What We Believe

We believe that the Bible, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, are the inspired Word of God. Therefore, the Scriptures are completely true and trustworthy, without any error. The Scriptures were written by men who were divinely inspired by the Holy Spirit. The Scriptures are sufficient for all that God requires for us to believe and do. It is therefore to be believed, as God’s instruction in all that it teaches; obeyed, as God’s command in all that it requires; and trusted, as God’s promise in all that it pledges. As God’s people hear, believe and obey the Word, they are equipped as disciples of Christ and witnesses to the gospel. The Bible will remain to the end of the world as the final authority by which all matters of life and doctrine should be tested. The Scriptures as we have them are complete and closed to further addition.

Psalm 119; Proverbs 30:5-6; Isaiah 40:8; Luke 24:25-47; John 5:39; Romans 2:12; Philippians 3:16; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2, 4:12-13; 2 Peter 1:19-21, 3:15-16; 1 John 4:1

We believe that there is only one living and true God. He is the eternal, infinite Creator and supreme Ruler of heaven and earth. He is merciful, just, and loving and governs all things according to His sovereign will for His glory. He alone is inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and is worthy of all honor, confidence, obedience, and love.

We believe that the one true God eternally exists as three distinct persons—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Each person is fully, equally and eternally God, yet there is one God. Each person is fully God and equal in deity while executing their distinct roles in the work of redemption. Each is worthy of precisely the same worship, honor and praise. The entire Christian faith is bound together with the confession of God’s Trinitarian nature.

Exodus 20:3-4; Deuteronomy 4:35, 4:39, 6:4-5, 32:39; 1 Samuel 2:2; 1 Kings 8:23; Psalm 86:8-10; Isaiah 6:3, 44:6–8, 45:5-25, 46:9; Jeremiah 10:6-10; Micah 7:18; Malachi 3:6; Matthew 3:13-17, 28:18-20; John 10:30, 14:6, 17:3, 17:11, 17:20-21; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; 2 Corinthians 3:17, 13:14; Galatians 3:20; Ephesians 1:3-14, 4:5-6; 1 Thessalonians 1:9; 1 Timothy 1:17, 2:5; James 2:19; 1 John 5:20; Jude 25; Revelation 4:11

Father
We believe that God the Father is fully divine and sovereignly reigns over creation. He is the source of all life and the one to whom the eternal kingdom belongs. He is the author of every event that occurs in both time and eternity. He foreknows, chooses, and predestines people according to His glorious plan of redemption. The Father draws sinners to believe in His Son through the work of the Holy Spirit. The Father forgives their sin and adopts them as His children, thus giving them peace with Him.

Matthew 5:16, 6:5-14, 7:11, 18:35, 24:36, 28:19; John 3:16, 5:22-26, 6:37-40, 6:44; 8:16, 10:10 27-29; 15:8, 16:23, 17:1-8; Acts 1:7, 10:37; Romans 5:1, 6:4, 8:15, 8:28-30; 1 Corinthians 8:6, 15:24; Galatians 1:1; Ephesians 1:3-12, 4:6, 4:32; Philippians 2:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 2:4; Hebrews 12:6-10, 13:15-20; 1 Peter 1:2, 1:17; 1 John 1:9, 3:22, 4:14; 2 John 1:4

Son
We believe that God the Son is fully divine and has eternally existed with the same glory as the Father. Through Him, all things came into being and were created. He was before all things, and in Him, all things hold together by the word of His power. In His incarnation, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and was called Jesus. He took upon Himself human nature, becoming fully man while remaining fully God. He lived a sinless life, died as a substitute for sinners, and rose from the dead as the Lord and Savior of all those who believe. Jesus is now seated at the right hand of God the Father and serves as the mediator between God and those who believe. He will soon return to judge sinners and to receive all those who have trusted in Him.

Matthew 1:18-25, 4:1, 8:18-27, 11:19, 16:21, 26:42, 28:18-20; Mark 4:38, 5:1-15, 10:45, 15:39; Luke 1:34-35, 9:12-22, 22:70, 24:36-43; John 1:1-18, 3:16, 4:6, 5:18-21, 8:58, 10:30, 11:27-35, 14:28, 19:28, 20:28-31; Acts 1:11, 20:28; Romans 1:4, 9:5; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 2:20; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-19, 2:9; Titus 1:3-4, 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-2:3, 2:17, 4:12-14; 1 Peter 2:21; 2 Peter 1:1, 2:20, 3:18; 1 John 2:2, 4:2-3, 4:9, 4:15, 5:20; 2 John 7; Revelation 1:5, 2:18, 3:14, 19:11-16

Spirit
We believe that God the Holy Spirit is the eternal Spirit who shares in the fullness of deity along with the Father and the Son. He is the Spirit of truth sent by God the Father and Jesus Christ to carry out the eternal plan of redemption among God’s people. His primary ministry is to exalt and glorify Jesus by applying the Gospel to sinners’ hearts, to convict them of their sin, to give them new life in Christ, and to seal them until the day of redemption.

Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:22-27; John 14:26, 15:26, 16:7-14; Acts 1:8, 7:51, 10:19, 11:12, 13:2, 15:28, 16:6, 21:11; Romans 8:16, 8:27, 15:30; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14, 12:7-11; 2 Corinthians 3:1-6, 3:17-18, 13:14; Galatians 4:4-7; Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; Hebrews 10:29

We believe that God created the entire cosmos from nothing. God spoke all of creation into existence with His powerful might. God’s creative work is the overflow of the love present within the Trinity. God’s work of creation was perfect and good. Furthermore, God doesn’t let the world exist, He makes the world exist. He upholds the universe by the word of His power, and He holds the world together in Himself. God sustains all of creation at every moment in every place.

Genesis 1:1-2, 1:27, 2:3, 8:22; 1 Chronicles 29:11; Nehemiah 9:6; Job 33:4; Psalm 33:6, 90:2, 103:19, 104:1-35, 121:1-2, 124:8, 139:13-14; Isaiah 40:28; Jeremiah 32:17; Amos 9:6; Matthew 10:29; Acts 17:26; Romans 8:28, 11:36; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 1:3, 3:4; 2 Peter 3:7

We believe that God made humanity—male and female—in His own image. As His image-bearers, each and every human possesses intrinsic value and dignity. All men and all women, bearing the image of God, are meant to represent God in His creation. God declares the created order to be very good, distinguishing men and women as His agents to care for, manage and govern over it. They enjoy equal access to God by faith in Christ Jesus and are both called to move beyond passive self-indulgence to significant private and public engagement in family, church and civic life. Adam and Eve were made to complement each other in a one-flesh union in the covenant of marriage that establishes the only God-ordained pattern of sexual relations for men and women. In God’s wise purposes, men and women are not simply interchangeable, but rather they complement each other in mutually enriching ways. Gender is both a wonderful gift and an unchangeable part of God’s design, and it does not exist apart from the God-appointed link with biological sex.

Genesis 1:26-27, 3:1-19; Psalm 51:5; Isaiah 64:6; Hosea 6:7; Romans 1:18, 2:14, 3:10-18, 5:12-21, 6:16-17, 8:7-10; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22, 15:45-50; Ephesians 2:1-3, 4:18; Titus 3:3

We believe that humanity was created in holiness, to live according to God’s commands. Yet through the temptation of Satan, Adam and Eve voluntarily sinned and fell from that holy and happy state of being. Now the entire human race inherits a corrupt and depraved nature that is inclined to sin and opposed to God and His law. As a result, all people are born as sinners, inheriting the condemnation of our first parents, Adam and Eve. We believe that while all people retain the image of God, possess a conscience, and are capable of doing some moral good, they are sinners by nature and totally void of the holiness required by God and completely inclined to evil. As a result, we do not worship God as He requires according to His holy Law, but instead choose to worship unworthy things. All people are, apart from God’s grace, unable to turn to God and are under just condemnation to eternal punishment in hell, without defense or excuse.

Genesis 6:5, 8:21; 2 Chronicles 6:36; Psalms 143:2; Proverbs 21:10; Ecclesiastes 7:29, 9:3; Isaiah 53:6; Jeremiah 17:9; Matthew 7:18, 15:19; John 3:19; Romans 3:10-18, 23, 5:7-8, 8:7; Ephesians 2:1-2, 4-5, 12-13; Colossians 2:13; 1 John 1:8,10

We believe that salvation is made free to all who believe in Christ. The salvation of sinners is only by the grace of the Father, through the work of Jesus Christ, and the revealing work of the Holy Spirit. Because humanity is spiritually dead in sin, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless born again; that salvation is only by grace through faith in the shed blood of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is sufficient to save even the greatest sinner.

Isaiah 53:4-5, 55:1; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Matthew 4:17, 11:20-24; Mark 1:15; Luke 19:10; John 1:1-14, 3:16-21, 5:40, 6:29; Acts 2:38, 3:19, 4:12, 13:46, 15:11, 17:30; Romans 1:16-17, 3:21-26, 4:25, 5:8-10, 6:23, 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians 3:5-7, 15:1-3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 1:1-8, 4:14, 7:25, 9:13-15, 12:25-29; 1 John 3:23, 4:10; Revelation 22:17

God’s Grace
We believe that in God’s eternal purpose, He graciously chose some people before the foundation of the world to be regenerated and saved through the work of His Son Jesus Christ. This choosing, otherwise known as election, was not based on any good they would do, but only on His sovereign mercy and pleasure. God’s electing grace does not diminish people’s accountability before God and is perfectly consistent with man’s responsibility to believe in Christ. This grace of God exhibits His love, compassion, goodness, wisdom, holiness, power, and unchangeable character. This grace also extinguishes boasting, grants assurance, cultivates humility, promotes love, encourages prayer, fuels evangelism, and solidifies trust in God to keep those who are His.

Exodus 33:18-19; Deuteronomy 7:7-8; Jeremiah 31:3; Luke 10:22; John 1:12-13, 6:37-44, 10:16, 15:16; Acts 2:22-23, 4:27-28, 13:48, 15:14, 16:14, 18:12; Romans 3:27, 4:16, 8:28-9:24, 11:5-6, 11:28-36; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31, 3:5-7, 9:22, 15:10; Galatians 1:15-16; Ephesians 1:1-2:10; Philippians 1:6, 3:12; Colossians 3:12; 1 Thessalonians 1:4-10, 2:12; 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14; 2 Timothy 1:8-9, 2:10; Hebrews 6:11; 1 Peter 1:1-2; 2 Peter 1:10-11; 1 John 4:19; Revelation 13:8

Regeneration
We believe that in order to be saved, a sinner must be regenerated, or born again. Regeneration is a work of God’s grace whereby the Holy Spirit gives new spiritual life and replaces our rebellious heart with a heart that delights in obeying God and responding to Him by repentance and faith. This new birth occurs when the Holy Spirit of God applies the divine truth of the Gospel to a sinner’s heart, resulting in our voluntary obedience to God through faith in Jesus Christ. The new birth is evidenced by spiritual fruits of repentance, faith, and a newness of life that seeks to please God. We believe that only God can give us this new spiritual life and bring us into the blessings of the New Covenant. In this New Covenant, we receive forgiveness of sins, God’s Law written on our hearts, and the indwelling presence of God’s Holy Spirit.

Jeremiah 31:31-34; Ezekiel 36:25-27; John 1:12-13, 3:3-7; Acts 10:44; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Galatians 5:22-23; Ephesians 2:1-5; Colossians 2:13; James 1:17-18; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 John 2:29, 3:9-10, 4:7, 5:1-4, 5:18

Justification
We believe that justification is God’s declaration of righteousness upon those who repent of their sins and believe in Christ. By faith, Christ’s righteousness is imputed to them, and they stand fully forgiven of their sins. We affirm that justification is given freely by God, not in consideration of anything we have done, but only through faith in Christ and His finished work. This justification brings all who believe in Jesus into peace and favor with God, and secures our eternal destiny with Him.

Psalm 103:12; Isaiah 53:11-12; Matthew 9:6; John 1:16; Acts 10:43; Romans 3:20-28, 4:1-5:21, 6:23, 8:30-34; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Galatians 2:15-17, 3:24; Philippians 3:7-9; Titus 3:5-7; 1 Peter 3:18; 1 John 2:12, 25

Repentance & Faith
We believe that salvation is made free to all who believe in Christ. We believe that repentance and faith are the right and required response of sinners to the Gospel. They are the inseparable acts of turning away from sin and turning to God through Christ alone for salvation. This response to the Gospel is brought about by the Holy Spirit who graciously convicts us of our sin, convinces us of our unrighteousness, grants us remorse for our transgressions, and reveals that we are hopeless apart from Christ. Faith and repentance mark a believer’s life from the moment of conversion until Christ calls us to be with Him in our physical death or in His return. All people everywhere are commanded to repent and believe upon Jesus.

Isaiah 55:1-7; Matthew 11:28-30; Mark 1:15; Luke 15:18-21, 24:46-47; John 1:12, 3:16, 6:37, 7:37, 16:8; Acts 2:37-38, 3:19-23, 11:18; 16:30-31, 17:30, 20:21; Romans 2:4, 10:9-11, 10:17; 2 Corinthians 7:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-10; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 4:14, 6:1, 7:25

Sanctification
We believe that sanctification is the ongoing process of being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. It begins in regeneration and is carried on in the hearts and lives of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit until they see Christ. While this growth in holiness is a gift of grace, it also requires a believer to actively, intentionally, and persistently fight sin through means such as prayer, reading and hearing God’s word, and the mutual upbuilding of Christian community.

John 17:17; Romans 6:5-6, 6:11-19; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 6:11; 2 Corinthians 3:18, 7:1; Galatians 2:20, 5:16-24; Ephesians 4:20-24; Philippians 3:13-14; Colossians 3:5-10; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 4:14, 10:24-25, 12:1, 12:14; 1 Peter 1:15; 1 John 3:9; Revelation 3:19

Perseverance of Believers
We believe that all those who are truly born again will be kept by God’s power, and that they will, by His grace, persevere in active trust and obedience to Christ until they see Him face to face. Believers may fall into sin by giving in to temptation, thereby grieving the Holy Spirit, bringing reproach on His name, and incurring God’s loving discipline; yet they will be kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. This enduring faith of believers distinguishes them from those who renounce Christ and prove not to be His. A persevering faith is evidence of God’s love, which gives sure hope of eternal life with Christ.

Matthew 5:13, 24:13; John 6:38-40, 8:31, 10:27-29, 15:6; Romans 8:30, 11:22; 1 Corinthians 9:27, 10:12, 15:1; Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30; Philippians 1:6; Colossians 1:22-23; 1 Timothy 4:1; 2 Timothy 2:12; Hebrews 1:14, 3:12-14, 4:11, 6:12, 9:15; 1 Peter 1:4-5; 2 Peter 1:10; 1 John 2:19; 2 John 1:9; Jude 20; Revelation 2-3, 14:12, 21:7

We believe that the church is the collection of God’s people drawn from every tribe, language, people, and nation throughout all the ages. This body of believers is made visible in local churches marked by the faithful preaching of God’s word and faithful administration of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The church is governed by the Word of God, which teaches that Christ is the head of the church; that elders are qualified men given to oversee the church as pastors; that deacons and deaconesses are to serve the church; and that the congregation, comprised of all members, has the responsibility to affirm members, defend doctrine, and carry out discipline when required by Scripture. Members of local churches are commanded to assemble regularly, promote Christ-honoring unity, build one another up, and live for the glory of God. The mission of the church is to be a corporate display of God’s glory to the world by preaching the gospel and making disciples. The local church gathers on the Lord’s Day every week, as is commanded in the Scriptures, and in their meeting, carries out the biblical requirements of worshipping the Lord.

Matthew 5:16, 16:19, 18:15-20, 28:18-20; John 1:12, 13:34-35, 17:20-24; Acts 6:1-6, 11:26, 14:23, 20:28; Romans 16:1; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 5:4-5, 5:12-13, 11:25-26; 2 Corinthians 2:6-8; Ephesians 3:10, 4:1-2, 4:11-12, 5:22-23; 1 Timothy 3:1-13, 4:13, 5:17; Titus 1:5-9; Hebrews 10:19-25, 13:7, 13:17; 1 Peter 5:1-5; Revelation 5:9

We believe that baptism in water is the delightful duty of all believers following their personal profession of faith. Baptism should be done by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to show our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior. Baptism symbolizes our death to sin and resurrection to a new life and is a response to the command of Jesus. Baptism is performed once, following one’s profession of faith, and is required for church membership. While baptism is an important public symbol of God’s forgiveness and union with Christ, it is not a required component of salvation, nor does it accomplish any work of salvation.

Matthew 3:13-17, 28:18-20; Acts 2:38-42, 8:36-38, 16:32-33; Romans 6:4; Colossians 2:11-12

We believe the Lord’s Supper symbolizes the broken body and shed blood of Christ on our behalf and is to be observed repeatedly throughout the Christian life as a sign of continued participation in the atoning benefits of Christ’s death. The Lord’s Supper should only be observed by those who have become genuine followers of Christ. This time of remembrance and anticipation of His second coming is for the participation of believers only. Furthermore, those who partake ought to examine themselves too ensure holiness before God through the sacrifice of Christ the Son, and unity with the church. The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of the local church and should be observed in this context. The Lord’s Supper is administered regularly by each local church.

Matthew 26:26-29; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34

We believe it is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. When God saves a person from their sin, a new desire to share the good news of the gospel will be birthed in that person. Thus, Christians ought to constantly seek opportunities to share the gospel with those around them, living their lives on mission. It is the responsibility of every Christian to share the gospel verbally and reflect its truth by a Christian lifestyle. Christians must work so that every nation, tribe and tongue hears the gospel and is given the opportunity to repent and believe in Christ Jesus.

Matthew 9:37-38, 24:14, 28:18-20, Luke 24:46-53; John 15:16, 20:21; Acts 1:8, 8:26-40, 10:42-48; Romans 10:13-15; 2 Timothy 4:5; Revelation 22:17

We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of society. Families are composed of people related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption. God Himself has established marriage as the uniting of one man and one woman in an exclusive covenant commitment for a lifetime. Husband and wife are both made in God’s image and have equal value before God; while at the same time possessing distinct but complementary roles in the marriage. The husband is to gently lead and sacrificially love his wife as Christ loved the church, and the wife is to respect and graciously submit herself to her husband as the church willingly submits to Christ. God structured marriage in this way so that it would reflect the Gospel and bring glory to Himself by revealing the joyful, permanent union between Jesus and His bride, the church.

We believe that God has established marriage as His only intended channel for human sexual expression and procreation, and that God calls all unmarried people to celibacy and devotion to Himself. The Bible teaches that departures from God’s design for human sexuality, including adultery, fornication,, homosexual behavior, and other forms of sexual immorality as defined by Scripture, are sinful. God offers forgiveness and restoration for sin through His Son Jesus Christ, and Christians should always act in the spirit of love toward all people, without compromising their loyalty to Christ and His truth.

We believe that children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and inheritance from the Lord. Parents are to patiently lead their children in the ways of Christ by intentional instruction, gracious discipline, and consistent example based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents for the glory of God and their ultimate good. All people have a weighty responsibility not to cause children to sin.

Genesis 1:26-28, 2:15-25, 3:1-20; Exodus 20:12; Leviticus 18:21-22; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 24:15; 1 Samuel 1:26-28; Psalm 51:5, 78:1-8, 127-128, 139:13-16; Proverbs 1:8, 5:15-20, 6:20-22, 12:4, 13:24, 14:1, 17:6, 18:22, 22:6, 22:15, 23:13-14, 24:3, 29:15, 29:17, 31:10-31; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, 9:9; Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 5:31-32; 18:2-6, 19:3-9; Mark 9:42, 10:6-12; Luke 17:1-2; John 8:2-11; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11, 7:1-40; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 5:21-33, 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 5:8, 5:14; 2 Timothy 1:3-5; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7; Revelation 19:6-9, 21:9-11

It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and of every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. The new birth of man’s spirit by God’s Holy Spirit means the birth of love for others. Missionary effort on the part of all rests thus upon a spiritual necessity of the regenerate life, and is expressly and repeatedly commanded in the teachings of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations. It is the duty of every child of God to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ.

We believe that the end of the world is approaching quickly. On that last day Christ will descend from heaven, raise the dead from the grave, and bring all people to final judgment. At that time, there will be a solemn separation during which the wicked will be judged and sentenced to endless conscious punishment in hell, and the righteous in Christ rewarded with endless conscious joy in the new heavens and new earth. This judgment will fix forever the final state of people in heaven or hell based upon God’s unchanging and unchallengeable principles of righteousness. Those belonging to Jesus will have eternal life in the new heavens and the new earth and live in everlasting joy to the glory of God.

Daniel 12:2; Matthew 13:36-50, 24:31-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 14:14; John 3:36, 4:36, 5:28-29, 6:40, 11:23-27; Acts 1:11, 3:21, 10:42, 17:31, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-12; Revelation 20:1-22:21