering of the wicked.

 

Matthew 16:27; Mark 14:62; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Philippians 3:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 2 Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 15; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–10; Revelation 20:4–6,11–15