ARTICLES OF FAITH
THE BIBLE (Holy Scriptures). We believe the sixty-six books of the Bible to be the complete, inerrant, and inspired Word of God. We believe the Bible is the supreme standard by which we should measure all human conduct, creeds and opinions. It is the standard by which we are to live our lives. (Hebrews 1:1-12; II Timothy 3:14-17; II Peter 1:19-21; Hebrews 4:12)
GOD. We believe in and worship the one true and living God: the God of the Bible, the God who created everything that exists. We believe He is eternal (without beginning or end), holy, wise and all powerful, all knowing and present everywhere. We believe in the triune nature of God--that He exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Isaiah 44:6; Genesis 1:1-2; John 1:3; Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 6:3; Romans 11:33-36; Genesis 17:1; Hebrews 4:13; Psalm 139:7-12; Matthew 28:19; John 16:15; Ephesians 2:19-22)
GOD THE FATHER. God the Father is mercifully concerned in the affairs of men, and He loves us each as individuals. He saves from sin and eternal death all who come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ. (II Corinthians 5:18-19; John 3:16; Ephesians 2:4-5; Ephesians 2:8-9)
GOD THE SON. God the Father sent His only son, who was with Him from the beginning in Heaven, to the earth to be born of the virgin Mary. Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, was both God and man, and lived a sinless life. He was put to death on a cross in the land of Israel, buried in a tomb, and resurrected by God the Father three days later. Jesus was observed by over five hundred people after his resurrection. After forty days He ascended from earth directly into the presence of God the Father. Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection provides for our salvation. Jesus Christ will visibly return to the earth according to His promise. (John 1:1-3; Luke 1:31-34; Matthew 1:20; Colossians 1:15-20; Colossians 2:9; Matthew 1:23; II Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; Mark 10:45; Acts 2:22-24; Ephesians 1:19-20; I Corinthians 15:3-8; I John 1:7; Matthew 24:30-31; Acts 1:11)
GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT. God the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He regenerates, seals, and sets apart the believer to a holy life. At regeneration (new birth), He baptizes the believer into the body of Christ and comes to indwell the believer permanently, teaching each believer, giving spiritual gifts to each one, and producing the fruit of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings unity in the church as each believer yields to Him. (John 16:7-8; Ephesians 1:13; II Thessalonians 2:13; Titus 3:5-6; I Corinthians 12:13; I Corinthians 6:19; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 2:10b-11; Ephesians 5:17-18; I Corinthians 12:7; Galatians 5:22-23; I Corinthians 12:4, 12; Ephesians 5:18)
MANKIND AND SALVATION. We believe that God created every person in His image, giving each person great value. In creating male and female, God defines marriage as the union between one man and one woman committed exclusively to each other for life, forming a unit within which children are to be raised. But mankind chose to sin and consequently experienced not only physical death but also spiritual death (separation from God). Sin has altered man’s practice of marriage but not God’s design or standard for marriage. All human beings are born with a sinful nature and commit acts of sin. But “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Christ’s shed blood provides for our salvation and the forgiveness of sin. This salvation is not the result of human works or merit, but of God’s grace. We believe, therefore, that those who have a personal faith in Christ shall be with Him in heaven forever. Personal faith means repenting of one’s sin, asking for forgiveness, believing that Christ’s death and resurrection is the only means of salvation, and making a personal commitment to accept Christ as Savior and Lord of one’s life. We believe that Satan, a fallen angel, and his followers seek to oppose God and His work with all their strength. However, the Holy Spirit in each believer protects them from eternal loss at Satan’s hand and is available to strengthen the believer against temptations. Unbelievers will be forever separated from God and face eternal suffering in the lake of fire. (Genesis 1:27; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3; James 1:13-15; John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Ephesians 2:6-7; John 1:12; Romans 10:9-10; Revelation 12:7-10, 12; I Peter 5:8; Ephesians 1:13; Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:14-15)
THE CHURCH (the Body of Christ). We believe that the Church (the Body of Christ) is composed of regenerate (born again) believers. The local church is a fellowship of believers united in the Holy Spirit and united together to worship God, provide fellowship among believers, teach the Scriptures, and proclaim the Gospel of Christ throughout the world. (I Corinthians 12:12-13, 27; Acts 2:42-47; Acts 1:7-8; Matthew 28:18-20)
ORDINANCES.
Baptism by Immersion. We believe that Christian baptism by immersion shows our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior and is a symbol of our death to sin and resurrection to new life. (Romans 6:1-10)
The Lord’s Supper. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of His death and resurrection until He comes again and should always be preceded by earnest self-examination. (Matthew 26:26-29; I Corinthians 11:23-28)
THE BIBLE (Holy Scriptures). We believe the sixty-six books of the Bible to be the complete, inerrant, and inspired Word of God. We believe the Bible is the supreme standard by which we should measure all human conduct, creeds and opinions. It is the standard by which we are to live our lives. (Hebrews 1:1-12; II Timothy 3:14-17; II Peter 1:19-21; Hebrews 4:12)
GOD. We believe in and worship the one true and living God: the God of the Bible, the God who created everything that exists. We believe He is eternal (without beginning or end), holy, wise and all powerful, all knowing and present everywhere. We believe in the triune nature of God--that He exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Isaiah 44:6; Genesis 1:1-2; John 1:3; Psalm 90:2; Isaiah 6:3; Romans 11:33-36; Genesis 17:1; Hebrews 4:13; Psalm 139:7-12; Matthew 28:19; John 16:15; Ephesians 2:19-22)
GOD THE FATHER. God the Father is mercifully concerned in the affairs of men, and He loves us each as individuals. He saves from sin and eternal death all who come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ. (II Corinthians 5:18-19; John 3:16; Ephesians 2:4-5; Ephesians 2:8-9)
GOD THE SON. God the Father sent His only son, who was with Him from the beginning in Heaven, to the earth to be born of the virgin Mary. Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit, was both God and man, and lived a sinless life. He was put to death on a cross in the land of Israel, buried in a tomb, and resurrected by God the Father three days later. Jesus was observed by over five hundred people after his resurrection. After forty days He ascended from earth directly into the presence of God the Father. Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection provides for our salvation. Jesus Christ will visibly return to the earth according to His promise. (John 1:1-3; Luke 1:31-34; Matthew 1:20; Colossians 1:15-20; Colossians 2:9; Matthew 1:23; II Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; Mark 10:45; Acts 2:22-24; Ephesians 1:19-20; I Corinthians 15:3-8; I John 1:7; Matthew 24:30-31; Acts 1:11)
GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT. God the Holy Spirit convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He regenerates, seals, and sets apart the believer to a holy life. At regeneration (new birth), He baptizes the believer into the body of Christ and comes to indwell the believer permanently, teaching each believer, giving spiritual gifts to each one, and producing the fruit of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit brings unity in the church as each believer yields to Him. (John 16:7-8; Ephesians 1:13; II Thessalonians 2:13; Titus 3:5-6; I Corinthians 12:13; I Corinthians 6:19; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 2:10b-11; Ephesians 5:17-18; I Corinthians 12:7; Galatians 5:22-23; I Corinthians 12:4, 12; Ephesians 5:18)
MANKIND AND SALVATION. We believe that God created every person in His image, giving each person great value. In creating male and female, God defines marriage as the union between one man and one woman committed exclusively to each other for life, forming a unit within which children are to be raised. But mankind chose to sin and consequently experienced not only physical death but also spiritual death (separation from God). Sin has altered man’s practice of marriage but not God’s design or standard for marriage. All human beings are born with a sinful nature and commit acts of sin. But “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Christ’s shed blood provides for our salvation and the forgiveness of sin. This salvation is not the result of human works or merit, but of God’s grace. We believe, therefore, that those who have a personal faith in Christ shall be with Him in heaven forever. Personal faith means repenting of one’s sin, asking for forgiveness, believing that Christ’s death and resurrection is the only means of salvation, and making a personal commitment to accept Christ as Savior and Lord of one’s life. We believe that Satan, a fallen angel, and his followers seek to oppose God and His work with all their strength. However, the Holy Spirit in each believer protects them from eternal loss at Satan’s hand and is available to strengthen the believer against temptations. Unbelievers will be forever separated from God and face eternal suffering in the lake of fire. (Genesis 1:27; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3; James 1:13-15; John 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Ephesians 2:6-7; John 1:12; Romans 10:9-10; Revelation 12:7-10, 12; I Peter 5:8; Ephesians 1:13; Matthew 25:46; Revelation 20:14-15)
THE CHURCH (the Body of Christ). We believe that the Church (the Body of Christ) is composed of regenerate (born again) believers. The local church is a fellowship of believers united in the Holy Spirit and united together to worship God, provide fellowship among believers, teach the Scriptures, and proclaim the Gospel of Christ throughout the world. (I Corinthians 12:12-13, 27; Acts 2:42-47; Acts 1:7-8; Matthew 28:18-20)
ORDINANCES.
Baptism by Immersion. We believe that Christian baptism by immersion shows our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior and is a symbol of our death to sin and resurrection to new life. (Romans 6:1-10)
The Lord’s Supper. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of His death and resurrection until He comes again and should always be preceded by earnest self-examination. (Matthew 26:26-29; I Corinthians 11:23-28)
