The Holy Bible is the inspired word of God and is the basis of our statement of faith. This church is committed, as a body of baptized believers in Jesus Christ, to share the good news of salvation to lost mankind. The ordinances of the church are baptism and the Lord's Supper.
Holy Bible: The Holy Bible, and only the Bible, is the authoritative Word of God. It alone is the final authority for determining all doctrinal truths. In its original writing, the Bible is inspired infallible and inerrant (Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21).
God. There is only one God, infinite in power, wisdom, justice, goodness, and love. This God exists eternally as three distinct and separate persons, Father, Son, and Spirit, each possessing all the attributes of Deity and the characteristics of personality. The Father is not the same person as the Son, the Son is not the same person as the Spirit, and the Spirit is not the same person as the Father. And yet, they are not three gods, but one God, one divine being (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 14:10; John 14:26; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
God the Father. God the Father is the first person of the Trinity, the author of life, and the creator of all things. Jesus called God “Father” and instructed his followers to do the same (Matthew 23:9, Luke 11:2). We see the Father as the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The promises made to Abraham in Genesis were confirmed in Isaac and established in Jacob. The promise of Genesis 22:18 to Abraham was “And in your seed all nations of earth shall be blessed because you have obeyed my voice.” Through many generations God the Father prepared his people for the sending of his son for the redemption of all nations and all peoples. Through his son, not only is Israel called by his name and a part of his inheritance, but all who receive the son (Isaiah 64:8; Luke 10:22; John 3:35; John 6:37-40; John 10:29-30; 1 Corinthians 8:6).
Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person the Trinity. On earth, Jesus was 100 percent God and 100 percent man. He is the only man ever to have lived a sinless life. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the Cross for humankind and, thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory (Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1, 14, 20:28; Philippians 2:5-6; 1 Timothy 2:5, 3:16).
The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit has always been at work in the world, sharing in the work of creation (Job 33:4, Genesis 1:2), performing signs and wonders (Judges 14:6), and inspiring the writing of Scripture (2 Peter 1:21). However, after Christ's ascension, the Spirit began a new work in the Church, indwelling each believer as had been promised by the Father (Luke 24:49, Acts 2:33). This purpose of this new work of the Spirit is the glorification of the risen Christ (John 16:14), and the Spirit accomplishes this work by guiding believers into all truth (John 16:13), granting supernatural ability through spiritual gifts to build up the Church and further the Kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 12:4-11), and developing Christ-like character traits in each believer's life (Galatians 5:22-23).
Man: God created man in His own image and in perfect fellowship with Himself (Genesis 1:26-27). However, in Adam's sin, human nature fundamentally changed, causing the entire human race to inherit a corrupted, sinful human nature that alienates every individual from God (Romans 5:12). Every human being is born spiritually dead (Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:1-2), subject to God's wrath (Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:3), and is completely, wholly, and utterly unable to save himself or herself (Romans 8:7-8, Ephesians 4:17-19).
Marriage: a biblical institution established by God as described by Scripture. We believe the biblical definition for marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment. Accordingly, this church’s pastors and staff will not officiate in same-sex unions or same-sex marriages, nor will its property or resources be used for such purposes.
Salvation: We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ: His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human effort (Romans 10:9, 10; Acts 16:31; Galations 2:16, 3:8; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 9:22).
Repentance: Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance we receive forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation (Acts 2:21, 3:19; 1 John 1:9).
Sanctification: Sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit to complete the development of Christ’s character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a godly life (Romans 8:29, 12:1-2; 2 Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18; 1 Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3; Hebrews 2:11).
Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Given at Pentecost, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is the promise of the Father. It was sent by Jesus after His Ascension to empower the Church to preach the gospel throughout the whole earth (Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:11; Mark 16:17; Acts 1:5, 2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:15-17, 19:1-6).
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is manifest through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the Church, demonstrate the validity of the Resurrection, and confirm the power of the gospel. The lists of these gifts in the Bible are not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in various combinations. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of the gifts in their lives. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of biblical parameters (Romans 1:11, 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; Ephesians 4:16; 1 Timothy 4:14; 2 Timothy 1:5-16; Hebrews 2:4; 1 Peter 4:10).
The Church: The Church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus’ Great Commission. Every person born of the Spirit is an integral part of the Church as a member of the Body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ (John 17:11, 20- 23; Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23).
Two Sacraments:
Water Baptism: Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the new convert is commanded by the Word of God to be baptized by immersion in water in the name of the Father, Son, and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38).
The Lord’s Supper: A unique time of communion in the presence of God when the elements of bread and grape juice (the body and blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) are taken, in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38, 10:47-48; 1 Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-21).