What We Believe
Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. Jude 1:3
Here is what we believe concerning the Bible, God, Creation, Man, Sin, Salvation:
A. Bible:
We believe that the Bible as originally written is the inspired Word of God. We believe in the plenary or full inspiration of the scriptures, that the Bible in its entirety is equally and fully inspired. It is infallible and inerrant. We believe in the verbal inspiration of scripture, understanding that God Himself chose even the individual words that should be used in the original manuscripts. We believe that God has preserved His Word through accurate copies and translations, and that no version is inspired except to the degree that it conforms to the original meaning of the original manuscripts. Recognizing its accuracy and general acceptance, the King James Version will be the English translation used in our ministries.
We believe the Bible reveals the principles by which God will judge us. It is the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, opinions, and Christian fellowship should be tried.
(Psalms 19:7-11; 119:89, 105; Isaiah 8:20; Mark 13:31; John 12:47-50;
John 17:17; II Timothy 3:15-17; II Peter 1:20, 21)
B. God:
1. The Trinity - We believe in the Triune nature of God; that there is but one God existing in three Persons - Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - who are co-eternal and co-equal. (Deuteronomy 6:4;
John 16:7-15; II Corinthians 13:14; I John 5:1-8)
2. The Father - We believe that God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, is the Heavenly Father of all who have come to a saving knowledge of His only begotten Son. (John 1:14; 20:17; I Peter 1:3-5)
3. The Son, Jesus Christ -
a. His Identity - We believe that Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God, Who exists eternally with the Father; that He is the Saviour Whom the Father sent into the world to redeem the world. (John 1:1-34; 3:16)
b. His Incarnation - We believe that He took upon Himself flesh and dwelt among men here on this earth; that He was at one and the same time both God and Man. (John 1:14;Philippians 2:5-7)
c. His Virgin Birth - We believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin; that she had known no man prior to His birth. We believe that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in accord with Old Testament prophecy and is attested to in the New Testament. (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-23)
d. His Life - We believe that He lived a sinless life upon earth and that He conducted a miraculous ministry. He gave us an example of conduct and faith by which we should live. (John 2:11; II Corinthians 5:21)
e. His Death - We believe on Calvary that Jesus Christ died by crucifixion; that His death was a vicarious atonement for the sins of mankind. (Matthew 27:33-54; II Corinthians 15:3)
f. His Blood - We believe that His blood, shed in death at Calvary, is the atonement for the sins of man, and that it is sufficient to wash away the sins of every person. (Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:22; I John 1:7)
g. His Resurrection - We believe that He arose bodily from the tomb, and through His resurrection a sure hope of immortality and everlasting life is given to all who have been saved by His grace. (Luke 24:1-7; I Corinthians 15:4; Romans 4:25)
h. His Ascension - We believe that He ascended back into Heaven from whence He came and is now at the right hand of the Father, carrying on His ministry of intercession. (Luke 24:50, 51; Acts 2:31-33; Hebrews 7:25; 12:2; I John 2:1)
i. His Second Advent - We believe in the pretribulational, premillennial, personal, imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the air for all the dead and alive in Christ, our "Blessed Hope;" and that He will conclude the tribulation by returning to the earth with His saints to set up His millennial kingdom. (Isaiah 11; Matthew 24:29, 30; Luke 1:31-33; Acts 1:6, 7 I Thessalonians 4:16, 17; 5:9, 10; Jude 14; Revelation 19:11-16)
4. The Holy Spirit - We believe in the personality and deity of the Holy Spirit, that it is by His energy that sinners are brought under conviction of sin and are drawn to Christ for salvation, that through Him men are regenerated and sanctified, that by Him the saints are indwelt with the Divine Presence, and that by His endowment and enduement God's people are enabled to serve the Lord acceptably. We believe that His glory is in drawing attention and glory unto the Lord Jesus Christ and not unto Himself. We believe that He is the Divine Witness, Seal, Earnest, Anointing, Guide, Teacher, and Administrator. (John 14:26; 16:7-13; Acts 1:5, 8; 2:4; Romans 8:14-27; 15:16; I Corinthians 12:1--14:40; II Corinthians 1:21, 22; 3:6; Ephesians 1:13, 14; 4:30; 5:18; I John 2:20, 27)
C. Creation:
We believe that the entire universe was brought into existence by the; direct act of the great Triune God. (Genesis 1:1- -2:3; Jeremiah 10:12; John 1:1-3)D. Man:
We believe that man was created by God in His image, sinless and innocent, but that by disobedience to his Creator he incurred both physical and spiritual death; that all men through choice and aninherited evil nature are totally depraved, and if not saved after the day of accountability will endure eternal punishment in the lake of fire. (Genesis 1:26, 27; 2:7--3:24; II Samuel 12:23; Psalms 51:5;
Matthew 18:10-14; Romans 5:12; 6:23; 8:5-8; I Corinthians 15:45; Galatians 5:17; Revelation 20:14, 15)
E. Sin:
We believe that sin is the transgression of the law of God. We believe in the universality of sin; that it separates man from.God; that there is no remission of sin apart from the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God and man's Repentance. (Ezekiel 18:4; Luke 24:46, 47; Romans 3:10-26; 6:23; 7:23, 24; I John 3:4)F. Salvation:
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, a free gift of God in the Person of Jesus Christ; that salvation is received individually by a repentance from sin and a personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; that 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, He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by the shedding of His blood in death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins. He is in every way an all sufficient Saviour. (John 1:12; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Hebrews 9:24, 25; 10:19; 12:24; I Peter 1:18, Revelation 1:5)1. Regeneration - We believe that a man is born-again or regenerated instantaneously in salvation. He is made a new creation. He becomes a new person in Christ Jesus. (Ezekiel 11:19, 20; John 3:7; II Corinthians 5:17; Titus 3:5)
2. Sanctification - We believe in the positional sanctification of each believer in Christ at the time of salvation, and a practical sanctification which is progressive, depending upon the believer's appropriation of divine means. (John 17:17; I Corinthians 1:2, 30)
3. Glorification - We believe that the final state of the redeemed is glorification. This is an eternal bliss, forever with the Lord and in constant benefit of His person and His graces. (John 14:1-4; 17:24; I Corinthians 15:51-57; I Thessalonians 4:17)
Point A to Point F are all direct quotes from the Church Constitution, Articles of Faith.
Our Savior is a wonderful Savior. If you do not know the wonderful joy of having salvation from your sin, come to Jesus Christ today, the only One who can save you from sin and judgement:
Our Savior is a wonderful Savior. If you do not know the wonderful joy of having salvation from your sin, come to Jesus Christ today, the only One who can save you from sin and judgement:
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time. 1 Timothy 2:3-6
