We Believe

The Scripture

We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men supernaturally inspired; that it has truth without any error; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the age, the only plenary and final revelation of the will of God to man; the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct and opinions should be tried.

Psalm 19:7-11, 119; Proverbs 30:5,6; Isaiah 8:20; Luke 24:25-27,44-45; John 5:39-47, 12:48, 17:17; Romans 3:4, 15:4; Ephesians 6:17;  II Timothy 3:16-17; I Peter 1:23; II Peter 1:19-21; Revelation 22:18,19

(EXPLANATORY)

1. By "Holy Bible" we mean that collection of sixty-six books, from Genesis to Revelation, which, as originally written, does not only contain and convey the Word of God, but IS the very Word of God preserved today in the King James Bible.

2. By "inspiration" we mean the books of the Bible were written by holy men of old, as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, in such a definite way that their writings were supernaturally and verbally inspired and free from error, as no other writings have ever been or ever will be inspired.

God

We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in the unity of the Godhead, there are three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.

Genesis 1:1, 17:1; Exodus 3:13-15, 15:11, 20:2-3; Psalm 83:18, 90:2, 147:5; Matthew 28:19; Mark 12:30; John 4:24, 10:30, 15:26, Acts 5:3-4; I Corinthians 2:10-11, 8:6, 12:4-6; II Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 2:18, 4:6; Philippians 2:5-6; I Timothy 1:17;  I John 5:7; Revelations 4:11

Jesus Christ

We believe that Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, is true God and true Man, (God-man), and has lived forever with no beginning and no end. The Son of God, Jesus the Christ is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. Jesus the man lived a sinless life, voluntarily died on the cross for our sins, arose bodily from the grave on the third day, ascended into Heaven, where He is interceding for all believers.

Isaiah 7:14,9:6, 11:2-3, 50:2; Matthew 1:18-25, 8:3, 9:4, 12:39, 16-27, 18:20, 28:6, 18-20; Mark 2:8; John 1:48, 2:24, 3:3, 21:17; I Corinthians 15:4, 45-47; II Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3:19-20; Ephesians 1:23; Colossians 1:17; Hebrews 13:18; I John 2:2, 4:10

Holy Ghost

We believe the Holy Spirit is a divine Person; equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world, He restrains the Evil One until God's purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of judgment, and righteousness; that He bears witness to the Truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer.

Genesis 1:1-3; Matthew 3:11, 28:19; Mark 1:8; Luke 1:35, 3:16, 24:49; John 1:33, 3:5-6, 14:16,17,26, 15:26-27, 16:8-14; Acts 5:30-32, 11:16; Romans 8:13-16, 26-27; Ephesians 1:13-14; II Thessalonians 2:6-8, 13; Hebrews 9:14; I Peter 1:2

Virgin Birth

We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner; born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of a woman, and that He was born the Son of God and God the Son.

Genesis 3:15; Psalm 2:7; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew. 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:14; Galatians 4:4

Devil or Satan

We believe that Satan was once holy, and enjoyed heavenly honors; but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the malignant prince of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world. We hold him to be man's great tempter, the enemy of God and His Son Jesus Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power behind the present apostasy; the lord of the Antichrist; and the author of all the powers of darkness—destined, however, to be finally defeated at the hand of God's Son, and to the judgment of an eternal justice in hell, a place prepared for him and his angels.

Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:14-17; Matthew 4:1-3, 25:41; Luke 22:3-4; John 14:30; II Corinthians 11:13-15; Ephesians 2:2; I Thessalonians 3:5; II Thessalonians 2:8-11; II Peter 2:4; I John 2:18-22, 3:8, 4:3; II John 7; Jude 6; Revelation 12:7-10, 13:13-14, 20:1-3,10

Creation

We believe the Genesis account of creation, and that it is to be accepted literally, and not allegorically or figuratively; that man was created directly in God's own image and after His own likeness; that man's creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary changes of species, or development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animal and vegetable life was made directly, and God's established law was--they should bring forth only "after their own kind."

Genesis 1:1, 1:26-27, 2:21-23; Exodus 20:11; Nehemiah 9:6; Jeremiah 10:12; John 1:1-3; Acts 4:24, 17:24; Romans 1:20; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 11:3; Revelation 10:6

Fall of Man

We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state, in consequence of which, all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint, but of choice; and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse.

Genesis 3:1-6,24; Ezekiel 18:19-20; Romans 1:18,20,28, 3:10-19, 5:12,19; Galatians 3:22; Ephesians 2:1-3

Atonement for Sin

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace; through the mediatorial office of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but as the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the just dying for the unjust. Christ the Lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; that, having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven and uniting His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection. He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and an all-sufficient Savior.

Matthew 18:11; John 3:16, 10:18; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24-25; I Corinthians 15:3,20; II Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 1:4; Ephesians 2:8-9; Philippians 2:7-8; Hebrews 2:14, 7:25, 9:12-15, 12:2; I Peter 2:24, 3:18; I John 2:2, 4:10

Grace in the New Creation

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, nor by the will of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of the repentance and faith in the newness of life.

John 3:3-7; Acts. 2:41, 16:30-31; Romans 6:23; II Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:1; II Peter 1:4; I John 5:1

Freeness of Salvation

We believe in God's electing grace; that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel; it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent and obedient faith; and nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but their own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel, which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation.

Isaiah 55:1-7; Matthew 11:28; John 3:15-18,36, 5:40, 6:37; Acts 2:38; Romans 10:9-13; I Corinthians 15:10; Ephesians 1:6-14, 2:4-5;  Colossians 3:11; I Thessalonians 1:3-5; I Timothy 1:15; Titus 1:1; I Pet. 1:2; Revelation 22:17

Justification

We believe the great blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is justification. Justification includes the pardon from sin and the gift of eternal life on principles of righteousness and is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood. His righteousness is then imputed to us.

Isaiah 53:11; Zechariah 13:1; Acts 13:39; Romans 1:17, 4:1-8, 5:1,9, 8:1; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38

Repentance and Faith

We believe repentance and faith are solemn obligations, and inseparable graces wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of God; thereby being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger and helplessness and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession and supplication for mercy. At this same time we heartily receive the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confess Him as our only and all-sufficient Savior.

Psalm 51:1-7; Isaiah 55:6-7; Mark 1:15; Luke 12:8, 18:13; Acts 2:37-38, 20:21; Romans 10:9-13

The Church

We believe the church of Christ is a congregation of baptized believers associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word. We believe that attendance in all services and activities of the church brings honor and glory to Jesus Christ and bestows blessings upon those attendees. Its officers of ordination are pastors or elders and deacons, whose qualifications, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe the true mission of the church is found in the Great Commission: first, to make individual disciples; second, to build up the church; third, to teach and instruct as He has commanded. We do not believe in the reversal of this order. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and the one and only Superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit. It is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and the furtherance of the gospel; that every church is the sole and only judge of the measure and method of its cooperation. All matters of membership, policy, government, discipline, benevolence, and the will of the local church is final.

Matthew 16:18, 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42, 6:5-7, 14:23, 15:22-23, 20:28-31; I Corinthians 5:11-13, 6:1-3; Ephesians 1:22-23, 4:11-12, 5:23-24; Colossians 1:18, I Timothy 3:1-13; Hebrews 10:28; I Peter 5:1-4

Baptism and the Lord's Supper

We believe Christian baptism is the immersion in water of the believer in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is by the authority of the local church to show forth, in a solemn and beautiful emblem, our faith in the crucified and risen Savior. It is symbolic of our death to sin and resurrection to a new life. It is prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation and the Lord's Supper, in which the members of the church, by the sacred use of bread and wine*, are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ, always preceded by solemn self-examination.

Matthew 3:6; 28:19; John 3:23; Acts 2:41,42; 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians 11:23-34; Colossians 2:12

*"Wine" being understood as a generic word to describe juice of the grape.

Leviticus 10:9; Proverbs 20:1, 21:17, 23:29-32; Isaiah 5:11; Hosea 4:11; Luke 1:15; John 3:5, 4:1; Acts 18:8; Romans 14:21; Ephesians 5:18; I Thessalonians 5:7

The Righteous and the Wicked

We believe there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in His esteem. While all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse and this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost.

Genesis 18:23; Proverbs 11:31,14:32; Malachi 3:18; Matthew 7:13,14; 25:34,41; Luke 9:26; 16:25; John 8:21; 12:25; Acts 10:34,35; Romans 1:17; 6:16-18,23; 7:6; I Corinthians 15:22; Galatians 3:10; I Peter 4:18; I John 2:29; 3:7; 5:19

Of Civil Government

We believe civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and good order of human society. Magistrates are prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed; except in things opposed to the Word of God or the will of the Lord Jesus Christ; who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the coming Prince of the kings of the earth.

Exodus 18:21; II Samuel 23:3; Daniel 3:17,18; Psalms 72:11; Matthew 10:28; 22:21; 23:10; Acts 4:19,20; 5:29; 23:5; Romans 13:7;  Philippians 2:10,11; Titus 3:1; I Peter 2:13,14,17; Revelation 10:6

The Resurrection and Return of Christ and Related Events

We believe in and accept the sacred Scriptures upon these subjects at their face and full value. Of the Resurrection we believe Christ rose bodily "the third day according to the Scriptures" and that He ascended "to the right hand of the throne of God." He alone is our "merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God"; "that this same Jesus which was taken up from you into Heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seen Him go into Heaven… "bodily, personally, and visibly; that the "dead in Christ shall rise first"; that the living saints "shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump"; "that the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His Father, David"; and "that Christ shall reign a thousand years in righteousness until He hath put all enemies under His feet."

Psalm 72:6-8; Isaiah 9:6,7; 11:4,5; 32:1; Matthew 24:27; 25:13; 28:6,7; Mark 16:6,19; Luke 1:32;24:2-6,39,51; John 14:3; 20:27; Acts 1:9,11; I Corinthians 15:4,25; Philippians 3:20,21; I Thessalonians 4:16-18; I Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:17; 5:9,10; 8:1,6; 12:2; James 5:8; I John 2:1; Revelation 3:21; 20:1-6

Missions

The command to give the Gospel to the world is clear and unmistakable and this commission was given to the church and it members.

Missionaries are to be supported through Faith Promise Missions where the believer, by faith, promises to give and provide financially for the support of our missionaries.  This is a promise to God, a solemn oath to provide for missionaries and the missions programs financially. 

Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47; John 20:21; Acts 1:8

Grace of Giving

Scriptural giving is one of the fundamentals of the faith.

II Corinthians 8:7: "Therefore, as ye abound in everything, in faith, and utterance, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also." We are commanded to bring our gifts into the storehouse [common treasury of the church] upon the first day of the week. Malachi 3:10. I Corinthians 16:2: "Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come." Abraham gave a tenth part of all he had, Genesis 14:18-20. This was four hundred years before the law and was confirmed in the New Testament when Jesus said, "These ought ye to have done" 

Matthew 23:23.Leviticus 27:30 tells us that the tithe is the Lord's.

Malachi 3:10: "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." In the New Testament, the common treasury was the church. Acts 4:34,35,37: "...And brought the prices of the things that were sold, and laid them down at the apostles' feet... Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet."

Marriage

We believe that marriage was ordained by God at creation as the sacred union of one (1) man and one (1) woman. All sexual relations must therefore be reserved for that union. Christian marriage is a representation of Christ’s relationship to His church. No other domestic union, however denominated, may be recognized as a marriage or given the same or substantially equivalent legal effect. At no time will this church conduct, facilitate, or participate in any way, shape, or form with any other union. This is to include, but not limited to civil unions, LGBT, bigamy, and/or polygamous unions.

Genesis 1:26-28; 2:24; Psalm 127 & 128; 139:13-16; Matthew 19:1-10; Romans 1:25-31; I Corinthians 6:9-11, 7:2; Ephesians 5:22-33; Hebrew 13:4.

Christian Home

We believe that God has given parents the responsibility to bring up children in nurture and discipline of the Lord. We believe it is the parent’s responsibility to educate and discipline their children in the truth of God. We believe the church must work to complement the parent’s efforts and facilitate Godly living within the Home. Children are a gift from God and thus to be viewed as a blessing.           

Genesis 5:29; Deuteronomy 6:6-9; Joshua 24:15; Psalm 113:9, 127:3-5; Proverbs 17:6, Mark 10:13-16; Ephesians 6:1-4

Sanctity of Life

We believe life begins at the moment of conception and is thus sacred.

Genesis 1:27; Exodus 21:22-23; Job 31:15; Psalm 139:13-16, Luke 1:41-44