STATEMENT of DOCTRINE

We adopt the following basic doctrines contained in the Holy Scriptures:

1.     The Holy Scriptures

We believe the Holy Scriptures to be the inspired Word of God, authoritative, inerrant, and God-breathed, II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 5:18; John 16:12-13. We take a literal, historical, and grammatical interpretation of the Scriptures.

 2.     The Godhead

We believe in one Triune God, existing in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, eternal in being, identical in nature, equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections, Deuteronomy 6:4: II Corinthians 13:14.

3.     The Total Depravity of Man

We believe man was created perfect in the image and likeness of God, but when Adam sinned, the human race fell, man inherited a sinful nature, became alienated from God, and became totally unable to retrieve his perfect standing before God. The only hope for fallen man was for God to provide a solution which was for man to accept His gracious gift of eternal life by believing in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; Ephesians 2:12.

 4.     The Person and Work of Christ

We believe the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man, that He accomplished our redemption through His substitutionary, sacrificial spiritual death on the cross bearing our sins on His own perfect body, that our redemption is made sure to us by his literal physical resurrection from the dead, John 1:1-2, 14: Luke 1:35; Romans 3:24-25, 4:25; I Peter 1:3-5, and that He is now in Heaven, exalted at the right hand of God the Father where He functions as our High Priest, fulfilling the ministry of Representative, Intercessor and Advocate on our behalf, Hebrews 7:25, Heb. 9:24; Romans 8:34; I John 2:1-2.

 5.     The Personality and Work of the Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit is a Person who convicts the world of sin, indwells all believers in the present age, baptizes them into the body of Christ, seals them unto the day of redemption, and that it is the duty of every believer to be filled with the Holy Spirit and walk spiritually by His power, Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:13-14, 5:18.

 6.     Salvation

We believe salvation in every dispensation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ whose efficacious death on the cross provides man’s reconciliation to God. Salvation is faith alone in Christ alone, Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7.

 7.     The Eternal Security of Believers

We believe all believers are kept secure forever by the power of God, they will never be condemned by God, and will never lose their salvation, Romans 8:1; Romans 8:38-39; John 10:27-30;

I Corinthians 1:4-8; I Peter 1:5.

 8.     The Church

We believe the Church, which is now the body of Christ and shall be the Bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again believers of this age irrespective of their affiliation with Christian organizations, Ephesians 1:22-23; Eph 5:25-27; I Corinthians 12:12-14.

 9.     Satan

We believe Satan is the leader of the fallen angels and is the open and declared enemy of God and man, Job1:6-7; Matthew 4:2-11; Isiah 14:12-17. Believers are not to fear him and are commanded to resist him by being strong in their faith rather than going on the offensive against him, 1 Peter 5:9.

 10.  The Blessed Hope

We believe the next great even in the fulfillment of prophecy for the Church will be the coming of the Lord Jesus in the air to receive to Himself believers who are alive at His coming, otherwise known as the Pre-Tribulation Rapture and Translation of the Church, I Corinthians 15:51-57; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:11-14. He will be accompanied by the dead in Christ who will be the first to receive their resurrection bodies, then earthly believers will receive theirs to meet them in the clouds, and all will return to heaven together for the Judgment Seat of Christ.

 11.  The Tribulation

We believe the Rapture of the Church will be followed by the fulfillment of Israel’s seventieth week, the latter half of which is the time of Jacob’s trouble, the Great Tribulation, Daniel 9:27; Jeremiah 30:7; Matthew 24:15-21; Revelation 6:1-19, 21.

 12.  The Second Coming of Christ

We believe the Great Tribulation will be terminated by the literal, pre-millennial, return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth to reign over it for a thousand years, Zechariah 14:4-11; Matthew 24:15-25, 46; II Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 20:6.

 13.  The Eternal State

We believe those believers who have died remain in heaven with Christ until they receive their resurrection bodies at the Rapture and will continue to be associated with Jesus Christ forever in glory; but the souls of unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery until the final judgment of the Great White Throne at the close of the Millennium where they will be judged according to their works then cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, Luke 16:19-26; 23:43; Philippians 1:23; II Corinthians 5:8; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Jude, verses 6-7; Revelation 20:11-15. God will then create a new heaven and a new earth, Rev. 21:1.

 14.  The Responsibility of Believers

To “Grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ”, to give the gospel to unbelievers, to produce good works or divine good, and to be good and faithful servants which is consistent with the Lord’s plan for us that will ultimately bring both blessing to us and honor to the Lord, Matthew 25:3; Ephesians 2:10; II Peter 3:18.

 15.  Church Ordinances

We believe the Lord Jesus Christ instituted the Lord’s Supper for us to observe until His return as a means of remembering who He is and what He accomplished on our behalf, Matthew 28:19-20; I Corinthians 11:23-26.

 16.  Sovereignty

We believe that God, existing as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit is sovereign, and exercises supreme and absolute rule over all creation as part of and consistent with His essence and other attributes of His deity without superceding or compromising them, Daniel 4:35; I Chronicles 29:11-12; Psalm 24:1; Ephesians 1:11; I Timothy 6:15.

 17.  Spirituality

We believe spirituality is an absolute condition distinct from maturity in the life of a believer in this dispensation wherein he is filled and influenced by the Holy Spirit and walks in love and fellowship with the Lord. We believe a believer becomes carnal through any act of mental, verbal, or overt sin, and that spirituality or fellowship with Christ is restored solely by personal confession of that sin to God the Father, John 15:7,8; II Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:16; Ephesians 5:18; Romans 6:11-13; I John 1:9; I John 2:2; I Corinthians 11:30,31.

 18.  Spiritual Gifts

We believe God the Holy Spirit in grace and apart from human merit sovereignly bestows spiritual gifts to believers in this dispensation. Some of the permanent spiritual gifts that exist today are pastor-teacher, evangelist, administration, and helps. We further believe the temporary gifts ceased with the completion of the Canon of Scripture which included Apostleship, Prophecy, Speaking in Tongues, Interpreting Tongues, Healing & Working Miracles, I Corinthians 12, 13; Ephesians 4:7-12; Romans 12:4-8. Any member allegedly practicing these temporary gifts will be subject to immediate dismissal.