The Gospel
Gospel means good news and is the “matter of first importance”. Though we are all sinners and deserving of eternal punishment, God sent His eternal Son to earth to live the perfect life that none of us could live, to die the death that we deserved to die because of our sins, and to rise again from the dead in victory. In light of what God in Christ has freely done for sinners, all who repent of sin and trust in Jesus Christ will be saved for all eternity. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. This is the best news!
1 Corinthians 15:1-11; Ephesians 2:1-10
The Bible
We believe that God is the author of the whole Bible (all 66 books of the Old and New Testaments), and he used human authors to write his words. Because it is God’s Word, it is completely reliable, true, and authoritative to teach us how we should live and what we should believe. The main purpose of the Bible is to show us as fallen sinners the only way to receive eternal life – by trusting in Jesus Christ.
2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:19-21; Psalm 19:7-11; Luke 24:27; John 20:31
Trinity
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They are equal in divine perfection, distinct in respective function, and deserving the same honor, confidence, and obedience. God is the creator and sustainer of all things.
God the Father is the First Person of the Trinity – an infinite, personal spirit. He is perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. He directs all of the events of history according to his perfect plan. He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, hears and answers prayer, and saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ.
Isaiah 46:9-10; Gal 4:4-5; Acts 17:30-3; Matt. 6:5-13; John 6:40; John 17:20-26; Eph. 1:3-6; Eph. 3:14-19
God the Son, Jesus Christ, is the Second Person of the Trinity. He is both fully God and fully man. Conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, He did not inherit a sin nature. He was tempted in every way as we are and yet lived a sinless life, perfectly fulfilling God’s law. Because He was completely righteous, He was able to suffer and die as the only acceptable substitute for the sins of all mankind. He defeated sin and death by rising from the dead and was seen by his disciples and many other eyewitnesses. He then ascended into heaven where He is seated at the right hand of the Father. In heaven He continues His priestly work as intercessor for all who trust in Him as Savior. At the end of the age He will return to the earth to reign as King.
John 1:1-18; 1 Cor. 15:3-8; Heb. 4:14-15, 7:25-27; Titus 2:11-14; Acts 2:32-35
God the Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity. He convicts the world of sin. He gives new life to and dwells in all who become the children of God through faith in Jesus. As they submit to the work of the Spirit through prayer and meditation on the Bible, they are transformed to be more like Jesus. Although some sign gifts ceased around the end of the apostolic era and the completion of the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit continues to gift all members of the body of Christ to serve in a local church for the building up of all of its members.
John 14:15-27; 16:4-15; 1 Thess. 1:4-7; 2 Cor. 3:7-18; 1 Cor 12-14; Eph 4:1-6
Satan
We believe in the existence of Satan. He was created a perfect and holy being, but through pride and unlawful ambition rebelled against God. He became the adversary of God and His people, leader of all evil angels and spirits, and the deceiver and god of this world. His powers are supernaturally great, but limited by the purposes of God who overrules all his wicked devices for good. He was defeated at the cross and resurrection, making certain his final doom.
Ezek. 28:13-17; Isa. 14:12-15; John 8:44; Rev. 12:9-11; Matt. 12:24-26; John 16:11; Eph. 6:12-18.
Man
We believe that on the sixth day of Creation God made man in His own image. Man later sinned by rejecting God’s command and thereby incurred physical, spiritual, and eternal death, which is separation from God, ultimately in the lake of fire. Consequently, all human beings are born with a sinful nature, are sinners by choice, enemies of God, and are therefore under condemnation. Deliverance from this sinfulness can only be found in the finished work of Jesus.
We affirm that God designed and created two distinct and complementary sexes: male and female. God created marriage, which is a life-long covenant between two people of opposite sexes. We believe that all sexual activity outside of marriage is sinful and displeasing to the Lord. We also believe that individuals should joyfully accept the sex in which they were created without seeking to change God’s intended design.
Gen. 1:26-27; 2:18-25; 3:6, 24; Mal. 2:14; Matt. 19:1-12; Eph. 2:1, 3; Rom. 1:18, 20, 28, 32; 3:10-19; 5:12, 19; Gal. 3:22; 1 Thess. 4:3-8; Rev. 21:8.
Salvation
We believe that salvation is by grace through faith; that it is wholly a gift from God, neither merited nor secured in part or in whole by any virtue or work of man; that it is offered to all people based solely upon the atoning work of Christ on the cross; that all believing in Christ alone for salvation shall receive complete and final forgiveness of sins, the gift of eternal life, a perfect righteousness, sonship in the family of God, deliverance and security from eternal condemnation, every spiritual resource needed for life and godliness, and the divine guarantee that they shall never perish. We believe that those whom God saves, He also empowers to continue in the faith.
Rom. 3:24; Titus 3:5; John 3:16; John 10:27-29; 1 John 5:13; Colossians 1:21-23; 2 Peter 1:3; 1 John 2:3, 28; 3:6, 9-10.
Christian Conduct
We believe that the same grace that saved a Christian also teaches him to live a godly life. A Christian should live for the glory of God by faithful service to the body of Christ and by genuine witness to the lost world; that his conduct should be pure before all men; that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that he should seek the fullness of Christ for himself and for others. Each believer possesses soul liberty and will give an account of his own actions to the Lord.
Eph. 2:8-10; John 14:23; Rom. 14:12; Col. 3:1; Tit. 2:11-14; 1 John 2:6; Acts 1:8.
Church
We believe that the Church is the body and bride of the Lord Jesus Christ into which all true believers of the present age are placed. The mission of the church is to make disciples of Jesus. This is accomplished through proclaiming the gospel, baptizing those who trust in Christ for salvation, and teaching them to observe all of his commands. The members of this spiritual body should assemble themselves together in autonomous local churches. The local church consists of baptized believers associated by faith, for worship, evangelism, prayer, fellowship, discipline, teaching, united testimony, and the observance of the two ordinances. The goal of church discipline is to maintain the purity of the church through the restoration of disobedient believers to faithful living or removal from church membership those whose lives are not consistent with their confession of faith in Christ. We believe that God has established two offices for the local church; that of pastor, one who is mature, who oversees, and shepherds; and that of deacon, one who serves.
Eph. 4:4; Acts 2:41-47; 1 Cor. 12:12-13; Heb. 10:25; Matt. 18:15-18; Matt. 28:19; Acts 8:26-39; 1 Cor. 11:23-28, 5:1-5; 1 Tim. 3:15; 1 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 1:6.
Ordinances
We believe in two local church ordinances – ordained by Christ Himself, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that baptism is the immersion of the believer into water in the name 3 of the triune God and that it is required for membership in the local church. We believe that Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper as a memorial to His death and that it should be practiced within the local church.
Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; John 3:23; Rom. 6:3-5; Col. 2:12; Matt. 3:6, 3:16, 28:19; 1 Cor. 11:23-28.
The Future
Scripture promises that Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth in the future. Believers are to live in a constant state of readiness because He could return at any moment. He will remove His church from the earth by resurrection and translation, pour out God’s righteous judgments on the unbelieving world in a period of intense tribulation, and establish His glorious Kingdom over all nations for a thousand years. At the end of the thousand years, He will raise the unrighteous for their final judgment in the lake of fire. After that judgment, God will make a new heaven and a new earth and come to dwell with His people forever!
Titus 2:11-13; 1 Thess. 1:10, 4:16-18, 5:9; Rev. 3:10, 20:11-15, 21:1-8.
