What We Believe
The Bible: We believe that all Scriptures — the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments — were inspired by God because their human authors were carried along by the Holy Spirit in writing them. As such they are inerrant in their original writings and constitute our final authority for faith and conduct. (2 Timothy 3:16 - 17; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
God: We believe in only one living and true God who is eternal, infinite, and perfect. He exists in three persons: Father (Romans 1:7), Son (Hebrews 1:8), and Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4) who are equal in essence and in every divine perfection. God is the Creator, Sustainer and Ruler of everything. He is omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, holy, just, righteous, loving, and changeless in His being. Although He is Spirit, He is a person and not just a force (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 90:2; 139:1-16; Isaiah 45:21; 10:12; Jeremiah 23:23, 24; Malachi 3:6; John 4:24; Colossians 1:15-17; 1 Timothy 6:15,16; Hebrews 1:3; 4:13; James 1:17; 1 John 4:8)
Jesus Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ is fully man and fully God, the eternal Son of God who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a perfect, sinless life on earth and died for our sins as our substitute on the cross where He suffered for our sins. He was raised from the dead for our justification and is now at the right hand of God interceding for us. One day He will come again for us according to His promise. (Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:18-25; 16:16; John 1:29; 3:16; Romans 4:25; Hebrews 4:14-16; Revelation 22:12-13)
The Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person — the third person in the Godhead — of the same nature as the Father and the Son. He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony thereby convicting people of sin, righteousness, and judgement. He regenerates, seals, guides, instructs, sanctifies, and empowers believers and gives them spiritual gifts for effective Christian service. (John 14:16-17, 26; 16:8-14; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; 12:4-7; Ephesians 1:13; 2 Thessalonians 2:13)
Satan: We believe that Satan (also known as the devil) is a real supernatural personality — a fallen angel of great power, cunning and wickedness. He is the enemy of God and of all good who seeks the destruction of Christ and the eternal ruin of man, but who has been defeated by Christ’s death and is doomed to be cast into the Lake of Fire. (Mark 1:13; John 13:2; Matthew 13:19; Colossians 2:15; Revelation 20:10)
Angels: We believe in the existence of a higher order of created, yet spiritual beings between God and man sometimes known as ministering spirits, or messengers of God, but more frequently known as angels. These are superior to man but inferior to God. (Matthew 13:41; 18:10; Mark 13:32; I Peter 3:22; Hebrews 12:22; Colossians 1:16; Psalm 104:4; John 5:4; 1 Corinthians 4:9).
Man:
His Creation: We believe that man was created by God in His own image in order to be the object of God’s love, to praise and glorify God, and to have dominion over the earth and all creatures upon it. (Genesis 1:26-28; 9:1-2; Ephesians 1:4-6; 4:24)
His Fall: We believe that man sinned against God and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is separation from God. Man in his natural state is totally depraved —being born with a sinful nature, committing sins of thought, word and deed and that needs a Redeemer (or Savior). (Romans 1:19-32; 5:12)
His Salvation: We believe that when man receives Jesus Christ as Savior by putting his trust in Christ’s death on the cross for his sins, he is born again by the Holy Spirit and becomes a child of God. He receives this new birth by grace, not because of any good thing he has done. (John 1:12-13; 5:24)
His Resurrection: We believe that one day every person will be physically raised up. Those who have received salvation in Jesus Christ will be raised to an everlasting life of blessedness and those who have not received this salvation will receive the everlasting punishment of the unjust. (John 5:28-29; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 20:10-15).
The Church (Ecclesiology): We believe that the true Church of Jesus Christ includes all those who have put their trust in Christ’s death for their salvation from sin (Ephesians 1:22,23; 2:19-22; Colossians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 12:27). We believe that official membership in a local church should be offered only to those who have trusted Christ for salvation and have been baptized on their profession of faith in Christ.
Future Things (Eschatology): We believe in the personal, visible, imminent, premillennial return of Christ to “catch up” (or rapture) all true believers and in a future, literal, thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. (Acts 1:11; John 14:3; Titus 2:13; Revelation 1:7; 5:9-10; 20:4-6)
Final State: We believe that those who have trusted Christ for their salvation will enjoy a future life in heaven which is far better than this present life (Philippians 1:23; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 14:13; 21:1-22:5). We believe that those who have not trusted Christ for their salvation will be eternally separated from God and cast into the Lake of Fire (commonly known as hell). (Matthew 25:41; John 3:36; Revelation 20:14-15)