What We Believe

The Bible is made up of the 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books in the New Testament. It was breathed out by God, through men who wrote it, and is God’s revelation of Himself to humanity. In all that it addresses it is true and without error in its original forms. It reveals the standard by which God judges us and the plan of salvation through Jesus. It is the basis, then, for how we run our lives and the church.

There is only one God. He is Creator, Redeemer and Ruler of the universe. His attributes include but are not limited to holiness, all knowing (including all events past and future), all powerful, all present, unchanging, glorious, merciful, relational, eternal and love. God is a Trinity, revealing Himself to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, distinct in person, but without division of nature, essence or being.

The Father is God. He reigns with love over all He’s made. He is the Father of those who become His children through faith in Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God and, as God, has all the perfections of God. He took upon himself human nature and was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. Jesus perfectly revealed God and completely identified with mankind, yet without sin. His death on the cross provided for men to be redeemed from sin. He rose from the dead and appeared to His disciples, ascended into heaven and is now enthroned in heaven. He will return in power and glory to judge the world.

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. He inspired the scriptures through holy apostles and prophets. He enables men to understand truth, exalts Christ, convicts men of sin, calls them to be saved and gives them new life. He baptizes every believer into Christ and indwells them when they are saved. He works Christian character in us and gives us spiritual gifts to use in His church. He is empowers us to worship, evangelize and serve. He can fill us spiritually to further these things in our lives.

From nothing, God created by His Word, everything in heaven and on earth and in it all reveals Himself. He upholds the creation and all the scientific laws by His Word and power and is sovereign over it all. God can do miracles and may destroy His creation.

Mankind is God’s creation, made in His image. He created them male or female (which matches their genetic makeup)* as the crowning work of His creation. In the beginning Adam and Eve (the first humans) were innocent, but by their free choice they sinned, bringing sin and death into the human race. Now all humanity is born sinful and condemned to die. Only God’s grace can bring mankind back into a right relationship with Him and enable them to fulfill His purpose for them. All humans are sacred, for God made them in His image, and Christ died for them; therefore, everyone is worthy of respect and Christian love.

Salvation is the eternal redemption of humans who trust the work of Jesus Christ. Jesus redeemed men by paying for their sin by His death on the cross. It is offered freely to all, that if any would receive it they may be saved. In its broadest sense salvation includes: Regeneration (a work of God’s grace whereby believers, through the conviction of sin, repentance from that sin and faith in the work of Jesus Christ, become new creatures in Christ Jesus), Justification (God’s gracious and full acquittal of the believer who is then brought into a peaceful and favorable relationship with God), Sanctification (the experience, starting in regeneration, where the believer is set apart to God’s purposes and is enabled to grow in moral and spiritual maturity), and Glorification (the final blessed and eternal state of the redeemed). There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord.

The family (made up by marriage, blood, or adoption) was set by God as the foundation of human society. Marriage is God’s gift of uniting one and only one man (by birth) and one and only one woman (by birth) for a lifetime, for the sake of intimacy, enjoyment and godly offspring.

The husband (which is the man) and wife (which is the woman) are of equal worth and both made in God’s image. Marriage represents Christ’s relationship with His church: a husband self-sacrificially loves, protects and provides for his wife, like Christ; a wife graciously submits to and supplements the loving leadership of her husband, like the church does Christ.

Children are a blessing from the Lord, whom parents are to train and lead in biblical truth; likewise children are to honor and obey their parents.

The church universal includes the believers from every time and place. A local church is a gathering of true believers under Christ, exercising their gifts, rights, and privileges to extend the gospel to the entire world. Jesus is the head of the church and leads through Spirit-gifted leaders whom the congregation is to honor and follow as they follow Christ.

It is the duty and privilege of Christians to make disciples of all nations according to the command and teachings of Jesus. Our Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations. So we should seek constantly to win people to Christ by praying for them and sharing the gospel while living it out.

God, when He wants and as He wants, will bring the world to its appropriate end. Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly; the dead will be raised; the church gathered to Him; and Christ will justly judge everyone. Those not in right relationship with God will be condemned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. Those in right relationship with God will be glorified, receive rewards, and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord.