1. The Scriptures
We believe the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are the Word of God, fully inspired, infallible, inerrant, and that they have supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. We believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of Scripture: that God “breathed” every word of the Bible. We reject the notion that the Bible becomes the word of God when it becomes meaningful to us. We believe that obedience to the commands of Scripture proves our love for the Lord Jesus Christ. II Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12; John 15. God’s Word is quick and powerful (Hebrews 4:12). They are not idle words, they are our life (Deuteronomy 32;47).
2. The Trinity
We believe that there is One living and true God, eternally existing in three persons. These are equal in every divine perfection, and they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence, and redemption. II Corinthians 13:14; Matthew 28:19; While the term “Trinity” is not found in Scripture, the concept is found implicitly.
3. God the Father
We believe in God, the Father, and infinite, personal Spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of each person, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He forgives and saves from sin and death all who come to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. Isaiah 45:5; John 3:16
4. Jesus Christ
We believe in Jesus Christ, God the Father’s beloved and only begotten Son, the One in Whom He is well-pleased. Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life,miracles, and teachings. We believe in His atoning death, substituting Himself for us. We believe in His bodily resurrection, ascension into Heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and visible return to earth. Colossians 2:9; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4.
5. The Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit also came to regenerate, indwell, baptize, control, seal, sanctify, and empower all who believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit resides in every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding Helper, Teacher, Counselor, and Guide. We further believe that the Holy Spirit intercedes for Christians, and that due to our sin He can be grieved and quenched. Like the Father and the Son, the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, not a mere force. Literally, the Holy Spirit “comes alongside to help” us! Acts 2:38; Romans 8:9-11; John 16: 7-15; The Scriptures teach that the Holy Spirit is given to those who ask and to those who obey (Luke 11:13; Acts 5:32).
6. Regeneration
We believe that all people are sinners by nature and by choice and are, therefore, under condemnation. We believe that those who repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 2:1-9; II Corinthians 5:17
7. The Church
We believe in the church, the bride of Christ, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the Head and of which all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith in Jesus Christ, and associated for worship, work, and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members of the local church the primary task of bringing glory to Himself by making disciples, proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ to a lost world. We also glorify God by using the spiritual gifts that the Holy Spirit has entrusted to each believer. Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 12:4-5; Ephesians 2: 19-22; 1 Corinthians 12
8. Christian Conduct
We believe that Christians must live for the glory of God and for the well-being of others, loving God and neighbor. We believe that our conduct should be blameless before the world. We understand that our conduct may cause God’s Name to be either glorified or blasphemed, that none of our good works can save us but are evidence of our salvation, and that we must live in such a way that we do not make other Christians stumble, Matthew 22:34-40; Matthew 5:16; Romans 2:24; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Corinthians 8:1-13
9. The Ordinances
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer in the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This baptism by immersion is a sign of the cleansing of the converted person, as well as their passing through the waters of judgment safely. It is also a sign of their death, burial, and resurrection to new life, and their identification with Jesus Christ.We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ for the remembrance and proclamation of His death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Mark 16:16; Romans 6:3-4; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28 (John Bunyan mentions a third ordinance: “the preaching of the Word, which is God’s ordinance to beget faith.”)
10. The Last Things
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christis coming again in a visible way! Everyone who has ever lived will be resurrected bodily from the grave unto final judgment. For followers of Jesus, this is a resurrection to life and glory. For unbelievers, this is a resurrection to death and hell. Jesus will return like a thief in the night, unexpectedly, with power and great glory. We believe in a literal heaven and hell. We must follow Jesus obediently before we die, having been saved by grace through faith, so that after we die we may live with the Lord forever. Matthew 24:15-28; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 1:7