Our Beliefs
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” -Acts 2:42
We believe there is one true, holy, sovereign, loving God eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – each of Whom possesses equally all the attributes of deity and the characteristics of His personality.
In the beginning, God created the world out of nothing and all the things therein, thus manifesting the glory of His power, wisdom, and goodness. By His providence, He is operating throughout history to fulfill His redemptive purposes.
(Is. 45:8; Psalm 8; Matt. 28:19; 1 Pet. 1:2; Prov. 16:33; Matt. 10:29; Exod. 15:11; 1 Pet. 1:15-16; 1 John 4:8; Psalm 136:1)
We believe in the eternal existence of Jesus Christ and that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. We believe that Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, was born of the virgin Mary, and is fully God and fully man. Though Jesus was tempted in every way, He lived a sinless life. Jesus went to the cross to satisfy God’s wrath and be a substitutionary sacrifice for our sins.
We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ, His ascension into heaven, and His ministry of reconciliation for us as High Priest and Advocate. Jesus is seated at the right hand of God, but He shall come again to earth, personally and visibly, to fulfill the eternal plan of God and to judge the living and the dead.
(Hebrews 13:8; John 17:5; Isa 7:14; John 1:1-14; Phil. 2:6-11; Heb. 4:15; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 John 2:2; Rom. 3:24-25; Luke 24:50-52; 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Titus 2:13; Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 20:11-15)
We believe the Holy Spirit was given at Pentecost by the Father and the Son to dwell in the heart of man to impart to mankind the saving work of Christ. The Spirit convicts sinners, awakens them to recognize their need for a Savior, and regenerates them. At salvation, He permanently indwells every believer to become their source of assurance, strength, and wisdom. He uniquely endows each believer with gifts for the building of the body. He has been eternally active in the world and has indwelled the children of God since Pentecost.
The Holy Spirit guides believers in understanding and applying Scripture. As we submit ourselves to Him, the Holy Spirit makes it possible for the believer to lead a life of Christ-like character and bear fruit for the glory of the Father.
(John 16:8-11; Rom. 8:16-17; Gal. 5:16-26; 1 Cor. 12:7-11; Acts 2:1-4; Gen. 1:2; John 14:16-17; Phil. 1:6)
We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as the inspired Word of God which are without error in the original writings.
The Bible was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures are the supreme and final Authority in faith and life.
(2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:21; Psalm 119:105)
We believe that man was created in the image of God. Adam sinned and thereby we inherit not only physical death, but also spiritual death, from the first man, Adam. Due to the sinful nature that we have inherited, we are destined to incur God’s wrath and are in need of a savior, Jesus Christ. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as an appeasement for God’s wrath and as a substitutionary sacrifice. All who believe in Him are justified apart from works on the grounds of His death and resurrection.
We believe that everyone who receives Christ by grace through faith are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become eternally children of God. We believe that death seals the destiny of each person. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin in hell, or eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation in heaven.
(Gen. 1:27; Gen. 2:17; Gen. 3:6; Rom. 5:12; Rom. 3:23; Rom 3:18-19; Rom. 3:8; John 1:12; John 3:16; John 3:5-7 Rom. 8:4; (Rom. 4:24-25; I Cor. 15:3; 1 John 1:7; Acts 13:39; 2 Cor. 5: I Pet. 2:24; Rom. 4:5; Rom. 10:9-10; Gal. 3:26; Eph. 2:8; Rom. 8:15-16; Rom. 6:23; Rev. 20:15; Matt. 18:8; Rev. 21:1-4)
We believe that the Church is a living spiritual body, of which Christ is the Head, and all who have received Christ as Savior and Lord are members of the body. We believe that as the Church, our purpose in gathering together in corporate worship is to edify one another and to exalt and glorify God. We believe that members of the Church should earnestly seek and employ their spiritual gifts and to use them in the service of God and man.
We believe that the Church is appointed by Christ to be salt and light in the world, bringing the truth and influence of Christ in every place. The Church exists to fully teach the Bible, to encourage believers to know the heart of God, and to fulfill the Great Commission given by Christ.
(Eph. 4:11-16; Acts 2:42-47; Rom. 12:3-8; Matt. 5:13-14; 2 Cor. 2:14-15; Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Hosea 6:3)
Believer’s baptism is an act of obedience to Christ. Baptism does not save, but it is a sign and symbol of the new life a person experiences through faith in Christ.
We believe in baptism by immersion because immersion represents the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and our union with Him. This was modeled by Christ at His baptism and by His Apostles in obedience to the Great Commission, and is the consistent reference of the Apostles throughout the New Testament. Christian baptism must come after salvation.
(Matt. 3:13-17; Col. 2:11-12; Acts 2:38-39; Rom. 6:1-4; Acts 8:35-38)
We believe that communion is a proclamation of the death of Jesus until He returns.
Communion reminds Christians of Jesus’ brutal death for our sins, calls us to examine ourselves and put our own sin to death before partaking, reminds us of our unity with the church founded in Jesus alone, and is a foreshadowing of our future, glorious feast in heaven with Jesus.
(John 6:53-58; 1 Cor. 11:23-30; Luke 22:14-20)
We believe that the Gospel is the global work of God to reconcile all things to Himself through the life, death, resurrection, and future return of Jesus Christ.
We believe that the Gospel stands at the center of God’s redemptive plan. It is the very work of God for salvation from beginning to end.
(Rom. 1:16-17; 1 Cor. 15:1-11; Titus 3:3-8; 1 Cor. 2:2)