DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
The doctrines of this church shall be those contained in the New Testament. They shall never be changed or amended in such a way as to alter the original meaning as based upon the infallible Word of God. We subscribe to the following as a suitable statement of the principle doctrines taught therein:
The Scriptures
We believe that the Holy Bible as originally written was verbally inspired and the product of Spirit-controlled men and, therefore, has truth without admixture of error for its matter. We believe the Bible to be the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tried. It is the written Word of God. (II Tim. 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:19-21) It is the living Word of God. (Heb. 4:12)
The True God
We believe there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite intelligent Spirit, the maker and supreme ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressively glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in the unity of the God-head there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. (Ex. 20:2, 3; I Cor. 8:6; Rev. 4:11; I John 4:13, 14; John 14:26, 15:26)
The Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God the Father and God the Son, and of the same nature; that He was active in creation, that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God’s purposes are fulfilled; that He convicts of Sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; that He bears witness to the truth of the gospel in preaching testimony, that He is the agent in the new birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer. (John 14:16, 17; Matt. 28:19; Heb. 9:14; John 14:26; Luke 1:35; Gen. 1:1-3; John 16:8-11; Acts 5:30; John 3:5, 6; Eph. 1:13, 14; Mark 1:8; Acts 11:16; Rom. 8:14, 16, 26, 27)
The Devil or Satan
We believe in the personality of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age and the author of all the powers of darkness, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. (Isa. 14:12-15; Matt. 4:1-3; II Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; Rev. 20:10)
The Creation
We accept the Genesis account of creation and believe that man came directly by the creation of God, and not by evolution. (Gen. 1 and 2; Col. 1:16-17; John 1:3; Heb. 11:1, 2)
The Fall of Man
We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Creator / Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners by nature and also by choice and, therefore, under just condemnation without defense or excuse. (Gen. 3:1-6, 24; Rom. 5:10-19; Rom. 1:18, 32; Rom. 2:1-6)
The Virgin Birth
We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner, born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can be born of woman, and that He is both the Son of God, and God the Son of Man. (Gen. 3:15; Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:14; Matt. 16:15-18)
The Atonement for Sin
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for the sins of the world; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was a voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinners’ place, the just dying for the unjust; Christ the Lord bearing our sins in Him own body on the cross, that having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven. He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate and all-sufficient Savior and High Priest. (Eph. 2:8, 9; Acts 15:11; Rom. 3:23, 24; John 3:16; Matt. 18:11; Phil. 2:7; Heb. 2:14; Isa. 53:4-7; Rom. 8:34; I John 2:1, 2, 4:10; I Cor. 15:3; II Cor. 5:21)
Grace in the New Creation
We believe that in order for persons to be saved from sin, to be set free from the bondage of sin, they must be born again. The new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus and it is instantaneous and not a process. In the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God. The new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit and the living Word of God, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel with proper evidence appearing in the fruits of repentance, faith, and newness of life. (John 3:3; II Cor. 5:17; I John 5:1; II Cor. 5:19; John 3:6-7; Acts 16:30-33; II Pet. 1:4; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:11; Col. 2:13)
The Two Natures All born again believers have two natures and can be victorious over the old nature through the power of the new nature by full surrender. Complete eradication of the old in this life is unscriptural. (Rom. 6:13, 8:12-13; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 4:22, 24; Col. 3:10; I Peter 1:14-19, 23)
Separation from the World All the saved are called into a life of separation from all worldly and sinful practices (II Cor. 6:14-7; James 4:4; Rom. 12:1, 2; I John 2:15-17)
Justification
We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is justification. This includes the pardon, forgiveness of sin, and the gift of eternal life on principles of righteousness. It is bestowed wholly through faith in the redeemer’s blood and not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done. His righteousness is imputed to us. (Acts 13:39; Isa. 53:11; Zech. 13:1; Rom. 5:1, 8:1; Eph. 2:8, 9; Rom. 4:5)
Salvation
We believe that repentance from sin, belief and faith in, and the receiving of the Lord Jesus Christ as personal Savior are the only conditions of salvation. (John 1:12, 3:16, 5:24; Acts 16:31; Eph. 2:8, 9)
The Local Church
We believe that a local church is a congregation of immersed believers associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His Word; and exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by His Word. Its officers are pastors and deacons whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the scriptures. We believe the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity, both at home and throughout the world, in edification and evangelization. The local church has the absolute right of self-government free from the inheritance of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations. The one and only superintendent, head, is the Lord Jesus Christ directing through the Holy Spirit. It is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the gospel and each local church is the sole judge of the measure and the method of its cooperation. In all matters of membership, of polity, of government, of discipline and of benevolence, the will of the local church is final. (Acts 2:41, 42; I Cor. 11:2; Eph. 4:11, 1:22, 23; Acts 20:17-28; I Tim. 3:16, 17; Col 1:18; Eph. 5:23, 24; Acts 15:13-18)
Baptism
This is derived from the Greek “baptizo,” meaning to dip, plunge, submerge, immerse. Therefore, scriptural baptism means such immersion, and thereby the believer identifies himself with the death, burial, and the resurrection of Christ. The old life is past and the believer emerges from the water unto newness of life. However, baptism or immersion does not have any merit in salvation itself but is absolutely necessary for obedience. This ordinance is a prerequisite to church membership. (Mark 1:10; Matt. 3:16; Acts 2:41, 42; Rom. 6:1-6; Acts 8:36-39; Col. 2:12)
The Lord’s Supper
This ordinance is the commemoration of the death and substitutional sacrifice of Christ until He comes, and should always be preached by solemn self-examination. The bread and the cup are symbols only. (I Cor. 11:23-28; Matt. 26:26-30)
The Security of the Saints
We believe that all who are truly born-again are kept by the power of God the Father for Jesus Christ the Son. (John 10:28-30; Phil. 1:6; Rom. 8:35-39; I John 5:13; Jude 1)
The Righteous and the Wicked
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that only such as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and sanctified by the Spirit of God are truly righteous in His esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked and under the curse. This distinction holds among men both before and after death in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the wicked, unbelieving, unregenerate lost. The abode of the believing, righteous, saved is called heaven, paradise, etc. The abode of the unrighteous, unbelieving, unsaved is called hades, hell, the lake of fire, etc. (Gen. 18:23; Mal. 3:18; Rom. 6:17, 18; I John 5:19; Rom. 6:23, 7:6; Prov. 14:32; Luke 16:25; Matt. 25:34-41; John 8:21; Matt. 6:9, 20, 13:41-43; II Pet. 2:4, 17; Rev. 20:12-15)
Civil Government
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates, those in authority, are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Lord of the conscience and the coming Prince of Peace, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. (I Tim. 2:1-4; Dan. 3:17, 18; Ex. 18:21, 22; Phil. 2:9-11; I Tim. 6:14-16)
Human Sexuality
We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-29; I Cor. 5:1, 6:9; I Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)
The Resurrection, Personal, Visible, Pre-Millennial, Imminent, Return of Christ, and Related Events
We believe in:
The Bodily Resurrection (Matt. 28:6-7; Luke 24:39; John 20:27; I Cor. 15:4; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:2, 6)
The Ascension (Acts 1:9-11; Luke 24:51; Mark 16:19; Heb. 12:2; Rev. 3:21)
The High Priesthood of Christ (Heb. 2:17, 5:9, 10, 8:6; I Tim. 2:5; I John 2:1, 2)
The Return of Christ (John 14:3; Acts 1:11; I Thess. 4:16-18; James 5:7, 8)
The Resurrection of the Righteous Dead (I Thess. 4:13-18; I Cor. 15:42-52)
The Change of the Living in Christ at His Return (I Cor. 15:51-53; I Thess. 4:13-18; Phil 3:20, 21)
The Tribulation Period Christ shall return in the air for the church, His bride, and this shall precede and usher in the tribulation period. (Rev. 4:1, 2) (The church is not mentioned again until the “marriage supper of the Lamb” in Rev. 19:7-9.) This time of tribulation on earth will last for approximately seven years, during which time God shall pour out His wrath on the inhabitants of the earth. (Rev. 6:1-8:2) This is also the time synonymous with the 70th week of Daniel. (Dan. 9:24-27; Matt. 24:15-22)
The Kingdom Reign or Millennium At the close of the seven years of tribulation, Christ will come in person in all His glory to judge the nations and establish His kingdom upon the earth, which shall last for 1,000 years and is called the “millennium.” The church and all those in the first resurrection shall reign with Him. (Matt. 24:27-30; Luke 21:25-33; Rev. 20:4-6, 19:11-16)
The Great White Throne Judgment This is the last of the judgments and shall follow the millennium. All unbelievers shall stand before God and be judged from the books and condemned to eternal punishment in the lake of fire. (Rev. 20:7-15)
The New Heaven and Earth Following the judgment and doom of Satan and all unbelieving at the great white throne judgment, the earth will be renovated by fire, and a new heaven and earth established. (II Peter 3:10-12; Rev. 21:1-22:21)
