THE BIBLE
We believe that the Bible is the
inspired, authoritative, living,
eternally reliable Word of God equally in all parts and without error
in its original manuscript, absolutely infallible, and our source of
supreme revelation from God, superior to conscience and reason, though
not contrary to reason; and it is therefore our infallible rule of
faith and practice and necessary to our daily lives (II Timothy
3:16-17; I Peter 1:23-25; Hebrews 4:12 NASB).
THE GODHEAD
We believe in one God who has
revealed Himself in three persons,
the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Romans 1:20 NASB). The Father,
the Son and the Holy Spirit are all co-eternal, all stand equally
superior to time, free from the temporal distinctions of past and
future (FATHER - Deuteronomy 33:27; Psalm 90:2; Psalm 102:27; I Timothy
1:17 NASB; SON - John 1:1-2; John 8:58; Hebrews 1:8; I John 1:2;
Revelation 1:8 NASB; SPIRIT - Hebrews 9:14 NASB).
We believe in God the Father, creator of all things visible and
invisible. (Col. 1:15-16)
We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son, who came into the
world to reveal the Father, and was the brightness of His glory and the
express image of His person; that Jesus Christ was the Creator of
everything, for by Him all things were made. We further believe that in
Christ dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily and that He was
very God and very Man (John. 1:1-2 & 14; I Tim. 3:16; Acts
7:37-38).
We believe in Jesus Christ's pre-existence, incarnation, virgin birth,
sinless life, miracles, substitutionary and atoning death, bodily
resurrection, bodily ascension into heaven, exaltation, present rule at
the right hand of God, coming, personal return in power and great
glory, and in His everlasting Kingdom and dominion (Acts 1:11; 3:19-21;
Daniel 7:14; Revelation 20:4). We acknowledge His Lordship -- that
Jesus Christ is Lord over all things in heaven and on earth, and under
the earth (Phil. 2:9-10).
We believe in the Holy Spirit, His present ministry, His indwelling,
His empowering, His impartation of gifts for today, and His
transforming power in the lives of all believers (I Cor. 12:4-11, Gal
5:22-23).
MAN AND SALVATION
We believe that man was created
by a direct and immediate act of
God (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:4).
We believe that man by transgression fell from a state of righteousness
and holiness in which he was first created into total spiritual
depravity, a state of death in trespasses and sins in which he is held
as a slave of sin and an enemy of God. As such, he is unable to attain
divine righteousness by his own efforts but must be redeemed and
delivered by the power of the gospel (Romans 5:12-21; I Corinthians
15:1-4).
We believe that repentance and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ are
an integral part of God's work of justification of the believer.
Through faith in the shed blood of Christ, he or she is justified and
made a partaker in the death of Christ (Romans 5:1, 9).
We believe that "it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and
this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that
no one can boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). We further believe that the
emphasis for a continuous walk in grace should be on demonstrating
righteousness and purity of heart, believing in the keeping power of
God, walking after the Spirit and not after the flesh, living a
lifestyle that demonstrates the character, standards and convictions of
Jesus Christ, and not being conformed to the world (Jude 24; Romans
8:25; Galatians 5:16-25; Romans 4:1-5; 12:1-2).
We believe that repentance is dependent upon the convicting action of
the Holy Spirit in the lives of sinners and believers and their
response. The conviction of the Holy Spirit, which often accompanies
the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, will result in the
revelation of the sinfulness of self, which should lead to godly
sorrow. Remorse, or worldly sorrow, is a feeling of deep regret,
hopelessness or even despair. It does not lead to constructive change.
On the other hand Godly sorrow produces repentance which causes us to
turn away from sin and selfishness and to receive faith for change.
Repentance is evidenced by an earnest desire to change. Repentance
changes the way we feel and act about sin, self and God. Repentance is
a total change of mind, will and emotions, (II Corinthians 7:10; Psalm
51; Acts 11:18; II Timothy 2:25; Romans 1:18-32; Matthew 9:12-13).
We believe that in the final judgment, which will accompany the return
of Christ, every person will give an account to God of every aspect of
this earthly life. The Judgment Seat of Christ (Bema Seat) is the
judgment of believers in reference to rewards or lack thereof. The
Great White Throne Judgment is the judgment of unbelievers who will be
eternally separated from God and in torment (I Cor. 3:10-15; II Cor.
5:10; Rev. 20:11-15).
THE LORD'S COMMANDS
We believe in the Lord's supper
and believer's baptism as acts of
our obedience and a testimony of our faith (Mt. 3:6; Mk. 16:16; I Cor
11:23-29).
We believe that water baptism is necessary in obedient response to the
command of Jesus. Baptism is to be performed only upon repentant
believers in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Matt.
28:18-20).
We believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit according to Acts 2:4;
10:46; 19:6. We hold that the real evidence of the baptism of the Holy
Spirit is one's response to the Word of God (John 16:13), a Christ-like
life, showing forth Christ's character, and experiencing and
manifesting the gifts and fruit of the Holy Spirit (John 15:26; 16:14;
Galatians 5:22-23; I Cor 12:4-11).