STATEMENT OF FAITH
This Church holds the following statement of faith as being a summary of Christian doctrine whose authority consists only in its agreement with the Word of God.
1. of the Scriptures
We believe that the Holy Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testament scriptures, was written by men divinely inspired and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction; that it has God for its Author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter; that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.
2 Timothy 3:16, 17 Isaiah 8:20 1 Thessalonians 5:21
2. of the True God
We believe the there is one, and only one, living and true God; an infinite, intelligent Spirit whose name is JEHOVAH, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; that He is inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons-the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost-equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
John 4:24 Psalm 83:18 Exodus 15:11
Mark 12:30 Matthew 28:19 John 10:30 Ephesians 2:18
3. of the Fall of Man
We believe that man was created in holiness under the law of his Maker but by voluntary transgression, fell from that holy and happy state, in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint but choice, being by nature utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God, positively inclined to evil, and therefore under just condemnation to eternal ruin without defense or excuse.
Genesis 1:27 Genesis 1:31 Genesis 3:6-24 Isaiah 53:6 Ezekiel 1.8:19 & 20 Romans 1:20
4. of the Way of Salvation
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through the mediatory offices of the Son of God who, by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our humanity; that being conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, yet without sin, He 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 in Heaven, and uniting in His wonderful person the most tender sympathies; with divine perfections, He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and an all-sufficient Saviour.
Ephesians 2:8 John 3:16 Philippians 2:16 & 17 Hebrews 7:25 Colossians 2:9 Hebrews 2:18 Isaiah 53:4 & 5
5. of Justification
We believe that the great gospel blessing, which Christ secures to such as believe in Him, is justification; that justification includes the pardon of sin and the promise of eternal life in principles of righteousness; that it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood, by virtue of which faith His perfect righteousness is freely imputed to us of God; that justification brings us into a state of most blessed peace and favor with God and secures every other blessing needful for time and eternity.
John 1:16 Acts 13:39 Romans 5:9 Romans 4 Romans 5:1 & 2
6. of the Freeness of Salvation
We believe that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the Gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the Gospel, which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation.
Isaiah 55:1 Romans 16:25 & 26 John 5:40 John 3:19
7. of Grace in Regeneration
We believe that, in order to be saved, sinners must be regenerated or born again; that regeneration consists in giving a holy disposition to the mind; that it is effected in a manner above our comprehension by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance, faith, and newness of life.
John 3:3 2 Corinthians 5:17 John 3:8 1 Peter 1:22-25 Ephesians 5:9 Galatians 5:16-23
8. of Repentance and Faith
We believe that repentance and faith are sacred duties, and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the regenerating Spirit of God, whereby being deeply convinced of our guilt, danger, and helplessness, and of the way of salvation of Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy; and at the same time we heartily receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Prophet, Priest, and King and rely on Him alone as the only and all-sufficient Saviour.
Mark 1:15 Acts 11:18 Ephesians 2:8 Acts 2:37 & 38 Romans 10:9 & 10
9. of God's Purpose of Grace
We believe that election is the eternal purpose of God, according to which He graciously regenerates, sanctifies, and saves sinners; that being perfectly consistent with the free agency of man, God's purpose comprehends all the means in connection with the end; that grace is a most glorious display of God's sovereign goodness, being infinitely free, wise, holy, and unchangeable; that grace utterly excludes boasting, and promotes humility, love, prayer, praise, trust in God, and active imitation of His free mercy; that it encourages the use of means in the highest degree, that it may be ascertained by its effects in all who truly believe the Gospel; that it is the foundation of Christian assurance; and that to ascertain it with regard to ourselves demands and deserves the utmost diligence.
2 Timothy 1:8 & 9 2 Thessalonians 2:13 & 14 Exodus 33:18 & 19 2 Timothy 2:10 11 Peter 1:1.0 & 11
10. of Sanctification
We believe 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; and that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the Sealer, and Comforter, in the continual use of the appointed means-especially the Word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness, and prayer.
1 Thessalonians 4:3 I John 2:29 Romans 8:5 Philippians 2:12 & 13
11. of the Perseverance of saints
We believe that such only are real believers as endure unto the end; that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special Providence watches over their welfare; and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation.
John 3:31 1 John 2:19 Romans 8:28 Philippians 1:6
12. of the Harmony of the Law and the Gospel
We believe that the law of God is the eternal and unchangeable rule of His moral government; that it is holy, just, and good; that the inability which the Scriptures ascribe to fallen men to fulfill its precepts arises entirely from their love of sin; and that the one great end of the Gospel is to deliver them from this inability and to restore them, through a Mediator, the unfeigned obedience to the holy law and of the means of grace connected with the establishment of the visible church.
Romans 3:31 Romans 7:12 Romans 8:7 & 8 Romans 8:2-4
13. of a Gospel Church
We believe that a visible church of Christ is a congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its only scriptural officers are bishops or pastors and deacons whose qualifications, claims, and duties are defined in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus.
Matthew 18:17 1 Corinthians 1:1-13 1 Corinthians 11:2 Matthew 28:20 Acts 2:41 & 42 1 Timothy 3 Titus 1
14. of Baptism and the Lord's Supper
We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour with its effect in our death to sin, and resurrection to a new life. We believe that the Lord's Supper, in which Christians, by the sacred use of the unleavened bread and unfermented wine, are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ, is to be preceded always by solemn self-examination.
Acts 8:36-39 John 3:2,2, & 23 Matthew 28:1.9 Romans 6:4 Acts 2:41 & 42 1 Corinthians 11:26
1 Corinthians 11:28
15. of the Lord's Day
We believe that the first day of the week is the Lord's Day and is to be kept sacred to religious purposes; by the devout observance of all means of grace, both private and public; and by preparation for that rest which remains for all the people of God.
Acts 20:7 Psalm 118:2.4 Isaiah 58:13 Hebrews 10:24 & 15 Hebrews 4:3-11
16. of Civil Government
We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the Home 2) the Church 3) the State. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the right of the other. The Home, the Church, and the State are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblical assigned spheres of responsibility under God.
Matthew 22.:21 Acts 5:29 Matthew 23:10 Romans 13:1-7 Ephesians 5:22-24 Hebrews13:17 1 Peter 2:13 & 14
17. of the Righteous and the Wicked
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and sanctified by the Spirit of our 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; and that this distinction holds among men both in and after death.
Malachi 3:18 Romans 1:17 I John 5:19 Luke 16:2
18. of the World to come
We believe that the end of this age is approaching. We believe in that “blessed hope” the personal, imminent return of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting punishment of the lost.
1 Peter 4:7 Acts 1:11 2 Thessalonians 4:13-17 Acts 24:15 Matthew 24:31-46 Revelation 22:11
19. of Soulwinning
We believe that the command to give the Gospel to the world is clear and unmistakable and that this commission is the responsibility of all believers.
Matthew 28:1.8-20 Mark 16:15 John 20:21 Acts 1:8 Romans 10:13-15
20. of the Grace of Giving
We believe that Scriptural giving is one of the fundamentals of the faith. We believe that the tithe, which is propartiaonate giving of 10%, is a distinct and positive command in the Scriptures, and pledge ourselves to a systematic contribution for the support of the church of such a portion of our income as we believe God requires of us according to the principle laid down in God's Word. 1 Corinthians 16:1 & 2; 2 Corinthians 8:1-6; Malachi 3:8-11
21. of Separation from All Forms of Apostasy and False Gospels
We believe that modernism, liberalism, "social gospel.", and any other gospel other than the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, are not of God, but are of antichrist; and that we as believers should have no fellowship with such unfruitful works of darkness; and that we are called upon to separate from all alliances, churches, groups, organizations, and individuals that sanction such doctrines.
2 Corinthians 6:14-18 Ephesians 5:11 Romans 16:17 & 18 Revelation 18:4 & 5 Galatians 1.:8-10 1 Timothy 6:3-5 2 Thessalonians 3:6 2 John 7-11
22. of separation from Worldliness
We believe that all believers should walk in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon our Lord and Saviour and that separation from worldly pleasures and practices is commanded of God.
Romans 12:1 & 2 Romans 14:13 2 Corinthians 6:14-17 1 John 2:15-17
23. of Creation
We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24 hour periods. We reject evolution, the Gap theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Atheistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin.
Genesis 1, 2 Exodus 20:11
24. of Human Sexuality
We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity should 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.
Genesis 2:24 Genesis 19:5 & 13 Genesis 26:8 & 9 Leviticus 18:1-30 Romans 1:26-29 1 Corinthians 5:1 1 Corinthians 6:9 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 Hebrews 13:4
25. of 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 abortion of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth as population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable.
Job 3:16 Psalms 51:5 Psalms.139:14-16 Isaiah 44:24 Isaiah 49:1 & 5 Jeremiah 1:5 Jeremiah 20:15-18 Luke 1:44
26. of missions
We believe that God has given the church a Great Commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us.
Matthew 28:19-20 Mark 16:15 Luke 24:46-48 John 20:21 Acts 1:8 2 Corinthians 5:20
27. of Lawsuits between Believers
We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing Civil Lawsuits against other Christians or the Church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian's insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander.
I Corinthians 6:1-8 Ephesians 4:31-32
