Our Confession of Faith
Of The Scriptures
We believe that the Holy Bible, as originally written, was verbally and plenarily inspired and the product of Spirit-controlled men, and therefore is truth without any admixture of error, for its matter. We believe the Bible to be the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tried. II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:10-21
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person with God the Father and God the Son, and 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, righteousness, and of judgment; 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, indwells, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer. John 44:16-17; Matthew 28:19; Hebrews 9:14; John 14:26; Luke 1:35; Genesis 1:1-3; John 16:8-11; Acts 5:30-32; John 3:5-6; Ephesians 1:13-14; Mark 1:8; John 1:33; Acts 11:16; Luke 24:49; Romans 8:14,16,26-27.
Of The Holy Spirit
Of The Devil, Or Satan
We believe in the personality of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age, and the author of all the powers of darkness, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire.
Matthew 4:1-3; II Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10.
We accept the Genesis account of creation and believe that man came by direct creation of God, and not by evolution. Genesis chapters 1 and 2; Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:3.
Of
Creation
Of The 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 sinners, not only by constraint, but of choice; and therefore under the condemnation, without defense or excuse. Genesis 3:1-6,24; Romans 1:18,32; Romans 5:10-19.
Of The Virgin
Birth
We believe that Jesus 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 woman, and that He is both the Son of God, and God the Son. Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:4.
Of The 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 appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by his death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was a voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the just dying for the unjust; that having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection; He is ever qualified to be a suitable, compassionate, and all-sufficient Savior. Ephesians 2:8; Acts 15:11, Romans 3:34; John 3:16; Isaiah 53:4-7; Matthew 18:11; Philippians 2:7; Hebrews 2:14; Romans 3:25; I John 4:10; I Corinthians 15:3; II Corinthians 5:21.
Of 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 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, 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; II Corinthians 5:15-17; I John 5:1; John 3:6-7; Acts 16:30-33; II Peter 1:4; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1; John 3:8; II Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 2:13.
Of Justification
We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is justification.
(a) That justification includes the pardon of sin and the gift of eternal life, on principles of righteousness.
(b) That it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the blood of the Redeemer, His righteousness is imputed to us. Acts 13:39; Isaiah 53:11; Zechariah 13:1; Romans 5:1-9.
Of Faith and Salvation
We believe that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation. Acts 16:31.
Of The Security Of The Saints
We believe that all who are truly born again are kept by God the Father, for Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6; John 10:28-29; Romans 8:35-39; Jude 1 (Rev. ed.).
We believe that 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 Christ, 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. Malachi 3:18; Genesis 18:23; Romans 6:17-18; I John 5:19; Romans 7:6; Romans 6:23; Proverbs 14:32, Luke 6:25; Matthew 25:34-41; John 8:21.
Of The Righteous and The Wicked
We believe that a local church is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by 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; that its officers are pastors and deacons, whose qualification, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men, as we have opportunity. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organization; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy Spirit; that it is scriptural for true churches to co-operate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; that each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its co-operation; on all matters of membership, of polity, of government, of discipline, and of benevolence; the will of the local church is final. Acts 2:41-42; I Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:11; Acts 20:17-28; I Timothy 3:1-15; Colossians 1:18; Acts 15:13-18; Ephesians 5:23-24.
Of The Local Church
We believe that the Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem, our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is a prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of His death, “until He comes”, and that participants in this observance of the Lord’s Supper should be baptized believers, and should precede the observance with solemn self-examination. Acts 8:27-39; John 3:23; Romans 6:3-5; Matthew 6:16; Colossians 2:12; I Corinthians 11:23-28.
Of Baptism and The Lord's Supper
We believe that civil government is a divine appointment, for the interests and good of human society; that magistrates are to e prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the coming Prince of the Kings of the earth. Romans 13:1-7; II Samuel 23:3; Exodus 18:21-22; Acts 5:20; 4:19-20, 23:5; Matthew 22:21; Daniel 3:17-18.
Of Civil Government
(a) We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ. Matthew 28:6-7; Luke 24:2-6,29; John 20:27; I Corinthians 15:4; Mark 16:6.
(b) We believe in the ascension of Christ. Acts 1:9-11; Luke 24:51; Mark 16:19; Revelation 3:21; Hebrews 12:2.
(c) We believe in the high priesthood of Christ. Hebrews 8:6, 2:17, 5:9,10; I Timothy 2:5; I John 2:1.
(d) We believe in the return of Christ. We believe in the imminent, bodily, personal, pre-millennial return of Jesus Christ; that He will come before the seven-year Tribulation period to catch away His Church, coming only into the air; and that He will come with His Church at the close of the Tribulation, to judge the living nations, and to set up His Kingdom on earth. I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 19:11-21; John 14;3; Acts 1:11; James 5:8; Hebrews 9:28.
(e) We believe in the resurrection of the righteous dead and unbelievers. We believe in the resurrection of the bodies of the dead; that believers, asleep in Jesus, will be raised at the coming of Christ for His Church, and will be caught up with the transformed living saints, (see I Corinthians 15:51-55 ; and Philippians 3:20-21) to meet the Lord in the air (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; and I Corinthians 15:42-44,52) and the wicked dead will be raised at the close of the millennial kingdom and shall stand in the bodies at the Great White Throne Judgment to receive their final doom. John 5:21-30; I Thessalonians 4:1-16; Revelation 7:9-17, 20:11-15.
(f) We believe in the throne of David. Luke 1:32; Isaiah 9:6-7; Acts 2:29-30.
(g) We believe in the millennial reign. I Corinthians 15:25; Isaiah 32:1, 11:4-5; Psalm 72:8; Revelation 20;6,14.