STATEMENT
OF FAITH
- We believe there is one God Who is the eternal King, Creator, and Redeemer. He is perfectly holy, just, loving, truthful, and good. He exists eternally as one God in three persons: God the Father; God the Son; and God the Holy Spirit.
Comments:
We believe the historic orthodox Christian doctrine of the Trinity. The Bible clearly teaches there is one God (not three gods), and the Bible clearly presents that three persons are God, hence the concept of the Trinity.
We stand with the Christian church through the ages in accepting the Apostles Creed as a trustworthy summary of the Christian faith.
Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Isaiah 44:6; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1, 10:30; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Peter 1:2
- We believe the Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God.
Comments:
We hold that the Old and New Testaments are infallible and inerrant in the original manuscripts.
We hold that the Bible is our final authority on all matters of faith and practice.
We each individually have the opportunity and responsibility to know God through personal study of the Bible. We reject any claim that a higher authority is needed to properly interpret the Bible for the individual believer.
The Bible expresses God’s will and purposes. Therefore our lifestyles, behavior, beliefs, values, goals, and priorities must be submitted to what the Bible teaches.
We reject any teaching, no matter the source, if it contradicts the Bible. Every doctrine – even if apparently given miraculously – must be measured by the Bible.
2 Timothy 3:15-17; Matthew 4:4; James 1:22; Joshua 1:8; John 15:7; Revelation 22:18-19
- We believe that the human race was created in the image of God to know and enjoy God, and to steward the earth but through the lies and temptations of Satan we willfully rejected God’s rule and the relationship with Him for which we were created. Because of this the human race is separated from God by disobedience, rebellion, and unbelief, and now the creation experiences the effects of sin and Satan’s dominion.
Genesis 1:26-28, 3:1-7; Romans 3:23; Mark 7:20-23; John 8:44, 10:10; Ephesians 2:1-3, 6:12; Colossians 1:21
- We believe in the Lord Jesus Christ Who is God the Son. We believe in His virgin birth and His sinless life. We believe He was empowered by the Holy Spirit to release God’s kingdom on earth, revealing the Father through His life, teaching, and miracles. We believe in His crucifixion for our sins, His resurrection and ascension, and His glorious Second Coming. We believe He holds all authority in Heaven and earth, and one day every knee will bow to Him and every mouth will confess He is Lord.
Comments:
We believe the historic orthodox Christian doctrine concerning the deity of Jesus Christ; that He is fully God and fully man, not semi-divine or partly human.
We reject any teaching about Jesus Christ that reduces Him to a human teacher, or a religious leader equal with other religious leaders.
We reject any teaching about Jesus that adds to or takes away from the New Testament record of His life and mission.
We stand with the Christian church through the ages in accepting the Nicene Creed as a trustworthy statement on the nature of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 1:23; John 1:1-4, 14; John 14:6; Acts 2:22-24; Colossians 1:13-20; Isaiah 53:5-6; Matthew 28:18-20; Philippians 2:6-11; Revelation 5:9-10
- We believe everyone must be born again through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, receiving Him as Savior and Lord. This results in salvation from sin and adoption as a child of God. This new relationship as a son or daughter of God begins at the moment of new birth; we are now new creations, free to walk through life in victory over sin, Satan, and the world, with all the promises and privileges of one whose Father is King of the Universe.
Comments:
We believe this new birth is a gift of the grace of God, which we receive solely through faith. The moment we place our trust in Jesus Christ to save us, we are born again.
Being born again is not dependent upon or enhanced in any manner through our personal efforts, feelings, good works, church attendance, or any other attempt to earn God’s favor.
Simply joining a church does not save you – you can be a church member and still not be born again. New birth is dependent not on your relationship to a local church but rather to your relationship with Jesus.
We are born again at the moment we turn to Jesus Christ and declare our faith in Him, and not at the moment of baptism. However Jesus commanded us to be baptized, which provides a public declaration of our new faith in Christ and a prophetic act declaring our birth into our new life. Oftentimes baptisms are accompanied by a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit.
Luke 24:46-47; John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:4-7; II Corinthians 5:17; Romans 1:16, 5:1; Romans 8: 37-39; Ephesians 1:3-5; Revelation 1:5-6
- We believe in the ongoing sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, by Whose indwelling the believer is enabled to live a holy life and minister supernaturally. The filling of the Holy Spirit allows believers to serve with God’s power as His witnesses and to do the works that Jesus did. The Holy Spirit is the source of the signs, wonders, and miracles for the church today.
Comments:
We believe, as the Bible indicates, the Holy Spirit is a Person, not merely a force or influence.
We believe the Holy Spirit indwells every person at the moment they begin to believe in Jesus Christ.
We believe the Holy Spirit works in the life of every believer to produce the fruit of the Spirit, in order to grow in Christ-like character.
We believe Scripture teaches Christians to pursue empowerment by the Holy Spirit following their salvation. Scripture uses various terms (eg baptism of the Spirit, filling of the Spirit, being clothed with power, etc) to describe this experience which was highly valued by the early church.
We believe every Christian must pursue the continual filling of the Holy Spirit in their daily life; i.e. a life totally surrendered and dependent upon the Spirit’s presence and work in his or her life.
We believe the supernatural nature of the church in the book of Acts was due to their dependence on the Holy Spirit and was intended to demonstrate what normal Christianity should be.
We believe the Bible teaches that signs, wonders, and all the gifts of the Holy Spirit will remain in the church until the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
John 7:38-39; John 14:12,15-16; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-8, 2:1-4, 2:17-18, 4:29-31,
8:14-17,10:44-48, 19:1-7, I Corinthians 12:7-11; Galatians 5: 22-25; Ephesians 5:18
- We believe regardless of race, nationality, creed, or gender, all people everywhere need to hear, understand, and believe the good news about Jesus Christ. Thus we believe the primary work of believers everywhere is to advance the Kingdom by making disciples for Jesus Christ, bringing God's love, truth, and power to people in bondage to sin and darkness.
Comments:
We are to serve the poor and strive to improve society. However we believe the primary need of all people is a new heart through faith in Christ. Poverty and injustice in society originates in fallen human hearts. The remedy begins with a new heart through faith in Jesus.
While our culture commonly rejects the idea of Satan, the Bible asserts we are engaged in a spiritual battle against demonic forces. However God has given us authority over every spiritual enemy and has provided us with spiritual armor and weapons.
Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-18; Luke 24:46-47; John 14:12, 20:21; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 6:10-18; Acts 10:38; James 1:27; Galatians 2:10
- We believe in the resurrection of born-again believers to eternal life with Jesus, and of the lost to eternal life in Hell.
Comments:
We believe, as the Bible teaches, there are no second chances after death; our eternal destiny is determined in this life according to our response to Jesus Christ.
We reject the idea of reincarnation.
Rev. 20:11-15; Matt. 25:31-46; Lk 16:22-28; Heb. 9:27; Jn 3:16; Jn 3:36; I Thess 4:14-17
- We believe in the spiritual unity of all believers everywhere, regardless of race and color, in Jesus Christ.
Comments:
We believe there is one true universal Church composed of everyone who acknowledges and trusts in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
We hold that all true believers are one with Christ regardless of denominational background.
There is no place for racial prejudice in the body of Christ.
Division and strife between Christians is sinful. We guard unity and work through differences in loving dialogue and confrontation, that respects people, submits to truth, and pursues reconciliation.
Eph 3:11-22; Jn 17:20-26; Jn 13:1-15; Mt28:18-20; Rev 5:9-10
