What We Believe

We believe the bible (both Old and New Testaments) was written by divinely inspired men and is God's self-disclosed revelation to man. It is inerrant and infallible in all that it intends to communicate. Therefore, the entirety of Scripture is completely true and trustworthy for understanding the nature, purpose, and work of God, as well as the nature and state of man. It is the only source for God's divine, supernatural, and special revelation, thus revealing the principles by which God judges and saves sinners. The Bible is the supreme standard of truth and therefore the standard by which all human conduct, creed, thought, and affection should be tried. All Scripture points to Jesus Christ, Who is Himself the centerpiece of divine revelation.

**(Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy 4:1-2; 17:19; Joshua 8:34; Psalms 19:7-10; 119:11,89,105,140; Isaiah 34:16; 40:8; Jeremiah 15:16; 36:1-32; Matthew 5:17-18; 22:29; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; Acts 2:16ff.; 17:11; Romans 15:4; 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 2:15-16; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21.)

We believe there is only one true and living God. He is the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of all things in both the heavens and earth. He is eternally existent in three persons (the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being. He is an intelligent, spiritual, and personal being, characterized by His holiness and perfection; and for which He is worthy of all glory, honor, and praise-worship.

We believe God as Father rules with sovereign care and faithfulness over His creation. He is all powerful (omnipotent), all knowing (omniscient), all present (omnipresent) all loving (omnibenevolent), and all wise (omnisapient).

**(Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11ff.; 20:1ff.; Leviticus 22:2; Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:6; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Psalm 19:1-3; Isaiah 43:3,15; 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; 17:13; Matthew 6:9ff.; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrew 11:6; 12:9; 1 Peter 1:17; 1 John 5:7.)

We believe God as Son is the eternal Son of God and Israel's promised Messiah, incarnated in the person of Jesus. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He took upon Himself human nature, identified Himself completely with humanity, yet without sin. He fulfilled the law of God in perfect obedience to the Father. His sacrificial and substitutionary death on the cross redeemed those who would believe in Him. After being buried for three days, the Father raised Him from the dead, where He took on a glorified body. After appearing to His disciples, He ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He currently reigns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He is both fully God and fully man, effecting reconciliation as the One Mediator between God and man. He will return as judge over the world at the end of this age.

**(Genesis 18:1ff.; Psalms 2:7ff.; 110:1ff.; Isaiah 7:14; 53; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16,27; 17:5; 27; 28:1-6,19; Mark 1:1; 3:11; Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John 1:1-18,29; 10:30,38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; 14:7-11; 16:15-16,28; 17:1-5, 21-22; 20:1-20,28; Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5,20; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3,34; 10:4; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2:2; 8:6; 15:1-8,24-28; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; 8:9; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:20; 3:11; 4:7-10; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-22; 2:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 7:14-28; 9:12-15,24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 3:22; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9; 2 John 7-9; Revelation 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16.)

We believe God as the Holy Spirit is the eternal Spirit of God, Who inspired men to write the Old and New Testaments of Scripture. The primary purpose of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Son. He enables man to understand truth and Scripture; and brings conviction of sin, righteousness and judgment. At the moment of regeneration, the Holy Spirit baptizes every believer into the Body of Christ-the Church, and seals them until the day of redemption. He cultivates Christ-like character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gift(s), by which man will edify and build up the Body of Christ. The Holy Spirit empowers believers in worship, evangelism, and service.

**(Genesis 1:2; Judges 14:6; Job 26:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7ff.; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10,12; Luke 1:35; 4:1,18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17,39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11,14-16,26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11,13; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Revelation 1:10; 22:17.)

We believe that man (both male and female) is the special creation of God, created in His own image. Therefore, human gender is part of God's good creation, where men and women, although equal, serve complementary roles. Man was originally created with innocence of sin and freedom of choice. By his free choice, man sinned against God, bringing sin and death into the world. In doing so, man fell from original innocence and each person is now born into sin. Only the grace of God can restore fellowship between humanity and God, and thereby fulfill God's original purpose for humanity.

**(Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5,7,18-22; 3; 9:6; Psalms 1; 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18,23; 5:6,12,19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 8:14-18,29; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19,21-22; Ephesians 2:1-22; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11.)

We believe that in order for a person to be saved, they must stand in right-relatedness before God. The only way this right-relatedness becomes possible is through the believers union with Christ-a union whereby the believer receives the declaration of being righteous. Through conviction of sin, by the Holy Spirit, a believer responds in repentance, turning from their sin toward God, and trusting in Christ for their salvation. Genuine repentance is characterized by moral and spiritual maturity that grows in conformity to the person of Jesus Christ until a person dies or Christ returns. This salvation involves a redemption of the whole person, both body and soul. Once a believer dies, or Christ returns, the believer enters into glorification-the culmination of salvation.

**(Genesis 3:15; Exodus 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; 16:21-26; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 10:9,28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3ff.; 5:8-10; 6:1-23; 8:1-18,29-39; 10:9-10,13; 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18,30; 6:19-20; 15:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11-16; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-22; 3:1ff.; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 11:1-12:8,14; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:2-23; 1 John 1:6-2:11; Revelation 3:20; 21:1-22:5.)

We believe the true Church is composed of true believers that are associated in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, pursing both individual and corporate sanctification, exercising the spiritual gifts, and on mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ. The corporate Church becomes visible in local expressions, where individual believers are covenanted to one another in love and unity.

**(Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3.)

We believe that water baptism is the initiatory rite of all believers into the Church during this present age. We affirm "believer's baptism," where baptism is reserved for those who have professed faith and a conscious trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. This water baptism takes place subsequent to a credible profession of faith. We also believe the Lord's Supper is the ongoing rite of all believers within the church during this present age. We affirm the Lord's Supper is a memorial; a time in which all baptized believers reflect on what Christ accomplished in the shedding of His blood.

**(Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12.)

We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead. The believer is resurrected unto judgment, then into the presence of the Lord, marked by everlasting blessedness. The unbeliever is resurrected unto judgment, then into eternal separation from the Lord, marked by sadness, pain, and suffering.

**(Job 19:25-26; Luke 13:27-28; 24:36-43; John 5:28; Acts 17:31-32; 1 Corinthians 15:20-24; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:8-10.)

We believe in the personal, physical, visible return of Jesus Christ, which will mark the end of this present age. His return will be established by an earthly reign, culminating in the restoration of all things.

**(Isaiah 2:4; 11:9; Matthew 16:27; 18:8-9; 19:28; 24:27,30,36,44; 25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40,48; 16:19-26; 17:22-37; 21:27-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 5:1ff.; 2 Thessalonians 1:7ff.; 2; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7ff.; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 14; Revelation 1:18; 3:11; 20:1-22:13.)