The following comprise the Scriptural beliefs of this church and its members:
The Bible
We believe the Bible to be the complete Word of God (Rom. 16:25, 26); that the sixty-six books, as originally written, comprising the Old and New Testaments were verbally inspired by the Spirit of God (2 Pet. 1:20, 21) and are free from error (Psa. 119:160); that the Bible is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice and the true basis of Christian union (2 Tim. 3:15-17); It is Living, Powerful, and Eternal (Heb. 4:12; 1 Pet. 1:23-25). The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal historical-grammatical meaning. (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21)
The Godhead
We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each co-eternal in being, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; John 14:10, 26)
God, the Father
We believe in one God (Deut. 6:4; Eph. 4:4-6; 1 Cor. 8:6) the Creator of all (Psa. 19:1; Rom. 1:20), Holy (1 Pet. 1:15-16), Sovereign (Psa. 135:6), Self Existent and Eternal (Exo. 3:13, 14; Psa. 90:2). God the Father reigns with providential care over His universe (Heb. 1:3); He is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient (Psalm 119), and unchanging (Heb. 1:10-12).
God, the Son
We believe in the absolute deity of Jesus Christ (John 1:1; 10:30; Titus 2:13; Heb. 1:8), in His Eternal Existence with the Father in pre-incarnate glory (John 17:5), in His virgin conception and birth (Matt. 1:21-25), sinless life (Heb. 4:15), substitutionary death (John 19:30; 1 Pet. 2:24), bodily Resurrection (John 20:1-9; 1 Cor. 15:3, 4), triumphant bodily Ascension (Luke 24:51; Acts 1:9), mediatorial ministry (1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 7:25), and personal return (Matt. 24:29-31; John 14:3).
God, the Holy Spirit
We believe in the absolute deity (Matt. 28:19) and personhood (Rom. 8:26, 27) of the Holy Spirit who, convicts of sin, of righteousness and judgment (John 16:8-11); who regenerates (John 3:6), sanctifies (2 Thess. 2:13), illuminates (Rom. 8:14), and comforts (Rom. 8:16) those who believe in Jesus Christ.
Man
We believe that man & woman were divinely created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26, 27); that they sinned (Gen. 3:1-6), becoming guilty before God, resulting in total depravity (Rom. 3:19), thereby incurring physical (Rom. 5:12) and spiritual death (Eph. 2:1-5), and bringing this curse upon all mankind (Gen. 3:16-19; Rom. 5:12); thus requiring the substitutionary death of the sinless One, Christ Jesus, for restoration with God (Heb. 10:10). All people, in order to be saved, must believe in the Gospel, which is comprised of an admission of their sin and of belief in Christ’s atoning death (Matt. 27:32-56), burial (Matt. 27: 57-66), and resurrection (Matt. 28: 1-10). They must “confess with their mouths the Lord Jesus and believe in their hearts that God has raised Him from the dead”(Rom. 10: 9, 10). Thus, mankind’s salvation is through faith alone, not by any works, “lest anyone should boast” (Eph. 2: 8, 9).
Salvation
We believe that salvation is by the sovereign (John 14:6) grace of God (Rom. 9:15); that by the appointment of the Father, Christ voluntarily suffered a vicarious and propitiatory death (Mark 10:45; Rom. 3:25; 1 John 4:10); that justification is by faith alone in the sufficient, atoning death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 4:23-25; 5:1,2) and that those who’ve placed their faith in Christ are guaranteed a place in Heaven with Christ (Rom. 8:28-39; Eph. 1:12-14).
The Local Church
We believe that all true believers in the Lord Jesus Christ are baptized by faith into one Universal Church (1 Cor. 12:12-13); yet this eternal body is expressed through the formation of smaller bodies known as “Local Churches” (Acts, Paul’s Epistles, & Rev. 2 & 3). We believe that a church is a body of baptized believers (Acts 2:41), called out from the world (1 Cor. 1:2), separated unto the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:22, 23; 1 Corinthians 1:2), the Great Head of the church (Col. 1:18); voluntarily associated for the ministry of the Word (Acts 2:42), for the mutual edification of its members (Eph. 4:12, 13), for the propagation of the faith (Matt. 28:19), the observance of the ordinances (1 Cor. 11:23, 24; Matt. 28:19), and for the exercise of divinely given gifts (Eph. 4:11; 1 Cor. 12:4-6). The local Church is to have a servant-filled congregation (Acts 2; Phil. 2:3-5) who are led by servant-leaders called to exemplify spiritual conformity to the likeness of Christ (Acts 6:1; 1 Tim. 3:1-7; 1 Tim. 3:8-12).
We believe in the separation of church and state (Mark 12:17; Acts 5:29) and yet agree to encourage conformity and cooperation with government authorities where there is no conflict with our highest authority – the Word of God (Titus 1:3; 1 Pet. 2:13-17). We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and the good order of society; and, that leaders are to be prayed for, honored, and obeyed (Rom. 13:1-7).
Giving
We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. (Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17)
The Ordinances
We believe there are two ordinances that the church should regularly observe according to the New Testament:
1. Baptism (Matt. 28:19): the immersion of the believer in water (Mark 1:9,10) following repentance of sin and faith in Christ unto salvation (Acts 2:38; 16:31,33), whereby one obeys the command of Christ and sets forth his or her identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:2-5);
2. The Lord’s Supper (1 Cor. 11:23-26): a memorial, wherein the believer partakes of two elements: bread, and the fruit of the vine (Luke 22:19,20), which symbolize the Lord’s body and shed blood, proclaiming His death until He returns.
The Lord’s Day
We believe that the first day of the week is the Resurrection Day (John 20:1), and therefore, in a special sense, it is the divinely appointed day for worship and spiritual exercise (Acts 2:1 and early church tradition).
Future Things
We believe in the personal (1 Thess. 4:16), bodily (Acts 1:11), and glorious (Rev. 19:11-16) return of the Lord Jesus Christ; and in the bodily resurrection of the just and unjust (John 5:28, 29; 2 Tim. 4:1; Rev. 20:11-15). We believe the redeemed will spend a blessed eternity with Christ, while the unsaved & wicked face inevitable righteous judgment by Christ and will be punished for eternity (2 Thess. 1:1-10; Rev. 19:20; Rev. 20:10-15).
Satan
We believe that Satan exists as the leader of the evil rebellion against God and the originator of sin (Isa. 14:12-15), as the enemy of God and man (Eph. 6:11, 12; 1 Peter 5:8). While we believe Satan is active and powerful as the great liar, tempter, and deceiver, we believe his powerful existence does not excuse man from personal responsibility and consent (1 Cor. 10:13). We believe the power of Satan is limited within the boundaries set by divine sovereignty (Job 1:12; 2:6), and that every believer has God’s armor of protection from the influence of Satan (Eph. 6:11-18).
Marriage
We believe that marriage was divinely ordained to be a lifelong covenant of companionship. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. God gave marriage to reflect Christ’s relationship to His church. (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23)
Family Relationships
We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained the husband to be the sacrificial servant-leader of his own wife and home, and in the same way men are to be the leaders in the church. (Gal. 3:28; Eph. 5:22-24, Col. 3:18; 1 Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12)
We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are an heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including Scriptural corporal correction. (Gen. 1:26-28; Exo. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Psa. 127:3-5; Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mark. 10:6-12; 1 Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4, Col. 3:18-21; Heb. 13:4; 1 Pet. 3:1-7)
Divorce and Remarriage
We believe that God disapproves of divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies; however, we also believe that God is merciful and forgiving to repentant hearts. Although divorced and remarried persons may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, there may be circumstances whereby they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon. (Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6)
Abortion
We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well-being of the mother are acceptable. (Job 3:16; Psa. 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)
Human Sexuality
We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between one man and one woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, pedophilia, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex and relationships.
We believe that the Bible shows the equally high value and dignity which God attached to the roles of both men and women. We believe that both Adam and Eve were created in God’s image, equal before God as persons and distinct in their manhood and womanhood.
We believe that distinctions in masculine and feminine roles and genders are ordained by God as part of the created order. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to go against one’s God-given biological gender and thus forbids any to alter one’s gender by surgery or change of appearance. (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1: 26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)
Lawsuits between Believers
We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against members of the local church or the local church itself to resolve personal disputes. We believe the local church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. (1 Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32)
