Beliefs

How we believe, what we believe.

In essential beliefs, we have unity.

"There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call"

- Ephesians 4:4-6

In non-essential beliefs, we have liberty.

“As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions…Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand…So then each of us will give an account of himself to God…The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves.”

- Romans 14:1, 4, 12, 22

In all our beliefs, we show charity.

“And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.”

- 1 Corinthians 13:2

Beliefs

  • The Bible is made up of the 66 books of the Old (39 books) and New Testaments (27 books).
  • The Bible is the divine, ultimate authority for all action, attitude, and belief.
  • The Bible is the only trustworthy, authoritative, unchangeable, sufficient word of God, and it is without error.
    • Psalm 19:7-11; 2Timothy 3:15-17; 2 Peter 1:16-21
  • There is only one true God who is living, eternal, personal, ever-present, sovereign, and all-knowing.
  • God is perfect, holy, gracious, and unchangeable in every way.
  • God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things.
  • God exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (the Trinity). These persons are each distinct, eternal, the same in essence, and equal in power, authority, and glory.
    • God exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (the Trinity). These persons are each distinct, eternal, the same in essence, and equal in power, authority, and glory.
  • Jesus Christ is the only Son of God and the second Person of the Trinity.
  • He has existed eternally and was sent to earth to be supernaturally conceived and born without sin.
  • Jesus Christ is both completely man and completely God, who exists as one person with two distinct, united, and perfect natures.
  • Jesus Christ lived a sinless life, perfectly fulfilled the law, died on a cross as a sacrificial substitute in the place of all those who trust in Him, and literally rose from the dead on the third day.
    • Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 9:6-7; Matthew 1:18-25; John 1:1-18; John 8:48-59; John 10:3-38; Colossians 1:15-20; Colossians 2:9; Hebrews 1:1-4; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-5
  • The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity.
  • The Holy Spirit alone gives true understanding of the Bible.
  • The Holy Spirit gives faith and causes repentance to faith in Jesus. He empowers the lives of all believers, a seal of salvation.
  • The main purpose of the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Jesus and testify to the finished work of Jesus.
    • Ezekiel 36:26-31; Mark 13:11; John 3:5-8; John 3:34; John 3:15:26; John 16:7-15; Acts 4:8; Romans 8:5-17; Romans 8:26-27; Romans 8:12; 1 Corinthians 2:4; 1 Corinthians 2:9-16; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 3:18-20; 1 Corinthians 3:12; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 Timothy 4; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 3:23-24; John 5:7-8; John 5:18-20
  • God created man in His own image with knowledge, righteousness, and holiness with the sole purpose of glorifying God and enjoying life with Him forever.
  • Because of the sin of Adam all of mankind became separated from God, and humanity was punished.
  • Our spiritual condition is that everyone is born dead, enslaved to sin, and unwilling and incapable of coming to God.
  • Our purpose remains to glorify God and enjoy God forever despite our sin.
    • Genesis 1:1; Genesis 1:26-31; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Psalm 51:4; Romans 3:9-23; Romans 5:12; Romans 8:7; John 3:19; Ephesians 2:1-3; Titus 3:3; 2 Timothy 2:26
  • God in three Persons, being merciful and gracious, has eternally purposed to save a people for Himself from every tribe, tongue, and people group of the world.
  • The three persons of God are active together in the salvation of every believer whom God has chosen in eternity past.
  • Salvation is only in and through the Person and perfect work of Jesus Christ.
  • Salvation is by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, and in Christ alone. Man could never do anything to earn salvation, save ourselves, or be deserving of salvation.
    • Isaiah 53:4-11, John 6:44-45; John 14:6; Acts 2:36-41; Acts 4:12; Acts 10:34-43; Romans 3:9-30; Romans 5:1-11; 1 Corinthians 15:3-5; Ephesians 2:8-10
  • All people who are truly saved grow everyday in knowing and trusting God and becoming more holy like Jesus.
  • The gracious conviction by the Holy Spirit, confession to God, and continued faith in Jesus results in an ever-changing and growing lifestyle of repentance from sin and pursuit of holiness.
  • Sanctification is not merely understanding one’s salvation more, but willful actions on the part of a true Christian to conform their lives to the image of Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
    • John 7:17; Acts 2:36-47; Ephesians 5:26; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-15
  • All true Christians will persevere in their sanctification until they die or until Jesus returns.
  • This perseverance is empowered and motivated by the supernatural, unchangeable, and unstoppable preservation of God.
  • There is nothing that can separate them from God’s love if they have truly been effectively called and converted to Christ Jesus.
    • Philippians 1:6; I Thessalonians 5:14-24; Hebrews 12:1-3; Romans 8:28-39; John 6:39-40; John 10:28-30
  • The Church is the Body and Bride of Jesus Christ.
  • Every real, authentic follower of Christ who has ever lived is a part of The Church.
  • Being part of The Church means that each person should regularly participate in personal evangelism, corporate worship, Christian fellowship, discipleship (growing to be like Christ), and loving ministry in the local church.
  • A local church is a group of real, authentic Christ followers who are openly committed to Christ, each other, and the local body, under the authority, care, and leadership of called and qualified leaders.
    • Acts 2:38-47; Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12; Philippians 2:1-4; Colossians 3:12-15; Hebrews 10:19-25; 1 John 1:1-4
  • Baptism is one of two ordinances that the Lord Jesus Christ has given to His Church.
  • We believe that only true believers in Christ should be baptized—though not necessary for salvation—with water by immersion in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
  • It is a symbolic representation of Christ’s life, death, burial, and resurrection as what cleanses sinners from the consequences of sin.
  • Baptism is an open confession of personal faith in and identification with Christ as the only Lord and Savior.
    • Matthew 28:16-20; Luke 3:21-22; Acts 2:38-41; Acts 7:12; Acts 8:35-38; Romans 6:1-11;1 Corinthians 1:17
  • Jesus Christ personally instituted and has commanded His Church to continue receiving the Lord’s Supper as a Christian ordinance.
  • Eating and drinking the elements of the Lord’s Supper is to be an outward and active expression of faith in what they represent, namely the broken body and shed blood of Jesus for the complete forgiveness of sins.
  • Receiving this ordinance is to be both corporate (edifying other believers) and a means of worshiping our Savior.
    • Matthew 26:26-30; John 6; 1Corinthians 11:23-34
  • We believe that God teaches His church to discipline and correct those who are continually sinning unrepentantly by treating them as an unbelieving non-member.
  • This is done in order that the sinner might repent. Also, the pastors use it as a way to cleanse the body of sin and deter other sin.
  • The disciplined person should be forgiven and accepted back as a member if they genuinely turn to Christ for forgiveness and humbly come back asking for acceptance and forgiveness.
    • Matthew 18:10-35; 1Corinthians 5; 2 Corinthians 2:5-11
  • We believe marriage is a binding covenant created by God between one man and one woman for our holiness, for our joy, as a picture of the gospel to spread the glory of God.
  • According to the testimony of the entirety of God’s Word, the two grounds on which Scripture would allow a divorce are sexual immorality and desertion by an unbeliever.
  • God establishes that the only normative pattern of sexual relations is between a man and a woman.
    • Genesis 2:24; Malachi 2:16; Matthew 5:31-32, 19:5-9; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16, 25-35; Ephesians 5:22-33
  • Everyone has an eternal destiny that they will face. Death comes followed by judgment. There are no “second chances” after death.
  • Those who trust fully in Jesus Christ as the only Lord and Savior will spend all of eternity with God in the New Heaven and New Earth.
  • Those who do not put their full trust in Him alone will spend all of eternity suffering their just punishment in Hell without the grace and providential care of God.
  • Hell is not the absence of God, but the active presence of His wrath.
    • Matthew 25:29-35; Matthew 25:41-46; Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 20:11-15; Revelation 21:5-8
  • The Bible promises a real, bodily return of Jesus Christ to gather together His own and to judge those who do not trust in Him.
  • No human knows the day or hour of His return, but all should be prepared and ready for Him because His return is sure.
  • While preparing, it is important not to be divisive about the many different views of Christ’s return, but unite around essential Biblical teaching.
    • Matthew 24:27-31; Matthew 25:31-46; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:9-11; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10