What We Believe
We believe the Word of God is the ultimate authority and standard of true doctrine and theology.
Below is a brief summary of our principle doctrinal positions.
The Bible
The Bible is the Word of God revealed to man by a process of divine inspiration. We believe the Scriptures to be the inerrant, infallible Word of God, comprised by the 66 books from Genesis to Revelation. We believe that God has preserved His Word supernaturally throughout all ages. We believe that the King James Version is the preserved Word of God for the English-speaking people and is the only acceptable translation to be used in study and preaching. We believe in the literal interpretation of the Scriptures in their grammatical and historical context. (Psalm 12:6–7; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Peter 1:23-25; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
God
There is one True God, Who is eternal, self-existent, infinite, and immutable. He has one nature, one essence, and one substance; yet manifests Himself to man in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Timothy 1:17; James 1:17; 1 John 4:4)
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the one and only Saviour of mankind. Jesus Christ is eternally God and therefore possesses all the attributes of Deity. Jesus was born of a virgin, thereby preserving His sinlessness and deity, yet taking on humanity. Jesus Christ was and is God incarnate. His taking on of human flesh was for the purpose of redeeming man though His sacrificial and substitutionary death on the cross for the sins of all mankind. He lived a perfect life free from sin, but gave Himself to the death of the cross for man’s sin. After His death, and three days and nights in the grave, He rose (literally and bodily) from the dead. These elements, the death, burial, and resurrection make up the gospel message and are the one and only way to salvation. Christ ascended into Heaven after His resurrection to be seated at the right hand of the Father and is now waiting for the time of receiving His church at the rapture, which is followed by His return to earth after the tribulation period to rule and reign as King for 1,000 years. (Psalm 2:7-9; Isaiah 7:14, 9:6, 43:11; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:25; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:1, 1:3, 14, 18, 29; Romans 3:19-25; Romans 5:6-15; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 Timothy 3:16; Titus 2:10-15; Hebrews 7:26, 9:24-28; 1 Peter 1:19, 2:2; 1 John 1:3; Revelation 20:1-6)
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit of God is not a mystic force, but rather the person of God the Spirit who has the personality and all the attributes of Deity. The Holy Spirit’s work is apparent in the Old Testament as well as the New; however, He has a special ministry that began at Pentecost and will continue until the rapture. This ministry includes reproving the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit was also sent to regenerate, sanctify, seal, and fill all who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. (Genesis 1:2; John 3:5-6; John 14:16; Acts 1:5; Acts 11:15; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Corinthians 12:13)
Sin and Salvation
The Bible teaches all men were born with an inherited sin nature received from our common ancestor, Adam. Because of his nature, man is a sinner by choice, and he is totally incapable of reforming himself or ceasing from his sin by his own power. Man’s only hope of deliverance is found in faith and repentance. Faith, belief in Jesus Christ’s substitutionary death and resurrection, and repentance: a total change of mind concerning his sinful condition and inability to change it, and a turning to Jesus Christ as the only Saviour. Only through the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ on the cross can a man be delivered from his sin. This salvation is offered to “all men everywhere” and is accepted or rejected by the free choice of every individual. All those who reject Jesus Christ as their Saviour are condemned to an eternity in the lake of fire. (Genesis 5:1-5; Acts 4:19; Acts 16:31; Romans 3:10-23; Romans 5:6-12; Romans 6:23; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-6; Revelation 20:11-14)
The New Testament Church
The word church means “called out assembly.” The church began with the calling out of the twelve apostles by Jesus Christ and was empowered on the day of Pentecost. The local church is composed of members who have been saved and baptized according to the command of Christ, and have voluntarily united together for the purposes of worship, fellowship, service, and observance of the ordinances of baptism and communion. The two Biblical offices of the church are the Pastor and Deacon. The church is Biblically referred to as the bride of Christ, and will be taken to be with the Lord on the day of the rapture prior to the 7 year tribulation on earth. (Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 1:15; Acts 2:41-43; Acts 11:15; Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 15: 51-58; Ephesians 1:12-14; Ephesians 5:25-30; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Timothy 3:4-15)
The Last Days
There will be pre-tribulational rapture of the church saints, followed by the seven-year tribulation. The rapture is a meeting in the clouds, not a return of Christ to the earth. The church will be gathered and taken away while the unbeliever is left to endure the tribulation. During the tribulation the Lord will again begin to deal with His people Israel, as well as the gentiles left behind. Even during the calamity of the tribulation where judgments are poured out, there will be witnesses of the gospel, and many will receive Christ, including a remnant of Israel. Many will also reject, and will be destroyed with the second coming of the Lord. We hold to the Biblical teaching of the pre-millennial return of Christ to the earth and His literal rule of 1,000 years. Following this one-thousand-year reign is the Great White Throne judgment and then the new heaven and new earth. (1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9; Revelation 19-22)
Separation
The saved are called to a separated, “holy” lifestyle that glorifies Christ. The admonition of Scripture is to “love not the world, neither the things of the world.” (Romans 12:1-2; 14:13; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11; Leviticus 19:28; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
Creation
We believe in the Genesis account of the creation. God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. Jesus spoke the worlds into existence in miraculous fashion. The Biblical account stands in opposition to evolution, the gap theory, the day-age theory, theistic evolution, and any theory of intelligent design not attributed to God Himself. (Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11)
Love
We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward both those who are not believers and those who oppose us. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or the use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions. (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Romans 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Philippians 2:2-4; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; 1 John 3:17-18)
Missions
We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us. (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:20)