He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
(Psalms 40:2)
Concerning The True God:
We believe in one God , the Creator of heaven and
earth. Furthermore, we believe that in the unity of the Godhead there are
three equal persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. They are
equal in power and glory and execute distinct yet harmonious offices in
the great work of redemption.
Concerning the Savior:
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal
Son of God, was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary
as no other man was ever nor can be born of a woman. He is the God of every
god, being “God …manifest in the flesh.” He lived a life of absolute sinlessness
and in His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; dying
not as a martyr, but as a voluntary substitute in the sinner’s place. He
rose from the dead on the third day and ascended bodily into heaven. He
is coming in the air to rapture His saints, and then to the earth to set
up the throne of David and establish His kingdom. The rapture is imminent
and will be personal, pretribulational and premillenial.
Concerning the Holy Spirit:
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person
possessing all attributes of personality and of deity. He is equal with
the Father and the Son and is of the same nature. His relation to the unbelieving
world is the He convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He is the
agent of the new birth. His work among believers is that He baptizes them
into the Body of Christ, seals, indwells, fills, teaches and guides them
in the ways of righteousness. We believe the Bible rejects the legitimacy
of the sign gifts (I.e., prophecy, speaking in tongues, miracles, and healing)
for today; and repudiates the experience oriented theology and ecumenically
oriented practice of the charismatic movement.
Concerning the Scriptures:
We Believe that the Scriptures of the Old and New
Testaments as originally written were God-breathed, both verbally and in
every part. We believe God, who is Truth, communicated through Spirit-controlled
men so that the Scriptures are without error and therefore authoritative
in all they teach and in all matters the touch. We believe that God has
preserved and will continue to preserve the Bible as His Word. We further
believe that the King James Bible is the preserved Word of God in the English
language.
Concerning Salvation:
We believe the Scriptures teach that the salvation
of sinners is divinely initiated, wholly of grace, and is accomplished
only through the mediating work of the Son of God. We believe that salvation
is obtained wholly apart from works upon the sole condition of faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ and never without genuine repentance. We believe
that is order to be saved the sinner must be born again, being regenerated
by the power of the Holy Spirit through faith in God’s Word thus becoming
the recipient of a new nature. Furthermore we believe the Gospel blessing
which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is justification (I.e.,
that judicial declaration of God by which is received the pardon of sin
and the imputation of divine righteousness). The believer who has exercised
personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is completely justified and in
possession of a salvation which is eternally secure.
Concerning Man:
We believe that the Scriptures teach that man was
created by a direct act of God and not from any previously existing form
of life. Man fell by voluntary transgression from his state of innocence,
in consequence of which all man are now sinners by nature and by choice,
utterly devoid of the holiness required by law, positively inclined to
evil, and therefore under just condemnation to eternal punishment and everlasting
existence separated from God without defense or excuse.
Concerning the Church:
We believe the Scriptures teach that the church
of Jesus Christ was conceived during the early ministry of our Lord and
birthed on the day of Pentecost. We believe in the local assembly of the
church. The church is a congregation of baptized believers associated by
a covenant of faith and fellowship in the Gospel that observes the ordinances
of Christ, is governed by His laws, and exercises the gifts, rights, and
privileges of His Word. Its scriptural officers are pastors, sometimes
called bishops or elders, and deacons whose qualifications, claims, and
duties, are defined in the Epistles of 2 Timothy and Titus. This definition
leads to these scriptural distinctive:
B - The Bible is the Sole Authority for Faith and Practice.
A - The Local Church is Autonomous.
P - The Priesthood of the Believer.
T- The Two Ordinances are Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
I - The Mode of Baptism is by Immersion.
S - The Separation of Church and State.
T - The Two Offices are Pastors and Deacons.
Concerning Ordinances:
We believe the Scriptures teach that Christian baptism
is the single immersion of a believer in water, in the name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This shows the believer’s identification
with the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour thus illustrating his death
to sin and his resurrection to new life. It is prerequisite to membership
and privileges in a local church. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is
for the believers of like faith only. The ordinances of Baptism and the
Lord’s Supper must be observed under the discipline of the local church.
Concerning the Eternal State:
We believe the Scriptures teach the bodily resurrection
of the just and unjust. All those who, through faith, are justified in
the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will spend eternity in full enjoyment
of God’s Presence, and those who through unbelief refuse to accept God’s
offer of mercy will spend eternity in everlasting punishment.
Concerning Personal Separation:
We believe the Scriptures teach that every believer
should be separated unto God from the world and, by aid of the Holy Spirit,
should walk in Christian love and holiness, exhibiting qualities of honesty,
integrity, forgiveness, and loving-kindness. We further believe that any
achievement in these characteristics will be evident by sincere humility
and genuine zeal for the advancement of the cause of Christ. We also believe
the Scriptures admonish every believer not to love the world or the things
of the world. Believers should flee wicked lusts, avoid every kind of evil,
and refrain from questionable practices which destroy one’s testimony,
offend one’s brother, and fail to glorify God.
Concerning Ecclesiastical Separation:
We believe The Scriptures teach that the believer
should be separated from apostasy as exemplified in ecclesiastical organizations
which include radicals, liberals, and those who sanction theological compromise.
This doctrine is based upon God’s eternal principle of division between
truth and error and His specific command to be separate from unbelievers
and disobedient brethren. This truth is to be practiced with an attitude
of devotion to God, humility, compassion, but with conviction. We believe
this will create the proper condition and atmosphere for the believer’s
main objective, the salvation of the lost through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
We believe ecumenical evangelism, which involves apostates, violates the
principle taught in God’s word.
Concerning Satan:
We believe the Scriptures teach that there is a
real devil who is the god of this world and the prince of the power of
the air. He once enjoyed the presence of God until he was lifted up in
pride and rebellion. We believe that Satan has legions of fallen angels
and demonic spirits that have allegiance to him and are in rebellion against
God. Satan is full of all subtlety. He seeks continually to frustrate the
purposes of God and to ensnare the sons of men. He was conquered by Christ
on the cross and is condemned to everlasting punishment.