We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired by God and inerrant in the original writings, and that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and life (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21; 2 Sam. 23:2; John 10:35; Matt. 5:18; Gal. 3:16; Num. 23:19; 2 Pet. 1:3-4; Ps. 19:7; 2 Tim. 4:1-3).
We believe in one God, eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Deut. 6:4-6; Ex. 15:11; 1 Kings 8:60; Isa. 45:14, 18, 21; Rom. 3:30; Eph. 1:1; John 1:1-4; 20:28; Titus 32:13; Acts 5:3-4; Matt. 3:16-17; Eph. 1:3-14).
We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true Man (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:18; Phil. 2:5-11; John 1:1, 14, 18; I John 5:20; Rom. 9:5; Titus 2:13; Matt. 1:21; Matt. 22:44; John 10:36; Rom. 8:3; Gal. 4:4; Col. 1:13-20; John 5:18; Mic. 5:2; Heb. 13:8; John 1:3, 5:26, 8:56; Heb. 1:3; Luke 6:19; Acts 20:28; John 10:16; 13:18; Eph. 5:25-26; John 15:26; 10:28; 5:21-22;14:1; Heb. 1:6; 1 Cor. 1:2; Acts 7:59).
We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells the believer and that He is the Comforter and Guide of all who receive Jesus Christ as personal Savior (Matt. 3:11; I Cor. 12:13; Gal. 3:2, 27-28; Eph. 1:13-14; John 7:38-39; Rom. 8:9; 2 Cor. 1:22; 2 Cor. 5:5; Eph. 4:30; John 14:26; 16:13; 1 John 2:27).
We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also that spiritual death, which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature; and, in the case of those who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word and deed (Gen. 1:26-27; 2:7; 2:16-17; Gen. 3:6; Rom. 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 2 Sam. 12:23; Jonah 4:11; Rom. 1:18-20).
We believe that the Lord Jesus died for our sins, according to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice; and that all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood (Rom. 5:18-19; Phil. 2:8; Heb. 5:8; Matt. 20:28; 1 Tim. 2:6; Heb. 9:22; Heb. 10:4-7; 1 Pet. 1:19; 1 John 2:2; Eph. 1:7; Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:18; Eph. 2:13-14; 2 Cor. 5:14-15; 1 Tim. 4:10; Col. 1:13-14; Rom. 3:19-26; 4:1-25).
We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord, and His Ascension into Heaven and in His present life there for us as High Priest and Advocate (Matt. 28:1-6; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-12; John 20:1-10; Acts 2:22-24, 36; Rom. 1:4; Acts 1:3, 9-11; Luke 24:50-53; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 7:25; 1 John 2:1; John 17).
We believe in the personal, pre-millennial and imminent return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; 1 Cor. 1:7; 16:22; Phil. 4:5; Rev. 22:7, 12, 20; John 14:1-3; Rev. 3:10; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; Rev. 19-20).
The Resurrection
We believe in the bodily resurrection and judgment of the just and the bodily resurrection and judgment of the unjust, the everlasting blessedness of the saved and the everlasting punishment of the lost (Rev. 20:11-12; 15; 21:1-8; Matt. 18:8; 25:41; Jude 7; Dan. 12:2; 2 Thess. 1:9; Rev. 14:11; Matt. 25:46; Luke 16:22-24).
We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior are born again and thereby become children of God and are eternally secure in Him (Rom. 10:13; Titus 3:5; John 3:3; 1 Pet. 1:3; Ezek. 36:26; Eph. 2:1-5; John 1:13; James 1:18; Rom. 8:28-39; Eph. 4:30; John 3:36; 1 Tim. 1:16; John 6:35-40; John 10:27-30).
We believe the Church consists of all people from Pentecost to the Rapture who by the Holy Spirit have been born again, baptized, and indwelt. As manifested in local assemblies, its mission is to glorify God and to witness to the Deity, Lordship, and saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 16:18; 1 Cor. 12:13; Matt. 3:11; John 3:3, 5; Eph. 1:22; Gal. 1:2, 13; Acts 2:1-4; 11:15; Eph. 2:15; Gal. 3:28; Eph. 3:20-21; Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:11-21).
We believe that every child of God is sovereignly given at least one spiritual gift for the edification of the local assembly and that all the miraculous and revelatory gifts ceased with the passing of the Apostles. Therefore the distinct teachings and practices of the charismatic movement are not acceptable in this church (1 Cor. 12:1-11; Rom. 12:6-8; Eph. 4:11; 1 Pet. 4:10-11; Eph. 2:20; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:1-4; 1:1-2).
We believe in the literal interpretation of the Scriptures, that is, taking each word in its normal, customary sense as it was used when it was written. We therefore distinguish between Israel and the Church as distinct groups within God's program for the ages, and between the responsibilities and destinies of each (Gen. 12:1-3; 15:17-21; Isa. 11:6–9; 65:17–25; Jer. 12:15; 31:31-40; Amos 9:11-12; Zech. 14:16–21; Acts 1:6-7; Rom. 11:17-32; Rev. 20:3-6; Eph. 2:11-22; Cf. Art. II, Sect. 11).
We believe and teach that there are two specific ordinances of the church: Baptism and the Lord's Supper:
Baptism is for the professing believer, and the Scriptural method is immersion inasmuch as it symbolizes the saved sinner's identification with Christ whose death, burial and resurrection God ascribes vicariously to the believer as judicial acceptance with God; it is not a means of nor a requisite for salvation but an evidence of a conviction to be obedient to the Lordship of Jesus Christ (Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38, 41; 8:12, 38; 9:18; Rom. 6:3-4;1 Cor. 12:13; Luke 23:43).
The Lord's Supper is not a sacrament, but a memorial service and the elements are to be received reverently as representing the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is for born-again believers only but not restricted to members of this church. Its observance affords a time of heart searching, thanksgiving for our Lord's passion and affirming our expectation of our Lord's return (Matt. 26:26-28; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:17-21; Acts 2:42; 1 Cor. 11:23-34).
We believe the holiness of God requires every believer to be holy in all manner of life. This means separation unto God individually and as a local assembly from all that displeases Him, including worldliness, apostasy, and professing believers who persist in disobedience (1 Pet. 1:14-16; Rom. 12:1-2; James 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17; Gal. 1:6-9; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; 1 Cor. 5:1-13; Matt. 18:15-20; 2 Thess. 3:6-15).
We believe in the existence and personality of the Devil, that he was originally created as a perfect being who chose to rebel against God and subsequently led a host of other angels to do the same. As a hater of God, he seeks to oppose the purposes of God by blinding the minds of the lost and tempting believers to sin. The Devil was forever judged at Calvary and will ultimately be consigned to the Lake of Fire for eternity following the millennial reign of Christ (Ezek. 28:11-17; Isa. 14:12-14; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; Job 1:6-12; Zech. 3:1-2; John 8:44; Acts 26:18; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Gen. 3:4; Rev. 2:10; 2 Cor. 2:11; 11:14; 1 Pet. 5:8; Matt. 13:38-39; Gen. 3:15; John 12:31; Col. 2:15; Rev. 12:9; 20:2, 7, 10; Matt. 25:41).
We believe that marriage is a God-ordained relationship that is between one natural man and one natural woman. Marriage is used as a symbol that describes the relationship between Christ and His bride, the church. We believe that any perversion of God's gift of sex as declared in the Bible is sin. (Gen. 2:24; Gen. 19:5, 13; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Matt. 5:27-28; Rom. 1: 26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4)