Why Are Beliefs Important?

We believe in one God who exists eternally in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each of these persons has distinct functions and attributes but each is equal in their essence, nature, being, power, and glory (Genesis 1:26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14; Colossians 1:16-18; I John 5:7).

We believe that God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the Heavenly Father of all who have come to a saving knowledge of His only Son; that He sacrificed His only Son; that He promised a redeemed people; and that He cares deeply for each of His children (John 1:14; John 20:17; Romans 4:11; I Peter 1:3-5).

We believe in the absolute deity of Jesus Christ, that He is fully God; that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who added a fully human nature to His fully divine nature, thus becoming the God-man; was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross as the substitute for sinners, paying the penalty of God’s wrath against sin, rose from the dead, ascended to Heaven and, having been exalted as King of Kings, is seated at the Father’s right hand in Heaven making intercession for everyone who believes; and that He will come again to establish His physical kingdom (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Mark 14:62; Luke 1:26-56; Luke 2:1-20 John 1:1, 14; Acts 1:9-11; Acts 4:10-12; Acts 5:30-31; II Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:2; 1 John 4:10; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 11:15).

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a personal being, is absolute deity, and is equal with God the Father and God the Son; that He is the one that convicts sinners of sin and draws them to Christ for salvation; that through Him men are regenerated and sanctified; that by Him the saints are indwelt with the Divine Presence, that He enables Christians to obey; that He attests of Christ; that He moved men to write the Scriptures; that He indwells all believers and seals them for the day of redemption; and that He empowers, teaches, and guides believers (John 3:5-7; John 14:16-18, 26; John 16:7-8; Acts 1:5, 8; Acts 2:4; Romans 8:14-27; Romans 15:16; I Corinthians 12:1-14:40; II Corinthians 1:21-22; Ephesians 1:13-14; I John 2:20-27; 1 Peter 1:2; II Peter 1:21).

We believe that at the moment of salvation, the believer is both indwelt and baptized by the Holy Spirit, and that therefore, the believer does not seek the Spirit's baptism as an evidence of salvation. It is the believer’s responsibility to seek to be continually filled with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11; John 1:33; John 3:5-7; Romans 6:3-5; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18).

We believe the Genesis account of creation is neither allegory nor myth, but a literal, historical account of the direct, immediate, creative acts of God, in six, consecutive twenty-four hour days, without any evolutionary process; that man, spirit, soul and body, was created by a direct work of God and not from previously existing forms of life; and that all men are descended from the historical Adam and Eve, first parents of the entire human race (Genesis 1 and 2; Isaiah 45:18; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16, 17).

We believe that God created man in His own image by a direct act on the sixth day of the creation week; that man was created to glorify and have fellowship with God; that man deliberately disobeyed the command of God and therefore fell under God’s condemnation and the power of sin. We believe in the universality of sin, that all have sinned; that the resulting effect of sin on man touches his entire being, leaving him completely unable to earn God’s favor or contribute to his own salvation; and that sin separates man from fellowship with God (Genesis 1:26-31; Genesis 2:7-3:4; Isaiah 59:1-2; Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 3:10-18; Romans 5:12; Romans 5:12; Romans 6:20, 23; Ephesians 2:1-10; Galatians 5:17; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 9:22).

We believe that salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone; that it is received by repentance and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ; that justification (a right standing before God) results in a guilty sinner being declared righteous by God because the righteousness of Jesus Christ is credited to his account. We believe in a final resurrection of both the saved and lost, one to life eternal and the other to eternal condemnation; and that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God's power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 5:29; John 6:37-40; John 10:27-30; Romans 3:21-25; Romans 4:4-5; Romans 6:23; Romans 8:1, 38-39; Romans 10:9-10; I Corinthians 1:4-8; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 2:16; Galatians 5:14; Galatians 6:15; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7; I Peter 1:5; Revelation 20:6, 13-15; Revelation 21:8).

We believe that sanctification is the divine setting apart of the believer unto God, accomplished in a threefold manner: first, an eternal act of God, based upon redemption in Christ, establishing the believer in a position of holiness at the moment he trusts the Savior; second, a continuing process in the saint as the Holy Spirit applies the Word of God to the life, but absent a second work of grace; third, the final accomplishment of this process at the Lord’s return. (John 17:17; I Corinthians 1:2, 30; II Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 5:25, 26, 27; I Thessalonians 4:3, 4; I Thessalonians 5:23, 24; Hebrews 10:10-14; Hebrews 13:12)

We believe that the local church is currently the center of God’s activity in this world; that all activities of the church are under the auspices of the head, which is Christ; that the church is composed of followers of Jesus who are voluntarily united together for the purpose of worship, edification, ordinances, fellowship, service, prayer, and the spread of the Gospel to the ends of the earth; that the officers of the local church are pastors and deacons whose qualifications and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures; and that the local church has the right to self-government, free from the interference of any individuals or organizations, religious or political (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:41-47; Acts 20:28-31; Romans 1:7; Colossians 1:2; 1 Timothy 3:1-13, 15; Titus 1:5-9; I Peter 5:1-5).

We believe that the Biblical ordinance of baptism is by immersion; that it is a symbol of the believer's union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection; that every believer should be baptized because of the example and command of our Lord; and that while there is absolutely no saving power in water baptism, nor any contribution to salvation, it is an act of obedience and public testimony by those who are already saved (Matthew 3:13-17; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5).

We believe that the Lord's Supper is an ordinance given to the church by the Lord Jesus Christ to commemorate, remember, and proclaim the Lord's death until He returns; that the elements representing the body and blood of Christ are symbolic and pictorial and do not contribute to our justification; and that the Lord's table should be open to all Christians living in fellowship with and obedience to the Lord Jesus; (Luke 22:14-20; I Corinthians 11:25-32).

We believe that God sovereignly blesses His children with gifts; that believers should exercise their God-given gifts to serve others and stir up believers toward love and good works; and that certain sign gifts of prophesying, healing, the giving of knowledge, and tongues were no longer necessary as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established (Ephesians 2:19-22; Ephesians 4:7-12; Hebrews 2:2-4).

We believe that Jesus Christ will come again; that He could come at any moment; that He will first catch up his bride; that He will judge the world; that He will establish His physical kingdom and reign on earth; that He will judge the living and the dead; that He will create a new heavens and new earth; that He will come to dwell with man on earth forever as King in the New Jerusalem; and that in light of His imminent return all people from every nation should repent and believe in Jesus as Lord (Zechariah 14:3-4; 1 Corinthians 1:7; 1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation 21:1-3).

We believe that Heaven is a real place of eternal blessedness and that Hell is a real place of eternal punishment. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men; the saved to everlasting life, and the unsaved to everlasting death; believers look forward to the blessing of unbroken fellowship with God in Heaven forever. We believe that the eternal dwelling place for God’s people will be the New Heaven and New Earth (Matthew 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; John 5:28-29; Luke 16:19-31; Romans 2:1-16; I Corinthians 15; II Corinthians 5:1-10; Philippians 3:20; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 20-22; Revelation 20:1-15; Revelation 21:22).

We believe that God has set us free from sin; that we have joy unspeakable and are at peace with God; that believers and churches must strive, therefore to reflect God’s holiness and to live differently than those who have not experienced the saving grace of Jesus Christ; that Christians should be unified under Christ; that we should have the “mind of Christ” in our behavior; that the Bible teaches that unity with everyone in a sinful world is not possible because of false teachers and disobedient Christians; and that we must be aware of false doctrine (Romans 16:17; I Corinthians 1:10; I Corinthians 2:16; Ephesians 4:11-13; Philippians 2:5-8; Philippians 3:17-19; Ephesians 4:17-19; cf. 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15; 1 Peter 1:15-16; 2 John 9-11; Jude 3).