Statement of Faith

The Holy Scriptures

We believe the Holy Scriptures, consisting of the Old and New Testaments only, to be the plenarily, verbally inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original manuscripts, authoritative, infallible and God breathed; and that they are the only supreme and ultimate authority for faith and practice (II Tim. 3:16- 17; II Peter 1:20-21; Matt. 5:18; I Cor. 2:10-13).

The Godhead

We believe in one triune God, existing in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, eternal in being, identical in essence, equal in power and glory, and having the same divine attributes and perfections; yet exercising them in varied offices (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; John 14:7-12; John 16:7, II Cor. 13:14).

The Person and Work of Jesus Christ.

1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man (Matt. 1:18-20; John 1:1,2,14,16; Luke 1:35). 2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, as a substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who receive Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood (Rom. 3:24-26; 4:25; I Cor. 15:3-4; II Cor. 5:21). 3. We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord Jesus Christ and that our redemption and salvation is guaranteed to us by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead; in His bodily ascension into heaven; and in His present life there for us as High Priest and Intercessor (Matt. 28:5,6; I Cor. 15:12-19; Acts 1:9; Heb. 4:14-16; 7:23-25; 9:24; I John 2:1,2). 4. We believe in "that blessed hope" which is the personal, visible, pretribulation, premillennial imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (I Cor. 15:51-53; I Thess. 4:14-17; Tit. 2:13; I John 3:2-3).

The Second Coming of Christ

We believe in the personal, pretribulational, imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His own, the church, and His subsequent personal, premillennial return visibly to the earth to establish His kingdom and to reign for a millennium over the entire earth from the throne of David (II Sam. 7:12-16; Zech. 14:4-11; Luke 1:30-33; Acts 15:14-18; I Thess. 4:13-18; I Cor. 15:51-52; Rev. 19:11-16; 20:6).

The Personality of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, equal with the Father and sin, righteousness and judgment; bears witness to the truth; is the agent of the new birth; and that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses to, sanctifies, and helps the believer; that He baptizes them into the Body of Christ, indwells them permanently, seals them unto the day of redemption, bestows spiritual gifts upon each one, and fills for service those yielded to Him. We believe that certain of the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit to the Church, such as apostleship, prophecy, and tongues, were temporary, were needed only in the infancy of the church and are not to be expected today. We believe that the Holy Spirit testifies concerning Jesus Christ and never leads any person, at any time, contrary to the teaching of the Bible (John 3:8; 14:16; 15:26-27; 16:7-15; Acts 5:1-4; I Cor. 12:4-13; 13:8-11; Eph. 4:30; 5:18).

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 and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is separation from God; and that all mankind have inherited a sinful nature, become willful sinners with the first expression of personal choice, are totally unable to regain their former position, and are without excuse before God (Gen. 1:26; 3:1-24; Rom 3:23; 5:12; 1:20; Eph. 2:1 -6,12).

Salvation, Regeneration, Eternal Security of the Believer

1. We believe that salvation is a gift of God brought to men by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of sins. Salvation is solely through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ who shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins and, being a free gift, is not earned by any good works whatsoever. All those who receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are regenerated and become sons of God (Eph. 1:7; 2:8-9; John 1:12; 3:5-7). 2. We believe that the scriptures teach that regeneration, or the new birth, is that change in the soul by the Holy Spirit by which a new nature and spiritual life, not before possessed, are imparted and the person becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus; and without it, salvation is impossible (John 3:2-6; II Cor. 5:17; I Pet. 1:23; Titus 3:5). 3. We believe that the salvation of every believer is secure for all eternity from the moment of regeneration. This security is guaranteed to each believer by the fact that the life received is eternal life, by the keeping power of God, by the sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit, and by the interceding ministry of Christ (John 5:24; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1,29,30,38,39; Eph. 4:30; Heb. 7:25).

Sanctification

1. We believe that immediate, positional sanctification is that act of God whereby believers are, at the time of regeneration, eternally set apart as belonging to Him by redemption, thereby being placed in the family of God as children, joint heirs with Jesus Christ (I John 3:1; Rom. 8:14 -17; I Cor. 1:2; Heb. 10:10 -14). 2. We believe that progressive sanctification is the process which, according to God's will, we are made partakers of His holiness; that it is progressive; that it is begun in regeneration; that it progresses if the believer is yielded to the Holy Spirit's control; that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, self-examination, watchfulness and prayer (I Thess. 4:3; 5:23; Prov. 4:18; I John 2:29; Phil. 2:12 - 13; Eph 6:18; John 17:17). 3. We believe that ultimate sanctification will be the portion of every believer when finally in the presence of the Lord, complete and entire, with soul and spirit united in the resurrected body free from every trace or effect of sin and rebellion (I John 3:2; I Cor. 15:52 -54; Eph. 4:30; 5:27; Phil. 3:20 -21).

Separation

We believe in the Biblical doctrine of separation which encompasses three things: (1) the separation of the local church from all affiliation and fellowship with those who deny the verities of the "faith once delivered to the saints;" (2) the separation of the individual believer from all worldly practices that may dishonor the Savior; and (3) the separation of church and state (II Tim. 3:1 -5; Rom. 12:1,2; 14:13; I John 2:15 -17; II John 9 -11; II Cor. 6:11 -7:1).

The Eternal State

We believe that the souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation do at death immediately pass into His presence and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body at His coming when soul and body reunited shall be associated with Him forever in glory; but, that the souls of unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery unto the final judgment of the Great White Throne at the close of the millennium, when soul and body are reunited shall be cast into the lake of fire not to be annihilated, but to be punished with everlasting separation from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power (Luke 16:19 -26; 23:43; II Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; II Thess. 1:7 -9; Rev. 20:11 -15; Rev. 14:9 -14; I Thess. 4:13 -18).