Beliefs

The Inspiration of the Scriptures

We believe in the verbal inspiration of the Bible, both of the Old and the New Testaments [II Timothy 3:16, Hebrews 4:12, I Peter 1:23-25, II Peter 1:19-21].

God

We believe in the One God revealed in three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost [Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19, John 17].

Man

We believe that man, in his natural state, is a sinner, lost, undone, without hope, and without God [Romans 3:19-23, Galatians 3:22, Ephesians 2:1,2,12].

Divinity and Humanity of Christ Jesus

We believe that Jesus is God come in the flesh and that He is both divine and human [Luke 1:26-38, John 14:1-3, Acts 2:36, 3:14-15, Philippians 2:5-12, Hebrews 2:9-18].

Blood Atonement

We believe in the saving power of the Blood of Jesus and His imputed righteousness [Acts 4:12, Romans 4:1-9, 5:1-11, Ephesians 1:3-15].

Bodily Resurrection

We believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ [Luke 24:39-43, John 20:24-29].

Ascension

We believe that Christ Jesus ascended to the Father and is presently engaged in building Heaven and interceding for the saints [John 14:1-6, Romans 8:34].

Second Coming

We believe in the visible, bodily return of Christ Jesus to this earth to rapture His Church (bride) and judge the world [Acts 1:10, 11, I Thessalonians 4:13-18, II Thessalonians 1:7-10, James 5:8, Revelation 1:7] (It is not necessary that we all believe alike concerning whether He is coming before, during or after the Great Tribulation).

Salvation

We believe that the terms of salvation are repentance toward God for sin and personal, heartfelt faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, which results in regeneration of the person.  This salvation is entirely by the grace of our Lord and not of works.  Works are excluded except as fruit of salvation
[Acts 3:19, 20, Romans 4:1-5, 5:1, Ephesians 2:8-10].

Divine Healing

We believe that God used doctors, medicines and other material means for healing, but divine healing was also provided for in the Atonement [Isaiah 53:5] and may be appropriated by the laying on of hands by elders [James 5:14-16], the laying on of hands by the believers [Mark 16:18], by the prayer of an anointed person gifted for healing the sick [I Corinthians 12:9], or by a direct act of receiving this provision by faith [Mark 11:23].

Separated Life

We believe that believers should seek, as the earthly disciples did, to practice the separated life from the world and unto Christ and to set standards of conduct which shall exalt our Lord and His Church [Roman 12:1-3, II Corinthians 6:17, Galatians 6:14, Ephesians 5:11, Colossians 3:17].

Heaven and Hell

We believe the Scriptures clearly set forth the doctrines of eternal punishment for the lost and eternal bliss and service for the saved; Hell for the unsaved and Heaven for the saved [Matthew 25:34, 41, 46, Luke 16:19-31, John 14:1-3, Revelation 20:11-15].

Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit to be the third person of the Trinity, whose purpose in the redemption of man is to convict man of sin, regenerate the repentant believer, guide the believer into all truth, indwell and give gifts to believers as He wills, that they may minister as Christ would to men.  We believe that the manifestations of the Holy Spirit are recorded in I Corinthians 12:8-11 and shall operate in present-day churches which yield to the Lord Jesus Christ [Luke 11:13, John 7:37-39, 14:16,17, 16:7-4, Acts 2:39-48].  We believe that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance is for all believers as promised by John the Baptist [Matthew 3:11] and Jesus [Acts 2:4,5,8] and Peter [Acts 2:38-41], and as witnessed by the early disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Priesthood of Believers

We believe that each believer is a priest of the Lord [Revelation 1:6] and has direct access to the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ.  Each person must believe for himself, be baptized for himself, obey for himself and answer to his Creator for himself.

Local Church

We believe that the two ordinances of the Church are Water Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.

Water Baptism:  The Scriptural mode of baptism is by immersion, and is only for those who have fully repented and turned from their sins.  This ordinance is a symbol of the Christian’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection [Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12, Acts 8:36-39].  We further believe that at baptism through faith in God, a circumcision (cutting away from the past) takes place which allows the believer to walk in newness of life [Colossians 2:11, Romans 6:4].  We believe that God lives in the heart and not for a specific formula to respond to the needs of men.

Lord’s Supper:  A memorial of the death, resurrection, and
Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ [Luke 22:13-20].