WHAT WE BELIEVE
The Bible
We believe that the final authority is the Bible, the supreme standard by which all human creeds and confessions will be assessed. The Bible is made up of 66 books, the Old and New Testament alone. We believe that every word was inspired by God through human authors so that the Bible, as originally given, is, in its entirety, the Word of God, without error and fully reliable. The Bible is not the Word of God only subjectively, but objectively as well. We believe that the Jesus of history is the same Jesus of the Bible, the Christ of our faith. The Bible is clearly understandable in its main teaching. It is to be, not simply the nominal rule of the Church, but the actual message of our lips and the practice of our lives.
God
We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God. We believe God has revealed Himself to us in the Bible. God is the Almighty Creator, Savior, and Judge who sustains and governs all things according to His sovereign will for His own glory. God is infinitely holy, utterly loving, all-powerful, all-knowing, and worthy of all praise and worship. God is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal being. We believe God exists eternally in three distinct but equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Father - The Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving, and all-wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.
Son -The Son is begotten of the Father. At the incarnation the Son took on flesh. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. The Son perfectly revealed and did the will of God by taking upon human nature, with all its demands and necessities, and identifying Himself completely with mankind, all without sin. He honored the divine law by His personal obedience and, in His substitutionary death on the cross, He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. He was raised from the dead with a glorified body and appeared to His disciples as the person who was with them before His crucifixion. He ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One Mediator, fully God and fully man, in whose Person is effected the reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever-present Lord.
Holy Spirit - The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired holy men of old to write the Scriptures. Through illumination, He enables men to understand truth. He exalts Christ. He convicts men of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He calls men to the Savior and effects regeneration. At the moment of regeneration, He baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He seals the believer unto the day of final redemption. His presence in a Christian is the guarantee that God will bring the believer into the fullness of the stature of Christ. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service.
Salvation
We believe that God is sovereign in salvation and this salvation is worked out in a way consistent with free choice. Salvation involves the redemption of the whole person and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. In its broadest sense, salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord. Salvation is by faith, by the work of Christ, by grace, and to the glory of God.
We believe that REGENERATION, or the new birth, is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart affected by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace. Repentance is a genuine turning from sin and toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire personality to Him as Lord and Savior.
We believe that JUSTIFICATION is God's gracious and full acquittal upon principles of His righteousness of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ. Justification brings the believer into a relationship of peace and favor with God.
We believe that SANCTIFICATION is the process by which, according to the will of God, we are made partakers of His holiness. It is a progressive work begun in regeneration and is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the Sealer and Comforter, in the continual use of the appointed means - especially the Word of God, self-examination, watchfulness, mutual encouragement, corporate worship, praise, and prayer
We believe that GLORIFICATION is the culmination of salvation and is the final state of the redeemed. Jesus' resurrection and defeat over sin and death grants all believers hope of eternal life. We believe that only those who are true believers endure faithfully unto the end. This persevering relationship to Christ is the grand mark which distinguishes their profession from superficial professions of faith. God, in His providence, watches over their welfare and they are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation.
Mankind
We believe that God created man and woman in His image. All people are important to God and have equal dignity and worth. As a result of sin, every aspect of human nature has been corrupted and all men and women are unrighteous and without spiritual life. Everyone is, therefore, under just condemnation to eternal ruin without defense or excuse and needs to be born again, forgiven, and reconciled to God in order to know and please Him.
Sexuality
God created Adam and Eve, the first human beings, in his own image, equal before God as persons, and distinct as male and female. The divinely ordained differences between male and female reflect God’s original creation design and are meant for human good and human flourishing. God has designed marriage to be a covenantal, sexual, procreative, lifelong union of one man and one woman, as husband and wife, and is meant to signify the covenant love between Christ and His bride the church.
The Church
We believe that the church is the body of which Christ is the head and to which all who are saved belong. It is made visible in local churches, which are congregations of believers who come together with each other for the worship of God, the preaching of His Word, administering of baptism, the Lord’s Supper, pastoral care, discipline, and evangelism. The unity of the body of Christ is expressed within and between Gospel churches by mutual love, care, and encouragement.
The Great Commission
We believe that the duty of all Christians is to demonstrate and declare the Gospel message leading others to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. Christians must be intentional and work to spread the Gospel message within their own sphere of influence and to the ends of the earth through missionary endeavors.
In order to accomplish the great commission we choose to partner with organizations who share the same beliefs we have and emphasize Church Planting.
The Future
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will return in glory. He will raise the dead and judge the world in righteousness. The wicked will be sent to eternal punishment and the righteous will be welcomed into a life of eternal joy in fellowship with God in the new creation. God will make all things new and will be glorified forever.
