Our Beliefs
*All beliefs are derived from the Scriptures
A comment about our beliefs:
In Essential Beliefs – we have UNITY.
Some things are not up for debate and are non-negotiable. They have been settled by Scripture in the Christian faith for over twenty centuries. Examples include Jesus is God, He really lived, died, rose again, the Bible is true, and many more.
In Non-Essential Beliefs – we have LIBERTY.
We won’t tell you what political party to belong to, what kind of food to eat, what candidate you should vote for, etc. If it is not blatant sin that is clearly identified in Scripture, it is up to the individual to seek God’s guidance on what His will is for them. That’s the liberty of the Child of God!
In All Our Beliefs – we show LOVE.
In everything we do, the love of Jesus should be our goal. To those who agree, we show love. To those who disagree, we show love. In all things we show love!
The Scriptures (Bible)
We believe the Bible is comprised of the Old and New Testaments and is the inspired, infallible and authoritative Word of God. The Holy Spirit perfectly guided men to write precisely what he wanted written, without error or omission, therefore giving us all things that pertain to life and godliness. It is the source for all doctrine, reproof, correction and instruction in right living. The Bible reveals God’s unfailing love for mankind and all Scripture was given to point everyone to Jesus for redemption.
(2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; Revelation 22:19; 2 Peter 1:3; John 3:16; 1 John 4:9-10; Romans 5:8; Romans 8:38-39; Galatians 2:20; John 15:13; Genesis 1:1; Genesis 3:15; 2 Peter 3:9)
God
We believe there is one God, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. This is known as the Trinity. God the Father is the creator of all things, the ultimate source or cause of the universe; divine revelation; and salvation. He is all powerful, all knowing, unchanging, holy, just, gracious, merciful, good and love.
(1 Timothy 2:5; Genesis 1:1, 26-27; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11; Revelation 1:1; John 3:16-17; Revelation 19:6; Psalm 139:1-6; Malachi 3:6; Leviticus 11:44; 1 John 1:9; Psalms 145:8; Psalm 108:8; Psalm 86:5; 1 John 4:8; Deuteronomy 6:4; Genesis 1:26; John 1:1-3,14; Colossians 1:15-16)
Jesus Christ
We believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God and He is God. He is coequal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, and was present in the creation of all things. In the fullness of time, Jesus took on human flesh through the power of the Holy Spirit and was born of a virgin. He lived a sinless and perfect life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people, by dying on the cross. After making the perfect sacrifice by dying on the cross, He was buried, and after three days, rose from the dead being victorious over the power of sin and death. After 40 days, He ascended back to Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father as our Great High Priest and Advocate.
(John 3:16; Matthew 3:17; Luke 9:35; John 1:1-3,14; Genesis 1; Galatians 4:4-5; Luke 1:28-2:21; 1 Peter 2:21-22; Hebrews 4:15; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:8; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 Peter 2:24; Matthew 27:32-56; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Acts 1:1-3; Colossians 3:1; Luke 22:69; Hebrews 8:1; Hebrews 12:2; 1 John 2:1
Holy Spirit
We believe in the deity of the Holy Spirit, that He is also God. We believe He was there and active in the creation of all things. He is the one who inspired holy men to write the Scriptures and he enables men to understand truth from the Scriptures. He exalts Christ and not himself. He convicts men of sin, righteousness and judgement. At the moment of Salvation He indwells the believer and is the seal by whom the Father guarantees the salvation of believers unto the day of redemption. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which Christians serve God through His church. He empowers believers to live a life pleasing to God and to carry out the Mission of the Church.
(Genesis 1:1-2, 26-27; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 3:17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; John 16:13-14; John 16:7-11; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 5:1-5; John 14:16-18; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; Acts1:8)
Man
We believe people are made in the image of God. He created people to be in relationship with Him, to become like Him in character, and to bring Him glory. We believe that in the beginning, God created man, both male and female. Man was innocent of sin and was endowed by his Creator with freedom of choice. By his free choice, man sinned by disobeying the command of God, and as a result, sin entered the world and now man inherits a sinful nature that is inclined toward sin. We believe all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Sin separates people from God and the only remedy for sin and a relationship with God, is through His Son Jesus.
(Genesis 1-3; Romans 5:19; Romans 5:12-21; Psalm 51:5; Psalms 58:3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 5:8; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8,10; Isaiah 59:2; Ephesians 1:7; Revelation 1:5; Romans 5:9; Isaiah 53:5; John 14:6; Acts 4:12)
Salvation
We believe that salvation is a gift from God, and is only received by God’s grace, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Due to His sinless life, the greatness, sufficiency, and perfection of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, and His resurrection from the dead, everyone who has received Christ as their Savior is eternally secure in salvation, kept by God’s power, secured and sealed in Christ forever.
(Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:8-10; John 14:6; John 6:37-40; John 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, Romans 8:38-39; Ephesians 1:13-14; 1 Peter 1:5, Jude 1:24)
The Church
We believe that the church, the Body of Christ, the Bride of Christ, the Household of Faith, the Family of God, is a spiritual organism made up of all people who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. We believe The Great Commission (Making Disciples) is the purpose of the Church and was given to spread the gospel into all the world and to present mature, complete believers in Christ.
(1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 21:2; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 4:4-16)
Baptism
We believe that baptism is the immersion in water of someone who has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Baptism is an act of obedience to Christ and a celebration that publically declares that someone has accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior, that they believe in His death, burial and resurrection, they have a new life in Christ and that they are now followers of Jesus. According to Jesus, Baptism is done in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
(Matthew 3:13-17; Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41; Acts 8:12; Acts 8:27-38; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12)
The Lord's Supper
We believe partaking in the Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act that was commanded by Christ. We believe the Lord’s Supper is a proclamation, memorial and representative of the New Covenant in Christ Jesus. We believe The Lord’s Supper is done to remember the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus when His body was broken and His blood was shed for the forgiveness of sins.
(1 Corinthians 11:23-34; Matthew 26:26-30; 1 Corinthians 10:16; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7)
The Rapture and Second Coming of Jesus
We believe there will be a personal coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the air to rapture His saints from this present world: The dead in Christ will be raised first, then those who are still alive will be caught up to meet The Lord in the air, and will forever be with Him. We believe in the physical bodily return of Christ to the earth with his saints to establish his promised millennial kingdom.
(1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Zechariah 14:4-11, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, Revelation 3:10, Revelation 19: 11-16, Revelation 20:1-6)
Eternity
We believe people were created to exist forever. People will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or exist eternally with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is eternal death in Hell. To be eternally in union with God is eternal life in Heaven. We believe that Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal existence.
(John 3:16; Romans 6:23; 1 John 2:25; 1 John 5:11-13; Revelation 20:15)
Marriage
We believe that marriage is viewed and blessed by God in only one way: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union. We believe marriage is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church, to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, to give the man and woman in marriage sexual expression according to biblical standards, and to give the means for procreation of the human race. We believe that God intends sexual intimacy or any other form of sexual activity, to only occur between a man and a woman who are united in marriage.
(Gen. 2:18-25, Matthew 19:4-6; Ephesians 5:21-33; 1 Corinthians 7:2-5; Hebrews 13:4; Genesis 1:26-28)
Religious Liberty and Government
We believe in the separation of church and state. We believe the state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. We believe that government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society. We believe those in authority are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except in things that are contrary to the Word of God.
(Romans 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-14; Titus 3:1; 1 Timothy 2:1-4; Acts 5:22-29; Acts 4:18-20)