There is one God: Infinite, eternal, almighty, and perfect in holiness, truth and love. In the unity of the godhead there are three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co- existent, co-equal, and co-eternal. The Father is not the Son and the Son is not the Holy Spirit, yet each is truly deity. One God-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – is the foundation of Christian faith and life.
About the Bible
We believe the Bible is God’s written revelation of Himself to mankind, written by human authors and reflecting their style and their personalities, but under the direct influence of the Holy Spirit. While the Holy Spirit uses the scripture in innumerable applications in the life of the believer, we believe there is only one true interpretation of each verse or passage. The word gives us valuable principles to be sought after as we face certain issues in our lives where the Bible seems silent. Lastly, we believe that the Bible is infallible in both faith and practice and totally without error in the whole or in part.
WebelievetheBibleisGod’sholy,writtenrevelationofHimselftomankind, inscribedbyhumanauthorsandreflectingtheirstyleandtheirpersonalitiesbut inspired(“breathed”orspokentothewriters)bythedirectinfluenceoftheHoly Spirit.WhiletheHolySpiritusesthescriptureininnumerableapplicationsinthe lifeofthebeliever,webelievethereisonlyonetrueinterpretationofeachword, verse, passage, chapter, and book. The Word of God gives us valuable principles and instruction to be sought after as we face various issues in our lives, even where the Bible seems silent. Lastly, we believe that the Bible, when translated from the original manuscripts, is infallible in both faith and practice and totally without error in the whole or in part. (Prov. 30:5; Jn. 17:17; II Tim. 3:16- 17; 2 Pet. 1:19-21)
About God
We believe there is only one true and living God, the God that has revealed Himself to us through the Bible and creation. He is the architect and creator of the universe and expressly interested in and involved with its details, including those of each individual life. He exists in three distinct, infinite personalities: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. Each has His own unique role in the rule of this world and eternity; each is co-equal and make up one God, deserving of worship.
We believe there is only one true and living God, having no beginning and no end. He is the “I Am” that has revealed Himself to mankind through the Bible, creation, and our conscience. He is the architect and creator of the universe and is expressly interested in, and involved with, its details, including the details of the individual lives of mankind. He is infinite, eternal, all-powerful, all-knowing, universally present, and perfect in His holiness, truth, judgment, wrath, goodness, mercy, and love. Though One, God has revealed Himself to be triune in nature. That is, within the Godhead, three distinct, infinite persons co-exist eternally in perfect and absolute unity and equality as the one, true God: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. Each person of this Trinity has His own unique role in the rule of this world and eternity: each iseternal,co-equal,andequallydeservingofourworship.GodtheFather,thefirst person of the Godhead, is not the Son or Holy Spirit; the Son is not the Father or Holy Spirit; the Holy Spirit is not the Father or Son; yet each is individually truly and fully God. The doctrine that one God exists in a trinity of Persons is a non- negotiable truth that is at the heart and foundation of our Christian doctrine, faith and life, and we reject every Arian, monarchian, modalist, tritheistic, or polytheistic interpretation of the nature of God. (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 3:16-17; Matt.28:19;Jn.14:16-17;1Cor.8:4;2Cor.13:14;Gal. 3:20;1Tim.2:5)
About Jesus Christ
We believe that two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ was born of a virgin just as was promised in the Old Testament thousands of years earlier. He is the Son of God and equal with God. For over thirty years, He lived a sinless life, and walked and talked among men and women. We believe that He literally was killed on a cross as a punishment for sins and that on the third day after death He was physically raised from the dead to demonstrate God’s power over death and sin. We believe that on that day we as believers arose with Him as new creatures, finally able to achieve fellowship with God that sin had previously made impossible; and that with resurrection the redeemed sinner has been freed from the punishment, the penalty, and the power of sin. Jesus ascended from this earth to be with the Father once again. As He left, He promised to return again soon to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
We believe that Jesus Christ is God, being the second person of the Godhead. He is described as the eternal Son of God, the Messiah, having no beginning or end, and co-equal with God. We believe that two thousand years ago, God the Father sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to be born of flesh to a virgin as He had promised in the Old Testament. For over thirty years, Emmanuel (“God With Us”) lived, breathed, walked, and talked among men and women living a sinless life under the Mosaic Law. We believe that He was literally physically crucified on a cross, physically dying as the perfect, eternal, final Sacrifice for the sins of the elect, and that on the third day after His death, He was literally physically raised from the dead to demonstrate God’s power over death and sin, and to be evidence that the sacrifice of Jesus was both acceptable to, and accepted by God the Father. We believe that the elect, being crucified with Christ and raised to walk in newness of life, have become dead to sin, obtaining thefellowship with God that sin had previously made impossible. We believe that the elect, being raised with Christ in newness of life, have been redeemed and freed from the punishment, penalty, and power of sin. After His death, burial and resurrection, Jesus ascended from earth into heaven to be seated at the right hand of God, signifying that our eternal redemption had been finalized, with nothing being left unfinished. Four times in the book of Revelation, Jesus promised to return again soon. (Matt.1:22-23;Rom.1:3-4,6:4;2Cor.15:3-4;Ti.2:13-14; Rev. 16:15; 22:7,12,20)
About the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit possesses the same deity as God and is equal with God. He lives in the world for the express purpose of making us realize our need for Jesus Christ by convicting of sin, administering spiritual gifts, making us more like Christ, and instructing us as to the “mind of Christ.” He is our helper, comfort, and supernatural agent in a super-complicated world. We believe the Holy Spirit indwells and works in the believer from the moment of salvation, not “coming and going” as a response to a believer’s misbehavior or sin. Our primary job as Christians is to seek to live under His control.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is God, being the third person of the Godhead, possessing the same deity as, and being co-equal with, the Father and the Son. We reject the false teaching that the Holy Spirit is nothing more than “God’s active force” since the Holy Spirit speaks (Acts13:2);canbegrieved(Eph.4:30); andhasawill(1Cor.12:11).TheHolySpiritwassenttotheworldwiththeexpress purpose of bringing man to realize his need for Jesus Christ by convicting him of sin. He is our teacher, helper, comforter, and empowerer. He is the supernatural agent indwelling and working in believers from the moment of salvation until our ultimate glorification. He administers spiritual gifts and transforms us into the “Image of Christ.” We do not believe that the Holy Spirit “comes and goes” in response to a believer’s misbehavior or sin since Jesus promised He would be “with us forever,” and since the Holy Spirit is the “seal” of God’s ownership of the elect, and the guarantee of our salvation, perseverance, and glorification. Our goal and duty as Christians is to seek to continually be “filled with the Spirit,” and “led by the Spirit,” living under His guidance and control as He guides us into all Truth as He reveals it to us in God’s Holy Word. (Jn.14:16,26,15:26,16:7-13;Rom. 8:14; 1 Cor. 2:10-11; 2 Cor. 1:22, 3:16-18; Gal. 5:16-18; Eph. 1:13, 5:18)
About Men and Women
We believe that men and women were made by God, in the spiritual image of God, and placed on the earth to fulfill God’s purpose. Men and women were created for the sole purpose of bringing and giving glory to God. Man was created free of sin with a rational intelligence. In Adam’s disobedience, sin was introduced into the world and man lost innocence, incurring the penalty of spiritual and physical death and eternal separation from God (because God is holy, He is entirely intolerant of sin). This sin nature has been passed down to all men and women because all men and women are of Adam and, therefore, hopelessly lost. While we may have human potential for being good, we have no potential for overcoming separation from God. Salvation, then, is totally a gift of God’s grace carried out through Jesus Christ.
We believe that every man, woman, and child ever born has been formed by God in the spiritual image of God and placed on this earth to fulfill God’s sovereign purpose. Mankind was created for the sole purpose of bringing and giving glory to God the Father, whether in His righteous judgment or His merciful, gracious redemption.
Adam and Eve were created free from sin with a rational intelligence. Due to Adam’s disobedience, he forfeited his innocence; sin was introduced into creation and imputed into the nature of the entire human race born from Adam. The nature of every human born thereafter, with the exception of Jesus Christ, was affected, and every individual has incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death and the threat of eternal damnation.
BecauseGodissupremelyholy,Heisentirelyintolerantofsin.InmaintainingHis holiness,righteousness,andjustice,Hemustpunisheachandeverysin,whether committedintentionallyorunintentionally,bycommissionoromission.Because the sin of Adam has been imputed to every man, woman, and child, each is, therefore, spiritually dead, hopelessly lost and “condemned already” apart from the grace of God in the redemption of Jesus Christ. Our will is not “free” to choose to do good, but rather we are born in bondage to sin, and apart from Christ even our “righteous” deeds are “as filthy rags.” While we may have the potential for doing some good deeds, we have no potential for overcoming our broken relationship with God that is due to our individual sins committed in our Adamic nature. Because of this condemnation, eternal life and salvation may only be received as a gift by God’s grace by those drawn to repentance and faith by the Holy Spirit, because of the finished work of redemption carried out by Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. In redemption, the righteousness of Jesus Christ is accounted to the believer, who then becomes God’s “handiwork, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them,” and those “who once were far away (from God) have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” (Gen. 2:7; Jn.3:18; Eph. 2:10,13; Rom. 3:23-25; 1 Jn. 1:8-10)
About Eternity
We believe in the eternal, physical institutions of heaven and hell. All men and women will live eternally, either separate from God because of unforgiven sin, or together with God because he/she has accepted His gift of salvation.
We believe in the literal, eternal, conscious realities of “heaven” and “hell,” and in the eternal nature of every human soul. Every man, woman, and child will ultimately be resurrected to live eternally, either:
in a state fit for damnation, separated from God eternally in hell because of his/her sin which was not trusted to Jesus’ finished work of redemption; or
inaglorifiedstate,togetherwithGodeternallyinHisKingdom,because Jesus’ righteousness has been accounted to him/her by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. (Rom.6:23; Rev.20:15)
About Salvation and the Security of the Believer
We believe that salvation is a gift for which we paid nothing, did nothing, and deserve nothing. And since we did nothing to get it, we can do nothing to lose it. The believer’s hope is Jesus Christ, and His sacrifice for the sins of man is secure eternally.
We believe that salvation is a gift for which we paid nothing, did nothing, and deserve nothing. God gave His gift of salvation to us by His grace alone, through our faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone, who took the sins of the elect upon himself “once for all” before we had even committed those sins against Him. God chose to save some rebellious, absolutely undeserving people who did nothing to earn or deserve His gift of grace in the first place. Because the singular, final, finished work of Jesus was acceptable to God as payment for the sins of the elect, we believe that those chosen by Him cannot possibly do anything to cause God to take Jesus’ redemption or His promise of salvation back from them. The believer who has rested his faith in Jesus’ perfect, satisfactory, and finished sacrifice as the final, perfect payment for his own sins can be assured that Jesus’ full righteousness has been imputed to him, and that his salvation has been secured for eternity, having been “sealed” by the Holy Spirit Who indwells every believer. (Jn. 10:27-29; Rom. 8:35-39; Eph. 2:8-10; Heb. 9:28)
About the End Times
We believe that death is the process that separates the soul from the body, and that the soul of the believer passes immediately into the presence of the Lord at physical death. The soul of the unbeliever passes into punishment until that time when God issues the final judgment upon his or her sin. We believe that the Bible clearly teaches the imminent return of Jesus Christ, in personal form, to remove His church from the earth. He will pour out His judgments on the world. We believe that the Scripture clearly teaches that, even then, He will receive unto Himself those that believe and receive Jesus Christ.
We believe that Jesus Christ will return again soon, descending from heaven in the same way as He was seen ascending into heaven, meaning literally and bodily, to receive to Himself the elect that believe according to His redemptive plan and purpose, and to pour His wrath out upon the rebellious unbelievers, culminating in the bodily resurrection of both the just and the unjust. The purpose of this resurrection is for every soul that has ever lived to stand before Jesus to be separated (the “goats” from His “sheep”) and ushered into everlasting life, or everlasting damnation. (Matt. 25:31-46; Jn. 5:28-29)
We believe that God has an eternal plan and destiny for every person’s eternal soul and mortal body, and that it is appointed for men to “die once, and after this comes judgment.” (Heb. 9:27)
Webelievethat,upondying,thesoulofeveryelectbelieverpassesimmediately into the presence of the Lord. Likewise, the soul of the rebellious unbeliever passes into punishment until that time when God issues the final judgement upon him for his rebellion and sin – the greatest of which is the rebellion of unbelief.
We believe that physical death only temporarily separates a person’s eternal soul from his mortal bodies. Upon death every mortal body will “return to the dust” to await the ultimate resurrection of the dead and the preparation for damnation of unbelievers or the glorification of believers that will immediately follow. (Gen.3:19)