We believe and teach that both the Old (39 books) and New Testaments (27 books) are the verbally inspired Word of God that was written by men who were divinely and uniquely inspired by the Holy Spirit of God and is without error in its original writing. It is complete, absolutely trustworthy, and the final rule in all matters of Christian faith and conduct.
We believe and teach that there is only one true and living God existing in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each is a distinct Person, but all of one essence and all having the same nature, perfections, and attributes, and each is worthy of precisely the same worship, confidence, and obedience. This is the distinct foundation of the Christian faith and life.
We believe and teach that man is the direct creation of God—body, soul, and
spirit—and is not in any sense the result of evolution but is made in the image of God. Adam, the first man, sinned by disobedience. This act resulted in the fall of mankind and incurred both physical and spiritual death for all.
We believe and teach that the Scriptures teach that election is the eternal purpose of God by which He graciously chooses, calls, accepts, regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners by His Spirit and keeps them through faith unto salvation. It is perfectly consistent with the free agency of man and comprehends all the means of grace in connection with that end. It is a most glorious display of God's sovereign goodness and is infinitely wise, holy, and unchangeable. It excludes boasting and promotes humility, love, prayer, praise, trust in God, and active pursuit of His free mercy. This is the foundation of Christian assurance of salvation
We believe and teach that the salvation of sinners is wholly of God’s grace through faith in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, by His mediatorial offices; who according to the will of the Father, assumed our nature, yet without sin; honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death, made a full atonement for our sins; that having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned with divine perfections, He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, compassionate, and an all-sufficient Savior.
We believe and teach that regeneration, or to be born again, is that change wrought in the soul by the Holy Spirit by faith in Jesus Christ, by which a new nature and spiritual life, not before possessed, is imparted. The person becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus and a holy disposition is given to the mind, and the will is subdued to love God. The dominion of sin is broken and the affections changed from the love of sin and self to love of God and holiness. The change is instantaneous, effected solely by the power of God in a manner incomprehensible to reason. The evidence of it is found in a changed disposition of mind, the presence of the fruits of righteousness, and a newness of life. Without it, salvation is impossible.
We believe and teach that repentance is a personal act prompted by the Spirit. It
consists of godly sorrow and the forsaking of sin as offensive to God and ruinous to the soul. It is characterized by great humiliation in view of one’s sin and guilt and accompanied by sincere prayer for pardon. It is also accompanied by genuine hatred of sin and the persistent turning away from, and abandonment of, all that is evil and unholy. Since no one is sinless in this life, all of the Christian life is a life of repentance – that is, repentance is ongoing.
We believe and teach that saving faith is, by the LORD’s grace, wrought by His Spirit
through which Jesus Christ is received by the soul as its sacrifice and Savior. It is an assent of the mind and a consent of the heart, consisting mainly of belief and trust in God. The believer is brought into vital relations with God, freely justified, and lives as one seeing Him who is invisible. Faith alone reveals Jesus Christ to the soul as a willing and sufficient Savior, and the person commits the heart and life to Him.
We believe and teach that the great gospel blessing that Jesus Christ secures for those who believe in Him is justification. We believe that justification includes the pardon of sin, and the promise of eternal life; that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s substitutionary death and resurrection; by virtue of which faith, His perfect righteousness is freely imputed to us by God. We further believe that it brings us into a state of most blessed peace and favor withGod; and secures every other blessing needful for time and eternity.
We believe and teach that adoption is a gracious act by which the Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ, accepts believers to the estate and condition of children, by a new and spiritual birth. He sends the Spirit of adoption into their hearts, which makes them members of the family of God, and entitles them to all the rights, privileges and promises of children and, therefore, heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ to the heritage of the saints on earth, and to an inheritance reserved in heaven for them.
We believe and teach that in salvation we are sanctified by the work of the Holy Spirit. We believe, also, that sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God, we are made partakers of His holiness; that it is a progressive work; that it is begun in regeneration; that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of theHoly Spirit, the Sealer and Comforter, through the continued use of the appointed means—especially the Word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness, and prayer; and in the practice of all godly exercises and duties.
We believe and teach that salvation is not only a gift from God but also is sustained by the Lord. The Holy Spirit permanently indwells the believer and seals him in salvation for all eternity. Therefore, since salvation is wholly of the Lord, we hold that the believer shall be kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation.
We believe and teach that the Law of God is the eternal and unchangeable rule of His moral government; that it is holy, just, and good; and that the inability which Scriptures ascribe to fallen men to fulfill its precepts, arises entirely from their sinful nature; to deliver them from which, and to restore them through a Mediator to unfeigned obedience to the Holy Law, is one great end of the Gospel, and of the means of grace connected with the establishment of the invisible church.
We believe and teach that the gospel is the good news of what God has done for us in His Son, Jesus Christ by His substitutionary sinless life, death and resurrection, to redeem for Himself a people from His eternal damning wrath against our sins, for His glory.This good news centers on Jesus Christ and His redemptive work on our behalf. Jesus Christ is the only mediator between God and man. There is no other name by which men can be saved.
We believe and teach that a visible Church of Jesus Christ is a congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Jesus Christ; governed by His laws; exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges vested in them by His Word; and that its only Scriptural Offices are Pastors (also referred to asElders or Bishops in the Bible) and Deacons. The qualifications, claims and duties of Pastors are set forth in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, and Titus 1:5-9; Acts 6:1-7; 1 Timothy 3:8-13.
We believe and teach that the first day of the week (Sunday) is the Lord’s Day and is a Christian institution for regular observance of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private.
We believe and teach that the priesthood of all believers that everyChristian has direct access to God in prayer through Jesus Christ, our great High Priest. There is no mediator between God and man other than Jesus Christ. All believers have the right and responsibility to pray and to personally study and interpret the scripture, guided by the Holy Spirit.
We believe and teach that civil government is of Divine appointment for the interest and good order of human society; and that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the Prince of the kings of the earth; but that civil rulers have no rights of control over, or of interference with, religious matters.
We believe and teach that Satan was originally created a perfect angelic being. He rebelled against God. As a result, he became depraved. The Devil and a host of angels fell from heaven as adversaries of God and God’s children. Satan has been judged and defeated at the cross and he awaits his ultimate doom at the Second Advent of Jesus Christ.
We believe and teach that there is a radical and essential difference before God between the righteous and the wicked. Only those who through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous inHis esteem. Further, all those that continue in impenitence and unbelief are, in His sight, wicked and under God’s curse/wrath; and that this distinction holds among men both in this life and after death.
We believe in and teach the imminent, personal, and pre-millennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ; that His coming is fast approaching; that the dead in Christ Jesus shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them to receive glorified bodies like Him. Believers then will appear before the judgment seat of Jesus Christ to be judged for works, whether good or bad. The dead out of Christ shall rise at the close of the millennium; and they shall be brought before the Great White Throne of Judgment and cast into eternal punishment into the lake of fire.
We believe and teach that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. Marriage is the unity of one man and one woman in covenant commitment fora lifetime. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His children and symbolizes the relationship of our Lord Jesus Christ has with His Church. Parents are to teach and disciple their children the Gospel and moral values and to help lead them to trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for their salvation.
We believe and teach that the Scriptures teach that God’s method of financingHis earthly work of spreading the gospel to all nations, the care of the churches and the support of the ministry is by the tithes and offerings of His willing and generous people. That it is to be given through His church or storehouse to be distributed and directed by the leadership of theHoly Spirit as the needs arise. The church is to operate from the gifts and offerings as given by its members.