What We Believe and Why
We Believe the Holy Scripture to be the Divinely Inspired Word of God
We accept fully the writings of the Old and New Testament. We acknowledge God’s Word to be without error as originally given by God. We recognize His Word as the only infallible and authoritative rule by which the Christian Life may be ordered and evaluated. (II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21, Galatians 1:8-12)
We Believe in the Sovereignty of God
We know God to be a personal, perfect, infinite and eternal Master. We acknowledge His absolute love, wisdom, power and presence. God is above time and space, apart from the physical world, which is His creation. Yet, He is the sustainer of all that exists. God works through circumstance to orchestrate the lives of His People to accomplish His Divine Purpose. God is a triune God; God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. Each aspect of God has a specific ministry to His Creation and His People. (I Samuel 2:6, Daniel 4:17, Daniel 6:26)
We Believe that Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten Son of God
Jesus is the Eternal Word of God who was born in the flesh, of a virgin, as God-man. Jesus was perfect in life and death. He was tempted in all ways as man, yet was without sin. He offered Himself as the sacrificial atonement of our sins. He became sin and experienced death as full penalty for sin. After three days, He arose bodily from the grave and ascended into Heaven to appear before the Father God to intercede for you and me. (John 1:1-5, 14:6, Hebrews 4:15, Matthew 12:40, 28:6, Romans 8:27-34, Corinthians 15:3, II Corinthians 5:21)
We Believe that Salvation is by Grace, through Faith in Jesus Christ
It is a free gift of God, neither merited nor secured by the efforts or virtues of man. Salvation is received as we surrender our will to God’s Will, confessing Jesus as Lord and Savior. In Jesus Christ, we receive a perfect righteousness, security from all condemnation, sonship in the family of God and every spiritual resource needed for life and godliness. In Jesus, we also receive the divine guarantee that shall never perish as salvation affects the whole man and causes him to be conformed to the Perfect Image of Jesus. Apart from Jesus, there is no salvation. (Acts 4:12, 16:31, Romans 3:24-27, 8:28-29, 10:9-10, Ephesians 2:8-10)
We Believe that All Men are by Nature & Choice Sinful, Wicked & Destined to an Everlasting Hell
Man is the creation of God, made in His Image, yet by personal and willful disobedience, became sinful. Sin alienated us from a Holy God and man is now under His judgment and wrath. In ourselves, we are without hope. Jesus bridges the gap between Righteous God and sinful man. (Genesis 2:15-17, 3:1-7, Romans 3:23, 5:6-8, 5:12-21)
We Believe that The Holy Spirit of God is the Third Person of the Trinity
He is the Comforter sent to us upon Jesus’ departure. His purpose is to regenerate, indwell, empower, baptize, seal and anoint all that become Children of God through belief in Jesus Christ. He guides, teaches, sanctifies and fills each believer as we submit to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. (John 14:26, II Corinthians 1:22, Ephesians 1:1-14)
We Believe that True Christian Faith will Manifest itself Through Godly Living
Man’s works in no way enable salvation. They evidence the work, which has taken place through faith. We understand that, as Christians, we are called to live as Jesus lived. Ours is both a solemn responsibility and privilege to take the Gospel message to a lost and dying world. We realize that a victorious Christian life is only possible as we “deny self” and submit to the will of Holy God for our daily lives. This is done by presenting ourselves daily as a living sacrifice unto God. (Matthew 16:24, Acts 1:8, Romans 2:13, 12:1-2, James 1:22)
We Believe in the Reality of a Literal Adversary Named Lucifer (also known as Satan)
Lucifer was originally created as a ministering spirit to God. Yet through pride and wicked ambition, he rebelled against God to become God’s enemy throughout the ages. He was cast out of heaven along with a host of angels who had followed in his attempt to become God. He was driven to the realm of earth where he is the great deceiver in this present age. Satan is the father of lies with vast power. He uses that power for his wicked purposes against mankind. God limits his ability to interfere with His Plan and Purpose. Lucifer’s doom is certain. He will stand before God and be cast into the lake of fire as eternal punishment. Until then, God’s People are called to stand boldly against Him. We are able to resist, and even overcome, his onslaught by means of “the Armor of God” and the power of God’s Holy Spirit living within every Born Again Believer in Jesus Christ. (Psalm 110:1, Isaiah 14:12-16, Ephesians 6:10-19, Revelation 12:4, 20:1-10)
We believe that Jesus has Gone Away to Prepare a Place for Us in Heaven
When Jesus comes again He will take us to our heavenly home He has prepared for us. Yet as surely as God has prepared a heaven for those who love Him, He has prepared a place of torment for those who reject His only Son, Jesus. That torment, in hell, lasts forever and ever. The Bible teaches that just a few will enter into Heaven but the masses of humanity will spend eternity in punishment that will never end. Our mission, as Children of God, is to tell others of the Blessed Hope we have in Christ Jesus. Our challenge is to live a life that exemplifies the teachings of Jesus and confirms His Reality. This is not an option, but rather a Holy Mandate from God. For that reason, we exist as a Church, to reach others for Jesus and to equip them to live a life that is pleasing to Him. (Matthew 7:13-14, 25:33-34, John 14:1-3,)
We Believe that Jesus is Coming Again and will Gather His Children to Himself to Rule and Reign with Him Forever and Ever
When He returns, He will come as a thief in the night, and all who are not prepared to meet Him will be eternally lost. We understand that God’s Word teaches that many have been deceived by Satan and will be left behind. The acid test of Christianity is whether or not we are “doers of The Word.” All who endure to the end, abiding in a lifestyle that confesses Jesus as Lord and Savior, shall be saved. (Matthew 10:22, I Thess. 4:14-18, 5:2, 2 Peter 3:10)