Statement of Faith
Statement Of Faith
The Bible– Consisting of both the Old and New Testaments were written by inspired men of God and this book is the recorded word of God, from God to Man. With God as the author it is without any error, it is infallible and inerrant in its original manuscript which is to be taken as verbally inspired. The Bible is perfectly preserved in the text known as the Textus Receptus Received from which the King James Bible was translated. It reveals the principles by which God judges us, is and will remain the supreme standard by which all human conduct and opinions should be tried. II Timothy 3.16.
The Godhead- We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons, the Father, son and Holy Spirit. Each being co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature and co-equal in power and glory, each having the same attributes and perfections. Deut. 6.4, Matt. 28.19, 2 Cor. 13.14, John 14.10,26.
The Person and Work of Jesus Christ- We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through his death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substutionary sacrifice, and that our justification is made sure by his literal, physical resurrection from the dead. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where as our High priest, he fulfills the minister of representative, intercessor and advocate.Isa. 7.14, 9.6, Acts 2.18-26, Acts 1.9-10
The Person and Word of the Holy Spirit- We believe the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that he is the Supernatural agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. We believe that he is the divine teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit. We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry. We believe the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer prayers of believers for physical healing. John 16.8-11, Eph. 1.17-18,Romans 12.3-8; 1st Cor. 1.22.
The Total Depravity of Man- We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but in that Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Man is totally depraved and of himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. Gen 1.26-27, Romans 3.22-23.
Salvation-We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. We believe that all sins, except blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, are forgivable. John 1.12, Eph. 1.7;2.8-19, 1 John 1.9
Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers- We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. We believe that it is the priveldge of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s word, which however, clearly, forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. John 6.37-40, 10:27-30, Romans 13.13-14.
The Church- We believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born again persons. We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control. We recognize water baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age. 1 Cor. 12.12-14, Acts 13.1-4, Acts 14.27, Matt 28.19-20.
Separation- We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord. God commands his people to separate from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, associations and to refrain from all immodest and immoderate appearances , piercings and markings. Romans 12.1-2; 14.13; 2 Cor. 6.14-17;Lev. 19.28
The Second Advent-We believe in that blessed hope, the personal, imminent, return of Jesus Christ, who will one day rapture his church prior to the seven year tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with his saints to establish his earthly kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel. Ps. 89.3-4; Dan. 2.31-45; Zech. 14.4-11; 1sst Thess. 4.13-18; Rev. 3.10; 19.11-16;20.1-6.
The Eternal State- We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life and the unsaved unto everlasting punishment. We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the LORD. We believe the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment. Matt. 25.46; Luke 23.43; Matt. 25.41-46
Satan- We believe Satan is a person, that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. Isa. 14.12-17; Matt. 4.2-11; Rev 20.10.
Creation- We believe that God created the universe in six literal 24 hour periods. We reject macro-evolution, the Gap theory, the Day-age theory and Theistic Evolution as being unscriptural theories in their orgins. Gen. 1-2; Exo. 20.11
Civil Government- We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: first being the home, second the church and thirdly the state. Every person is subject to all three authorities, but all authorities themselves are answerable to God and governed by His word. God has given each institution specific biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. Romans 13.1-7; Eph. 5.22-24; Heb .13.17
Human Sexuality-We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexuality activity is to be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one naturally born man and one naturally born woman. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. Gen. 2.24; 26.8-9; Lev. 18.1-30; Romans 1.26-29
Family Relationships- We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home and men are to be leaders of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for license and ordination by this local church. We believe that God has ordained the family as the functional institution of human society. the husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the spiritual leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are a heritage from the Lord, Parents are responsible for the teaching of their children the spiritual and moral values and leading them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including scriptural corporal correction. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids divorce and intends for marriage to last until one spouse dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication, we further believe that divorced persons may serve in various ministries of the local church except the office of pastor or deacon. We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn life, abortion is murder. Gal. 3.28, Col. 3.18, 1 Tim. 2.8-15; 3.4-5,12; Gen. 1.26-28; Ex. 20.12; Deut. 6.4-9; Prov. 19.18 ; Eph. 5.21-33. Mal. 2.14-17; Matt. 19.3-12;Titus 1.6; Job 3.16; Ps. 51.5; 139.14-16
Missions- We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe and ethnic group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Matt. 28.19-20; Mark 16.15