We Believe

THE SCRIPTURES

We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired, and is a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction; that it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter; that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the world, the true center of Christian union, and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and opinions shall be tried.

A. By "the 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.

B. By "Inspiration" we mean that 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 writing was 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. (John 4:24, John 17:5, I Corinthians 2:10,11)

1. GOD THE FATHER

God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. He is all powerful, all loving, and all wise. God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men.

2. GOD THE SON

We believe in the deity of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:5 -13); that He is coeternal and coequal with God the Father. (Philippians 2:6)

We believe the Bible record of His virgin birth, sinless life and that He is the true God and true man. (Matthew 1:18-23)

We believe that Christ died for our sins according to the scripture as the substitutionary sacrifice.
(1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 3:18)

We believe in the bodily resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His ascension to heaven and in His presence there for us as high priest and advocate. (Acts 1:9, Hebrews 7:25)

We believe in "That Blessed Hope", the personal, visible and pre-millennial return of our Lord Jesus Christ, to first rapture the saints and then, after the seven year tribulation, to set up His Kingdom of a thousand years. (John 14:1-4, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17)

3. GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that 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 men of sin, regenerates, indwells, baptizes, seals and sets believers apart to a holy life; that He keeps and empowers believers day by day.

We believe that He is the teacher of the Word of God and our guide for daily life. (John 14:16, 17, 26, John 16:7-14, Ephesians 4:30, 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 12:13, 1 John 2:20-27, Romans 8:11, 13, 16, 26)

CREATION

We believe in 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 change 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 that they should bring forth only "after their kind". (Genesis 1:1, Genesis 1:26, 27, Romans 1:20, Genesis 2:7)

SALVATION

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 the 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 repentance and faith and newness of life. (John 3:3, 18, 36, Isaiah 55:1, 1 Corinthians 15:10, Ephesians 2:8-9, 11 Corinthians 5:17)

HEAVEN

We believe that Heaven is a literal place of pure delight and eternal joy prepared by God for all those who have been born again. (Revelation 22, John 14:1-6)

HELL

We believe that hell is a literal place of punishment for the lost (all who have not been born again); that they will be there until the great white throne of judgment, and that death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. (Revelation 20:11, 14)