DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

SECTION 1. THE SCRIPTURES
We believe in the verbal plenary inspiration of the sixty-six books of the Old and the New Testament. They are inerrant and infallible, and are the supreme and final authority in all matters of faith and practice. (II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21)SECTION 2. GOD
We believe that there is one God who is an infinite and intelligent Spirit who is Maker and Ruler of the universe; who is eternally existing in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; these three are one, having the same nature, attributes, and perfections and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. (Matthew 3:16,17; Matthew 28:19; I Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 1:3-14)

SECTION 3. JESUS CHRIST
We believe that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God; He is true God and true Man; that He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and that He was born of the virgin Mary. (Matthew 1:18-23; John 1:1, 14, 18) That Jesus lived a sinless life, died for the sins of the whole world, rose bodily from the grave, and ascended to heaven, where He now sits on the right hand of the Father, ever living to make intercession for us. (Luke 24:39-39; Hebrews 1:3; 4:14-15; 7:25-26; I Timothy 2:5.)

SECTION 4. THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that n His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; that He bears witness to the truth of the gospel in preaching and is the agent in the new birth. He seals, endues, guides, teaches, sanctifies and helps the believer. The gifts of tongues and healing were “sign-gifts” until the scriptures were completed. The gifts ceased at that time. (Matthew 28:19; John 14:16,17; 14:26; 16:8-11; Ephesians 1:13,14; Romans 8:14,16,26,27; I Corinthians 13:8)

SECTION 5. MAN
We believe the scriptures teach that man was created by a direct act of God. That he fell from his state of innocence by voluntarily transgressing the revealed will of God by which he brought “sin” and “death” into the world. As a consequence of his sin all men are now sinners by nature and by choice, are utterly devoid of the holiness required by God’s standard, are positively inclined to evil, and are therefore without defense or excuse under just condemnation to eternal punishment and to an everlasting existence separated from God. (Genesis 1:26-27; Jeremiah 17:9 Romans 3:10-12,23; 5:12-19; Revelation 20:11-15)

SECTION 6. SALVATION
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures as a substitutionary sacrifice and all who repent of their sins and personally accept Him by obedient faith are justified and declared righteous on the basis of His shed blood. We believe the salvation of sinners is totally of grace by faith and not in consideration of any works that we may have done. All who receive Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God and recipients of everlasting life. (Romans 3: 24-25; John 1:12-13; 3:5-18; Ephesians 2:8-10; I Peter 1:18-21)

SECTION 7. THE SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER
We believe that all those whom God has accepted in the Beloved, and sanctified by His Spirit will be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation and shall never totally nor finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. (John 3:36; 5:24: 10:27-29; Romans 8:1, 29-39)

SECTION 8. THE CHURCH
We believe the Scriptures teach the Church of Jesus Christ was inaugurated at Pentecost and must be considered in two aspects. The local church and the church which is His body. The local church is a congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His word. It’s scriptural officers are pastors or ministers, and deacons, whose qualifications are defined in the Epistles of Timothy and Titus.
The church which is His body is the entire company of believers in Christ in this age, whether Jew or Gentile, regardless of denominational affiliation and present position in heaven or on earth. (Matthew 16:13-19; 28:19,20 Acts 1:5; 2:1-4, 41,42; 10:44-48; I Corinthians 12:12,13; Ephesians 1:22,23; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9)

SECTION 9. 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, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit to show forth our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life. It is a prerequisite to membership in a local church. We believe the Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of our Lord’s death to be observed until He returns and should be observed with solemn self-examination. Observance of the Lord’s Supper is for believers only. These ordinances do not have any saving merit. (Acts 2:41-47; 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians 11:23-28)

SECTION 10. SATAN
We believe the scriptures teach that there is a personal devil who is the god of this world and the prince of the power of the air. He seeks continuously to frustrate the purposes of God and to ensnare and damn the souls of men. He was conquered by Christ on the cross and is condemned to everlasting punishment. (John 16:11; II Corinthians 4:3,4; Ephesians 2:2; 6:10-12; Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14; I Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:9; 20:1-3, 10)

SECTION 11. HELL
We believe that the souls of the lost remain after death in conscious misery until the final judgment of the great white throne when the soul and body will be reunited in resurrection to be arraigned before God in judgment and then case into the lake of fire, to be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord. (Matthew 10:28; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 19:20; 20:10)

SECTION 12. HEAVEN
We believe in a literal place called heaven where God’s immediate presence is manifested, where the holy angels are, and where the redeemed shall ultimately be, from whence Christ descended and ascended again, where He maketh intercession for the saints, and from whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead. (John 5:28,29; 14:2,3; Philippians 1:23; Revelation 21 and 22)

SECTION 13. THE RETURN OF CHRIST
We believe Christ will come again personally and bodily to receive the church unto Himself in the air in the rapture. We believe His return is imminent and will precede the tribulation (Daniel’s seventieth week). We believe the literal, personal, and bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ to set up His kingdom on earth will take place at the end of the tribulation. Therefore, the rapture is pre-tribulational and pre-millennial. (Daniel 9:25-27; Matthew 24:29-31; I Thessalonians 4:16,17; II Thessalonians 2:6-8; Revelation 20:1-4,6)

SECTION 14. PERSONAL SEPERATION
We believe the scriptures teach that a believer is called to a life of separation to the Lord and His service; and from all worldly and sinful practices. (I Corinthians 5:17; I Thessalonians 1:9-10; II Corinthians 6:17-18; 7:1; I John 2:15-16; Romans 12:1-2)

SECTION 15. WORLD EVANGELIZATION
We believe the Risen Lord has commissioned His Church to proclaim the gospel to all men everywhere. The New Testament mandate requires the churches to evangelize the lost, edify the believers, and to establish local churches which will be able to reproduce themselves resulting in the advancement of the gospel to the ends of the earth. (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-49; John 20:21; Acts 1:8)