what we believe

We believe the Bible is written by men divinely inspired by God. It is without error, and is true and trustworthy. It is the center of Christian unity, and is the standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be tried.

(Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy 4:1-2; Psalm 19:7-10; Isaiah 34:16; 40:8; Matthew 5:17-18; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; Romans 15:4; 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:24-25; 2 Peter 1:19-21)

We believe there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three persons contain the very nature of God and are equal in every divine perfection. They each execute distinct but harmonious roles in the work of creation, providence, and redemption. The Triune God is self-existent and self-sufficient, perfect and immutable, infinite and all-knowing, purposeful and all-powerful, sovereign and steadfast in love. God is worthy of our praise, loyalty, and love.

(Genesis 1:1, 26; Exodus 34:6-7; Deuteronomy 32:3-4; Psalm 48:10; Isaiah 43:10-13; Malachi 3:6; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-3; 4:24; Romans 1:19-20; Ephesians 4:5-6)

We believe God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the stream of human history according to the purposes of his grace. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men.

(Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11; 20:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:6; Isaiah 43:3, 15; 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; 17:13; Matthew 6:9; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:6; 1 John 5:7)

We believe Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. In His incarnation as Jesus Christ, he was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He was completely man and completely God without sin. Through His death, He was the atonement for the sin of man. Through His resurrection, He defeated the enemies of sin and death. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission.

(Genesis 18:1; Psalm 2:7; Isaiah 7:14; 53:1-12; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16, 27; 17:5, 27; 28:1-6, 29; Mark 1:1; 3:11; Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18, 29; 10:30, 38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18, 29; 10:30, 38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; John 14:7-11, 16:15-16, 28; 17:1-5, 21-22; 20:1-20, 28; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5, 20; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3, 34; 10:4-11; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2:2; 8:6; 15:1-8, 24-28; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:20; 3:11; 4:7-10; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 7:14-28; Hebrews 9:12-15, 24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 3:22; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9; 2 John 7-9; Revelation 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16)

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God. He inspired men to write the Scriptures. Through illumination He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ, and He convicts men of sin. He calls men to the Savior, and effects regeneration. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in the Christian is the assurance of God to bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.

(Genesis 1:2; Judges 14:6; Job 26:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10, 12
; Luke 1:35; 4:1, 18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; 
John 4:24; 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-14;  Acts 1:8; 2:1-4, 38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17, 39; Acts 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11, 14-16, 26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11
; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 9:8, 14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Revelation 1:10; 22:17)

We believe that man is made in the image of God. God created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. The gift of gender is thus part of the goodness of God's creation. In the beginning, man was innocent of sin and by his free choice sinned against God. Man lost original innocence and brought sin to humanity. Therefore, man is born into sin and is in need of a savior. Only the grace of God can bring man into His holy fellowship and enable man to fulfill the creative purpose of God. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore, every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.

(Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5, 7, 18-22; 3; 9:6; Psalms 1:1-6; 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18, 23; 5:6, 12, 19; 6:6; Romans 7:14-25; 8:14-18, 29; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19, 21-22; Ephesians 2:1-22; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11)

We believe that salvation is offered to humanity through the atoning work of Jesus Christ. Salvation is a free gift from God that man cannot earn through good works. Man is given salvation through repentance of sin and faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is perfected in regeneration (the heart of man is changed), sanctification (progression of growth into Christlikeness), and glorification (the final state of believers in eternity).

(Genesis 3:15; Exodus 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; 16:21-26; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14, 29; 3:3-21, 36; 5:24; 10:9, 28-29; John 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; Acts 17:30-31; 20:32; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3; Romans 5:8-10; 6:1-23; 8:1-18; 29-39; 10:9-10, 13; Romans 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18, 30; 6:19-20; 15:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11-16; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-22; 3:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 11:1-12:8, 14; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:2-23; 1 John 1:6-2:11; Revelation 3:20; 21:1-22:5)

The New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a local body of baptized believers who are associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, observing the two ordinances of Christ, committed to His teachings, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. This church is an autonomous body, operating through democratic processes under the Lordship of Jesus Christ. In such congregations, members are equally responsible. Its Scriptural officers are elders, pastors, and deacons. The New Testament speaks also of the church as the body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages.

(Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42, 47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23, 27; Acts 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11, 21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 3:1-15; 4:14)

Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord’s Supper.

(Matthew 3:13-17; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-1; Luke 3:21-22; John 3:23; Acts 2:41; Acts 8:35-39; 16:30-33; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12)

The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.

(Matthew 26:26-30; Mark 14:22-26; Luke 22:19-20; Acts 2:42; 20:7; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 21; 11:23-29)

God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous in their resurrected and glorified bodies will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.

(Isaiah 2:4; 11:9; Matthew 16:27; 18:8-9; Matthew 19:28; 24:27, 30, 36, 44; 25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40, 48; 16:19-26; Luke 17:22-37; 21:27-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28, 35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:20-21;
 Colossians 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 5:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:7; 2:1-17; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1, 8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 14; Revelation 1:18; 3:11; 20:1-22:13)