Beliefs

We believe that there is one true, holy, 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 personality. In the beginning God created out of nothing the world and all the things therein, thus manifesting the glory of His power, wisdom, and goodness. By His sovereign power He continues to sustain creation.  By His providence He is operating through history to fulfill His redemptive purposes.

(John 17:3; Colossians 1:15-16; Deuteronomy 32:4)

Jesus Christ is the eternal second Person of the Trinity who was united forever with a true human nature by a miraculous conception and virgin birth. He lived a life of perfect obedience to the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of all by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust Him alone. He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died. He ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the Father, where He, the only Mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own. He shall come again to earth, personally and visibly, to consummate history and  the eternal plan of God.

(John 1:1; 1:14; 1:18; John 14:8-9; I Timothy 3:16)

The essential accompaniment of a genuine saving relationship with Jesus Christ is a life of holiness and obedience, attained by believers as they submit to the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity. He was sent into the world by the Father and the Son to apply to mankind the saving work of Christ. He enlightens the minds of sinners, awakens in them a recognition of their need of a Savior and permanently indwells every believer to become the source of assurance, strength, and wisdom, and uniquely endows each believer with gifts for the up-building of the body. The Holy Spirit guides believers in understanding and applying Scripture. His power and control are appropriated by faith, making it possible for the believer to lead a life of Christ-like character and to bear fruit to the glory of the Father.

(John 16:12-15; Mark 13:11; John 14:26; Romans 5:5; I Corinthians 3:16)

The sole basis of our belief is the Bible (illuminated to believers who’ve responded with repentance and faith to the Gospel of Jesus Christ), composed of sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament. We believe that Scripture in its entirety originated with God, and that it was given through the instrumentality of chosen men. Scripture thus at one and the same time speaks with the authority of God and reflects the backgrounds, styles and vocabularies of the particular human authors. We hold that the Bible is an infallible guide for hearing God’s voice and learning obedience to the Gospel. The Scriptures are the unique, full and final authority on all matters of faith and practice, and there are no other writings equally inspired by God.

(Psalm 119:97-104, 160; Matthew 5:18; John 5:46-47; John 10:35; II Timothy 3:15-16; 1 Peter 4:17)

The central purpose of God’s revelation in Scripture is to call all people into fellowship with Himself and to know their need for it. Originally created to have fellowship with God, man defied God, choosing to go an independent way, and was thus alienated from and suffered the corruption of his nature, rendering him unable to please God or remain in fellowship with Him. The fall took place at the beginning of human history, and all individuals since have suffered those consequences and are thus in need of the saving grace of God. The salvation of mankind is, then, wholly a work of God’s free grace, not the result, in whole or in part of human works of righteousness, and must be personally appropriated by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. When God has begun a saving work in the heart of any person, He gives assurance in His Word that He will continue performing it until the day of its full consummation. Those who are truly redeemed will persevere and demonstrate the fruits of an authentic relationship with God.

(Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 8:37-39; II Corinthians 5:21; I Corinthians 12:13)

The corollary of union with Jesus Christ is that all believers become members of His body, the church. There is one true church universal, comprised of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The Scripture commands believers to gather together to devote themselves to worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, observance of baptism and communion as the ordinances established by Jesus Christ, fellowship, service to the body through the development and use of talents and gifts, and outreach to the world. Wherever God’s people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the church. Under the watch-care and authority of its Pastor and other supportive leadership, its members are to work together in love and unity, intent on the one ultimate purpose of glorifying Christ.

(Ephesians 5:23; Acts 2:42-46; I Corinthians 14:26; Matthew 28:18-20; Ephesians 4:16)

Death seals the eternal destiny of each person. For all mankind, there will be a resurrection of the body into the spiritual world, and a judgment that will determine the fate of each individual. Unbelievers will be separated from God into condemnation. God’s judgment will reveal His justice in consigning them to perpetuate in eternal retribution their own rejection of God. Believers will be received into eternal communion with God and will be rewarded for works done in this life.

(I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:34; John 14:2; II Corinthians 5:1; Revelation 2:7; 21:8; II Corinthians 15:42-58)

Scripture is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. The church recognizes that it cannot bind the conscience of individual members in areas where Scripture is silent. Rather, each believer is to be led in those areas by the Lord, to Whom he or she alone is ultimately responsible. We believe the Church At Main Statement of Faith to be an accurate summary of what Scripture teaches. All members shall refrain from advocating doctrines that are not included in the Statement of Faith in such a way as to cause dissension.