• • God the Father.  We believe that God is one (Is. 45:5-6; 1 Tim. 2:5) in three distinct (Mt. 27:46; Jn. 14:26), coequal (Mt. 3:16-117; 2 Cor. 13:14) and eternal Persons (Jn. 1:18; 17:5). God the Father is a Spirit, characterized by absolute holiness (i.e., separateness) (Ex. 15:11; Is 6:3; 57:15), yet is also a personal God (Gen 1:26-28; Acts 15:8) with great love (John 3:16; 1 Jn. 4:8-10, 16). God is eternal, omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, sovereign, and immutable (Dt. 33:27; Ps. 139:1-4, 7-10; Dan. 4:35; Mal. 3:6; Mt. 19:26). He is good, wise, pure, righteous, just, truthful, faithful, loving, merciful, gracious, and patient (Gen. 18:25; Lev. 11:44-45; Num. 23:19; Dt. 32:4; Rom. 2:4; 11:6; 2 Cor. 1:3; Tit. 1:2; 1 John 4:8-10)
  • God the Son. We believe that Jesus, God’s Son, is fully God (Is. 9:6; John 12:41; Col. 1:16; Mt. 28:17) and yet fully man (Acts 17:31; Lk. 2:7; 1 Tim 2:5). He has existed eternally (Jn. 1:3; Col. 1:16). In the fulfillment of prophecy and the eternal plan of God, He became flesh (incarnation) through the miraculous virgin birth (Is. 7:14; Lk. 1:35) for the purpose of substitutionary atonement (Mark 10:45), willingly giving Himself as a perfect and sinless sacrifice to obtain propitiation (Rom. 3:25) and expiation (Heb. 10:18-22) of man’s sin. Though he physically died upon the cross, He rose physically from the dead three days later (1 Cor. 15:3-5), and after 40 days ascended from earth to heaven, where He sits at the right hand of God (Mk. 16:19; 1 Tim. 2:5) He now serves as prophet (Jn. 1:18), priest (Heb. 2:17; 1 Tim. 2:5) and King (Lk. 11:20). One day, He will return bodily to the earth (Acts 1:11), rule in the millennium (Rev. 20:6), judge the world (Acts 17:31), and reign for all eternity (Rev. 22:3).
  • God the Spirit. We believe in the Spirit as a distinct Person of the Godhead, not an influence or force (Jn. 14:26). He is fully God (Acts 5:3-4; Heb 9:14), and coequal with the other Members of the Godhead (Mt. 3:16-17; 1 Pet. 1:2). He is responsible for conviction (Jn. 16:7-11), illumination (2 Cor. 3:14-17), indwelling (Rom. 8:9), assurance of salvation (Rom. 8:14-16), guidance (Acts 8:9), and sanctification (Gal. 5:22-23).

Creation

We believe that God, by speaking, created the entire universe out of nothing (ex nihilo) in six twenty-four hour days (Gen. 1, Heb. 11:3; Ex. 2:11). All three members of the Godhead had a part in creation (Gen:1:2; Ps. 33:6-9; Jn. 1:1-3; Col. 1:16). Creation, in the beginning, was perfect, sinless, and entirely good (Gen. 1:4, 31).

Sin

We believe that sin is any act of man that fails to conform to God’s holy character (Rom. 3:23; 1 Jn. 3:4; 5:17; Heb. 11:6). By the disobedience of Adam as mankind’s representative, sin entered the race (Rom. 5:12-21; 1 Cor. 15:21-22), and the earth was cursed (Gen. 3:15, Eph. 1:22, Rom. 8:19-23). Thus, all men are born as sinners (Eph. 2:3), with every part of man’s being corrupted by sin (total depravity) (Jer. 17:9; Rom. 7:18, 23). Furthermore, all men commit sin (Rom. 3:23; 5:12). Sin deserves death, which is spiritual death (Col. 2:13), physical death (Heb. 9:27), and eternal death in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:11-5). Mankind’s sin also demands separation from God (Rom. 6:23; Gen. 2:17, 3:8). Only the saving grace of Jesus Christ can forgive mankind of his death-deserving sin.

Salvation. 

We believe that salvation is God’s gift to all of mankind (Ephesians 2:8-9.)  This gift can not be earned, worked for or deserved. We believe that it is God’s will that all would become believers  and be saved (2 Peter 3:9.) This was Jesus’ reason for becoming man (Luke 19:10.) We believe that God will save anyone who calls upon His name (Romans 10:13.) Salvation is asking God to forgive you of your sins, accepting the payment of Jesus dying on the cross for your sins, and believing that He rose on the third day. Salvation is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.. We believe that faith is necessary for salvation (Mt. 9:2 Rom. 10:14; Acts 16:31). 

• • Justification. We believe that justification is the legal declaration of God, whereby He declares a sinner to be righteous (Rom. 4:5-8). God forgives all sin (Acts 2:38) and imputes Christ’s righteousness (Rom. 5:17-19) based on the sacrificial, substitutionary death of Jesus (Mt. 3:13-15; Rom. 3:24-26). Because of justification, believers are exonerated from the very guilt or culpability for their sin (Rom. 8:1, 33-34). Justification is God’s act, and man cannot merit nor accomplish justification for himself (Gal. 2:16; Phil. 3:8-9); it is a result of the gift of faith (Rom. 3:28-30; 5:1).
  • Regeneration. We believe that regeneration is God’s giving of a new life, His own eternal life, to the believer (Jn. 3:3; Eph. 2:1-6; 1 Jn. 3:9). Because mankind is dead in sin (Eph. 2:1), God, through the Holy Spirit (Jn. 3:5; Tit. 3:5) and the Word of God (Jas. 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:23), accomplishes this new birth (Jn. 3:3). The regeneration, or new birth, brings with it a total change in lifestyle (Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10; 2 Cor. 5:17; 1 Jn. 3:9).
  • Adoption. We believe that adoption refers to the believer’s position as being a Son of God (Gal. 4:5, Eph. 1:5), enjoying the rights and privileges attending thereto. The ultimate consummation of this sonship, occurs when Christ returns and believers are glorified (Rom. 8:23, Rom. 8:15). Thus, adoption is accomplished at glorification.
  • Sanctification. We believe that sanctification is the believer’s becoming more holy, i.e., more separate from sin and unto God. Sanctification is comprised of positional sanctification, which occurs at the moment of conversion (1 Cor. 1:2, Tit. 2:14) and progressive sanctification, which is a process that takes a lifetime (2 Cor. 3:18). Sanctification has a goal—Christlikeness (Rom. 8:29). Sanctification is complete when the believer is glorified and his sin nature eradicated (1 Thess. 3:13).
  • Security of Believer. We believe that salvation is a certainty assured in the Scriptures, (Jn. 10:29; 2 Tim. 1:12) and affirmed by the Spirit (Eph. 1:3, 13-14). A true believer cannot lose his or her salvation. The Scripture’s assurance of salvation extends only to those who manifest the marks of a changed life (Mt. 7:16; Rom. 8:5; 1 Jn. 1:6; Jas. 2:14-26; Heb. 4:11). Perseverance in the faith and assurance of salvation are works of grace, and are therefore from God—not a feeling, memory or action of the believer (Jn. 5:24; Rom. 8:14-16; 2 Pet. 1:5-11).

Church

• • Nature of the church. We believe that Church is the present, invisible, and universal body of people who have been redeemed (Mt. 16:18; 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 1:22-23, 2:25). The Church was founded at Pentecost (Acts 2:33). The nature of the Church is described in the Bible as a body (Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 2:19), a bride (Eph. 5:22-33); a temple (1 Cor. 3:11) a priesthood (1 Pet. 2:4-10) and a pillar (1 Tim. 3:15). Church also defines local gatherings of believers for the purpose of worship, preaching, prayer, fellowship, and the practice of baptism and the Lord’s supper (Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 1:2; 15:9).
  • Ordinances of the church. We believe that the Church today must practice the two ordinances of believer’s baptism and the Lord’s supper. Baptism is a symbol of the believer’s union with Christ’s death, burial and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-5), and a public testimony of his or her faith in Christ (1 Cor. 12:13; Rom. 6:3-5, Col. 2:12; Acts 2:41, 8:12). Both the meaning of the Greek word, the symbolism of the ordinance, and the situational descriptions in the Bible lead us to practice the mode of baptism as immersion (Mk. 1:5; Rom. 6:3-5). Christ also instituted the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper (Mt. 26:26-28; Mk. 14:22-24; Lk. 22:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-25), which is regularly celebrated by the Church in order to remember Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf and soon return to earth. The elements of the Lord’s supper are symbolic of Christ’s body and blood.