WHAT WE BELIEVE
About Us
What We Believe
Scripture:
We believe that the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are God’s only propositional revelation to man. All sixty-six books are God-breathed, without error in the original writings, with every word inspired by God. It is the only infallible rule for life and practice, completely sufficient to both save and sanctify (Deut. 4:2; Matt. 5:18; John 17:17; 1 Cor. 2:13; 1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Heb. 4:12; Rev. 22:18-19).
God:
We believe that Jesus Christ is fully God and fully man, the Second Person of the Trinity, possessing all the divine attributes of God. Though eternally co-existing with God the Father, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and took on a human nature, with the experience of all its limitations, at the Incarnation. He lived a sinless life and then voluntarily laid down His life as a substitute to save those whom God had chosen before the foundation of the world. After three days, He arose bodily from the dead, guaranteeing the future resurrection of all believers to eternal life, and ascended to heaven where He serves as the believer’s Advocate and the Head of His church (Matt. 1:20-23; John 1:1, 10:17-18, 30; Rom. 10:9-10; 1 Cor. 15:17, 20; Eph. 1:3-8, 2:4-7; Phil. 2:6-7; Col. 2:9; Heb. 4:15).
The Holy Spirit:
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Trinity, co-equal in essence and deity with the Father and the Son. He was active in creation, the Incarnation of Christ, the written revelation of Scripture, and continues to be active in the work of salvation. The Holy Spirit baptizes believers into the body of Christ, seals them for heaven, indwells them, and assures them of their salvation. The Holy Spirit guides believers into the truth, dispenses spiritual gifts, comforts them, and intercedes for them (Gen. 1:2; Matt. 1:18; John 3:5-7, 16:13; Acts 5:3-4; Rom. 8:16, 26-27; 1 Cor. 3:16, 12:7, 13; 2 Cor. 1:4; Eph. 1:13, 5:18; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).
Man:
We believe that man was created in the image of God, differing from the rest of creation in this way. He was granted the right to rule over the rest of creation, to enjoy fellowship with God, and to glorify Him. However, man lost that communing privilege through the universally inherited sin of Adam, resulting in spiritual and physical death, complete estrangement from God, and an inability and unwillingness to respond to God. By his inherited nature and his own actions, he is helpless and hopeless, neither worthy of being saved nor does he want to be (Gen. 1:26-27, 3:17-24; Rom. 1:18-20, 2:15, 3:9-20, 5:12, 8:7, 11:36; Col. 1:16; Rev. 5:12).
Salvation:
We believe that salvation is wholly a work of the grace of God, made possible through Christ’s substitutionary atoning work on the cross, and is not the result of man’s will, merit, or work. God chose the elect for salvation before the foundation of the world and then draws them to Himself with a certain and effectual calling. God grants the gifts of faith and repentance, the Spirit regenerates them, and they are justified – declared righteous through the imputation of their sin to Christ and His righteousness to them (John 1:7-8, 6:37, 44; Rom. 2:4, 2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 1:4, 11-14, 2:4-10; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).
Sanctification:
We believe that every Christian is declared holy through justification and made holy through sanctification. Believers are identified as saints positionally, but the Bible also teaches a progressive sanctification through which the believer is conformed to the image of Christ over time. The believer, acting in cooperation with the Holy Spirit, mortifies fleshly desires, and empowers the activities of the new nature in consecration to God. Genuine Christianity will manifest itself outwardly in the life of the believer with good works, spiritual fruit, and perseverance (Ps. 119:105; Acts 20:32; Rom. 6:4-6, 13, 16, 8:28-30; 1 Cor. 1:2; Gal. 5:24; Phil. 1:6; 2 Thess. 2:13; 2 Tim. 2:12; Tit. 2:10; Heb. 10:14; 1 Pet. 1:4-5).
The Church:
We believe that the universal church, comprised of all who have repented of their sin and confessed Jesus Christ as Lord, finds expression in local bodies of believers who reflect the glory of God in worship, are devoted to the preaching of His Word, observe the Lord’s Table and believers baptism, are governed by a plurality of male elders, practice church discipline, and exercise their spiritual gifts. And all of this is under the headship of Christ (Matt. 18:15-17, 28:19-20; Rom 12:5-8; 1 Cor. 1:21, 11:23-34, 12:12,13; Eph. 4:11-12; Col. 1:18; 1 Tim. 3:1-7).
Future Things:
We believe that at a time known only to God, Jesus will rapture His church out of this world before He returns personally, bodily, and gloriously to establish His millennial rule on earth. He will complete His covenant with Israel, will judge Satan and all unbelievers, and ultimately establish a new heaven and new earth where we will rule with Him forever (Isa. 11:10-12; Zech. 14:3-5; Matt. 24:29-31, 36; 1 Cor. 15:51,52; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 2 Pet. 3:10-12; Rev. 20:1-15, 21:1-22:7).
See full Teaching Statement here.