The Scripture
The Godhead
We believe that God is infinite, self-existent Spirit: unchangeable in His nature, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, holy, righteous, good, love, and truth. That God existed eternally as three distinct, yet inseparable persons known as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are one as to their nature, essence, and attributes. The Godhead is the absolute and sole creator of the universe and their creation was by divine fiat, not through evolutionary process. Each of these divine members is equally worthy of worship, trust, and obedience. And each has a distinct function in the execution of the everlasting purpose of the Godhead.
(Genesis 1:1; Exodus 3:14; John 4:24; Hebrews 1:8-10; James 1:16; John 1:1; John 10:30; Matthew 28:18; Matthew 14:6-9; Ephesians 2:4; I John 4:8)
Jesus Christ and the Atonement
We believe that the second person of the Triune God is the Son whose name is the Lord Jesus Christ. In the incarnation, He became a man through the miracle of His divine conception and virgin birth without change in His deity. While on earth He lived a sinless life, died a substitutionary and propitiatory death for sinners bearing the penalty of God’s wrath that they deserved. He was buried, arose bodily, and ascended into heaven, and is presently fulfilling His intercessory and mediatory ministry.
(Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 1:21; Luke 1:35; II Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 7:25, 26; Matthew 20:45; I Peter 2:24; Romans 8:34)
We believe that His death was substitutionary and efficacious for the elect alone.
(Luke 24:47,48; I Timothy 4:10; II Peter 2:1; John 10:15; Ephesians 5:25-27; Revelation 5:9)
We also believe that Christ’s death demonstrated love for all men, is to be offered to all, and is able to save all.
Man’s Creation, Fall, and Depravity
We believe that Adam was created in the image and likeness of God immediately and apart from any process of evolution. Adam, by personal disobedience to the will of God, became a sinner depraved in nature and subject to Satan’s power. Sin and depravity has been transmitted to the entire human race so that man is a sinner by nature, choice, and practice and guilty before God, a just object of God’s wrath.
(John 8:44; Genesis 1:26; 2:7; 3:1-6; Romans 5:12-14; Ephesians 2:1-3; Romans 3:9-23)
We believe that man’s depravity extends to his will: that while man is a free agent choosing as he pleases, his will is in bondage to his sinful nature; therefore, he always chooses darkness, being unable and unwilling to choose Christ.
(Romans 8:7,8; John 3:19,20)
Salvation and Election
We believe that salvation is by the grace of God, which is neither merited nor secured, in part or in whole, by any virtue or work of man. We believe in justification by grace alone through faith alone. Justification is instantaneous and final, and based entirely on the imputation of Christ’s righteousness, so that the believer’s eternal standing and righteousness is not his own nor his faith, but comes from God, outside of him. It is based solely on Christ’s atoning righteousness, accomplished by His obedience when He made propitiation for sin on the cross.
(Romans 3:24-28; Romans 5:1; Romans 5:18,19; Philippians 3:9; Ephesians 2: 8-10; II Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 2:16)
We believe that man, by his fall into a state of sin, has wholly lost all ability of will to do any spiritual good or to seek salvation.
(Romans 3:10,11; 8: 7,8; Ephesians 2:1-3; John 3:19-20)
We also believe that God, under no obligation whatsoever to provide salvation for anyone, before the foundation of the world unconditionally elected certain individuals for salvation. His election was not based on any foreseen act or response on the part of those chosen, but was based solely on His own good pleasures and sovereign will.
(Matthew 1:21; Ephesians 1:4; Acts 13:48; Romans 9:11-17,22,23)
Those who are given the gift of repentant faith are united with Christ, justified and forgiven of all sins, adopted, made eternally secure and blessed with every spiritual blessing.
(II Peter 1:1; Ephesians:8; Acts 11:18; Romans 6:3-6; Romans 5:1; Colossians 2:13; Ephesians 1:5; Romans 8:34-39; Ephesians 1:3)
Sanctification
We believe that sanctification and growth in Christlikeness inevitably follow for all believers since they are regenerated and have received a new heart. We believe that the dominion of sin is broken so that the believers nature is now dominantly renewed though not perfectly.
(Romans 6:14; I John 2:3,4; John 17:17)
The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Godhead, co-eternal and co-equal with the Father and the Son. He fills, empowers, indwells, seals, teaches, guides and transforms believers into Christlikeness until the day of redemption.
(Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8; John 14:16-17; Galatians 5:16-23; Ephesians 1:13)
The Baptism of the Holy Spirit and Spiritual Gifts
We believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit occurs at conversion and that every believer receives a spiritual gift for the edification of the church. Some gifts were foundational and are no longer given, while other gifts remain active in the church today.
(Acts 2:33; I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 2:20; James 5:13-16)
The Church
We believe that the Church is the spiritual body of Christ, governed by servant leaders called elders, committed to worship, teaching, preaching, and the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
(Acts 1:5; Ephesians 1:20-23; Matthew 28:19-20; John 4:24)
Satan and Spiritual Beings
We believe that Satan is a fallen angel, the enemy of God and His people, judged at the cross and destined for the lake of fire. Believers are delivered from his dominion and stand victorious through Christ.
(Ezekiel 28:11-18; John 12:31; Colossians 2:15; Ephesians 6:10-19)
he Kingdom of God and the Final State
We believe in the resurrection of the dead, the return of Christ, the establishment of His kingdom, the final judgment, and the eternal state in the new heaven and new earth.
(I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 20:1-6; 21:1-27)