wHAT WE BELIEVE

The Holy Bible was written by men divinely inspired and led by the Holy Spirit. Throughout the Old Testament and into the New Testament, the Bible points to Jesus as all of creation’s Lord and Savior. In the original language, the Bible is the living Word of God, authoritative, inerrant, infallible, God-breathed, final, and the sole authority for faith and practice.

Scripture Support: Luke 24:25-27; Acts 3:18-21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:9-21

We believe in one triune God revealing Himself to us in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The trinity of God possesses distinct personal attributes but without division of nature, essence, or being. God is all-powerful, all-knowing, ever-present, sovereign, holy, truth, righteous, just, love, merciful, faithful, and never changes.

Scripture Support: Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10, 44:6; Matthew 28:18-20; John 1:1-14, 4:24, 14:1-31, 17:3;
Hebrews 1:8, 9:14

The Father, with the Son and Holy Spirit, is God. There is only one Holy Father God and there is no other god nor were there any gods before Him and there will be no gods after Him. He is the only, wise God. God the Father is not a man now and was not a man previously for God is spirit, and we must worship Him in the Spirit and in truth. God the Father is personal, eternal, infinite, and necessary for all things to exist.

Scripture Support: Isaiah 44:6-8; Jeremiah 32:17; Ezekiel 39:7; Daniel 2:21; Matthew 6:9; John 4:24; 1 John 3:1-2; Jude 1:25; Revelation 22:13

The Son, with the Father and Holy Spirit, is God. All things were made in and through Jesus Christ, God the Son.  He is the eternal and only unique Son of God. He became a human without ceasing to be God. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful humankind. Jesus accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as our personal substitutionary sacrifice for sin. Jesus made our redemption sure by His literal resurrection from the dead. The Lord Jesus Christ is the only way for humankind to be reconciled to God which is by His grace and mercy through faith in Jesus alone. King Jesus is now in heaven, exalted at the right hand of God where He reigns as the King of kings and High Priest for His people forever. He will return for His people.

Scripture Support: Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:1-18, 8:56-59,14:6; Romans 1:3, 5:6-8; Ephesians 1:13, 5:18; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-22; Hebrews 1:3, 9:23-28, 13:8

The Holy Spirit, with the Father and the Son, is God.
The Holy Spirit is eternal and was involved in creation. He promotes fellowship among believers and is to be sought for guidance to further God’s Kingdom. He enacts the new birth of believers, being gifted by God to us as believers which guarantees our inheritance of heaven. The Holy Spirit is a gift from God, baptizing believers into God’s spiritual family as members of the Body of Christ and indwelling the believer at the moment of salvation. He dwells within all believers, enabling and empowering the believer to combat the spiritual evils of the world, and seals believers until the day of the redemption of our bodies, and He testifies about Jesus. The Holy Spirit imparts a spiritual gift or gifts upon every believer, which are to be used to serve the body of Christ. The Holy Spirit convicts a fallen and disobedient world of sin, drawing the individual to reconciliation with God the Father through Jesus Christ, God the Son.

Scripture Support: Psalm 139:7-8; John 14:16, 26, 15:2; 1 Corinthians 2:9-16, 12:1-1; Ephesians 4:30, 5:18; Romans 8:26-27, 12:4-8; I Peter 4: 10-11

Originally, the human race was created in a perfect relationship with the triune God and in His image. Sin, defined as falling short of God’s holy standard and disobedience to God’s Word, entered the world via Adam and Eve’s disobedience, prompted by Satan, and resulted in spiritual estrangement from God. God desires to be reconciled with humankind and all creation. However, God gave humankind free will to decide their individual direction, and their acceptance or rejection of Him.
All people are born physically alive and spiritually dead, in need of God’s redemption. Humans never pre-existed as spirits or angels, nor will they become angels or gods after death.

Scripture Support: Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:23, 7:14-25; Ephesians 2:1-5;1 John 1:8-10

Salvation from our sinful nature is a free gift of God and a work of God to restore humanity to a right relationship with God. Salvation from sin and into a right relationship with God is offered to humans by grace and received through a personal profession of faith alone in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Salvation required that the precious and perfect blood of Jesus be shed as the ultimate sacrifice for the forgiveness of our sins. This act of atonement (the crucifixion of Jesus) keeps believers secure forever to enjoy God’s presence. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Nothing else is needed, including baptism or membership in any particular religion or church.

Scripture Support: John 3:16; Romans 3:20-24, 6:23, 8:38-39, 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-10; Philippians 1:6; 1 Peter 1:3-5

There exists a literal, eternal heaven. It is the dwelling place of saved humankind forever in the presence and fellowship of the triune God. Heaven is a place where believers will be gratefully worshipping our King of Kings and Lord of Lords forever and includes the concept of a renewed creation. There exists a literal, eternal hell. It is intended for Satan and the fallen angels yet reserved for unsaved humankind that never accepted God’s free gift of eternal life. Therefore, those who do not rely on the sacrificial gift of Jesus to make them right with God will be judged and then eternally separated from the presence of God.

Scripture Support: Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 20:22

There will be a new heaven and a new earth. God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in glory to the earth; the dead will be raised; and Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous, in their resurrected and glorified bodies, will receive their rewards and will dwell with the Lord forever.

Scripture Support: Isaiah 66:22; Romans 8:19-23; Revelation 21:1-8, 22:7, 12, 20