What We Believe

We believe and teach that there is but one true and living God, Creator of all things visible and invisible, eternally existing in three persons—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three equally divine persons, constituting the Godhead, have precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections, and are equally worthy of the same exaltation and obedience.

Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7; Mark 12:29; 1 Corinthians 8:4; Genesis 1:1-3; Nehemiah 9:6; John 1:1; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 1:2; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14 [or v. 13 in some translations].

We believe and teach that God has spoken in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, comprised of 66 books. God so superintended the writing of these books that the human authors, without suppressing their own experience, personality, methods, and style, were moved along by the Holy Spirit to record the very words of Scripture, which in all parts—historical, poetical, didactic, and prophetical—and in every word is the inspired Word of God and without error in the original manuscripts.  These same Scriptures center on the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ as seen in His first and second comings. Hence, when the Scriptures are read in light of God’s redemptive meta narrative, they always lead us to Him.  We also believe and teach that the Bible is the only authoritative source of God’s special revelation that is sufficient for salvation and practical instruction.  It is, therefore, deserving of belief in everything it teaches, obedience in everything it requires, and trust in everything it promises.

Mark 12:26; 12:36; 13:11; Acts 1:16; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21; Luke 24:27; Luke 24:44; John 5:39; Acts 1:16; 17:2-3; 26:22-23; 28:23; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; James 1:22; Hebrews 12:1.

We believe and teach that man, both male and female, was originally created in the image and after the likeness of God  to live in relational harmony with God and one another, but fell from that lofty estate by their willful disobedience against God.  Adam’s sin resulted in death for all men, because all sinned, and condemnation for all men.  Every person born of Adam’s race is born spiritually dead and naturally inclined toward the course of this world, the influence of Satan, and the desires of their flesh.  Apart from God’s grace all humans are totally depraved and subjects of God’s wrath and judgment.  The only hope for mankind to find freedom from his estate and obtain spiritual life and salvation is through the Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

Genesis 1:26-27;  Genesis 3:6-19; Romans 5:12, 18-19; Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 3:9-18;23; Jeremiah 17:9; John 3:36; Romans 1:18-32; 2:12-16;  Acts 4:12; 10:43.

We believe and teach that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God and Second Person of the Trinity, became incarnate. He is fully God and fully man, having two distinct natures in one unique person. He was the promised Messiah and Lord Who was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life and was crucified under Pontius Pilate. He died as a penal substitutionary atonement, arose bodily from the dead, and ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.

John 1:14, 18; Philippians 2:5-8; Romans 1:1-5; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:35;  Hebrews 4:15; 7:26; John 10:15; Romans 3:24-25; 5:8; 1 Peter 2:24; Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:38-39; 1 Corinthians 15:1-5; Acts 2:33; Ephesians 1:20; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 1:3; 7:25; 9:24; 1 John 2:1; Acts 10:42; Romans 14:9; 1 Peter 4:5.

We believe and teach that salvation is God’s gift received by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. The achievement of this salvation is owed to the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is He Who died as a substitute for sinners to satisfy God’s wrath and bear sin’s penalty so that God might impute the righteous life of Christ to, forgive the sin of, and grant eternal life to the sinner by faith.  The gift of salvation is applied by the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit, by which a new nature is imparted from above, and a new life is implanted through the Word, resulting in a new status as a child of God. We believe and teach that, owing nothing to human merit or good works, the sinner is converted by repentance from sin and faith in the Lord Jesus, thus responding to the outward call of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:24-25; Isaiah 53:6, 12; Romans 3:23-25; 1 Corinthians 1:30-31; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:13; Romans 5:6-9; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Romans 5:1; Matthew 26:28; Ephesians 1:7; John 3:16; 5:24; 1 John 4:17; 5:11-12; John 3:3-7; 2 Corinthians 5:17; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23; John 1:12; Ephesians 2:8-9; 2 Timothy 1:9-10; Titus 3:5; Mark 1:15; Acts 2:21; 20:21; Matthew 11:28-30; Acts 17:30; Romans 10:15-17.

We believe and teach that the true church constitutes all the redeemed in Christ, who are united by the Holy Spirit to the body of Christ, of which Christ is its head, and are called the bride of Christ, of which Christ is her beloved.  

We believe and teach that the true church, while being one, holy, universal, and apostolic church,  is localized in various expressions, each of which is ideally composed only of the redeemed in Christ.  The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances for the local church— baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is a believer’s response of obedience to the command to be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  The act of baptism represents the spiritual change that has occurred in a believer’s life, namely, that they have died to sin and been raised to walk in newness of life.  The Lord’s Supper is a re-occurring remembrance of the Lord’s death until He comes.  The bread as His body and the cup as His blood remind believers of the sacrificial death of the Lord Jesus, Whose shed blood brought about the new covenant.  The local church must likewise uphold the centrality of the Word of God in its preaching, teaching, reading, and praying.

We believe and teach that the local church is to be ordered under the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ, with properly appointed and qualified leadership that leads a clearly defined church membership, so that the church may reflect God Who is a God of order.  Among its responsibilities, the leadership must equip all members for the work of the ministry; for every member is gifted by the Holy Spirit to build up the body of Christ, so that every member may be presented to Christ as mature.  

We believe and teach that the local church is to emphasize discipleship  and the diligent keeping of the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, rising above preferences and differences, loving one another with a pure heart fervently, and protecting its holiness through mutual accountability and church discipline . The church is assured by her Lord that He will, as He so unequivocally promised, build his church.

1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 1:22; 4:15; Colossians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:25-32; Revelation 19:7-8;  Ephesians 4:1-6; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Galatians 3:26-29; Ephesians 2:19-22; Acts 14:23, 27; 20:17, 28; 1 Corinthians 11:18-20; Galatians 1:2; Philippians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1; Hebrews 10:25; Matthew 13:24-30; 1 John 2:19; Acts 2:38; Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:4-6; 1 Corinthians 11:26;  Matthew 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-25; 2 Timothy 4:2; 1 Timothy 2:1; 4:13; Acts 2:42; Acts 20:28; 1 Timothy 3:1-10; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-5; Mark 10:42-45; 1 Timothy 5:17-22; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Corinthians 14:33;  Ephesians 4:7-12; Romans 12:5-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-31; 1 Peter 4:10-11; Colossians 1:28;  Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Timothy 2:2; Ephesians 4:1-6; Colossians 3:14-15; Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; Galatians 6:1; 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15; Matthew 16:18.

We believe and teach the soon, personal, bodily, and glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ as Judge and King at the final consummation of all things,  the universal resurrection of all humans—the righteous unto everlasting life, the wicked unto everlasting condemnation —the freeing of creation itself from bondage,  the new heavens and the new earth, wherein righteousness dwells,  and the eternal eradication of sin, death, and evil,  so that God might be all in all .

Psalm 110:1; Matthew 24:44; 25:13, 31; Mark 13:32-33; Luke 12:40; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; 10:42; 17:31; Romans 2:16; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; 5:2; Hebrews 9:28; 2 Peter 3:10; Revelation 1:7; 19:11, 16; 22:20; Ephesians 1:10, 20-21; Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; Acts 17:30-31; Romans 2:5; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; 2 Timothy 4:1; Hebrews 6:2; Revelation 20:11-15;  Romans 8:21; Isaiah 65:17; 66:22; Ephesians 5:5; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1, 27;  Psalm 110:1; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Hebrews 2:14; 1 John 3:8; Revelation 20:10, 14; 1 Corinthians 15:28.