What We Believe

  • The Bible is the Word of God.
  • There is one true God who exists in 3 Persons: God the Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.
  • God created all things for His glory.
  • Men and women were originally created in the image of God.
  • Man rebelled against God, causing sin and death to enter the world.
  • All humans are born completely sinful.
  • Jesus Christ came to earth to reveal God and redeem sinful man.
  • Salvation is from God’s grace alone, through Christ’s blood alone, by the Holy Spirit’s work alone.
  • At conversion, the Holy Spirit indwells believers and gives spiritual gifts to them for the glory of God.
  • The Church is the community of Christians for all time who have been loved and saved by Jesus to serve Him by making disciples of all nations.
  • Jesus is returning soon to establish His Kingdom on earth.
  • Heaven is the eternal reality for those surrender to Christ; Hell is the eternal reality for those who reject Christ.

 

THE SCRIPTURES

We believe the Bible to be the inspired and infallible Word of God. The 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament are the final authority for all Christian living, doctrine, preaching, and teaching. The Bible is God’s revelation about Himself, the sinfulness of man, and salvation through Jesus Christ. Being given by God, the Bible is both fully and verbally inspired by Him and inerrant in the original writings. The Scriptures should be read and studied by believers, both privately and corporately, in order to fully mature in the grace and knowledge of God.
(2 Timothy 3:14-16, 2 Peter 1:20-21)

THE GODHEAD

There is one true and living God; He is infinite, eternal, almighty and perfect in holiness, truth, and love. In the unity of the Godhead, there are three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, co-existent, co-equal and co-eternal. One Triune God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – is the foundation of Christian faith, doctrine, and life.
(Deuteronomy 6:4, Ephesians 4:4-6, 2 Corinthians 13:14)

THE PERSON AND WORK OF JESUS CHRIST

Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God, is the eternal Word made flesh, supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He is perfect in nature, teaching and obedience. He is fully God and fully man. He is the only Savior for the sins of the world, having shed His blood in a vicarious death on Calvary’s cross. On the cross He displayed the love of God and satisfied the wrath of God. Having provided atonement for sinners, He rose bodily from the grave on the third day and ascended into Heaven to the right hand of God the Father 40 days later, where He now intercedes for His people and rules as Lord over all. He is the Head of His body, the church, and should be adored, loved, served and obeyed by all.
(John 1:1-2, Colossians 1:15-20, Isaiah 53:1-12, 1 John 2:2, Romans 5:6-11)

THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of life, convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. Through the proclamation of the gospel, He convicts and calls men to repent of their sins, believe the Gospel, and confess Jesus Christ as Lord. He regenerates the human heart and indwells every believer, guiding them in all truth. He leads the Church into a right understanding and rich application of the truth of God’s Word. His ultimate work is to glorify Jesus Christ. He is to be respected, honored and worshiped as God, the Third Person of the Trinity.
(John 14:16-17, 16:7-11, Ephesians 1:13-14, Ezekiel 36:25-27, 1 Corinthians 12:7-11)

MAN

God made man – male and female – in His own image. Tempted by Satan, man rebelled against God. This rebellion brought sin into the world; as a result, all humans are born sinful. Sin affects every part of a person: soul, mind, emotions, and body. Without the drawing and conviction of the Holy Spirit, a person will remain in his or her sinfulness. Salvation is only possible when a person, by the conviction of the Spirit, repents of sin, believes the Gospel, and confesses Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
(Genesis 3:1-19, 6:5, Romans 3:9-18, 5:12-14)

THE GOSPEL

Jesus Christ is the Gospel. The good news is revealed in Christ’s birth, life, death, resurrection and ascension. Christ’s death is the heart of the Gospel, His resurrection the power of the gospel, and His ascension the glory of the gospel. Christ went to the cross in the place of the sinful believer and died in our place for our sin. Christ’s death satisfies the demands of God’s holy justice, appeases His holy wrath, demonstrates His mysterious love, and reveals His amazing grace. Salvation is found for sinful humanity in no one else but Jesus Christ.  The Church’s responsibility is to sincerely preach this Gospel to all men in all nations in the power of the Holy Spirit for the glory of God.
(1 Corinthians 15:1-6, John 3:14-17, Romans 3:21-26)

MAN’S RESPONSE TO THE GOSPEL

God’s salvation, by way of Jesus Christ, is only effectual to those who genuinely repent of their sins and by God’s grace, put saving faith in Christ. Repentance is turning from sinful self-government, and faith is turning to Jesus Christ, surrendering to His Lordship. While neither repentance or faith save, they are God’s commanded conditions and response for men to be saved.  Biblical repentance is characterized by a changed life, and saving faith is evidenced by a growth in the grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ, a love for God, and the assurance of salvation by the witness of the Holy Spirit.
(Mark 1:14-15, John 3:18-21, Acts 17:30-31, 26:19-20)

SANCTIFICATION

The Holy Spirit abides in every true believer in Christ to mold them into the image of Christ. The sanctification process takes place by the Spirit’s leading and the believer’s obedience. As we are taught and led by the Spirit, we grow in the knowledge of the Lord, obeying His commandments and endeavoring to be salt and light in the world that all people may see His work in us and glorify our Father who is in Heaven. By the promise of the Holy Spirit and His work in every believer, we know that we are eternally secure, for the Lord will sustain and finish His work in us.
(1 Thessalonians 4:1-8, 5:23-24, Romans 8:29, Philippians 1:6, Titus 2:11-15)

EMPOWERED BY THE SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit empowers believers for Christian witness and service. The Spirit’s power is freely available to all who believe in Jesus Christ, thereby enabling them to be used effectively for the kingdom of God in ministry and mission. The Holy Spirit desires to continually control and fill each believer with His power to be a witness for Christ, and He imparts His supernatural gifts for the edification of the Body and the work of ministry throughout the world.
(Acts 1:8, Luke 24:48, 1 Corinthians 2:1-5, 2 Timothy 1:6-7, Ephesians 5:18)

THE CHURCH

God, by His Word and Spirit, creates the Church, calling sinful men out of the whole human race into the fellowship of Christ’s Body. By the same Word and Spirit, He guides and preserves that new redeemed humanity. The Church is not a religious institution or denomination but rather made up of those who have become genuine followers of Jesus Christ and have personally appropriated the Gospel. The Church exists to worship and glorify God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit and to serve Him by faithfully doing His will in the earth. All members of the Church universal are to be vitally connected and committed to a local church. In this context, they are to live in this present world as the people of God, demonstrating the reality of the kingdom of God, manifesting the purity of the life of God, and living solely for the glory of God . Believers are to use the gifts the Holy Spirit has given in order to build up the church and preach the Gospel, ministering and making disciples throughout the world.
(Colossians 1:18, Ephesians 1:22-23, Acts 2:42-47, 1 Peter 2:9-10, Matthew 28:18-20)