Our Statement Of Faith

Our Statement Of Faith

 

We believe…

We believe that the Bible is the Word of God, verbally inspired by God the Holy Spirit,¹ inerrant in the original writings,² the supreme and final authority in faith and practice.³

We believe in one living, sovereign and true God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, coequal in power and glory, having the same attributes and perfections.⁴

We believe that the eternal purpose of God includes all events;⁵ therefore, a Christian should look at all of life from God's perspective, and not treat part of his life as sacred and part as secular. The eternal purpose of God is also Holy and wise and does not deprive man of freedom⁶ nor make God the author of sin.⁷ Yet, before the world began, God the Father chose in Christ a great multitude of individual sinners, whom He gave to His Son, to be Holy and without blame before Him. This choice was made according to the good pleasure of God's will, and in no way depends on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy. This saving purpose of God for those chosen will certainly be accomplished.⁸

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary sexes together reflect the image and nature of God.⁹

We believe God created marriage to be between one man and one woman in a one-flesh union, uniquely reflecting Christ’s relationship with His church.¹⁰

We believe that all men are sinners¹¹ because Adam and Eve, their first parents, were tempted by Satan, disobeyed God's command, and by their own choice fell from their original state of innocence and fellowship with God, and came under the power and penalty of sin.¹² Therefore, all men fell in Adam, being sinners by imputation, nature and choice¹³ and are presently and eternally dead in their sins,¹⁴ separated from God15 and under His condemnation¹⁶ and apart from God's grace cannot come into a personal relationship with Christ.¹⁷

We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit,¹⁸ was born of the Virgin Mary,¹⁹ lived entirely without sin,²⁰ died as a sinner's substitute, satisfying divine justice,²¹ purchasing²² and reconciling²³ a people to God, making perfect atonement for sin,²⁴ was raised bodily from the dead,²⁵ ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven,²⁶ where He is the believer’s High Priest and advocate.²⁷

We believe that the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, is active in the application of the redemption purchased by Christ. He convicts of sin,²⁸ regenerates,²⁹ enables men to obey with repentance the call of the gospel,³⁰ and as the One who continually indwells every believer, is the author of holiness, power, comfort, and all Christian experience.³¹

We believe that all who are born again by the Holy Spirit through the word³² receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior, are justified on the grounds of His shed blood,³³ thereby becoming children of God,³⁴ and are indwelt and sealed by the Spirit until the day of redemption.³⁵ Believers are thus eternally united to Christ by the Spirit³⁶ and are eternally secure in Christ,³⁷ and together form the True Church, the Body and Bride of Christ.³⁸ Anyone who has trusted Christ as personal Lord and Savior will produce spiritual fruit as described by the Word of God.³⁹

We believe in the one universal church of which Christ is the Head.⁴⁰ The universal church consists of all true believers in Christ. The local church is composed of professing Christians who have gathered together in a local assembly to do the will and the work of Christ. It is the duty of all believers to profess their faith openly by uniting with a Biblical local church. The primary mission of the church is spiritual, and its work is twofold: to establish within the church members a firm foundation of Biblical doctrine and knowledge: and to witness to the truth of God to the ends of the earth, preaching the gospel to all men.⁴¹

We believe in the personal, bodily and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ⁴² to judge the world,⁴³ the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust,⁴⁴ the everlasting punishment of the Lost in hell,⁴⁵ and the everlasting bliss of the saints in heaven.⁴⁶

 

Scriptural References:

1. II Samuel 23:2; II Peter 1:21
2. Matthew 5:18; Luke 24:44
3. II Timothy 3:16; John 12:48
4. II Corinthians 13:14; John 10:30; Galatians 4:6.
5. Ephesians 1:11; Daniel 4:35; Psalm 115:3; Acts 15:18; Proverbs 16:4; II Timothy 1:9.
6. Luke 22:22; Acts 2:23; 4:27, 28; John 1:12,13; Philippians 2:12, 13
7. James 1:13
8. Ephesians 1:4,5; II Thessalonians 2:13; John 6:27; 17:2; Hebrew 7:25, Romans 8:29; 9:16; Philippians 2:13
9. Genesis 1:26-27
10. Genesis 2:18-24; Ephesians 5:22-28
11. Romans 3:12, 23
12. Genesis 2:17; 3:6-8
13. Romans 5:12-19; Psalm 51:3; Romans 3:23
14. Ephesians 2:1
15. Romans 9:16
16. John 3:18, 36
17. John 6:44
18. Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:35
19. Isaiah 7:14; Luke 2:7
20. Hebrews 4:15, 7:26
21. I John 2:2
22. Ephesians 1:7
23. Romans 5:10
24. I Corinthians 15:3
25. Luke 24:6, 39; I Corinthians 15:1-4
26. Acts 1:9, 7:55,56.
27. Hebrews 9:24; 7:25; I John 2:1.
28. John 16:8-11
29. John 3:5,6
30. I Thessalonians 1:5, 9
31. I Corinthians 3:16; 6:19, 20: Ephesians 5:18
32. John 3:3-7; I Peter 1:23
33. Romans 3:24. 25; 5:9
34. John 1:12,13; Galatians 3:26
35. Galatians 4:6: Ephesians 1 :13, 14
36. I Corinthians 12:12, 13
37. John 10:27-29
38. Ephesians. 1:22,23; 5:25-32; Rev 19:7-9.
39. Galatians 5:22; Matthew. 6.13-23; Romans 7:4; Ephesians 2:10.
40. Matthew 16:8; Ephesians 1:22, 23: Colossians 1:18
41. Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48
42. Acts 1:11; I John 3:2
43. Matthew 24:29, 30; 25:31-46
44. John 5:28, 29
45. Luke 16:23-26; Revelation 20:11-15
46. Matthew 25:46; I Thessalonians 4:16, 17