Articles of Faith
1. Of the Scriptures
We believe that the Holy bible as originally written was verbally inspired and the product of Spirit-controlled men, and therefore has Truth without any admixture of error for its matter. We believe the Bible to be the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tried. 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21.
2. Of the True God
We believe there is one and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressively glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. Exodus 20:2-3; I Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11; I John 5:7.
3. Of Jesus Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. Luke 1:35; John 1:1,2,14; Isaiah 7:14.
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. Romans 3:24-25; Ephesians 1:7; I Peter 1:3-5, 2:24.
We believe that our 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 Intercessor and Advocate. Acts 1:9-11; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25, 9:24; I John 2:1-2.
4. Of the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person; equal with God the Father and God the Son, and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world, He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; that He bears witness to the Truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies and helps the believer. John 14:16-17; Matthew 28:19; Hebrews 9:14; John 14:26; Luke 1:35; Genesis 1:1-3; John 16: 8-11; Acts 5:30-32; John 3:5-6; Ephesians 1:4-14; Mark 1:8; John 1:33; Acts 11:16; Luke 24:29; Romans 8:14, 26-27.
We believe that the Holy Spirit equips believers for service by giving them spiritual gifts. Some gifts listed in the New Testament were sign gifts given temporarily during the infancy of the church and are no longer given or received today. Among the sign gifts were healing; speaking in tongues and working of miracles. Romans 12:1-8; I Corinthians 13-14; Ephesians 4:4-16; I Corinthians 12:I-8; Hebrews 2:4.
5. Of the Devil, or Satan
We believe in the personality of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age, and the ruler of all the powers of darkness, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. Matthew 4:1-3; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10.
6. Of the Creation
We accept the Genesis account of creation and believe that man came by direct creation of God and not by evolution. Genesis 1-2; Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:3.
In light of God’s creative design, we believe that the Bible teaches that marriage is the joining of one man and one woman and that sexual intimacy is to be expressed only within the bonds of a Bioblically defined marriage. Any other form of marriage or sexual intimacy is immoral and a perversion of God’s gracious will. Genesis 2:18, 24, 25; Matthew 19:4-6; Romans 1:24-29; 7:2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-20; 7:1-5; Ephesians 5:22-33; Hebrews 13:4.
7. Of the Fall of Man
We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not only by constraint, but of choice; and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse. Genesis 3:1-6; 24; Romans 5:10-19; Romans 1:18, 32.
8. Of Salvation
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace; through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was a voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the Just dying for the unjust; Christ, the lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; that having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in Heaven, and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection. He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate and an all-sufficient Savior. Ephesians 2:8; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24-25; John 3:16; Matthew 18:11; Philippians 2:7; Hebrews 2:14; Isaiah 53:4-7; John 4:10; I Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21.
9. Of Grace and the New Birth
We believe that in order to be saved, a sinner must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, solely be the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine Truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel; that proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith, and newness of life. John 3:3; I Corinthians 5:7; I John 5:1; John 3:6-8; Acts 16:30-33; 2 Peter 1:4; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1; 2 Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 2:13.
10. Of Justification
We believe that the great Gospel blessing which Christ secured to such as believe in Him is Justification.
a. That Justification includes the pardon of sin and the gift of eternal life, on principles of righteousness.
b. That it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood, His righteousness is imputed to us. Acts 13:39; Isaiah 53:33; Zechariah 13:1; Romans 8:1; 5:1,9.
11. Of Faith and Salvation
We believe that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation. Acts 16:31.
12. Of the Local Church
We believe that the local Church is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws and exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers are pastors and deacons, whose qualifications, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe the mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity. We hold that the local Church has the absolute right of self-government free from the interference of any hierarchy or individuals or organizations and that the one and only superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is Scriptural for true Churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; that each local Church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; on all matters of membership, of polity, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local Church is final. Acts 2:41-42; I Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 4:11; Acts 20:17-18; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23-24; Acts 15:13-18.
13. Of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper
We believe that Christian Baptism is the single immersion of a believer in water to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin, and resurrection to a new life, that it is prerequisite to the privileges of a Church relation. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of His death until He comes, and should be preceded by solemn self-examination. Acts 8:26-29; John 3:23; Romans 6:3-5; Matthew 3:16; Colossians 2:12; I Corinthians 11:23-28.
14. Of the Security of the Saints
We believe that all who are truly born again, are kept by God the Father for Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6; John 10:28-29; Romans 8:35-39; Jude 1.
15. Of the Righteous and Wicked
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and sanctified by the Spirit of our God and truly righteous in His esteem; while are such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse; and this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved and everlasting conscious suffering of the lost. Malachi 3:18; Genesis 18:23; Romans 6:17-18; I John 5:19; Romans 7:16; 6:23; Proverbs 14:32; Luke 6:25; Matthew 25:34-41; John 8:21.
16. Of Future Events
We believe in the pretribulational rapture of the Church, an event which can occur at any moment, and that at that moment the dead in Christ shall be raised in glorified bodies, and the living in Christ shall be given glorified bodies without tasting death, and all shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air before the seven years of the Tribulation. I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:42-44, 51-54; Philippians 3:20; Revelation 3:10.
We believe that the Tribulation, which follows the Rapture, will be culminated by the second coming of Christ in power and great glory to sit upon the throne of David and to establish the millennial kingdom. Daniel 9:25-27; Matthew 24:29-31; Luke 1:30-33; Isaiah 9:6,7; 11:1-9; Acts 2:29-30; Revelation 20:1-4, 6.
17. Of Civil Government
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed, except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Lord of the conscience, and coming Prince of the kings of the earth. Romans 13:1-7; 2 Samuel 23:3; Exodus 18:21-22; Acts 23:5; Matthew 22:21; Acts 5:20; 4:I9-20; Daniel 3:17-18.