What We Believe
The Scriptures
The Bible is God’s written communication to all people. It is inspired by the Holy Spirit in its entirety and is not merely a person’s opinion. Having been inspired by God, the Bible is reliable and authoritative. It is to be considered the complete and final authority for all matters of Christian doctrine and practice. We preach it. We teach it. We urge every member of the church to read it, study it, memorize it, meditate on it and most of all to obey it. (Psalm 119:9, 105; Matthew 4:4; ; 1 Corinthians 2:10-16; 2 Timothy 3:16; 1 John 2:27).
The Father
The one and only true God reveals Himself in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. The Father, as the first person of the Trinity, is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and is the Father of all who trust in the Lord Jesus. He is also the Father of all creation. (Genesis 1:1; Malachi 2:10; Psalm 139:7-12; John 1:12, 3:16, 4:24; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 5:1; Hebrews 4:13-27; 1 John 4:8)
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, is fully God and fully human. He was born of a virgin, yet He existed from all eternity with God the Father. Jesus was sent by His Father to die a substitutionary death for everyone’s sin and thus become the means by which people could enter into an eternal relationship with the Holy God. Through His resurrection from the dead He demonstrated His power over sin and death. (Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:14-15, 5:18, 10:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:3, 2:14-17; 1 Peter 3:18)
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, is fully God. It is the Holy Spirit Who is active in convicting sinners of their need for Christ. He guides the Christian into all truth, comforts, teaches and intercedes in prayer. (John 3:5-8, 14:17, 18, 16:5-8, 13; Acts 4:8, 31; Romans 8:14, 26-27, 2 Corinthians 1:21-22; Galations 5:16-18; Ephesians 4:30)
Salvation
Salvation is God’s work on behalf of people to rescue them from sin, making possible eternal life. This salvation is granted by God to all those who place their faith in Jesus Christ, accepting His sacrificial death on the cross as their own right standing with God. Salvation is granted by faith alone. Religious or moral good works are not a means of earning or adding to salvation, One who has been born of God need not fear death, for eternal life is God’s personal promise. (John 3:16, 5:24, 14:6; Romans 5:1, 8:1; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7; 1 John 5:11-13)
Human Beings
People are the unique creation of God, bearing His image and likeness and have been given stewardship over all of God’s earthly creation. A tendency toward sin is part of every person’s nature. Sin is any lack of conformity to God’s perfection. (Genesis 1:26-28; Isaiah 55:8-9; Romans 3:23, 5:19, 7:14-25; Ephesians 2:1-3; James 1:21)
The Future
Jesus Christ will return to this Earth personally, visibly, suddenly and unexpectedly, at a time known only to the Father. Upon His return, He will raise the dead in Christ and gather all His people to meet Him in the air and to enjoy His presence forever. (Acts 1:11; Matthew 24:42-51; 1 Corinthians 15:23-28, 42-58; 1 John 3:2-31; Revelation 19:20-21, 20:10-15, 21:3, 10)
Baptism
Baptism is a symbol of the believer’s sharing in the death, burial and resurrection of Christ and is a pledge which publicly identifies the believer with Christ. In accordance with New Testament practice, we baptize only those who have already made a profession of faith in Jesus Christ. We baptize by immersion, which not only agrees with the meaning of the word, but also with the symbolic meaning of baptism. (Romans 6:3-4; 1 Peter 3:21; Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41)
