WHAT WE BELIEVE

""Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."
- 2 Timothy 4:2

I. THE SCRIPTURES

We believe in the verbal plenary inspiration of both the Old and New Testament. They were given by inspiration of God and are the only infallible, inerrant rule of faith (what we believe) and practice (how we live). It is the eternal message of God to man.
*Scripture: II Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:20, 21; Hebrews 1:1-2; Jude 3; Proverbs 30:5-6

II. GOD

We believe that there is only one true and living God, eternally existing in three Persons:

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each with a distinct personality but all of one essence having the same attributes and perfection’s of God.
*Scripture: Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19, 20; II Corinthians 13:14; John 4:24

III. JESUS CHRIST

A. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God and God the Son, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin.
*Scripture: John 1:1, 2, 14; Matthew 1:20, 23; Philippians 2:6, 7

B. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our complete redemption by shedding His blood through His death on the cross. He lived a sinless life, died a vicarious death, and arose from the dead in a literal, physical body.
*Scripture: Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 4:15; Romans 3:24, 25; I Corinthians 15:3,4

IV. HOLY SPIRIT

A. We believe that the Holy Spirit is God. He possesses all the attributes of deity. He is co-eternal and co-equal with the Father and the Son and of the same nature.
*Scripture: John 4:24; Acts 5:3-4; II Corinthians 13:14

B. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the chief agent in the regeneration of the soul. The Holy Spirit convicts the unregenerate person of his sin. At the moment an unregenerate person exercises faith in Christ as Saviour, the Holy Spirit immediately indwells, justifies, sanctifies, and seals the believer unto the day of redemption.
*Scripture: John 3:5, 16:7-11; Romans 8:9; 5:1; 15:16; Ephesians 4:30

V. SATAN

We believe that Satan is a real and personal being. He became the author of sin and the cause of the fall of man because of his sin of pride. We believe Satan is the open and declared enemy of God and man. He has blinded the eyes of unbelievers and is in continual warfare with believers. He shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire.
*Scripture: Ephesians 6:11-12; Revelation 20:10; Genesis 3:1-19; Isaiah 14:12-17

VI. CREATION

We believe in the Genesis account of creation, and that it is to be accepted literally and not allegorically or figuratively. We believe that all things were created by Jesus Christ, including man. The Scriptures contradict the evolution model, whether it is theistic or non- theistic. God established the law that life should bring forth only "after their kind."
*Scripture: Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16; Hebrews 11:3

VII. HEAVEN

We believe in a literal heaven, which Jesus is presently preparing for believers. Jesus Christ is now seated at the right hand of God the Father interceding on behalf of believers. At the moment of death or the rapture, believers will be with Jesus Christ in heaven.
*Scripture: John 14:1-3; Hebrews 8:1; 1 John 2:1; I Thessalonians 4:16-17; II Corinthians 5:8

VIII. HELL

We believe in a literal hell of everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain in hell after death, in conscious misery, until the second resurrection. At the Great White Throne Judgment, unbelievers are cast body, soul, and spirit into the Lake of Fire to suffer everlasting conscious punishment, not annihilation.
*Scripture: Matthew 25:41, 46; II Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 20:11-15

IX. FALL (SINFULNESS) OF MAN

We believe that man was created in the image of God in a state of innocence. Through Adam's sin the whole race fell, became alienated from God and inherited a sin nature.

Man is under the just condemnation of death, both physical and spiritual, without defense or excuse. Man is helpless in his lost condition apart from the grace of God.
*Scripture: Genesis 1:25-27; Romans 1:20; 3:10, 23; 5:12, 16-18; Psalm 51:5

X. SALVATION

A. We believe that salvation is the gift of God provided for all men by the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ and His shed blood. We believe salvation is wholly of God and apart from any works of righteousness by man. Salvation is exclusively through Jesus Christ and His vicarious atonement for sin.
*Scripture: Romans 3:24; 6:23; John 3:16; 14:6; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-9; Titus 3:5

B. We believe that the Holy Spirit of God convicts unbelievers of their sin, drawing them to salvation. At the moment of salvation, the Holy Spirit regenerates, indwells, sanctifies, justifies, and seals the believer.

*Scripture: Acts 20:21; Luke 13:3; II Peter 3:9; Romans 5:1; John 3:3, 36; I Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 4:30

C. We believe that Christians are eternally secure in Jesus Christ and salvation may never be lost. The penalty of all sins is removed at salvation.
*Scripture: Romans 8:1, 33-39; John 10:28-29; I John 5:11-13

XI. THE SECOND COMING

A. We believe in the imminent, personal, pre-tribulational return of the Lord Jesus Christ. He will return bodily in the air to "catch away" both the dead and living in Christ.
*Scripture: I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Acts 1:11; Titus 2:13

B. We believe that Jesus Christ will return to earth seven years after the rapture. He will destroy the remaining unbelievers and establish His kingdom. He will reign 1,000 years on the throne of David.
*Scripture: Daniel 9:24-27; Revelation 19:15-16; 20:4; Matthew 24:30

XII. THE CHURCH

We believe that a New Testament church is a local, organized assembly of baptized believers with the purpose of fulfilling the Great Commission. We believe Jesus Christ began His church during His earthly ministry; and purchased it with His own blood. Each church is to be autonomous, indigenous, and independent. There are two officers in the church: pastors and deacons. The church is to observe two ordinances: baptism and the Lord's Supper.
*Scripture: Matthew 16:18; 28:18-20; Acts 20:28; 2:41, 47; Colossians 1:18; I Corinthians 5, 6 & 16; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-13

XIII. THE GOSPEL ORDINANCES

1. Baptism
We believe that baptism is a symbol of the believer's identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. It is strictly an act of obedience following conversion. Christ only gave authority to His church to baptize by immersion in water.
*Scripture: Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 6:4-5; Acts 2:41

2. The Lord's Supper
We believe that the Lord's Supper is a memorial of the shed blood and broken body of the Lord. It is a reminder of the death of Christ and His future return. Participants are to be saved and baptized. Self-examination is to precede participation in the Lord's Supper.
*Scripture: I Corinthians 11:24-29; Matthew 26:26-29; Acts 2:41-42