Statement of Faith

1. The Scriptures
   The sole basis of our beliefs is the Bible – God's written Word – the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe that it was uniquely, verbally and fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, and that it is the supreme, final, and true authority for all matters of faith and conduct. II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:21; Hebrews 4:12/ 1:1; I Corinthians 2:13; John 10:35/ 17:17/ 6:63; Mark 13:31; Matthew 5:18; Psalm 119:89; Numbers 23:19; Titus 1:2-3.
2. The Godhead
   There is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are one God, having the same nature, attributes, and perfection; and each is involved in the work of creation, redemption, & the sovereign management of the universe and care of God's children. Genesis 1:1-2+26; John 1:1-2/ 14:16-17; Hebrews 1:1-3; Colossians 1:17; Psalm 104:30; Job 33:4; Isaiah 40:13-31/ 6:3; Acts 5:3-4; Matthew 28:19; I Corinthians 3:16; II Corinthians 13:14; Romans 8:9-11; I Peter 1:2; Titus 3:4-6.
3. God the Father
   God the Father is an infinite personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. He hears and answers prayer, and saves from sin and death all who come to Him through Jesus Christ. Revelation 1:8/ 15:3-4; Exodus 34:5-7; Psalm 16:7-8/ 99:8-9; Acts 17:24-31; Romans 11:32-36; Matthew 19:25-26; Luke 1:37; I John 4:7-10; I Peter 3:12.
4. God the Son
   Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin named Mary. He lived a sinless life and died on the cross – a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures. He arose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, and ascended into heaven, where, at the right hand of the Majesty on high, He is now our High Priest and Advocate. Romans 1:2-4; Colossians 2:9-10; I Timothy 2:3-7; Luke 24:31; John 1:1-5/ 17:1-7/ 20:24-29; Isaiah 7:14; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 1:2-13/ 2:7-18/ 4:14-5:10/ 7:24-28; I Peter 2:21-24; Acts 1:9-11/ 3:13-15; Matthew 1:18-21/ 5:17/ 28:5-7; I John 2:1-2/ 3:5; II Peter 1:16-18; Ephesians 1:19-23.
5. God the Holy Spirit
   The work of the Holy Spirit is to reveal and glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to men. He convicts and draws sinners to Christ, imparts new life to them, continually indwells them from the moment of spiritual birth, and seals them in Christ until the day of final redemption. He is the believer's helper, teacher and guide – enabling him to understand and apply the Scriptures; empowering him for godly living, service, and witness; seeking to occupy us with Christ and not ourselves or our experiences. John 15:26/ 16:7-15/ 14:16-17+25-27/ 6:63; Ephesians 1:13-14/ 3:16/ 4:30/ 5:17-20; Titus 3:4-7; Romans 8:6-17; Acts 2:37/ 4:29-33; Colossians 3:1-2; Luke 10:17+20.
6. Man
   Man was created in the image of God, after His likeness, but sinned by disobeying God and thus was alienated from his Creator. This historic fall brought sin into the world and, because all sinned, resulted in divine condemnation for all mankind. Genesis 1:26-27/ 3:1-24; Romans 5:12-15; I Corinthians 15:21-22; John 3:36. A sinner by nature and by choice, man is unable in his natural state to be pleasing to God, but rather is spiritually dead in sin. Personal reformation, ethical living, humanitarian or religious acts or ordinances can do nothing to meet the sinner's need for salvation and spiritual vitality. Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 8:7-8/ 10:2-3/ 3:23; Psalm 14:1-3; Isaiah 64:6-7; James 2:10.
7. Salvation – the Work of Christ
   God said, "the person who sins shall die," and "the wages of sin is death." However, Jesus Christ became the sinner's substitute before God, was made a curse for us, and voluntarily died on the cross – the just for the unjust – to secure our forgiveness. Being without sin, He became a perfect and sufficient sacrifice for sin, satisfying divine justice, and atoning for the sins of all mankind. Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 4:24-5:21/ 6:20-23; I Peter 2:24/ 3:18; John 1:29/ 10:10-11+18; Titus 3:4-7; Isaiah 53:2-12; Galatians 3:13-14; I John 3:4-5/ 4:1-10/ 2:1-6; Hebrews 5:8-10/ 7:26-28/ 9:14-15; II Corinthians 5:21; Colossians 2:11-15. No repentance, good works, religious acts nor practices can add to the value of the precious shed blood of Christ or the merit of the finished work wrought for us by Him – who tasted death for every man. His victory over sin and death was completed by His resurrection from the dead. Thereby He proved that He is truly Lord and Saviour. Hebrews 10:9-22/ 2:9-10; I Peter 1:2-12+18-21; II Timothy 1:9-10; Romans 1:4/ 5:8-9; Revelation 1:5-6; I Corinthians 15:17-22.
8. Salvation – the Response of Man
   The salvation of man is wholly a work of God's grace and is not the result, in whole or in part, of human merit – moral or religious. God credits His righteousness to only those who repent and put their faith in Jesus Christ alone for their salvation, and thereby declares them righteous in His sight. At the moment we receive Jesus Christ into our hearts by faith, we pass from death into life, being born of the Spirit into His eternal family. Matthew 4:17; Romans 5:1-6/ 3:21-28/ 8:1/ 10:6-11; Ephesians 2:4-10/ 3:17/ 1:13; Philippians 3:9-11; Acts 4:12; John 1:12-13/ 3:5-8+13-17/ 5:23-25/ 6:63; Revelation 3:20; Galatians 5:26.
9. The Church
   The Church is the universal Body of Christ – all true, regenerated believers in Jesus Christ. The visible or local church is a congregation of believers associated for worship, prayer, fellowship, breaking of bread, mutual encouragement, discipleship, service, and evangelism. Every true church is under the headship of Christ, follows the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and is God’s chosen instrument for the transforming of nations. Ephesians 4:4-6/ 1:20-23/ 3:20-21; I Corinthians 3:16-17/ 12:12-27; Acts 2:42-47/ 1:8/ 13:2-4; Colossians 1:18-22; I Thessalonians 5:11.
10. The Ordinances
    Baptism and the Lord's Supper are the two ordinances instituted by the Lord Jesus to be continued in His Church. They are not to be regarded as a means of salvation or to obtain special merit, but are observed as an act of obedience, worship, and love. Matthew 28:19-20/ 3:13+15; I Corinthians 11:23-25/ 1:17; Acts 16:30-34/ 8:36-38; Luke 17:10; Ephesians 4:4-6; Psalm 40:8. In water baptism, one personally and publicly identifies himself with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection, and signifies his union with Christ. Baptism also symbolizes the washing away of sins. Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12; Galatians 3:26-27; Acts 2:38-42/ 22:16. In the Lord's Supper we commemorate and proclaim the death of the Lord Jesus in symbolic manner through the bread and the cup. It is a perpetual remembrance of His sacrifice for us, the offering of His body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins, and His establishing of the New Covenant and His Church. Only believers should partake in it. Matthew 26:26-28; Luke 22:19-20; I Corinthians 11:27-29/ 10:16-17; Hebrews 10:8-14/ 9:13-20.
11. The Believer's Life
    Every believer is called to live a holy life and to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to love and worship God, to live according to His will, to please Him in all respects, and to bear much fruit for His glory. To enable him to do this, every believer has been given the indwelling Holy Spirit to guide and empower him, the Scriptures to instruct him, and the Church to encourage his growth in Christ. Through prayer, he has direct and continual access to God: for worship, for fellowship, for relationship development, for encouragement, for help in time of need, and for forgiveness & renewal when he fails. Deut 10:12-13; I Peter 1:13-16; Colossians 1:10; John 15:5-11/ 14:23-27/ 16:13-15; Acts 3:19; Ephesians 3:16-19/ 5:15-21; II Timothy 3:16-17; Psalm 119:105/ 138:3; Hebrews 4:14-16; I John 1:9; Galatians 5:13-16/ 22-26; Revelation 3:19-21; Titus 2:12/ 3:7-9. Because believers constitute one Body and are members one of another, they are called to maintain the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace. Romans 12:1-10+16-18; Ephesians 4:2-4; I Corinthians 12:25-26; John 15:12-17; I John 4:7-21; Galatians 6:1-2
12. Eternity with God
    Believers look forward to the "blessed hope," the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His Kingdom. They will receive a transformed and imperishable body – the old sin nature, called "the flesh," will be no more – and they will enjoy everlasting blessedness and joy with God and all the redeemed in heaven. Titus 2:13/ 3:7; Hebrews 9:28; Acts 1:9-11; Matthew 6:10; I Corinthians 15:22-29+35-57; Romans 8:18-25; Revelation 1:5-7/ 3:21/ 12:10-11/ 21:1-7+21-27/ 22:3-5; Philippians 3:20-21; I John 3:2; John 6:39-40; I Thessalonians 5:10; I Peter 1:13; II Peter 3:9-14.
13. Eternity without God
    The unbeliever has not responded to the light given him nor to the love shown to him by God. He has not embraced God's provision for his sins. Therefore, he will face judgment at the hands of a righteous and holy God, and eternal punishment away from the presence of the Lord. Romans 1:18-2:9; John 3: 36/ 5:29+37-42; Hebrews 10:29-31/ 12:27-29; Philippians 3:18-19; Matthew 13:47-50/ 25:41-46; II Thessalonians 1:6-9; Revelation 20:11-15/ 21:8.