DOCTRINAL ESSENTIALS OF THE FAITH
THE HOLY SCRIPTURE
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible, and God-breathed(2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21, Matthew 5:18).
THE GODHEAD
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit– co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4, 2 Corinthians 13:14).
THE PERSONAND WORK OF 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 man (John1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead(Romans 3:24-25,1 Peter 2:24, Ephesians 1:7, 1 Peter 1:3-5). 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 ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10, Hebrews 7:25, 9:24; Romans 8:34, 1 John 2:1-2).
THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that God alone, through the ministry of the Holy Spirit, determines which spiritual gift(s) each individual receives. We believe that each individual believer receives at least one spiritual gift, and possibly more, but that no individual possesses all of the gifts. There is no one gift that is superior to any other gift. Each gift is necessary for the functioning of the Body of Christ, and each individual believer has a responsibility to use their spiritual gift(s) to edify and buildup the rest of the Body of Christ, in service to and for the glory of the Lord.(Romans 12:3-13; I Corinthians 12:4-31; Ephesians 4:11-16.)
THE TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MAN
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. We further-more believe that man is totally depraved, and of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Genesis 1:26-27, Romans 3:22-23, 5:12; Ephesians2:1-3, 12).
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 sins (Ephesians 2:8-10, John 1:12, 1 Peter1:18-19).
THE 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 (John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8, 1 Peter1:5). We believe that it is the privilege 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 (Romans 13:13-14, Galatians5:13, Titus 2:11-15).
THE TWO “MEN” WITHIN THE BELIEVER
We believe that every saved person possesses both the “old man” and the “new man” with provision made for victory of the “new man” over the “old man” through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and that all claims to the “eradication” of the “old man” in this life are unscriptural (Romans 6:13, 8:12-13; Galatians 5:16-25, Ephesians4:22-24, Colossians 3:10, 1 Peter 1:14-16,1 John 5-9).
MISSIONS
We believe that it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and by work to the truths of the Holy Scriptures and to seek to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind (Mark 16:15, Acts 1:8, 2Corinthians 5:19-20).
THE CHURCH
We believe that the Church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual body made up of all born-again persons of this present age (Ephesians 1:22-23,5:25-27; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, 2 Corinthians 11:2). We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27, 20:17, 28:32; 1 Timothy3:1-13, Titus 1:5-11). We believe in the autonomy of the local church, free of any external authority or control (Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28; Romans 16:1,4; 1 Corinthian 3:9, 16, 5:4-7, 13; 1 Peter 5:1-4). Moreover, we do not believe that water baptism is necessary for one’s salvific justification before God (salvation is by faith not works, Eph 2:8-9), but that it is to be encouraged as a means of sanctification among believers so that we might be publicly identified with our Lord in His death, burial, and resurrection(Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:41-42, 8:37-38, 18:8, Romans 6:3-4, Colossians 2:12).
THE PERSONALITY OF SATAN
We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the fall, that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man, and that he shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire (Job 1:6-7, Isaiah 14:12-17, Matthew 4:2-11, 25:41,Revelation 20:10).
THE SECOND ADVENT OF CHRIST
We believe in the personal, imminent (pre-tribulation), and pre-millennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones (Zechariah 14:4-11,Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-18,5:1-9, Revelation 3:10, 19:11-19, 20:1-15).
THE ETERNAL STATE
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46, John 5:28-29,11:25-27; Revelation 20:5-6, 12-13). 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 (Luke 23:43, Revelation20:4-6, 2 Corinthians 5:8, Philemon 1:23,3:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery 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(Luke 16:19-28,Mark 9:43-48, Revelation 20:11-15).
ORDINANCES
We recognize the ordinances of water baptism and the Lord’s Supper as Scriptural means of testimony for the church in this age (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 2:41-42, 18:8;1 Corinthians 11:23-26).
GENDER, MARRIAGE, & SEXUALITY
We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God (Gen 1:26- 27). Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person. We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture (Gen 2:18-25) to ultimately exemplify the relationship between Jesus and the Church (Eph 5:22-33).We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a biological man and a biological woman who are married to each other (1 Cor 6:18, 7:2-5; Heb 13:4), and that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of this biblical marriage context. God’s design for sex, therefore, is to take two complementary genders, “suitable” (facing) and “joined” (clinging) (Gen 2:18,24) to one another, to accentuate the image of God within this consummate action, for His glory. God’s purposes for marital intimacy are threefold: procreation (Gen 1:28; Ps 127:4-5), protection (Prov 5:3-9; 1 Cor7:1-6), and pleasure (Prov 5:19; Song 1:2, 5:10-13). God has ordained the act of sexual intimacy in marriage to multiply image bearers for His glory, to protect from personal defilement, and to satisfy the place of deep longing at the holistic level. Finally, the characteristics of passionate celebration, covenant fidelity, and personal sacrifice (Eph 5:22-33) are clearly seen in God’s design for marriage and sexual intimacy. We believe that any form of sexual immorality(including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pedophilia and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God (Lev18:22; Matt 15:18-20; 1 Cor 6:9-10).We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity as a local Body of Christ, and to provide an example to the community, it is imperative that all believers abide by these Biblical principles (Matt 5:16; Phil 2:14-16; 1 Thess. 5:22) to be pleasing to the Lord. It is also important to note that we believe God offers immediate redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ (Acts3:19-21; Rom 10:9-10; 1 Cor 6:9-11).Last, we believe that every person must be afforded compassion, love, kindness, respect, and dignity (Mk 12:28-31; Lk6:31) due to their inherent worth (Gen 1:26-27). Hateful and harassing behavior or attitudes directed toward an individual are to be repudiated and are not in accord with Scripture (Matt 22:39; Mk 12:31), as it is the “kindness of God” which leads to a heart and lifestyle change of people created in His image (Rom 2:4).
THE SANCTITY OF HUMAN LIFE
We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect and value all human life (Psalm139:1-24).
