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Statement of Faith

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On this We Stand

God's Word, the Bible, is our sole authority for faith and practice. We embrace the following scriptural doctrine:

  1. The Bible

    We believe the Holy Scriptures, consisting of the Old and New Testaments only, to be the plenary (complete), verbal (every word), inspired Word of God, inerrant in the original manuscripts, authoritative, infallible, and God-breathed; that they are the complete and unalterable revelation of God to man, and that that are the only supreme and ultimate authority for faith and practice.  We believe in a literal, grammatical, and historical interpretation of the Scriptures, and a dispensational understanding of God's progressive revelation.

    II Timothy 3:16-17, II Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 5:18; I Corinthians 2:9-13; John 16:12-13

  2. The Godhead

    We Believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; co-eternal in being, co-incidental in essence, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same divine attributes and perfections, yet exercising them in various offices.

    Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John 14:7-12; 16:7; II Corinthians 13:14

  3. Creation

    We believe in the biblical account of creation, as accomplished in six successive, literal, twenty-four-hour days of creative activity, with God resting on the seventh day; we disavow as unscriptural any form of atheistic or theistic evolution, and the gap theory.

    Genesis 1:1-31; Exodus 20:9-11; 31:17; John 1:3; Co. 1:16-17

  4. Jesus Christ

    1. We Believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit of God born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God, and redeem sinful man.

      Matthew 1:18-20; John 1:1-2,14,18; Luke 1:35

    2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, being sinless, died for our sins according to the scriptures, as vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, offering unlimited atonement for the sins of the whole world; and that our justification is verified by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead.

      Matthew 28:5-6; Romans 3:24-26; 4:25; I Corinthians 15:3-4, 12-19; II Corinthians 5:21; I John 2:2)

    3. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended bodily into heaven; and is now seated at the right hand of the Father where, as our High Preist, He fulfills the ministry of Intercessor and Advocate.

      Rom. 8:34; Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 4:14-16; 7:23-25; 9:24; I Jn. 2:1

  5. The Holy Spirit

    We believe that the Holy Spirit of God is a divine person, equal with the Father and the Son, and of the same substance and nature; and that He convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment; bears witness to the truth, is the Agent of the new birth, and that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses to, sanctifies, and helps the believer; that He baptizes them into the body of Christ at the very point of salvation, indwells them permanently from that day forward, seals them unto the day of redemption, bestows spiritual gifts upon each one, and fills for services those yielded to Him. We believe that certain gifts of the Holy Spirit (such as apostleship and the apostolic sign gifts listed in Mark 16:17-18) were temporary, were needed only in the infancy of the church to confirm the authority of the apostles, that they gradually ceased by the time of the completion of the New Testament, and are not for our use today. We believe that the Holy Spirit testifies concerning Jesus Christ, and never leads any person, at any time, contrary to the teachings of the Bible.

    John 3:8; 14:16; 15:26-27; 16:7-15; Acts 5:1-4; Romans 12:6-8; I Corinthians 12:4-13, 28-31; 13:8-11; 14:1-28; II Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 2:19-22; 4:11-16,30; 5:18; Hebrews 2:3-4

  6. Satan

    We believe that Satan is a literal, created being, who rebelled against God and became the author of sin, was the tempter in the fall, is the enemy of God and man, is the god of this world, the prince and power of the air; and that he will be judged and eternally punished in the lake of fire.

    Genesis 3:1-7; Job 1:6-7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; 25:41; II Corinthians 4:3-4; Ephesians 2:1-3; Revelation 20:1-10

  7. Man

    We believe that man was created in the image of God, that he sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death which is the separation from God, and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature, and are now sinners by birth and by choice, positively inclined to evil, and therefore under just condemnation to eternal damnation in a literal hell without defense or excuse.

    Genesis 1:26-27; 2:17; 3:1-24; Romans 3:23; 5:12-21; Ephesians 2:1-13; Rev. 20:14-15

  8. Salvation

    1. We believe that salvation is not a process but a point-in-time decision to repent of sin and place one's faith and trust in the shed blood of Christ alone for the forgiveness of sin, recognized that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, according to the scriptures. We believe that all those who receive Jesus Christ as Savior are saved from sin (past, present, and future) and eternal damnation.

      Luke 5:32; 13:3; 24:46-47; Acts 3:19; 17:30; Romans 10:9-13; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:22; I Peter 1:18-19; II Peter 3:9

    2. We believe that salvation is a gift of God, by grace and through faith, not earned by good works.

      John 3:1-18; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5

    3. We believe that regeneration, or the new birth, is that change produced in the soul by the Holy Spirit, by which a new nature and spiritual life, not before possessed, are imparted, and the person becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus and part of the family of God, eternally secure, and never to be separated.

      John 1:12; 3:3-6: 5:24; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 29-30, 38-39; II Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 4:30; Hebrews 7:25; I Peter 1:23; Titus 3:5

  9. Sanctification

    We believe that sanctification is both immediate and positional, occurring at salvation and also progresses from salvation until the redemption of our bodies, and that it is produced in the heart of the believer by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit through the means of the Word of God, prayer, and the local church.

    I John 3:1, Romans 8:14-17; I Corinthians 1:2; Hebrews 10:10-14, 25; I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; Proverbs 4:18; I John 2:29; Philippians 2:12-13; Eph. 6:18; John 17:17

  10. The Local Church

    1. We believe that a New Testament church is a local body of baptized believers that voluntarily assembles for worship, service, fellowship, and edification; that regular assembling is scriptural; and that the primary purpose of assembling is to help equip the saints to do the work of the ministry, i.e., fulfilling the Great Commission of Christ. We believe that a New Testament Church is independent and self-governing, having Christ as its head; that it is a pure democracy, which has the power and the right within itself to confess its own faith in accordance with the New Testament; and that it is to be controlled neither by the state nor any religious hierarchy or organization. We disavow an unscriptural emphasis on a universal church, and we support the establishment and continuance of local churches.

      Acts 1:8; 2:41-47; Matthew 18:17; 28:19-20; I Corinthians 5:1-5; 12:12-27; Ephesians 4:11-12; Hebrews 10:25; I Tim. 3:1-16

    2. We believe that the offices of the church are only two in number: Pastors (Elders and Bishops being different names for the same office) and Deacons; and that the Bible teaches that these offices should be filled by men only. Any other officers elected by this church shall be for legal purposes only.

      I Timothy 3:1-13; Acts 6:1-7; 20:17,28; I Timothy 2:12, 3:2,12; Acts 15

    3. We believe that the ordinances of the church are two in number; that they offer no special grace or merit; that they are not sacraments; and that they are simple acts of obedience. These are water baptism by immersion after salvation, and the Lord's Supper, observed as a memorial of His death.

      Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19-20; Acts 2:38-41; 8:36-38; 9:18; 10:45-48; 16:31-33; Mark 14; Luke 22; I Corinthians 11:23-30

  11. Separation

    1. Personal. We believe that all the saved should be separated unto the Lord Jesus Christ, necessitating holy living in all personal and ecclesiastical associations and relationships. It is the believer's responsibility to endeavor to maintain the unity of the faith while separating from apostasy and those who have deviated from biblical doctrine and behavior.

      Romans 12:1-2; 14:13; I Corinthians 6:19-20; Titus 2:14; James 4:4-5; I Peter 2:9; I John 2:15-17

    2. Ecclesiastical. We seek to cooperate wherever possible with other local churches and organizations whose doctrine and practice are homogeneous with our own. We will not, however, cooperate with or endorse any movement, organization, or program which is contrary to the faith whether in doctrine or practice.

      Matthew 18:15-17; Romans 16:17; I Corinthians 5:7-11; II Corinthians 6:14-18; Ephesians 4:1-6; II Thessalonians 3:11-14; II Timothy 3:1-5; Titus 3:10; II John 9-11

  12. The Eternal State

    We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life in heaven and the unsaved to eternal damnation in hell, both of which are literal places. We believe the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious happiness they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited and glorified to be forever with the Lord. We believe the souls of unbelievers are, at death, absent from the body and in conscious misery until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment and shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting punishment.

    Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Luke 16:19-26; 23:43; II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 20:11-15; 14:9-14; I Thessalonians 4:13-18

  13. Future Events

    We believe in the personal, imminent coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in the air to catch away (rapture) His own, the Church, prior to seven years of tribulation on earth. We believe in His subsequent personal, visible return to the earth, with believers, at the close of the tribulation, to judge the nations and establish His millennial (1000 years) kingdom on earth.

    II Samuel 7:12-16; 15:51-52; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:1-6

  14. Civil Government

    We believe that governmental authorities are the ministers of God, to be terrors of evil, and to allow us to live a quiet and peaceful life; that they are to be prayed for, honored, and obeyed, except in things contrary to God's Word.

    Romans 13:1-7; Daniel 4:17-18; I Timothy 2:2

  15. Giving

    We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God's wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his church financially. We believe that God established the tithe as a pattern for proportionate giving. Every Christian should give offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the local church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the gospel.

    Genesis 14:20; Proverbs 3:9-10; Matthew 23:23; Acts 4:34-37; I Corinthians 16:2; II Corinthians 9:6-7; Galatians 6:6; Eph. 4:28; I Timothy 5:17-18; I John 3:17

  16. Moral Issues

    1. Abortion. We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion for any reason is, therefore, murder.

      Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5; 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; 49:1,5; Jeremiah 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44

    2. Sexuality. We believe that sexual relations were designed by God exclusively for a man and woman who are lawfully married. We believe that any form of fornication, adultery, pornography, homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, etc. are sinful perversions of God's gift of sex.

      Genesis 2:24; 19:5,13; 26:8-9, Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29; I Corinthians 5:1; 6:9; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4