STATEMENT OF FAITH

About the Scriptures: We believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Scriptures (both Old and New Testaments) and that "... all Scripture is given by inspiration of God" (ll Timothy 3:16,17). We believe that the original autographs are without error because of the work of the Holy Spirit as He moved each man to record the words of God (II Peter 1:19-21).

About God: We believe in one God with three eternal distinctions: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. They are of the same essence (John 4:24), but separate in personalities (Matthew 3:16,17;28:19,20; II Corinthians 13:14).

About Jesus Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ is God (John 10:30; 20:31) and that He is eternal (John 1:1,2). We believe that when Jesus Christ came to take on the form of man (Philippians 2:6-8) that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:20-23). We believe that He lived a sinless life (II Corinthians 5:21) and that He provided the necessary atonement, vicariously, for our sins by the "sacrifice of Himself" (Isaiah 53:4-6; Hebrews 9:26; I Corinthians 15:3). And most important, we believe that after He died and was buried that "He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures" (I Corinthians 15:4).

About the Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit is God and indwells every believer (I Corinthians 6:19; Romans 8:9). We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgement (John 16:8); that He is active in the new birth (John 3: 5,6); that He testifies of Christ (John 15:26); that He seals the believer unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30) and that He makes intercession for believers (Romans 8:26).

We believe that man hinders the Holy Spirit in having all of himself, due to sin. Therefore, it is essential for man to be filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) or controlled by the Spirit by keeping sin confessed and walking in the light (I John 1:6,7). Being filled with the Spirit is not the same as speaking in tongues, which we believe ceased, along with the other sign gifts, at the completion of the Word of God (I Corinthians 13:8; 13:10).

About Satan: We believe that Satan is a real and personal being who is void of truth (John 8:44). We believe also that he is the god of this world (II Corinthians 4:4) who has blinded the eyes of them which believe not (Acts 26:18) and that he is in constant warfare with Christians (Ephesians 6:11,12).

About Creation: We believe in and accept by faith (Hebrews 11:3) the Genesis account of creation (Genesis 1:1,2). We believe that God created all things including man (Colossians 1:16). Our belief in creation discounts all hypotheses of evolution.

About Hell: We believe in a literal hell of everlasting fire (Matthew 25:41), everlasting destruction (II Thessalonians 1:9) and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46).

About Heaven: We believe in a literal heaven where Jesus is today preparing a place for His believers (John 14:1,2). We believe that only those who have received Jesus Christ into their hearts will be able to enter into heaven (Matthew 7:13,14). At the moment of death, believers will be with Jesus Christ in heaven (11 Corinthians 5:8).

About Salvation: We believe that salvation is of the Lord (Philippians 1:6) on the merit of the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:24,26). Salvation is a free gift (Ephesians 2:8,9; Romans 6:23) which excludes any possible merit on the basis of works (Ephesians 2:8,9); II Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5). We believe that the two essential elements of salvation are repentance toward God (Acts 2:38) and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 20:21; Romans 10:9,10). We also believe that once a person has been saved that there is no chance of his ever going to hell and that he is eternally secure in Christ (John 3:16,36; 1 John 5:11-13).

About the Church: We believe that the local church is an organized assembly of baptized believers united to fulfill the Great Commission, i.e., evangelizing, baptizing, and teaching (Matthew 28:19,20).

About the Lord's Second Coming: We believe in the imminent, pre-millennial, pre-tribulational, and bodily (Acts 1:11) return of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24: 42,44) at which time the true Church will meet Him in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18).

About the Ordinances: The Church has two ordinances: Baptism and the Lord's Supper.

1. Baptism
Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost with the authority of the local church. It is a picture designed to show our identification with the crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its effect our death to sin and resurrection to a new life (Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 6:4,5).

2. The Lord's Supper
The Lord's Supper is that of a memorial table, picturing the broken body and the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Its observance points backward to the crucified Lord on Calvary and forward to the returning Lord in glory. In order to participate in the Lord's Supper, one must be saved, baptized, and a member of this local church. It should only be observed by those who are living for God and have judged themselves. It is an ordinance given to the local church and not to individuals; therefore, it should only be observed by that local church and not individuals (I Corinthians 11:23-29; Matthew 26:26-29).