Summary of
What We Believe

Articles of Faith

 

We believe that we are to live for the glory of God as we love and serve Him, as we serve one another, and as we reach out with His love to those without Christ.  We are an imperfect people, in need of grace and mercy, yet privileged to have the opportunity to grow together in Christ.  We do not have all the answers, but we do understand the following to be true from the Word of God.  We trust that you will see in this church the love of Christ and the desire to serve you in a way consistent with God’s Word and God’s Heart   ( I Corinthians 10:31; Luke 10:27; Philippians 1:27 ).

 

The Bible

We believe in the verbal inspiration, inerrancy (original manuscripts), authority, and sufficiency of the Bible, which consists of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments ( 2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:19-21 ).


God

We believe there is one and only one living and true God, and that in the unity of the Godhead there are three eternal persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit ( Exodus 20:2,3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Titus 2:13 ).


Jesus

We believe in the virgin birth of Jesus Christ and that He is both fully God and fully man. We believe that He existed from all eternity, but chose to become the sinless God-man so that He might make provision for man’s sin (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Philippians 2:5-11;Hebrews 4:11-16).


Jesus’ Death and Resurrection

We believe in the substitutionary death of Christ on the cross and in His literal, bodily resurrection from the dead ( Romans 5:19; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 ).


Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the divine third person of the Trinity, equal with God the Father and God the Son. He is the agent of salvation who baptizes ALL believers into the Body of Christ at the moment of their personal acceptance of Jesus Christ as Savior, and He indwells and seals ALL believers from the moment of their salvation throughout all eternity.       ( Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Ephesians 1:13-14 ).


Sign Gifts

We believe that the gifts of the Holy Spirit often called “sign gifts” were temporary in nature and intended for the infancy of the Church by affirming the work of God through his people. Thus, we believe that they are no longer given by God in this age ( 1 Corinthians 12-14 ).


Satan

We believe in the reality and personality of the Devil or Satan, the enemy of God and man, and we believe that he is destined for eternal judgment in the Lake of Fire ( Matthew 4:1-11; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10 ).


Creation

We believe the Biblical account of the creation of the universe through the direct and immediate creative acts of God.  We believe in a literal 6 day creation, a literal Adam and Eve, Fall into sin, and Provision of God for sin ( Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11; John 1:1-2; Colossians 1:15-17).


Man

We believe in the unique creation of man in the image and likeness of God and that physical life is His sovereign gift. We believe that the first man, Adam, was created free of sin and righteous before God, but voluntarily and willfully sinned, thus plunging himself and the whole human race into condemnation and spiritual death ( Genesis 1-3; Romans 5:10-16 ).


Nature of Man

We believe that all men are sinners by nature and in conduct, and cannot save themselves ( Romans 3:10-19 and 5:12 ).


Salvation

We believe in salvation by grace alone, through faith in the finished, completed, and one time, work of Christ alone.  No work or effort of man, however good, needs to be, or can be added for salvation ( Romans 3:23-25; Ephesians 2:8,9; John 3:16,17; Hebrews 10:10-12 ).


Eternal Security

We believe that all who accept Christ as their personal Savior are born again by God’s grace and through His power and are eternally secure in Christ. This security should never be viewed as a license to sin and to live however I want, but instead is to stand as a motivation and call to holy living( John 10:28-29; Romans 6:14-18; Romans 8:35-39; 1 John 5:11-13 ).


Priesthood of Believers

We believe that each follower of Christ is a believer-priest and therefore has full and complete access to the Father, through Christ – our Mediator, in the power of the Holy Spirit.  ( Hebrews 10:19-22; 1 Peter 2:5,9 ).


The Church

We believe the Church was established by God with Christ as its Head. We believe in the autonomy (independence) of the local church which best fulfills God’s purposes when it is fully dependent upon God. We believe in two ordinances: believer’s baptism by immersion and the Lord¹s Supper ( Matthew 16:18,19; Matthew 28:19; Acts 1-2; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32; Ephesians 2:20; Colossians 1:18 ).


End Times

We believe in the bodily resurrection and rapture of all believers at Christ¹s imminent coming and that His coming is both pre-tribulational and pre-millennial ( Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:42-52;Revelation 3:10; 22:20 ).


Heaven

We believe in the existence of a literal heaven and a literal hell and that all men spend eternity in one of these two places; based upon their acceptance or rejection of Christ as Savior alone ( Luke 16:25; Revelation 20:14,15 ).

If you would like to know that you are going to heaven, please follow this link.


Marriage

We believe in the biblical model for marriage and family. Thus we believe that sexual relationships before or outside of marriage are sinful. We believe that biblical marriage is always and only between one man and one woman and that it is designed to be a lifelong relationship ( Genesis 2:24;Ephesians 5:21, 6:4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Peter 3:17; Hebrews 13:4 ).


Life

We believe that human life is sacred from the moment of conception, and that all human beings, regardless of race, sex, age, or physical and mental capacity, are created in the image of God and so are valued by God and His people ( Genesis 1:26; Psalm 139:14-16; Proverbs 24:11-12;Proverbs 31:8-9; James 1:27 ).


Government

We believe that civil government was established by God for the good of mankind. Therefore government is to be honored and obeyed, except in a matter which would cause the believer to directly disobey the Word of God. We believe that Christians are responsible to pray for their government leaders and to participate in government as God leads them and to the extent allowed in their society     ( Acts 5:29; Romans 13:1-7; 1 Timothy 2:1-4 ).

 

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