What we believe

The Bible

The Bible is God’s Word to all people. It was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. Because it was inspired by God, the Bible is truth without any error and is completely relevant to our daily lives.

(Genesis 1:26-30; 2:7, 18-22; 3; Psalms 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18, 23; 5:6; 6:6; 7:14-25; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19, 21-22; Ephesians 2; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11)

We believe God's word has the final say and that our opinion does not matter.  If God said it, then we believe it and that settles it.      2 Timothy 3:16-17, James 1:21-22, Hebrews 4:12 

Creation

…in keeping with proper hermeneutics, the Bible clearly teaches that God created the world in 6 literal 24 hour days. Adam and Eve were two literal, historical people handmade by God. We completely reject the fallacious arguments of both Darwinistic macro-evolution and theistic evolution, the latter of which is a woefully misguided attempt to make the Bible fit within the parameters of predominant scientific theories. True science always supports the biblical narrative and never contradicts it.
 

Trinity - One God- 3 Distinct Persons

We teach in the only true God (John 17:3), the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20).  He created all things (Revelation 4:11) and upholds all things by the Word of His power (Hebrews 1:3).  In Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).  He is a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is He (Deuteronomy 32:4) and He shall judge the world (Psalm 9:8).

We teach that the Godhead eternally exists in three distinct persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfection, and worthy of precisely the same homage, confidence, and obedience (Mark 12:29; John 1:1-4; Matthew 28:19-20 Acts 5:3-4).

God the Father, the first Person of the Trinity, is the omnipotent Ruler and Creator of the universe (Genesis 1:1-31; Psalm 146:6) and is sovereign in both creation and redemption (Romans 11:36). He does as He pleases (Psalm 115:3; 135:6) and is limited by no one. His sovereignty does not abrogate the responsibility of man (1 Peter 1:17).

…Jesus Christ, God the Son, is co-eternal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit and yet eternally begotten of the Father. He possesses all of the divine attributes and is coequal and consubstantial with the Father (John 10:30; 14:9). Jesus secured our redemption by voluntarily offering His life on the cross. His sacrifice was substitutionary, propitiatory[i], and redemptive (John 10:15; Romans 3:24-25; 5:8; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:2). After His crucifixion, Jesus was bodily (not merely spiritually or metaphorically) raised from the dead and thereby proved Himself to be God in human flesh (Matthew 28; Mark 16; Luke 24; John 20-21; Acts 1; 9; 1 Corinthians 15).

…the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Triune God and, as is the Son, co-eternal and co-equal with the Father.  He is not an “it” and is not a “force;” He is a Person. He has intellect (1 Corinthians 2:9-11), emotions (Ephesians 4:30; Romans 15:30), volition (1 Corinthians 12:7-11). He speaks (Acts 8:26-29), He commands (John 14:26), He teaches and prays (Romans 8:26-28). He is lied to (Acts 5:1-3), He is blasphemed (Matthew 12:31-32), He is resisted (Acts 7:51) and is insulted (Hebrews 10:28-29). All of these are characteristics and qualities of a Person. Though not the same Person as God the Father, He is of the same essence and nature. He convicts men of sin, righteousness and the certainty of judgment unless they repent (John 16:7-11). He grants regeneration (John 3:1-5; Titus 3:5-6) and repentance (Acts 5:31; 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:23-25) to the elect. He indwells every believer (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20), intercedes for every believer (Romans 8:26) and seals every believer for eternity (Ephesians 1:13-14).

 

Eternity

Man was created to exist forever. He will exist either eternally separated from God by sin or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is Heaven. Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence.

(Genesis 1:26-30; 2:7, 18-22; 3; Psalms 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18, 23; 5:6; 6:6; 7:14-25; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19, 21-22; Ephesians 2; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11)


 

Man

Man is made in the image of God and is the supreme object of His creation. Man was created to have fellowship with God but became separated in that relationship through sinful disobedience. As a result, man cannot attain a right relationship with God through his own effort. Every human personality is uniquely created, possesses dignity, and is worthy of respect and Christian love.

(Genesis 1:26-30; 2:7, 18-22; 3; Psalms 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18, 23; 5:6; 6:6; 7:14-25; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19, 21-22; Ephesians 2; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11)

Salvation

…salvation is by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone as recorded in Scripture alone for the glory of God alone. Sinners are totally depraved, meaning, that left to his own fallen nature man has no inherent ability to save himself or even to seek after God (Romans 3:10-11). Salvation, then, is instigated and completed solely by the convicting and regenerative power of His Holy Spirit (John 3:3-7; Titus 3:5) Who grants both genuine faith (Hebrews 12:2) and genuine repentance (Acts 5:31; 2 Timothy 2:23-25). He accomplishes this through the instrumentality of the Word of God (John 5:24) as it is read and preached. Though works are wholly unmeritorious for salvation (Isaiah 64:6; Ephesians 2:8-9), when regeneration has been wrought in a person he will exhibit works, or, fruit, of that regeneration (Acts 26:20; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 2:10).

 

BAPTISM

Baptism is a symbolic act to publicly profess one’s salvation. God commands it, but our salvation is not reliant upon it. We practice full-immersion baptism, symbolizing the process of death and resurrection that Jesus went through for us. 

(Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38)

 
Statement on Marriage, Gender and Sexuality 

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. (Gen 1:26-27.) Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person.

We believe that the term “marriage” has only one meaning: the uniting of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive union, as delineated in Scripture. (Gen 2:18-25.) We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to each other. (1 Cor 6:18; 7:2-5; Heb 13:4.) We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman.

We believe that any form of sexual immorality (including adultery, fornication, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, and use of pornography) is sinful and offensive to God. (Matt 15:18-20; 1 Cor 6:9-10.)