1. The Holy Scriptures
We believe every single word of the Old and New Testaments (the Bible) is inspired by God, and without error in the original writings. We believe the Bible has been faithfully preserved through the ages, and remains the final authority in everything it affirms. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21)
2. The Godhead
We believe in the one Triune God who eternally exists in three Persons-the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit-and that each Person possesses the same attributes and perfections. (Deuteronomy 6:4, 2 Corinthians 13:14)
3. The Person and Work of Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal and unique Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, by the miracle of the Virgin Birth. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross as a representative, substitutionary sacrifice to redeem humanity, and we believe in His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Luke 1:35, John 1:1-18, John 20:24-28, Romans 3:24, Romans 5:18, Ephesians 1:7, 1 Peter 1:3-5, 1 Peter 2:24)
4. The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Godhead who convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. We believe He regenerates believers and unites them into the Body of Christ, indwells and seals them unto the day of redemption and empowers the saved for godly living. (John 16:8-11, Acts 5:1-11, Romans 8:9, 1 Corinthians 2:9-11, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Galatians 5:22-23, Ephesians 1:13-14, Ephesians 5:18)
5. Humanity
We believe that God directly created Adam and Eve in his image, male and female. We believe that gender is biologically determined at birth, and unalterable by human will or desire. We believe that God created marriage as a covenant bond between one man and one woman. (Genesis 1:26-31, Genesis 2:18-25, Matthew 19:1-9)
6. Sin and Humanity’s Fallen State
We believe that sin is rejection of and rebellion against God, and that the just punishment for sin is death and condemnation to hell. We believe that sin has infected and affected every aspect of life as the result of the Fall, and that human beings are utterly unable to redeem themselves in this fallen condition. (Genesis 3:1-7, Psalm 51, Romans 1:18-23, Romans 3:9-26, Romans 5:12-21, Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:1-10)
7. The Personality of Satan
We believe that Satan is a created, fallen personal being who seduced Adam and Eve to sin, which then brought about the Fall of man. We believe he is active in the world today, seeking to deceive humanity and enticing them to sin. We believe that he will be eternally punished in the lake of fire. (Genesis 3:1-6, Job 1:6-7, Matthew 4:2-11, Luke 10:18, John 8:44, Ephesians 6:10-13, 2 Timothy 2:26, Revelation 12:7-12, Revelation 20:10)
8. Salvation
We believe that salvation is the gift of God and that people are justified on the single ground of faith in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. We believe that those who put their faith in Jesus become joint-heirs with Christ, and at death their spirits depart to be with Christ in conscious blessedness. We believe that the offer of salvation through Jesus Christ should be freely and readily offered to all people. (John 1:12, Romans 3:23-26, Romans 6:23, Romans 8:16-17, Philippians 1:21-23, 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10, Ephesians 1:7, Ephesians 2:8-10, 1 John 2:2, 1 John 5:12)
9. Security and Assurance of Believers
We believe in the security of all true believers, who once saved, are kept by God’s power, and are thus secure in Christ forever and may enjoy the privilege of assurance of their salvation. We believe that Scripture clearly teaches that we cannot use this liberty as an occasion to indulge the flesh. (John 10:27-30, Colossians 3:3, 1 Peter 1:3-9, 1 John 5:12)
10. The Christian Life
We believe that those who profess faith in Jesus will decisively and continually repent of sin and place their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that this will express itself in the forsaking of worldly and sinful practices through the ongoing work of putting sin to death, but that no believer will attain to the total eradication of sin in this life. (Romans 7:13-8:30, Galatians 5:16-24, Colossians 3:5-17, 1 John 1:8-9)
11. The Church
We believe that the saved become members of the Body of Christ, expressed through the ages as the universal Church. We believe in the establishment and continuance of local churches as part of the Great Commission. We believe in the autonomy of the local church free from any external authority or control. (Acts 14:27, Romans 16:1-4, 1 Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 1:22-23, 1 Peter 5:1-4)
12. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ordained Baptism and the regular observance of Lord’s Supper to be observed by local churches. We believe that Baptism is to be administered to those who give credible profession of faith in Jesus Christ, and is ordinarily administered through full immersion in water. We believe the Lord’s Supper may be administered to all who profess faith in Jesus Christ. (Matthew 26:26-29, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 14:22-25, Luke 22:14-23, Acts 2:37-41, Romans 6:1-4, 1 Corinthians 11:17-32)
13. The Ministry of Believers and Spiritual Gifts
We believe that all believers are gifted by the Holy Spirit and are given to the Church for the building up of the body and the perfecting of the saints. We believe that sign gifts, including miraculous healing, tongues, and the interpretation of tongues ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority established. However, we do believe that God hears and answers the prayer of faith for the sick and afflicted. (John 15:7, Romans 12:3-8, 1 Corinthians 12-14, Ephesians 4:7-12, Philippians 2:25-27, James 5:15)
14. Missions
We believe that it is the obligation of the saved to witness by life and word to the truth of the Bible and to proclaim the Gospel to all the world. (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8, 2 Corinthians 2:14-17, 2 Corinthians 5:11-21)
15. The Second Advent of Christ
We believe in the personal, imminent, and premillennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones; and in His subsequent return to earth, with His saints, to establish His Millennial Kingdom (Zechariah 14:4-11, 1 Thessalonians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, Revelation 19:11-16, Revelation 20:1-6).
16. The Eternal State
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all humanity, the saved to eternal bliss, and the unsaved to conscious and everlasting punishment. We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection at His coming, when soul and body will be reunited. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment for everlasting conscious punishment. (Luke 16:19-26, John 5:28-29, 2 Corinthians 5:8, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, Revelation 20:11-15)