DOCTRINE OF THE BIBLE---We believe in the Bible as the verbally (every word) and plenary (completely) inspired Word of God as contained in the original manuscripts: that all portions of Scripture are equally inspired and contain no contradiction; that the Scriptures are to be the only rule of Faith and practice for the believer in Jesus Christ; and that the Canon, the sixty-six books of the Bible, is complete. Nothing shall be added to it nor taken from it.
2 Timothy 3:16-17, Hebrews 4:12, 2 Peter 1:20-21,Revelation 22:18-19
DOCTRINE OF THE GODHEAD---We believe in one Sovereign Triune God, eternally existing in three persons -- Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, having the same attributes and perfection: omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient. (Ps. 139) However, each person executes a distinct, harmonious office in the great work of redemption.
Gen. 1:26, Deut. 6:4,Matt. 28:19, John 1:1, John 10:30, 2 Cor. 13:14
DOCTRINE 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, lived a sinless life, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men.
John 1:1-2, 14, Luke 1:35, I Peter 2:22, Acts 4:12
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.
Rom. 3:24-25, I Pet 2:24, Eph. 1:7, I Pet. 1:3-5, I Cor. 15
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of the Father, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate, and that His return for the church is imminent.
Acts 1:9-11, Heb. 9:24, Rom. 8:34, I Jn. 1:1-2, Rev. 22:20
DOCTRINE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT---We believe that 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 at the point of salvation, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. John 16:8-11, Rom. 8:9, I Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14
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.
Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; I John 2:20,27
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.
Rom. 12:3-8; I Cor. 12:4-11,28; Eph. 4:7-12
We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were used to bring authenticity to the Word of God and the early church. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or mandatory sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit, but is a gift of the Spirit. The ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death is accomplished in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing. God has the power to do as He chooses and is not limited by man, time, or space.
I Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22; Acts 2:1-13
DOCTRINE OF MAN---We believe that man was created in the image of God, but that in Adam's sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and the consequences of not only a physical death, but also spiritual death which is conscious and eternal separation from God, and that man is totally depraved, and of himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition.
Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:10-23; Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3,12, Rev. 21:8
DOCTRINE OF SALVATION---
From Sin's Penalty---We believe that salvation is a gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ whose precious blood was shed on the cross for the forgiveness of our sins. We cannot make up for our sins or be forgiven by our own good works. 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; John 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1,38-39; I Cor. 1:4-8
From Sin's power--(the two natures)---We believe that every saved person possesses two natures, with provision made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit; and that all claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural. A true believer will continue to persevere and be perfected until glory. (SANCTIFICATION)
Rom 6:13; Rom. 8:12-13; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:1-11
From Sin's Presence---We believe that the scope of our salvation includes forgiveness of all our sins past, present, and future; a perfect standing before God as in Jesus Christ; and the changing of our earthly body to be conformed like unto the body of our Lord at His return for His own. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved unto eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment.
Matt. 25:46; John 5:28-29; John 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6;12-13
We believe that the spirits 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, Rev. 20:4-6; Phil 1:23; 3:21; I Thess. 4:16-17
We believe that the spirits of the unregenerate remain, after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection when with soul and body reunited; they shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment.
Luke 16:19-26; Matt. 25:41-46; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:4-6
DOCTRINE OF THE CHURCH---
The Church in Heaven---We believe that this consists of all born-again believers from the cross until the present who have died physically and are now present in spirit with the Lord awaiting the resurrection of their bodies in the rapture, at which time they will be re-united with the church on earth.
Acts 7:59; 2 Cor. 5:7-9; 1 Thess. 4:13-18
The Church on Earth---
UNIVERSAL--We believe that the church, which is the body of the espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons.
Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27; I Cor. 12:12-14; I Cor. 10:4; John 17:20
LOCAL--We believe that the local church is:
· composed of a local group of believers who are autonomous, self-governing, and have no ecclesiastical organization in authority over it;
Titus 1:5, Eph. 5:23; Acts 20:17-36
· composed of believers who are baptized by immersion;
Matt. 28:18-20
· composed of believers who are organized. They have for their officers, pastors, deacons, and such other leaders as God has given special gifts to render as a ministry to the church;
· composed of believers who meet regularly for fellowship, worship, and Bible study;
Acts 2:1,41,47
· composed of believers who observe the ordinances of Baptism and Lord's supper;
I Cor. 11:23-26; 12:13
· composed of believers who carry out the Great Commission;
I Cor. 16:8-9, Matt. 28:18-20
DOCTRINE OF SATAN AND FALLEN ANGELS---We believe that Satan is a fallen angel, the author of sin and the cause of the fall of man. He was created perfect but sinned and became the arch enemy of God and His creation. He is the chief adversary of God's children. He seeks to keep man from the Lord, and when he cannot succeed in this, he seeks to weaken the testimony of Christians. He has at his command a great host of fallen angels and demons to carry out his purposes. He is not omnipotent and can be overcome by the power of God. His doom is sealed in the Lake of Fire forever and ever.
Job 1:6-7;Matt.4:2-11; Ez.28:12-19;Isaiah 14:12-20; Rev.12:10;20:10
DOCTRINE OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST---We believe in that "Blessed Hope", the personal, imminent, pre-tribulational and pre-millennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones; and in His subsequent return to earth, with His saints, to establish His Millennial Kingdom.
I Thess. 4:13-18; Zech. 14:4-11; Rev. 19:11-16; 20:1-6
DOCTRINE OF SANCTIFICATION OR SEPARATION (Purity and Godliness)
We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring a reproach upon their Savior and Lord, and that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and association is commanded by God.
2 Tim. 3:1-5; 2 John 8-11; I John 2:15-17; 2 Cor. 6:14; 2 Cor. 7:1
DOCTRINE OF CREATION---We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories or origin.
Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11
DOCTRINE OF CHRISTIAN PRACTICE---We believe in Christians living a Holy life, separated from the world and maintaining a testimony consistent with the New Testament.
CIVIL GOVERNMENT---We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home; 2) the church; and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the 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. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God.
Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; I Pet. 2:13-14
HUMAN SEXUALITY---We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God's gift of sex.
Gen. 2:24;Gen.19:5,13;Gen. 26:8-9;Lev.18:1-30;Rom.1:26-29;I Cor.5:1;6:9; I Thess.4:1-8; Heb. 13:4.
DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE---We believe that God hates divorce, but loves the divorcee, and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication. Although divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian Service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon.
Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom 7:1-3; I Tim. 3:2,12; Titus 1:6
ABORTION---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 human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable.
Job 3:16; Psalms 51:5;139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1,5; Jer. 1:5;20:15-18; Luke 1:44
LAWSUITS BETWEEN BELIEVERS---We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian's insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander.
I Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32
GIVING---We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God's wealth entrusted to him, is obligated by God's Word to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made.
Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; I Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; I Tim. 5:17-18; I John 3:17
POSITION ON ISSUES
We believe that it is important to identify ourselves as being: fundamental, dispensational, pretribulation, premillennial, evangelistic, separated, and independent.
We believe that it is important to identify ourselves as not being: liberal, neo-orthodox, neo-evangelical, charismatic, hyper-calvanistic, or covenantal in theology.
Understanding the perilous times we live in, while we believe in God's forgiveness, we, nevertheless, believe that it is important to state that we stand against: all forms of moral impurity and perversions; the occult; and alcohol, tobacco, and illicit drug use and abuse of any drugs.
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