Because life is for service.
We believe that the Bible, the sixty-six books in the Old and
New Testaments is the verbal - plenary Word of God, that it was given by
inspiration of God, that it is therefore, inerrant and infallible in the
original writings, and that it is the sole authority in all matters of faith
and practice. We believe that God preserved His Word through the Traditional
Masoretic Hebrew Text for the Old Testament and the traditional Received Greek
Text for the New Testament. The King James Version is the only translation
widely used today that is translated strictly from these texts and therefore we
accept it alone as God’s preserved, verbal, plenary, inspired, inerrant,
infallible Word for English speaking people. (Other modern versions contain God’s
Word, but they also contain many errors.)
Psalm 12:6,7 Psalm 119:89 II Timothy 3:16, 17 II Peter 1:21
(B) Dispensationalism.
We believe that the Scriptures interpreted in their natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules of life which define man’s responsibilities in successive ages. These dispensations are not ways of salvation but rather are divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to His purpose. Three of these dispensations - the law, the church, and the kingdom - are the subjects of detailed revelation in Scripture. (Gen. 1:28; I Cor. 9:17; 2 Cor. 3:9-18; Gal. 3:13-25; Eph. 1:10; 3:2-10; Col. 1:24-25, 27; Rev. 20:2-6).
(C) 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, 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).
(D) 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; I
Peter 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; Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2).
(E)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, in dwelling 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; 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. We believe that
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 consumption 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; 4:21-22).
(F) The Total Depravity of Man.
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, and became alienated from God; and, that man is totally depraved, and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19).
(G) Salvation.
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (John 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Pet. 1:18-19).
(H) The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers.
1. We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, 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).
2. We believe that it is the privilege of 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 (Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2: 11-15).
(I) The Church.
1. We believe that the local church, which is the body and
the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born-again persons (1 Cor.
12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27).
2. 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; I Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).
3. We believe in the autonomy of the local church 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)
4. We recognize water baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the
Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age (Matt. 28:19-20;
Acts 2:41-42; 18:18; 1 Cor. 11:23-26).
(J) Separation.
We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God (Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11).
(K) The Second Advent of Christ.
We believe in that “blessed hope,” the personal, imminent return of Christ Who will rapture His church prior to the seven-year tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with His saints, to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel (Ps. 89:3-4; Dan. 2:31-45; Zech. 14:4-11; 1 Thess.1:10; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Titus 2:131; Rev. 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6).
(L) The Eternal State.
1. 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).
2. 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; 1
Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6).
3. 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).
(M) The Personality of Satan.
We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin and the cause of the Fall of Man; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and, that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job 1:6-7; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev. 20:11).
(N) Creation.
We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24 - hour periods. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin (Genesis 1-2; Ex. 20:11).
(O) Civil Government.
We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home; 2) the state; and 3) the church. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the state, and the church are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God (Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 2:13-14).
(P) Human Sexuality.
1. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual
activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We
believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality,
incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s
gift of sex. Any employee of the church becoming pregnant or causing pregnancy
as a result of consensual intercourse, outside of the marriage relationship,
shall be terminated from employment. (Gen. 2:242; 19:5, 13; 26:8-9; Lev.
18:1-30; Rom. 1:26-29; 1 Cor. 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4).
2. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of
one man and one woman. (Gen. 2:24; Rom. 7:2; 1 Cor. 7:10; Eph. 5:22-23).
3. We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position
before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions
for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader
of the home and men are to be the leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church.
Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensing and ordination by the church.
(Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; I Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12)
(Q) Divorce and Remarriage.
We believe that God hates divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication. Although divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon (Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6).
(R) Abortion.
We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, un-excused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable (Job 3:16; Psalms 51:5; 139:14-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1,5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).
(S) Missions.
We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20).
(T) Lawsuits Between Believers.
We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander (1 Cor. 6:1-8; Eph.4:31-32).
(U) Giving.
We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe of offering once the gift has been made (Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-7; Gal.6:6; Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; I john 3:17).
The Holy Scriptures. We believe that the Bible,
the sixty-six books in the Old and New Testaments is the verbal - plenary Word
of God, that it was given by inspiration of God, that it is therefore, inerrant
and infallible in the original writings, and that it is the sole authority in
all matters of faith and practice. We believe that God preserved His Word
through the Traditional Masoretic Hebrew Text for the Old Testament and the
traditional Received Greek Text for the New Testament. The King James Version
is the only translation widely used today that is translated strictly from
these texts and therefore we accept it alone as God's preserved, verbal,
plenary, inspired, inerrant, infallible Word for English speaking people.
(Other modern versions contain God's Word, but they also contain many errors.)
Psalm 12:6,7 Psalm 119:89 II Timothy 3:16, 17 II
Peter 1:21