Statement of Faith

The following comprise the Scriptural beliefs of this church and its members.

The Holy Scriptures

We believe that holy men of old wrote the Bible (a.k.a. Word of God) as they were moved (literally “being borne along”) by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21), which harmonizes with 2 Timothy 3:16, which teaches that all Scripture is inspired (literally “God breathes”) or “breathed out by God.” This means that the Holy Spirit so superintended the writers of the Holy Scripture that, although they utilized their own vocabularies and experiences, they wrote the exact message God intended without any omission, addition, or error which means that the Bible is theologically, historically, scientifically, and geographically correct since the Holy Spirit guarantees the infallibility and inerrancy of the Bible in every area in which it speaks and makes it the highest authority and guide for the believer.
2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21

The Godhead

We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, coequal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections.
Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; John 14:10, 26

The Person and Work of Christ

1 We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men.Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8

2 We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead.
Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; 1 Pet. 2:24; Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5
3 We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate.
Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2

The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

1 We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. John 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14
2 We believe that He is the divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit.
Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27
3 We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry.
Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11, 28; Eph. 4:7-12
4 We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit, and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing. 1 Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22

Salvation

1 We believe in salvation by grace totally apart from any human merit. Salvation is bestowed by a gracious God upon unworthy man conditioned solely upon his faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on Calvary.
John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:18-19; John 3:16
2 God’s Offer of Salvation. We believe that the atonement of our Lord was unlimited, that Jesus died for the sins of the whole world and therefore offers salvation to the whole world (John 3:16, 1 John 2:2; 1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9). We believe that the atonement of Jesus was sufficient for all but efficient only for those who believe. We believe that the atonement is limited only by an individual’s unbelief and not by an arbitrary decision on God’s part to save some and to reprobate the rest of mankind to hell.
3 God’s Choice of Who Will Be Saved. We believe in conditional election: that according to 1 Peter 1:1,2 and Romans 8:28,29, God chose from the masses of mankind those who would be saved on the basis of His foreknowledge of their belief. We believe that God’s foreknowledge was based on His omniscience and that, in His omniscience, He knew who would believe and it is those He elected or chose to save. (We recognize that there are some who try to distort election on the basis of a foreknowledge of belief into election by merit. If election on the condition of belief is election by merit, then salvation on the condition of belief is also salvation by merit or works.)
4 Man’s Response to God’s Gracious Offer. We believe in resistible grace: that an individual can say no to the convicting power of the Holy Spirit and be forever lost. We believe that when God extends a call to salvation, it is a legitimate call both to the elect and to the non-elect and that the non-elect refuses because of his own personal unbelief or rebellion and not because God refuses to enable him to believe because he was not one whom He chose to be saved. We believe that every individual who receives the call of the Gospel also receives a divine enablement to believe. John 3:16; 3:36; Romans 10:13

AUTHORITY OF STATEMENT OF FAITH

The statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing statement of faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible.