What We Believe
The Bible:
We believe that the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments combined are the Holy inspired word of God, that no books may be added or deleted and that they are without error in the original writings/manuscripts. We do not accept any doctrine which contradicts scripture and believe that the Holy Bible is the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men and women, and the divine truth and authority for all Christian faith and life.
God:
We believe in the one true living God, Creator of all things, eternal and of infinite power, wisdom, goodness, and righteousness; who is the preserver of all things. We believe in the Holy Trinity- Father (God), Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit, united as one Godhead, who is loving, full of grace and mercy, and faithful.
Jesus Christ ( Son of God ):
We believe in Jesus Christ as God's only Son, who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. He was crucified and died on the cross as a final sacrifice for the sins of all mankind. Jesus arose from the dead and ascended into heaven, where He sits at the right hand of the Father in full victory over Satan and sin, and is now our High Priest and Advocate who now intercedes for the body of believers to God the Father.
Holy Spirit:
We believe in the Holy Spirit who glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ and who lives within us, convicting us of our sin, guiding, instructing, and empowering the believer to live a holy life, and teaching the truths of His Word so that we as believers may become whom God has created us to be, living a Godly life and of service to Him.
Man:
We believe that man was created by God in His own image, but fell into sin, inheriting a corrupt nature that is worthy of the sentence of death. That because of man's sinful nature, he is not capable of achieving a life without sin on his own, but only through the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ and through regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and a spiritual life be obtained. That man has the ability and the will to choose which course he will take, between what is right and what is wrong, and is responsible for his actions and choices he has made. That through Jesus Christ, man can boldly go before the Throne of Grace with confidence knowing that he is nothing within himself, but only in and through the Lord Jesus.
Salvation:
We believe that Jesus Christ the Son of the Living God, was given by God the Father as a sacrifice for the sins of man. That through the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection, the relationship between God and man, which was severed by man's sin of disobedience, has been restored to all who believe and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior by faith and are born of God. That it is by grace, through faith, and not by works, that we have received the free gift of eternal life.
We believe that we are of a sinful nature, but by the grace of God, we may confess and truly repent of our wicked ways, humbling ourselves before God and receiving forgiveness for our sins. Thus restoring our fellowship with God.
Sanctification:
We believe that sanctification is the work of God and the power of the Holy Spirit, making the believer pure in heart, holy, set apart, and totally committed and dedicated to God. It is a lifelong dynamic process by which we become like Christ, becoming what He created us to be inwardly at new birth. There are three agents involved in our sanctification: the Holy Spirit (Romans 15:16), the word (John 17:17), and the blood (Heb.10:29). There is a past sanctification were we are positionally set apart (I Cor.1:2), a present sanctification which is the process we are in (Thes.4:3-3), and a future sanctification which we receive at resurrection (I Thes.5:23). Sanctification is not by our resolution or efforts, (Romans 7) but by faith in Christ (I Cor.1:30, Acts 15:9, 26:18, Romans 9:31-32, I John 5:4). By trusting in Jesus we receive His inward purifying influence.
Water Baptism:
We believe that water baptism should be by immersion soon after accepting Jesus Christ as one's Lord and Savior. We believe the water baptism is a personal testimony and public statement of death to sin and resurrection to a new life in Christ Jesus.
Baptism of the Holy Spirit:
We believe that the baptism of the Holy Spirit is to impart spiritual power to the believer to be a witness for Jesus Christ. That this impartation is accompanied by spiritual gifts, which are given to all who believe for the purpose of building up the body of Christ and bring glory to God.
Communion:
We believe that communion, the Lord's Supper, is a time for all true believers in Christ to partake of the elements, the Body (bread) and the Blood (juice) in a sacred and symbolic manner. It is a time to reflect and examine ourselves and to keep in remembrance the death of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Second Coming of Christ:
We believe that time of Christ's return is unknown, but may occur at any moment. That those who are alive and dead who have lived in the faith will be caught up to be with Him in the air, and those who are unrepentant and have not accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior will be destined to eternal punishment. That for all true believers who are children of God, this is a time of glorious hope to which all await His coming!