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Our Position on Various Doctrinal Issues
Bible
 | We believe that the Old and New Testaments (consisting of 66 books) are
the verbally inspired (God-breathed) Word of God. They are infallible,
inerrant, and plenary as originally given in the autograph copy, and are the
only authority for faith and practice. (Exod. 24:4; 2 Sam. 23:1-2; Isa.
1:2,10; John 17:17; 2 Peter 1:21; 2 Tim. 3:16-17). |
God-The Triunity
| We believe that there is one true triune God who exists in three co-equal
and co-eternal Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Each person
within the Godhead possesses the same nature, attributes, perfection and
power; decreeing what shall be according to His sovereign will. (Gen.
1:1; Exod. 3:14; Deut. 6:4; Matt. 3:16-17, 28:19; John 1:1; Acts 5:3,4; Rom.
8:9; 2 Cor. 13:14). |
Christ
| We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God; conceived
by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, possessing two natures in one
person (Divine/human). The purpose for Christ's incarnation was to
reveal God the Father to mankind and provide salvation by paying the
redemptive price for man's sin. (Isa. 7:14; John 1:1-2, 14; 2 Cor.
5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8).
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ voluntarily paid the redemptive price
for man's sin through his death and shed blood on the cross as a vicarious
and substitutionary sacrifice for man's justification. (Isa.
52:13-53:12; Acts 2:22-36; Rom. 3:24-26; Eph. 1:7; I Peter 2:24).
We believe in the bodily ascension of Jesus Christ who is seated in exaltation
at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven. As the believer's High
Priest He is Advocate, Intercessor and the only Mediator between God and
man. (Acts 1:9-10; 2:33; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 4:4, 7:25, 9:24; I John
2:1-2). |
Holy Spirit
| We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Godhead,
co-equal with God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. His ministry is
to convict the world of sin, and regenerate, indwell, seal, baptize and fill
the believer. The Holy Spirit sanctifies and sustains each believer
providing him with illumination through the Word of God, guidance for holy
living and empowerment for ministry. (Zech. 4:6; John 16:8; Rom.
8:14; I Cor. 3:16; Gal. 5:16-18; Eph. 1:13-17, 3:5; Titus 3:5).
We believe that every Christian is given spiritual gifts at the time of his
salvation to be exercised for edification in the local church to God's
glory. We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased with
the passing of the apostolic age and the completion of God's Scriptural
revelation. We believe that speaking in tongues was never a sign of
being baptized or being filled with the Holy Spirit, but was a sign to
unbelieving Israel. (Acts 2; I Cor. 12-14). |
Man
| We believe that God created man from the dust of the ground and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living soul, created
in the image of God's likeness. We believe that, though man was
originally created in the image of God's likeness, he fell through sin and
brought physical and spiritual death upon himself and mankind. This
resulted in man's spiritual separation from God in time and eternity.
Mankind is born with a sin nature (totally depraved) and unable to save
himself out of his fallen state. Those who are not born again through
Christ remain eternally lost. (Gen. 1:26-27; Psalm 51:5; Isa.
59:2; Jer. 17:9; John 3:3; Rom. 3:10-23, 5:12; I Cor. 15:21-22; Rev.
20:11-15). |
Salvation
| We believe that salvation is solely the gift of God's grace through faith
in the death, blood and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. All who
personally receive Jesus Christ as Savior are instantaneously regenerated by
the Holy Spirit. As born again children of God each believer possesses
the imputation of a new nature and guarantee of eternal life. (John
1:12, 3:1-7; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5).
We believe in the eternal security of all born again believers. (John
6:37-40, 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; I Peter 1:4-5). |
The Church
| We believe that the true church is a called out group of born again believers
(Jewish and Gentile) who have been placed into the body of Christ through
the baptizing ministry of the Holy Spirit. We believe that the local
church is a living organism of unified true believers who are dependent upon
one another in function. The local church exists for the purpose of
teaching the Word of God, worship, fellowship, spiritual growth, service,
administration of the ordinances of the Lord's Supper and water Baptism by
immersion, and evangelism. We believe that the local church is an
independent and autonomous self-governed body of believers directed by the
Holy Spirit as set forth in God's Word with Christ as its Head. (Acts
1:8; 2:41-47, 20:28; I Cor. 10:32, 11:23-32; Eph. 1:22, 23; Col. 1:18). |
Holiness
| We believe that a Christian is commanded to be holy in body, soul, mind
and spirit. He is to be separated from apostasy, teachers of false
doctrine and disobedient brethren; he is not to be unequally yoked together
with unbelievers. (Rom. 12:1,2, 16:17-18; 1 Cor. 5:11; 2 Cor.
6:14-18; 2 Thess. 3:6; I Tim. 6:3-5; 2 John 8-11). |
Satan
| We believe in the person of Satan who was the highest of God's created
angelic beings. Satan was cast down after his rebellion against God
and is presently the leader of a host of fallen angels (demons). Satan
is the god of this world and the prince of the power of the air who
functions in opposition to God and His church. Satan, along with the
host of fallen angels, is destined for eternal punishment in the Lake of
Fire. (Job 2:1,2; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt. 25:41; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph 2:2;
I Peter 5:8; 2 Pet. 2:4; Rev. 20:7-10). |
Last Things
| We believe in the imminent, pretribulational rapture of the Church.
We believe in the premillenial, physical, visible, bodily return of Jesus
Christ to earth in glory, known as the Second Coming, which will occur at
the end of the tribulational period. We believe in the millennial
reign of Jesus Christ upon the earth after His Second Coming to rule and
reign with all believers for 1,000 years. (Dan. 9:24-27; Zech.
14:1-4; Matt. 24:15-46; Acts 1:11; I Thess. 4:13-18; 5:1-6; Rev. 19-20).
We believe that, subsequent to the Millennial Kingdom, Satan, demons and all
unsaved people will be judged and cast alive into the Lake of Fire to suffer
everlasting conscious punishment. We believe that all regenerated
people, from every generation, will enjoy everlasting blessedness in the
eternal state. (Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15;
Rev. 20-21). |
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