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Our Statement of Faith
What we believe and teach
1. GOD: We believe there is but one God, Creator, Preserver, and Ruler of all creatures and things. He is the essence of love and perfection, and being infinite; all creatures and things are subject to Him, and to Him all creatures owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience.
Deuteronomy
6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7; 1 Corinthians 8:4
2. THE SCRIPTURES: We believe the scriptures of the Old
and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God, and
we believe them to be the only safe and sufficient,
certain and authoritative rule of knowledge, faith,
obedience, and salvation.
2
Timothy 3:15-17; Matthew 5:18
3. TRINITY: We believe God is revealed to us as Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit; each with distinct, personal
attributes, but without division of nature, essence or
being.
Matthew
28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14
4. THE MEDIATOR: We believe Jesus Christ, the only
begotten Son of God, is divinely appointed mediator
between God and men. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the
virgin Mary. Christ, taking upon Himself human
nature in the incarnation, yet surrendered only the
prerogatives of deity but nothing of the divine essence,
either in degree or kind, and thus could not have sinned.
He assumed the place of a Son, and took on an existence
appropriate to a servant while never divesting Himself of
His divine attributes. He was indeed without sin,
perfectly fulfilled the law, suffered and died on the
cross for the salvation of sinners. He was buried, rose
again on the third day, and ascended to His Heavenly
Father, at whose right hand He lives forevermore to make
intercession for His people. He is our only Mediator,
Prophet, Priest, and King. He is the Head of the Church
and Sovereign of the Universe.
I
Timothy 2:5
5. FALL OF MAN: We believe that God originally created
man in His own image, and free from sin; but, through the
temptation of Satan, he transgressed the command of God,
and fell from his original holiness and righteousness;
whereby his posterity, inherit nature corrupt and wholly
opposed to God and His law, are under condemnation; and
as soon as they are capable of moral action, become
actual transgressors.
Romans
:9-18; Ephesians 2:1
6. REPENTANCE: We believe repentance is a result of
God’s grace working in our lives, wherein a person
is moved by the Holy Spirit and is made sensible of the
manifold evil of his sin, humbles himself with genuinely
and godly sorrow, detestation of it, turns from his sin,
and resolves to walk with God, and to please Him in all
things.
Matthew
9:13; Acts 3:19; 26:20
7. REGENERATION: We believe that regeneration is a change
of heart, wrought by the Holy Spirit, who quickens the
dead in trespasses and sins, enlightening their minds
spiritually and savingly to understand the word of God,
and renewing their whole nature, so that they love and
practice holiness. It is a work of God’s free and
special grace alone. We believe the words of the Savior
when He said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot
see the Kingdom of God.” We believe that one is
regenerated when he repents of his sin to God, by faith
takes Jesus Christ as Lord, and confesses his faith in
Jesus Christ. We further believe in a regenerated church
membership, and that the conversion experience is a
prerequisite to church membership.
John
3:3-7; Titus 3:5
8. FAITH: We believe that saving faith is the belief; on
God’s authority, as to whatever is revealed in His
word concerning the person of Christ; accepting and
resting on Him alone for justification, sanctification,
and eternal life. It is wrought in the heart by the Holy
Spirit, and is accompanied by works by grace; and leads
to a life of holiness.
Ephesians
2:8,9; 2 Timothy 3:15; Hebrews 11:6
9. JUSTIFICATION: We believe that justification is
God’s gracious and full acquittal of sinners, who
believe in Christ, from all sin, through satisfaction
that Christ has made; not for anything wrought in them or
done by them; but on account of the obedience and
satisfaction of Christ, they receiving and resting on His
righteousness by faith.
Romans
3:23-25; 8:30-33
10. SANCTIFICATION: We believe that those who have been
regenerated are also sanctified, by God’s word and
Spirit dwelling in them. This sanctification is
progressive through the supply of divine strength, which
all saints seek to walk in, pressing after a heavenly
life, by God’s grace, in cordial obedience to all
Christ’s commands.
Romans
6:1-22; John 17:17-19; Acts 20:32
11. ETERNAL SALVATION: We believe that there is but one
experience of regeneration in the life of an individual,
and that those who are true believers in Christ possess
eternal life.
John
5:24; 6:37-40; 10:27-30; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8
12. THE CHURCH: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is
the Head of the Church, which is composed of all true
disciples; and in Him is vested supremely all power for
it’s government. According to His commandment,
Christians are to associate themselves with Bible
believing local assemblies; and to each of these
churches, He has given needful authority for
administering the order, discipline, and worship, which
He has appointed. The ordained officers of the Church are
the Pastors and Deacons.
1
Corinthians 12:12,13; Ephesians 5:23-32; Acts 14:23, 27;
20:17; Galatians 1:2
13. STEWARDSHIP: We believe that God, the Creator and
Owner of all things, has entrusted to the Christian, his
life, his talents, spiritual gifts, influence, material
wealth, and all things whatsoever he possesses; as a
manager of these possessions, he is to administer them
under the will of God for the purpose of Jesus Christ;
that in definite expression of this stewardship, he is to
contribute systematically and proportionately of his
means to the support of his church, and to the missionary
and enterprises of Christ’s Kingdom.
Luke
16:1-13; 1 Corinthians 16:1,2; Titus 1:7
14. BAPTISM: We believe that baptism is an ordinance of
the Lord Jesus, obligatory upon every believer, wherein
he is immersed in water in the name of the Father, the
Son, and the Holy Spirit, as a symbol of his fellowship
with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, of
remission of sins, and of his giving himself up to God,
to live and walk in newness of life. Believer’s
Baptism by immersion, following the conversion experience
is a prerequisite to church membership.
Matthew
3:5; 28:18-20; Acts 8:36-38
15. COMMUNION: We believe that the “Lord’s
Supper” is an ordinance of the Lord Jesus to be
observed by His Church till the end of the world. It is
in no sense a “sacrament”, but is designed to
commemorate His death, to confirm the faith and other
graces of Christians, and to be a bond, pledge and
renewal of their communion with Him and of their
fellowship with the Church. By this ordinance we do, in
the words of our Savior, “show the Lord’s death
till He comes.”
Luke
22:11-19; 1 Corinthians 11:24-27
16. FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK: We believe this is a Christian
institution for regular observance and should be employed
in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both in
public and private. Activities on the Lord's Day should be commensurate with the Christian's conscience under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 12:1-12; Mark
2:27,28, 16:1-9; Acts 20:7
17. RESURRECTION: We believe the bodies of people after
death return to dust, but the souls return to God whence
they came; the righteous to eternal peace and rest in the
presence of God; the wicked to be reserved under darkness
to the judgment. At the last day the bodies of all dead,
both just and unjust, will be raised as set forth in
I
Corinthians 15:35-44; John 6:39
18. JUDGEMENT: We believe God has appointed a day,
wherein He will judge the world by Jesus Christ, when
everyone shall receive according to his deeds; the wicked
shall go away into everlasting punishment; the righteous
into Everlasting life.
Matthew
25:41; Hebrews 9:27
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