Doctrine
Salvation
The holy scriptures
Heaven
Full Statement
The Holy Scriptures
We believe that the Holy Bible, consisting of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is in its entirety verbally, plenarily inspired and without error in the original writings, infallible, and God-breathed. It is the final revelation of the will of God to man and is the only standard by which all human conduct, creed, faith, practice, and fellowship should be tried.
Ref.: Matthew 5:18; II Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:19-21; 3:15-16.
The Godhead
We believe in the one triune God, the Maker, Preserver, and Ruler of all things, eternally existing in three persons, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, each with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.
Ref.: Deuteronomy 6:4; Genesis 1:1, 2, 26; 6:3; John 1:1, 2; 10:30; Philippians 2:6.
The Person and Work of the Lord Jesus Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary; that He became man without ceasing to be God, visible in a fleshly form; that He lived a life wholly apart from sin, being perfect in all His ways, sinless; that He, through His death as our sacrifice, made full and complete satisfaction to God for our sins, dying as a voluntary substitute for our transgressions; that He physically rose from the dead on the third day, confirming God’s satisfactions with His payment for sin; and that He
ascended bodily into Heaven. We hold that the imminent return of Christ to rapture His saints is personal, pre-tribulational, and pre millennial; that Christ is now preparing a place for the believer in Heaven; and that He will come a second time to establish His kingdom on the throne of David.
Ref.: Matthew 1:20-23; 19:28; 25:31; Luke 1:35: John 1:1, 12; 3:5; 16:7-11; Acts 1:9-11; 7:55-56; I Cor. 6:19; 12:13; II Cor. 5:21; Phil. 4:13; I Thess. 4:13,16-18; I Tim. 2:5; Hebrews 4:1, 4-15; 10:1-10, 12.
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
(A) We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person equal with the Father and Son and of the same essence and nature; that He was active in the creation; that, in His relationship to the unbelieving world, He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment; that He bears witness to the truth; that, in His relationship to the believer, He is the agent of the new birth; that He is the Seal of our salvation; that He endues with power and wisdom, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, helps, and comforts believers; that He indwells every true child of God in this Church Age; and that He presently serves the believer in intercessory prayer.
Ref.: John 16:7-11, 13, 14; 14:16, 17; Romans 8:14, 27; II Thessalonians 2:7.
(B) We believe that He is sovereign in the bestowment of His gifts upon all believers for ministries as members in the body of Christ and that the specific gifts of evangelist, pastor, and teacher are provided for the equipping of saints for the working of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ. We believe that the speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles ceased as the New Testament scripture was completed and its authority established and that they were given as signs to Israel in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy but were not signs of spiritual superiority.
Ref.: I Corinthians 12:4-11, 13; 13:1-3; 14:22, 23, 33; II Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13; 4:7-12; 5:18;
Isaiah 28:11-12; Deuteronomy 28:49; Jeremiah 5:15; Joel 2:28.
Hell
We believe in a literal Hell and the Lake of Fire and Brimstone, which shall be the place of eternal punishment of Satan, fallen angels, demons, and the unbelieving dead.
Ref.: Revelation 20:10, 15; 21:8; 19:20; Luke 16:26; Mark 9:43-48; Matthew 26:24.
Heaven
We believe in a literal place called Heaven where God’s immediate presence is manifested, where the angels dwell, and where the redeemed shall ultimately dwell, from whence Christ descended and to which He ascended again, where He maketh intercession for the saints, and from whence He shall come to judge the living and the dead.
Ref.: Psalm 102:19; Ecclesiastes 5:2; Isaiah 66:1; Matthew 22:30; John 14:1-3; 16:28; Acts 1:11; I Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:25; I John 2:1; II Thessalonians 1:7-10.
Salvation
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ “died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that He was buried; and that He hath been raised on the third day according to the Scriptures”; that He ascended into Heaven where, as our great High Priest and Advocate He ever lives to make intercession for us; that all who believe on His name are justified on the grounds of His shed blood, thereby receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit and eternal life by the grace of God.
Ref.: I Corinthians 15:3-4; Hebrews 7:25; I John 2:1; Romans 5:1-11.
Justification
We believe that justification is the non-imputation of guilt and the imputation of the righteousness of God.
Ref.: Romans 8:1,33-34; II Corinthians 5:21; I Corinthians 1:30; Romans 1:17.
Sanctification
(A) We believe that believers positionally have been “sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
(B) We believe that sanctification is a divine and progressive work of the Holy Spirit whereby God, upon the grounds of the finished work of Christ on the Cross, His present intercessory ministry, and His divine Word, sets the believer apart and works out, in, and through him by means of a submissive will that which is well pleasing to Himself through Jesus Christ.
(C) We believe that sanctification culminates in the redemption of the body and complete conformity to the moral image of Christ.
Ref: Hebrews 10:1-10; Colossians 3:8-12; Romans 6:13; 8:13; I Peter 1:22; I John 3:2; I Thessalonians 3:13; Philippians 3:20-21.
The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers
(A) We believe that all the redeemed are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever.
(B) We believe that it is the privilege of the believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh.
Ref.: John 10:27-30; Romans 11:29; 5:8-10; Hebrews 7:25; Philippians 1:6; II Timothy 1:12; I Peter 1:5.