What we believe

The Bible:

• We believe that the 66 books of the Bible (Canon of Scripture) are the supernaturally inspired word of God and complete.  (1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:1-2; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

• Because the written Word comes from God who created the universe and all that is in it, we believe it is authoritative as the ultimate and necessary standard of truth and guidance for faith and life.  (Psalm 19:1-14; 119:1-176; Ephesians 2:20; 1 Corinthians 14:1-5; Revelation 22:18-19)

• Because the Scripture comes from God, who cannot lie, we believe it is without error in its original copies and thus absolutely true and trustworthy. Any apparent inconsistency one may see is because of human fallibility, not God’s. (Proverbs 30:5; Psalm 12:6-7; John 17:17; 2 Corinthians 6:7; Colossians 1:5, 2 Timothy 2:15; James 1:18; Titus 1:2; Hebrews 6:18)

• Because Scripture comes from God who is all-powerful and all-knowing, we believe it is the only means by which the heart is transformed and the mind renewed. (John 1:1-5; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:21)

• We believe it is infallible, meaning the Word of God is unable to fail in accomplishing its divinely intended purpose, especially in relation to the redemption of God’s people, promises to Israel and the Church, and Christ’s return to the earth as King of kings and Lord of lords.  (Psalm 34:22, 111:9; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 25:13; Hebrews 9:28; 1 Peter 1:24; Revelation 20:4)

God:

• We believe in one God that eternally exists in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - having each the same nature, attributes, and perfections, worthy of the same worship and confidence. (Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; John 1:1-2, 14, 10:30, 14:15-17; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14)

• We believe God, as revealed in 3 Persons, possesses different functions within the Godhead, especially regarding redemption - God the Father originated, God the Son accomplished, God the Holy Spirit applied/applies what the Father planned and the Son achieved.  (Ephesians 1 &2; 1 Peter 1:2)

• We believe in God as the absolute and sole Creator and Sustainer of the universe, and creation was by divine command, from nothing, and not through an evolutionary process. (John 1:3, 10; Acts 17:24-25; Genesis 1:1)

Jesus Christ:

• We believe in the Virgin Birth and the deity of Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, who is also Son of Man, with two distinct natures existing in one person forever.  This is called the “Hypostatic Union,” which teaches that Jesus is fully divine and fully human at the same time.  (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:27)

• We believe in the willing, substitutionary death of Christ on the cross.  It was not “cosmic child abuse” as some claim. In His own free will, He submitted Himself to the Father’s plan that made atonement for the sin of the world, efficient for all who repent and believe.  He took the wrath of God that sinners deserve for their sin, and in return, upon saving faith, His righteousness is imputed to the believer. (Isaiah 53:4-6; Matthew 8:17; Mark 10:45; John 10:11; Romans 5:6; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 3;13; 1 Peter 2;23-25)

• We believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, which ensures the resurrection of all believers who have received God’s gift of eternal life. (Daniel 12:3; Luke 20:35-36; John 5:24-25; John 11:25-26; Romans 6:5; 1 Thessalonians 5:10; 1 Peter 3:18)

• We believe Jesus ascended to His Father in His glorified body, sits at the Father’s right hand, symbolizing His supreme authority and reign over the universe and His Church. We affirm that Jesus is returning to the earth to set up His earthly rule and reign. (Acts 1:9-11; Acts 7:56; Ephesians 1:20-21; Revelation 3:21)

The Holy Spirit:

• We believe God the Holy Spirit is responsible for quickening one from spiritual death into eternal life and indwells a believer upon repentance of sins and saving faith in Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice upon the Cross and resurrection from the dead. No other spirit can indwell God’s new creation, who has become the temple of the Holy Spirit. (Ezekiel 36:26; Mark 1:15; John 3:3-8; Acts 20:21; Ephesians 2:4-5; Colossians 2:13; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 6:1; 1 Peter 1:3;)

• He is the permanent, divine seal of redemption and thus cannot be taken or removed from a believer’s life.  (John 6:1, 10:28-29; Corinthians 3:16; 2 Corinthians 1:22, 5:5; Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 4: 30; Philippians 1:6; 1 Peter 1:4-5)

• His role involves encouraging, comforting, inclining, helping, convicting, and sanctifying the believer throughout the duration of life and also enabling the use of each individual’s spiritual gift/gifts for the building up of the Body of Christ.  (1 Kings 8:58; Psalm 141:12; John 14:16; 16:8-15; Acts 9:31; Romans 8:4,13,26; 12:6-8; Galatians 5:22; 2 Timothy 1:7; 1 Peter 1:2)

• We believe there is an initial filling or “indwelling” of the Holy Spirit’s PRESENCE into one’s inner being upon saving faith in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection; this is the act of justification.  After that, a believer can experience subsequent fillings of the Holy Spirit’s POWER over one’s lifetime as one uses their spiritual gifts in the building up of the Body of Christ and to overcome the power of sin; this is sanctification.  (John 14:17,20,23; 15:26;  16:7-22; Acts 2:4; Ephesians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 12:11-13; Hebrews 2:4)

Redemption/Salvation:

• We believe eternal life is given as an act of God’s grace and not through any merit of our own.  We affirm that good works are the result of saving faith, not the cause.  (Matthew 5:16; Romans 4:2; Ephesians 2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:3; 1 Peter 2:9-10; Titus 2:14)

• We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. We believe that all men and women are morally corrupt and dead in their sins and of themselves utterly unable to remedy their lost condition. (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 1:18, 3:23, 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3,12)

• We believe that each person is responsible for all the sins they commit and thus will incur God’s judgment (eternal separation from God and torment in a literal hell) if they do not repent of their sin and turn to Christ in saving faith. (Deuteronomy 32:22; Psalm 9:17; Matthew 10:28; Matthew 23:33; Galatians 1:8; 2 Peter 2:4; Revelation 1:18; Revelation 20:14)

• We believe the Bible teaches that a saving faith is a gift from God and transforms a person from an old creature into a new one, creating a person who is forgiven, redeemed, adopted, and a justified child of God. The Spirit now governs the child of God, who was formerly governed by the flesh, and thus, obedience to Christ and His Word results. (John 14:21-23; Romans 8:9-17; Ephesians 1:5-7, 2:8; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:22; James 2:26; 1 John 2:3-6, 3:10)

• We believe the Christ follower’s walk is not perfect. Still, as we grow in holiness (sanctification), we will increasingly please God and be transformed into the image of Christ because He has promised to finish what He started in the life of His child. (Romans 7; 8:28-30; James 3:2; 1 John 1:9)

The Ordinances:

• We believe all people who profess faith in Christ as Lord and Savior are to be identified with Him in baptism as an act of obedience. However, we do not believe baptism saves an individual. Believers should also regularly remember His death in the Lord’s Supper by consuming both the bread and the fruit of the vine just as He commanded.  (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41; Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25)

The Christian Life:

• We believe that Christians are called to witness for Christ, preach the gospel to all nations, and to study the Bible personally through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit and teach others to do the same so that they may be matured into the preordained purpose God planned for him or her before the beginning of the world. (Matthew 28:19-20; Romans 10:15; Philippians 1:6)

• We believe that a Christian should walk in holiness and not after the flesh, to be conformed to the image of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. As a new creation, walking in the Spirit, the Christian learns to grow in faith, in obedience to Scripture, in prayer, in fellowship with the saints, and in a life of service. We believe that the Christian will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and have his life evaluated according to his deeds and rewarded accordingly. (Galatians 5:16-26; Hebrews 10:25; Ephesians 4:20-24; Hebrews 11:6, 12:1-2; John 17:17; Ephesians 6:18; Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15)

• We believe that at Creation, God ordained and established two distinct genders, man and woman, and they should not be changed according to the dictates of culture, tradition, law, or personal preference. (Genesis 2:7, 20-23)

• We believe that at Creation, God established the institution of marriage between a man and a woman and that sexual activity should only be expressed in the context of a heterosexual marriage.  (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5)

• We believe sexual temptations, whether heterosexual or same-sex attractions, are to be resisted. Any person attending our Bible study involved in sexual sin will be treated with dignity and respect, but we cannot, according to scripture, affirm the sinful behavior. (Leviticus 18:22; Leviticus 20:13; Romans 1:24-32; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; 1 Timothy 1:9-11; Jude 1:7)

• We believe the proper course toward someone in sin is to exhort repentance and declare that forgiveness, redemption, and cleansing from all sins are available to all who trust in Jesus Christ and turn to Him for the power to live a holy life. For the believer, we do not affirm or practice demonic deliverance as a path toward restoration with God because of our belief that a true believer cannot have an indwelling demon. (Psalm 32:5, Psalm 51; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; James 5:16; 1 John 1:9)

• We believe that followers of Christ are called to suffer as Christ did and that suffering leads to glory.  (2 Timothy 3:12; Matthew 10:22; Matthew 24:9; Roman’s 8:17; 2 Corinthians 1:5; 1 Peter 1:21-22; 1 Peter 4:12-16)

• We believe it is God’s prerogative to give and take away, and in all circumstances, He works for His glory and our good toward Christlikeness.  (Job 1:21; Romans 8:28)

• We believe the “prosperity” gospel is a dangerous teaching because it can deceive people into thinking God’s people never suffer and that He is obligated to bless His people with material blessings if they do certain things or exercise enough faith. (1 Peter 2:21)

• We believe the Bible, not human experience, feelings, or worldly ideologies, provides all that believers need to understand, uphold, and apply justice in the world. (Exodus 23:2; Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 32:4; Psalm 45:6; Psalm 48:10; Hebrews 1:8, 10:30)