Statement of Faith

WHAT WE BELIEVE

The Bible – We believe the Bible is inerrant, infallible, inspired, and perfectly preserved for English-speaking people in the King James Bible (II Tim. 3:16; Ps. 12:6-7; Jn. 17:17).  We believe the King James Bible is absolute truth and absolutely perfect. We believe this position is supported entirely by the Scriptures and is supported by church history and manuscript evidence. We do not hold this position in arrogance or pride but in humble gratitude for what God has done to preserve each and every one of His inspired words for us through time, persecution, corruption, and tribulation because we need each and every word to live for Him (Matt. 4:4; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Psa. 12:6-7). For further explanation of why this position is Biblically correct and necessary, please click below

The Godhead (“Trinity”) – 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, co-equal 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). Jesus Christ – 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). Through His death He accomplished our redemption as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, our justification is validated 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). After his resurrection 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)

Salvation – We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God; but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, became alienated from God, and physically began to die. Every person is born with a sinful nature and, of himself, is unable to remedy his lost condition by his own works (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; 4:1- 8; 5:12; 6:23,Eph. 2:1-3; 8-10; 4:17-19). We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace, and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as his precious and divine blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (John 1:12; Rom. 4:1-8; Rom. 5:1, Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Pet. 1:18-19; Matt. 12:31-32; 1 John 1:9).

Eternal Security - We believe that all the redeemed, upon salvation, are granted immediate eternal life. These are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1; 38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Pet. 1:4-5). We also believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s word.

The Holy Spirit – 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 when saving faith in Christ occurs, 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). 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). We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer by the Holy Spirit. 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). We also believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit (such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing) were temporary gifts (2 Timothy 4:20, 1 Timothy 5:23) for the purpose of demonstrating God’s approval of the church to the Jews who, as a whole, require a sign (Heb. 1:1-2; 2:4; Acts 5:12, 1 Cor.1:22). Therefore, we believe that speaking in tongues is not a necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 14:26-30). Furthermore, we believe that there are many false prophets today who claim to be fulfilling these signs while they, Biblically and actually, are not (Matt. 7:22-23, 2 Cor. 11:13-15, 1 John 4:1, Rev. 2:2).

The Eternal State of Mankind - We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28, 29; 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6, 12-13). We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; I Thess. 4:16-17, 5:23; Rev. 20:4-6). We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment (Matt. 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15).

The Church – We believe that the word ―church refers to a called-out assembly and within the scriptures this reference most commonly applies to two distinct groups. Primarily, ―the church‖ refers to a singular organism; an international, intergalactic all-inclusive body of believers, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, solely comprised of born-again persons who have been baptized (put into/ immersed) into the one spiritual body by the one Spirit (1 Cor. 12:12-14, Ephesians 4:4, Ephesians 5:25-27). At other times the word ―church‖ usually refers to local congregations of those believers who are in fellowship at a physical, literal location (1Cor. 16:1&19, 2Cor. 8:1, Rom. 16:16). We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27; 20:17, 28-32; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11). We believe in the autonomy of the local church, namely, being free of any external authority or control (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31;20:28; Rom. 16:1, 4; 1 Cor. 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; 1 Pet. 5:1-4). We recognize water baptism (i.e., “immersion”) and the Lord’s Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church (saved believers) in this age (Matt.28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 18:18; 1 Cor. 11:23-26). We believe men are to be the leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church (Gal.3:28; Col. 3:18; 1 Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12).

Ordinances – We believe there are two ordinances to be observed by the local church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is by immersion after salvation and is a picture of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is also a prerequisite for local church membership. The Lord’s Supper is the remembrance of His death and we are to do it until He comes (Acts 8:36-39, 18:8; I Cor. 11:23-32).

The Second Coming of Jesus Christ - We believe in that Blessed Hope; the personal, physical, imminent return of Christ, who will rapture (i.e., “catch up in the air”) His church prior to the tribulation period known as Jacob’s Trouble (1Cor.15:51-57, 1Thes.4:13, Rev.4:1). At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return to earth with His saints, to establish His reign from the city of Jerusalem, and to confirm His kingship over the earthly Messianic Kingdom that was promised to the nation of Israel. (Ps. 89:3-4; Dan. 2:31-45; Zech. 14:4- 11; I Thess. 1:10; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6).

Separation – We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord. God commands His people to deny themselves, ungodliness, worldly lusts, ecclesiastical apostasy and religious compromise (Luke 9:23, Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13;

Dispensations – We believe that the Scriptures being read in their natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations (rules of life) that define mankind’s responsibilities towards God in successive ages. Although we do not sharply label time periods which result in disassociation of passages and disruption of the continuity of the Bible, we do believe the word of truth must be rightly divided (2 Tim.3:15) in order to understand God’s dispensing of Grace throughout these successive ages.