What We Believe

We teach that the Bible, the Holy Scriptures, is God’s only and fully revealed will to man, and thus the 66 books of the Bible given to us by the Holy Spirit constitute the inspired Word of God.

We teach that the Word of God is absolutely inerrant and infallible in the original documents and that the manuscripts that we have today are the most numerous, most reliable, and most trustworthy of all ancient documents in existence.

We teach that God spoke in His written Word by a process of dual authorship. The Holy Spirit guided the human authors that, through their individual personalities and different styles of writing, they composed and recorded God’s Word to man without error in the whole or in the part.

(1 Cor. 2:7-14; 2 Pet. 1:20-21)(2 Pet. 1:20-21) (Matt, 5:18; 2 Tim. 3:16)

We teach that there is but One living and true God (Deut. 6:4Isaiah 45:5-71 Cor. 8:4), and that this Being is Spirit, eternal, infinite, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, omnibenevolent, holy, immutable, sovereign, self-sufficient, faithful, just, merciful, gracious, all-wise etc. He is perfect in all His attributes.

We teach that this One God exists in three co-equal and co-eternal distinct Persons—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (Matt. 28:192 Cor. 13:14) with each performing different roles throughout the biblical narratives and the life of the Christian.

God the Father

Jesus Christ

We believe in Jesus Christ, that He is God the Son (John 1:1,14), God’s "only begotten Son" (John 3:18, 3:16), fully God, fully man (Philippians 2:5-8. We believe in His virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14; Matt 1:23), sinless life (Heb 4:15; Heb 7:25), miracles and teachings (John 20:30,31; Acts 10:38), His substitutionary atoning death (2 Corinthians 5:21), bodily resurrection (John 20:27; Luke 24:36-39), ascension into heaven (Acts 1:9-11; Luke 24:51), perpetual intercession for His people as High Priest, Advocate (Hebrews 7:25;1 John 2:1), and Mediator (1 Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 8:6; 9:15). We believe in Christ’s personal, visible return to earth (Revelation 1:7).

The Holy Spirit

Heaven

Hell

We teach that man was directly and immediately created by God in His image and likeness. Man was created free of sin with a rational nature, intelligence, volition, self-determination, and moral responsibility to God (Genesis 2:7, 15-25; James 3:9).

We teach that God’s intention in the creation of man was that man should glorify God, enjoy God’s fellowship, live his life in the will of God, and by this accomplish God’s purpose for man in the world (Isaiah 43:7; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11).

We teach that in Adam’s sin of disobedience to the revealed will and Word of God, man lost his innocence, incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death, became subject to the wrath of God, and became inherently corrupt and utterly incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace. With no recuperative powers to enable him to recover himself, man is hopelessly lost. Man’s salvation is thereby wholly of God’s grace through the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-19; John 3:36; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 Timothy 2:13-14; 1 John 1:8).

We teach that, because all men were in Adam, a nature corrupted by Adam’s sin has been transmitted to all men of all ages, Jesus Christ being the only exception. All men are thus sinners by nature, by choice, and by divine declaration (Psalm 14:1-3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:9-18, 23; 5:10-12).

We teach that is impossible for man to save himself in any way because of sin and that it is only by the grace of God through faith, and not of works, that we can be saved.

We teach that God's grace was manifested and salvation intiated when Jesus Christ, the God-Man, offered Himself as the only perfect, sufficient, substitutionary sacrifice for all mankind and that God is drawing all who would come to accept Him as Lord and Savior.

We also teach that since God has fulfilled His part of the salvation process, we have a part to fulfill also by obeying His commands. As we study the conversion stories of the Book of Acts, we find five general principles of how a sinner becomes saved.

  1. Hear
    Faith comes as a result of hearing the good news of Jesus Christ, the Gospel, which is his death, burial, and resurrection.

  2. Believe
    God does not want a simple acknowledgement of his existence (even demons believe and tremble). Instead He wants us to have a trusting faith in who He is and diligently seek Him.

  3. Repent
    There was a time in the past when God overlooked certain flaws and sins of men but now He wants us all to repent and turn from our old sinful desires and habits and fully commit ourselves to serving and obeying Him and Him alone.

  4. Confess
    We confess the name of Jesus Christ as the Son of the living God in the presence of witnesses as a declaration of our faith.

  5. Be Baptized
    Baptism by immersion is an essential act that completes the salvation process. It is the means by which a sinner is forgiven by having his/her sins washed away. It is also a symbolic re-enactment of the the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

There is considerable religious confusion about baptism. Some teach that baptism isn't necessary, others teach that we are saved before we are baptized. We believe and teach that baptism is absolutely essential in order for one to be saved.

Note what the Scriptures say baptism does:

Baptism shows a good conscience toward God / The Apostle Peter clearly confirms, "baptism doth also now save us" 1 Peter 3.21.

Baptism washes away sins Acts 22.16

Baptism gives entry "into" Christ Romans 6.3; Galatians 3.27.

Jesus, our authority, made baptism necessary when he gave the command in Mark 16.16. In other words, our sins are not washed away, and we are not "in Christ" until we are baptized.

Since baptism is for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2.38), we are still in our sins (and lost) until we are baptized.

We should also realize that baptism is a burial or immersion--not sprinkling Romans 6.3-4 and baptism is for believers, not infants Mark 16.16.

Many folks say "we aren't saved by works!" Yet, is baptism a work? It is a work of God Colossians 2.12. Jesus says belief is a work too John 6.29. James says we must have faith plus works James 2.14-26, note verse 24. We are saved by the mercy and grace of God, but He demands we be baptized to wash away our sins. He does the work through His Son's blood if we follow His instructions.

We are a non-denominational church and are fully autonomous.

Minister/Evangelist

Elders

Deacons