Statement of Faith

The Bible

We believe the Old and New Testaments are completely verbally inspired by God and without error in the original writings, and that they are the complete, full and final authority for faith and life and preserved by God for us.  John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21

God

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Each one of these three Persons possesses the same nature, attributes, and perfections of Deity. Matthew 28:19–20; John 1:1-2; Colossians 2:9.

Jesus Christ

We believe Jesus Christ was sent by God the Father into the world to save sinners. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man. He was eternally begotten of the Father, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. We believe that Jesus Christ died for the sins of the whole world as the substitutionary sacrifice, that His crucified body was raised from the dead, and that He ascended into heaven to appear before the Father as our High Priest, Advocate, and Mediator. We believe Jesus Christ is coming again personally, visibly and bodily to reign as Lord. Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35; Philippians 2:6-11; Colossians 1:15–17; 2:9; Hebrews 4:15; 9:24; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 Peter 1:3; 2:24; 3:18; 1 John 2:2.

Humanity

We believe God created humanity, male and female, reflecting the image and likeness of God. The first human, Adam, sinned and thereby incurred the judgment of both physical death and spiritual death which is eternal separation from God. Therefore, all human beings, with the exception of Christ Jesus, are born with a fallen nature, are accountable for their sin, and need to be born again. Genesis 1:1,26,27; Psalm 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; John 3:3-7; Romans 1:21-32; 3:10-12; 3:23; 5:12; 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-10; 1 John 1:8-10; Genesis 2:18-25; Romans 13:1-7.

Salvation

We believe that Jesus, through His substitutionary death on the cross, provided salvation for all. However, to receive salvation one must trust Jesus Christ alone. All who place their faith in Him as their Savior are declared by God to be righteous on the basis of Christ’s substitutionary death. This salvation is a gift from God by grace, apart from any human works or merit. John 3:16; 6:37; 10:27–30; Romans 3:21-28; Ephesians 2:8–9; 1 Timothy 2:3-6; Titus 3:3-8; 1 Peter 1:18-19, 23.

Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit is a person, is God, and has all the divine characteristics. We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ, trusting Him alone for eternal salvation, are born again by the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God, that they are indwelt and sealed by the Holy Spirit. John 3:3-16; 14:16–17; 16:7–15; Romans 8:9; 2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 2:20-22; 4:1-16, 30; Titus 3:5.

The Church

We believe a New Testament church is a body of believers in Christ who are joined together under scriptural leadership for the worship of God, for edification through the Word of God, for prayer, for fellowship, for the proclamation of the Gospel, and for observance of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:4-5; 2:42–47; Romans 12:5; Ephesians 1:20-23; 1 Timothy 3:15.