Statement Of Faith
1: The Scriptures
We believe the Old and New Testaments to be verbally inspired by God, inerrant in the original writings, and that they are supreme and final authority in faith and life. ( II Tim. 3:16-17 & II Pet. 1:19-21 )
We reject the RSV or the new english bibles as being true translations of the word of God and insist that the KJV ( King James Version ) be used in sunday school and from the pulpit in all meetings associated with this church.
2: The Godhead
We believe the Godhead eternally exists in three persons; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We believe that these three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections, that each one is co-existent and co-equal and co-eternal with the other. ( Gen. 1:1, 1:26, Matt. 3:16-17, 28:19-20, Jn. 10:30, II Cor. 13:14, & Rom. 8:9 )
3: The Lord Jesus Christ
We believe in:
1. His eternal existence as God. ( Heb. 1:8 )
2. His incarnation by the means of the virgin birth. ( Lk. 1:35 & Isa. 7:14 )
3. His death on the cross as substitutionary atonement for sin. ( Rom. 3:25 & Heb. 9:14 )
4. His literal bodily resurrection from the dead. ( Lk. 24:36-43 & Acts 10:40-41 )
5. His ministry of intercession in Heaven. ( Acts 1:9, I John 2:1 & Heb. 8:1-2 )
6. His personal return to the earth. ( Acts 1:11, I Thess. 4:16, Col. 2:9 & Matt. 26:64 )
The doctrine of the second coming held by this church shall be that the Lord Jesus shall descend from Heaven and the church will be raptured to meet him in the air. Then, approximately seven years later, He will come back to earth, the church with Him; to reign for one thousand years; thus, our belief is pre-millenial, pre-tribulation concerning the second coming.
4: The Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, convicts men of sin ( Jn. 16:8 ), regenerates, indwells, seals, and sets believers apart unto a holy life ( I Cor. 3:16, Eph. 1:13, 4:30 ) and that he keeps and empowers the believer day by day. He is the teacher of the word of God and guide for our daily lives. Anyone who does not have the Spirit living in them, is not a child of God. ( Rom. 8:9 )
5: Man
1. We believe man was created innocent and pure. ( Gen. 1:26 )
2. Adam fell through the sin of disobedience. ( Rom. 5:19 )
3. Thereby, all men are corrupt in body, mind, and soul. ( Rom. 5:12 )
6: Satan
We believe in the reality and personality, or personal existence of satan. ( Job. 1:6-9, 2:3, Matt. 4: 1-11, I Peter 5:8, James 4:7 )
7: Salvation
1. We believe that salvation is solely by grace through faith in the blood sacrifice, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Son of God. ( Eph. 2:8-9 & I Cor. 15:1-4 )
2. All who receive Christ, after having been drawn by the Holy Spirit, thereby, become children of God. ( Jn. 1:11-13 )
3. All who are saved, are kept forever. ( I Pet. 1:5 & Jude 24 )
4. However, God cannot overlook sin in His children, and will chasten, or punish and correct them in love. ( Heb. 12:5-8 )
8: The Church
1. We believe that the local church is composed of regenerated baptized believers, voluntarily united together for the purpose of worship, edification, fellowship of believers, spiritual growth and service.
2. It has been commissioned by Christ to propagate the gospel to the uttermost parts of the earth. ( Acts 1:8 )
3. That the local church has absolute right of self-government, free from interference of any hierachy or individuals, or organizations; and that the one and only Superintendent is Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
4. That on all matters of membership, the policy of government and of benevolence, the will of the local church is final. ( Acts 2:41-47, 4:33-37, 5:1-20
9: The Ordinances
We believe that Jesus Christ gave two ordinances to the local church to be observed until he comes again:
1. The Lord's Supper. It was left us as an ordinance by the Lord himself. ( Matt. 26:26, Mk. 14:22-24, Lk. 22:19-20, I Cor. 11:23 )
2. Believers Baptism. We believe that baptism is immersion into water. We practice baptism because of the example of our Lord Jesus while he was here on earth, ( Matt. 3:13 ) and because of the command given by our Lord to be baptized. ( Matt. 28:19 )
It should be clear that there is no saving efficacy in baptism. It is meant for those who are allready saved, giving a clear picture of the fact that the believer is dead, buried, and raised spiritually with Jesus Christ by faith in Him.
10: The Future
We believe in the personal pre-millenial return of Jesus Christ.
1. He will come for His saints to gather them unto himself.
2. With His saints judge the nations, and to eternally abide in the glory of his presence.
3. The bodily resurrection of the unjust will be a thousand years later, to be judged at the Great White Throne, and finally be cast into the lake of fire. ( Rev. 20:15 )
11: Seperation
We believe it is the duty of all believers to adhere to the scriptural teachings of seperation, and that we should abstain from worldly practices and live a life devoted unto the Lord Jesus Christ. ( Rom. 12:1-2, I Thess. 5:22, and II Cor. 6:14-17 )
12: Missions
Because all men everywhere without Christ are lost and bound for eternal punishment, and because men cannot believe without hearing the Word; we are debtors to all men, and have the responsibility of preaching to them the gospel. ( Rom. 1:18-20, 10:14-17 ) Jesus left us the command that we should all be witnesses for him ( Acts 1:8 ) and take the gospel to every place where men are found. ( Matt. 28:19-20, Mk. 16:15, Lk. 24:46-48 & Jn. 20:21 ) We believe that to carry out this command, we must ourselves be witnesses by life and word to all men. We further believe that we must support by prayer and financial aid those who go ouot under sound Indepentent missionary agencies to represent us in other parts of the world.