What we believe
The Scriptures
We believe that the Bible, consisting of 66 books in both the Old and New Testaments is God’s holy Word. It was inspired of the Holy Spirit, without error in the original manuscripts, uniquely preserved for us by the Holy Spirit, and is our sole authority for faith and practice. We believe that because the Bible is God’s sufficient Word for our salvation and sanctification, we reject all extra revelation.
(2 Peter 1:19-21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Revelation 22:19)
The Godhead
We believe that there is only one living and true God, eternally self-existent in three Persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. While He is one in essence and equal in every divine perfection, each person of the Godhead is distinct in role and responsibility.
(Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 3:13-17;Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
Jesus Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, who became a man, without ceasing to be God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and was born of a virgin, that he might both reveal God to us and redeem every sinful man to a God. Jesus Christ died a substitutionary death upon a cross for all who will believe. He was buried, bodily arose from the dead on the third day, was seen by men, and is now ascended into Heaven where He sits on the right hand of the throne of God, interceding on behalf of all those who have accepted Him as personal Savior. We await His Imminent return which will, we believe, occur prior to the dreaded Tribulation period.
(Matthew 1:18-20; John 1:1-2,14; John 1:14; Philippians 2:5-11; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 3:21-26; Romans 5:9; Hebrews 2:9; 1 John 2:2; Matthew 28:1-10; Acts 1:9; Hebrews 7:25-28; Daniel 9:24-27; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 5:9)
The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit, is co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Son. Following His active role in Creation He continues to convict men of sin, restrain evil, indwell believers and perform various ministries i.e. regenerating sinners, sealing believers till the Day of Redemption, guiding them into all truth, sanctifying, strengthening and empowering them for acts of service by bestowing upon each believer certain spiritual gifts. While we believe that certain gifts were temporary sign gifts, each believer has been given at least one spiritual gift to be used for the edification of the body of Christ.
(2 Thessalonians 2:7; John 3:6; John 16:7-11; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 4:30; Ephesians 5:18; 1 Corinthians 12:11; 1 Corinthians 12:30; 1 Corinthians 13:8; 1 Peter 4:10)
Creation
We believe in the Genesis account of a literal six, twenty-four hour day creation by an infinitely wise and holy God. We believe that while man was created in innocence, he sinned, thus causing sin and its effect to fall upon all of God’s creation. As a result of man’s sin, God’s promise of a future judgment rests upon all that was created.
(Genesis 1:1-2:25, 5:20; Nehemiah 9:6; Psalms 33:6-9; John 1:3; Hebrews 11:3; Colossians 1:16-17; Exodus 20:11, 31:17)
Satan
We believe that Satan, while created as a perfect angel of God, chose to rebel against his appointed place, and led many other angels against God. While Satan himself is the “accuser of the brethren,” his fallen angels or demons roam the earth to oppose God, His plan, purposes and people in whatever way possible. While Satan has already been judged, God controls yet allows Satan to function upon this earth, while he awaits his eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire along with all his followers.
(Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:14-17; Job 1-2; Hebrews 1:6, 1:14; Revelation 12:9-10, 20:1-3, 20:10; 1 Thessalonians 3:5; Matthew 4:1-3; Ephesians 6:12)
Salvation
We believe that despite being created in perfection, Adam’s sin plummeted the entire human race into sin, and incurred upon all mankind God’s judgment of both physical and spiritual death.
We believe however that salvation as presented through the Gospel, is freely available to all who will accept Jesus Christ as personal Savior, by grace through faith. God’s gift of salvation enables anyone to be forgiven by God; regenerated by the Holy Spirit; imputed with the righteousness of Christ and declared justified before a Holy God. We believe that following man’s salvation from the punishment of sin, he will by the empowering ability of the Holy Spirit be able grow in grace, being saved from the power of sin in his life. This process is called progressive sanctification.We further believe that man will one day be saved from the very presence of sin when following the Rapture he will be rescued by God from this present world and given a new glorified body in Heaven.
It is because man is saved from the punishment of sin by the righteousness of Christ, and not by any human merit, that all who are saved are eternally secure and will never see the wrath of God in Hell.
(Genesis 1:26-27, 3:1-24; Romans 3:24, 5:12-21, 8:31-39; Ephesians 2:1-6, 2:8-9, 4:22-28; John 1:12; 3:5-7, 3:16; John 10:27-30; I Tim. 2:4; 4:10; 8-9; Acts 16:31; I Peter 1:23; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 2 Pet. 3:18; Luke 16:19-26; Matthew 25:34-41)
The Church
We believe that the church is the Body of Christ, consisting of both a larger body and a local body. The larger body is an invisible body, not yet formed or functioning, composed of all true believers, who have been baptized into Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit at salvation. We believe this body is distinct from Israel and will be removed from this world at the Rapture, prior to the start of the seven years of Tribulation.We believe the local body is a visible organized assembly of born-again believers, who upon the basis of a credible profession of faith, have been baptized by immersion in water. The local church functions as a self-governing body of believer priests, under the servant leadership of Pastors and deacons for the glory of God and the God of others, in light of the Judgement Seat of Christ.We believe the local body is God’s program during this dispensation of grace and is accountable only to God for its own affairs i.e. worship, edification, evangelism, discipline of it’s members, ownership of it’s own property, conducting the two ordinances of believer’s baptism and the Lord’s supper; support of missionaries etc.
(Hebrews 12:23; 1 Corinthians 5:4-5, 5:13, 11:23-28, 12:13, 13:1-3; Ephesians 5:23-32; Acts 2:41-42, 6:3-5, 8:36-39; 2 Tim. 3:1-17; Matthew 28:19-20, 18:15-18, 26:29, 28:19; Titus 1:5-9; I Tim. 3:15; Romans 6:3-4)
Separation
We believe that in the last days, many shall depart from the faith. It is therefore the responsibility of every believer and every congregation in the light of the Judgement Seat of Christ, to not identify with, affiliate or fellowship with, that which would be harmful to their spiritual walk or witness for our Lord Jesus Christ.For the individual believer this involves separating from any worldly passion or practice that dishonors or casts doubt upon their love for Christ. For the local church it involves separating from all those who have deviated from the Word of God, who no longer walk in like faith and practice and from those who knowingly are content to do so.
(2 Tim. 4:1-3; 2 Pet. 2:1-3; 1 John 4:1; Ps. 1:1; Romans 6:17, 16:17; 2 Corinthians 6:17; Titus 1:13; Gal. 2:11-21; 2 Thes. 3:6-12; Ephesians 5:11)
End Times
We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ could return at any time to rapture his people to Heaven, where all true believers will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ and enjoy the marriage Supper of the Lamb.Upon the Earth, the Rapture will begin God’s prophetic time clock of events i.e. the unveiling of the anti-Christ; seven years of Tribulation; the return of Jesus Christ to the earth; the Battle of Armageddon; judgement of the nations; the captivity of Satan; the Millennial reign of Christ upon the Earth; a short release of Satan; a final conflict with God and the Great While Throne Judgement.We believe in the bodily resurrection of all mankind. The saved will be raised to receive a glorified body and eternal rejoicing in Heaven with Christ. Those who have never trusted Christ as Savior will be raised to eternal punishment in Hell. We believe in a literal heaven and a literal hell.
(John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:51–52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Daniel 9:24-27; Matthew 24:21; Revelation 4:1-2, 19:11-16, 20:11-15)