Statement of Faith
The Bible
The Scriptures of the Old and New Testament were given by inspiration of God and are our infallible rule of faith and practice. (Matthew 4:4; Psalms 119:89; II Timothy 3:16,17; Isaiah 8:20; I Thessalonians 5:21) We will use only the Authorized King James Version of the Bible for preaching and teaching for all services.
God
There is one living and true God, revealed in nature as the Creator, Preserver and Righteous Governor of the universe; and in Scriptures as Father, Son and Holy Ghost;yet as one God, infinitely wise and good, whom all inteligent creatures are to love, adore and obey supremely. ( Deuteronomy 6:4; I John 5:17; John 4:24; Psalms 83:18; Exodus 15:11; Mark 12:30; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; Ephesians 2:18)
Jesus Christ
Christ is God manifest in the flesh in His divine nature truly God, in His human nature truly man. The mediator between God and man, once crucified, He is now risen and glorified and is our ever present Savior and Lord. He is the virgin-born, sinless, eternally begotten Son of God. ( John 1:1-4, 14; Philippians 2:5-11; John 3:16)
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 9:24, 7:25; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1-2).
The Work of Christ
The Son of God by His incarnation, life, sufferings, death and resurrection effected for all a redemption from sin that is full and free and is ground for salvation by faith. (John 3:14-21; Luke 19:10; Hebrews 9:16-24; Hebrews 10:10-12)
The Holy Spirit
The Scriptures assign to the Holy Spirit all the attributes of God. He is personal and indwells every believer. He is the Reprover, Comforter, Guide, Sanctifier, and the Seal of our Redemption. ( John 16:7-14; John 14:16,17,26; Ephesians 1:13-14).
We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayer of believers for physical healing (II Corinthians 12:12; I Corinthians 13:8; Hebrews 2:3-4; Mark 16:17-20; I Corinthians 1:22, 14:21-22).
The Government and Soverienty of God
God exercises a wise and benevolent providence over all beings and things maintaining the constitution and laws of nature. He also performs special acts, not otherwise provided for, as the hightest welfare of men requires. ( Esther 1-10; Matthew 6:25-34; Romans 8:28).
The Sinfulness of Man
Man was created innocent but by disobedience fell into a state of sin and condemnation. His posterity, therefore, inherits a fallen nature of such tendencies, and sin as well. Thus, all who come to a time of understanding become guilty and accountable to God for their own sin. All men must repent before God or be hopelessly lost. (Genesis 3:1-7; Romans 3:10-23; Romans 5:12).
The Church
We believe that the Church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this present age which began with Christ and the Apostles, was empowered at Pentecost, and will be caught up to be with Christ at the Rapture (Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:25-27; I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 11:2).
We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).
We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control (Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28; Romans 16:1, 4; I Corinthians 3:9, 16, 5:4-7, 13; I Peter 5:1-4).
The Ordinances of the Church
Baptism, or the immersion of believers in water, in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. This represetents the death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ; also expressing to the world the Christians death to sin and being raised into newness of life. Baptism takes place after conversion. The Lords Supper is to be perpetuated until the coming of our Lord through His church. It is done to keep alive the sweet memory of the Lords body and blood that was so freely given for our sin debt. (Romans 6:4; Matthew. 28:19-20; Colossians2:12; Luke 22:19,20; Acts 2:41-42, 18:18; I Corinthians 11:23-26).
Tithing
God commanded tithing in the Old Testament. Jesus Christ endorsed it in the New Testament. The New Testament Church practiced it under the direction of the Spirit led apostle Paul. (Malachi 3:8-10; Matthew 23:23; I Corinthians 16:2).
Biblical Separation
We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God (II Timothy 3:1-5; Romans 12:1, 2, 14:13; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1).
The Terms of Salvation
We believe in a "Whosoever" salvation. Salvation is for all and free to all. It is obtained only by faith through Grace and can not in any possible way be obtained by any form of works or good deed. (Ephesians 2:8,9). In the exercise of saving faith, the soul is renewed, freed from the dominion of sin and becomes a child of God. (Acts 3:19; Romans 10:9,10; John 3:16,36; Luke 13:5; Acts 16:31).
Election
God determined from the beginning to save all who would comply with the conditions of salvation. Hence, by placing their faith in Christ, men become His elect. (Romans 8:29-34).
Freedom of Will
The human will is free and self-controlled, having the power to yield to the influence of the truth and the Spirit or to resist them and perish. (Revelation 22:17; Romans 10:3; Romans 6:16).
Heaven
The Scriptures declare that Heaven is a definite place reserved only for the saved. It is indescribably beautiful and the eternal reward that God has for all who have been born again. (John14:1-3; Acts;10,11; Revelation 21:1,2).
Hell
The Scriptures tell us that Hell is a terrible, eternal reality for all those who die in their sin. AS Heaven is indescribably beautiful, Hell is indescribably horrifying. The Bible states the fire and torments of Hell to be inescapable and eternal. (Matthew 25:41; Revelation 19:20 & 20:10; Luke 16:19-31; Luke 13:27,28).
Resurrection, Judgment and Final Retrubution
The Scriptures teach us the resurrection of all men.
1. The saved go to Heaven as soon as they die, but do not receive their resurrected bodies untill all Christians do at the return of Christ for His Church at the rapture. They will then stand before the Judgment seat of Christ to receive the rewards Christ has promised for those who labor with Him. After ruling and reigning with Christ for 1,000 years, they will then enjoy an eternity with Christ in the literal new Heaven and new Earth.
2. The dead lost go immediately to Hell, and await the Great White Throne Judgment for the unsaved. After judgment they are then cast into the eternal lake of fire to be tormented day and night forever and ever. (II Corintains 5:8; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 20:6; Revelation 21:1-22; Luke 16:23; Revelation 20:11-15).
The Return of Christ
We believe the "Blessed Hope" of our Lord's return is literal, personal, visible, imminent, premillennial, and pretribulational. He will rapture His Church prior to the seven years of tribulation, and at the end of the tribulation Christ will return with His saints to establish His thousand-year reign on the earth. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; I Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 3:10; Zechariah 14:4-11; Revelation 19:11-16, 20:1-6; Psalm 89:3-4)
Human Sexuality
We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiablity, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God's gift of sex (Genesis 2:24; Genesis 19:5, 13; Genesis 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; I Corinthians 5:1; 6:9; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4).
Abortion
We beleive that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjust, unexcussed taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16; Psalms 51:5; 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; 49:1,5: Jeremiah 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).