1. We believe in THE HOLY SCRIPTURE:
accepting fully the writings of the Old and New Testaments as the very
Word of God, verbally inspired in all parts and therefore wholly without
error as originally given of God, altogether sufficient in themselves
as our infallible and authoritative rule of faith and practice. (Psalms 119:160 † Proverbs 30:5 † 2 Timothy 3:16-17 † 2 Peter 1:19-21)
2. We believe in THE ONE TRUE GOD:
who is an intelligent, sovereign, spiritual and personal Being;
perfect, infinite, and eternal in his being, holiness, love, wisdom and
power; absolutely separate from and above the world as its Creator yet
everywhere present in the world as the Upholder of all things. He is
revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three distinct persons
but without division of nature, essence or being, and each having a
distinct ministry in Gods relation to his creation and people. (Genesis 1:1 † Exodus 15:11 † Psalms 83:18; 139:7-9 † Matthew 28:19 † John 10:30; 15:26)
3. We believe in THE LORD JESUS CHRIST:
who is the second person of the Triune God, the eternal word and Only
Begotten Son; that without any change in his divine Person, He became
man by miracle of the Virgin Birth, thus to continue forever as both
true God and true man, one person with two natures; that as man he was
tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin; that as the perfect
Lamb of God He gave Himself in death upon the cross, bearing the sin of
the world, and suffering its full penalty of divine wrath in our stead;
that He arose from the grave in a glorified body; that as our great High
Priest He ascended into Heaven, there to appear before the face of God
as our Advocate and intercessor. (John 1:1, 14; 3:16 † Matthew
1:18-25 † Galatians 4:4-5 † Philippians 2:6-10 † 1Corinthians 15:3-7 †
Hebrews 4:14-16 † 1 John 2:1-2)
4. We believe in THE HOLY SPIRIT:
who is the Third Person of the Trinity, and the divine Agent in nature,
revelation and redemption; that He convicts the world concerning sin,
righteousness and judgment; that He regenerates, indwells, baptizes,
seals and anoints all who become children of God through Christ; that He
further empowers, guides, teaches, sanctifies and fills believers who
daily surrender to Him. (John 3:5; 14:16-17, 26; 15:7-14 † Romans 8:9 † 1 Corinthians 12:13 † 2 Corinthians 3:18 † Ephesians 1:13; 5:18)
5. We believe All MEN ARE BY NATURE AND CHOICE SINFUL AND LOST:
that man was the direct creation of God, made in His image and
likeness; that by personal disobedience to the revealed will of God, man
became a sinful creature, the father of a fallen race which is
universally sinful in both nature and practice, thus alienated from the
life and family of God, and has within himself no possible means of
salvation. (Genesis 1:27; 3:6 † Psalm 51:5 † Romans 3:23; 5:12-21 † Galatians 3:11)
6. We believe in SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH:
that salvation is the free gift of God, neither merited nor secured in
part or in whole by any virtue or work of man but received only by
personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in whom all true believers have
as a present possession the gift of eternal life, a perfect
righteousness, sonship in the family of God, deliverance and security
from all condemnation, every spiritual resource needed for life and
godliness, in the divine guarantee that. they shall never perish; that
this salvation affects the whole man; that apart from Christ there is no
possible salvation. (Ephesians 2:8-9 † Titus 3:5 † John 1:12; 3:14; 10:28-29 † Romans 8:1 † Philippians 1:6)
7. We believe in RIGHTEOUS LIVING AND GODLY WORKS:
not as a means of salvation in any sense, but as its proper evidence
and fruit; and therefore as Christians we should obey the word of our
Lord, seek the things which are above, walk as He walked, accept as our
solemn responsibility the duty and privileges of bearing the gospel to a
lost world; remembering that a victorious and fruitful Christian life
is possible only for the infinite and underserved mercies of God have
presented themselves wholly to Christ. (Ephesians 2:10 † Romans 12:1-2 † Philippians 2:16)
8. We believe in THE EXISTANCE OF SATAN:
who originally was created a holy and perfect being, but through pride
and wicked ambition rebelled against God, thus becoming utterly depraved
in character, the great adversary of God and His people, leader of all
other evil angels and wicked spirits, the deceiver and god of this
present world: that his powers are vast, but strictly limited by the
permissive will of God who overrules all his wicked devices for good;
that he was defeated and judged at the cross, and therefore his final
doom is certain; that we are able to resist and overcome him only in the
armor of God, by the blood of the Lamb and through the power of the
Holy Spirit. (Isaiah 14:12-15 † Ephesians 6:12 † 1 Peter 5:8 † 1 John 3:8 † Revelation 12:9-11; 20:10)
9. We believe in THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST:
that His coming in the air to rapture His church, which is our blessed
Hope, is always imminent; that when He has first by resurrection of the
dead and translation of the living removed from the earth His waiting
Church, He will then pour out the righteous judgments of God upon the
unbelieving world and afterwards descend with His Church and establish
His glorious and literal kingdom over all the nations for a thousand
years. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 † James 4:8 † Hebrews 10:37 † Jude 1:14-15 † Revelation 19:11-16; 20:4-7)
10. We believe in FUTURE LIFE, BODILY RESURRECTION AND ETERNAL JUDGMENT:
that the spirits of the saved at death go immediately to be with Christ
in Heaven, that their works shall be brought before the Judgment Seat
of Christ for the determination of rewards which will take place at the
time when Christ comes for His own; that the spirits of the unsaved at
death descend immediately into Hades where they are kept under
punishment until the final day of judgment, at which time their bodies
shall be raised from the grave, that they shall be judged and cast into
Hell, the place of final and everlasting punishment. (1 Corinthians 15:11 † 2 Corinthians 5:8-10 † Luke 16:19-23 † Revelation 20:11-15)
11. We believe in THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE, with each having definite and distinct spheres of responsibility. (Matthew 22:21 † Romans 13:1-7)
12. We believe in THE PRTESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS:
that Christ is our Great High Priest and through Him every born-again
person has direct access into God's presence without the need of a human
priest; that the believer has the right and responsibility to
personally study and interpret the Scriptures guided by the Holy Spirit.
(John 14:6 † Hebrews 4:16 † 2 Timothy 2:15 † 1 Peter 2:1; 5; 9)
13. We believe in THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST:
that He alone is Head of the body of Christ, into which all true
believers are immediately baptized by the Holy Spirit; that all members
of this one spiritual body should assemble and identify themselves in
local churches. (1 Corinthians 12:13 † Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:11-15 † Galatians 1:22)
14. We believe in THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LOCAL CHURCH:
that a New Testament church is a local assembly of born-again baptized
believers united in organization to practice New Testament ordinances,
to meet together for worship, prayer, fellowship, teaching and a united
testimony, and to actively engage in carrying out the Great Commission. (Acts 2:41-42 † 1 Corinthians 11:2 † Matthew 28:19-20)
15. We believe in THE INDEPENDENCE AND AUTONOMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH:
that each New Testament church is free to govern itself without
ecclesiastical interference, and should cooperate with other New
Testament churches as the Holy Spirit leads; that it is responsible to
follow the pattern of the New Testament church and is directly
accountable to God. (Matthew 18:17 † Acts 6:1-5; 13:1-3; 15:22-23)
16. We believe THE ORDINANCES GIVEN TO THE LOCAL CHURCH ARE TWO, BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER:
that Baptism is by immersion of believers, thus portraying the death,
burial, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ; that the Lord’s Supper is
the partaking of the bread and cup by the believer as a continuing
memorial of the broken body and shed blood of Christ. (Matthew 28:19-20; 26:26-30 † Acts 2:41; 8:38-39 † 1 Corinthians 11:23-34)
