Articles of Faith

The Bible
We believe in the absolute authority, inerrancy and infallibility of the sixty-six canonical books of the Bible, its full verbal inspiration by God in the original manuscripts and its all- sufficiency as the Christian’s rule of faith and practice. See: 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:19-21

God
We believe that there is but one faithful God, the Creator, Preserver, and Sovereign Ruler of all things, perfect in holiness and love, infinite in wisdom and measureless in power. He eternally exists in three persons — Father, Son and Holy Spirit — who are co-equal and co-eternal, one in essence, nature, power, action, and will, who together form what is known as the Triune Godhead, otherwise known as the Trinity. See: Deut. 6:4; Neh. 9:6; 1 Chr. 29:11-12; Ex. 15:11; 1 Jn. 4:8; Matt. 28:19

Jesus
We believe that Jesus, the Christ, is the eternal and only begotten Son of God, conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. We believe in His sinless life, crucifixion, death, bodily resurrection, ascension into Heaven, His high priestly intercession for His people, and His imminent return. He is fully God and fully man, the only mediator between God and man. See: Matt. 1:20; Luke 1:35; Jn. 1:1-2, 14; Jn. 12:45; Jn. 14:9; 1 Tim. 2:5

The Holy Spirit
We believe that God the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. He regenerates the unbelieving, seals, teaches, sanctifies, comforts, gives gifts, and produces spiritual fruit in those who place their faith in Jesus Christ.
See: Jn. 16:8-11; Eph. 1:13; Jn. 14:16-18; 1 Cor. 12

Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God by direct creation; that man sinned and thereby incurred both physical and spiritual death. Thus, we believe that all men, by nature and by choice, are totally depraved sinners, and, apart from Christ, will be forever separated from God. See: Gen. 1:26, 2:17; Ezk. 18:20; Rom. 6:23

The Atonement
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself without sin, died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, that all who believe in Him are justified only on the grounds of His shed blood. See: 1 Cor. 15:3-4; Rev. 1:5; 2 Cor. 5:21; 1 Jn. 3:5

Salvation
We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins as the only sufficient, substitutionary sacrifice. All who believe in Him are declared justified by the Father on the grounds of Jesus’ death and bodily resurrection. All who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by grace through faith are regenerated by and baptized in the Holy Spirit. They become, thereby, the children of God, forever, and members of the one true church, the universal Body of Christ. This salvation will result in righteous living and good works as the believer submits his life to the control of the Holy Spirit, who directs the life of the believer in harmony with the Word of God. See: Eph. 2:8-10; Jn. 3:3, 7, 10:27-29

The Afterlife
We believe that upon physical death the soul of the believer enters immediately into the presence of God. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just, the bodily resurrection of the unjust, the everlasting conscious blessedness of the saved and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost.See: 1 Cor. 15:20-24; Rev. 20:12-15, 21:1-4, 22:3-5; 2 Cor. 5:8

The Church
We believe the Church Universal is the collection of God’s people, past, present and future, who have, by grace, through faith, accepted God’s promise of redemption founded in His Son Jesus Christ. We believe that the visible representation of the Universal Church is the Local Church, defined as a congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His Word; and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its only Biblical officers are elders/pastor and deacons. These officers are in no way a “priestly” office, being that the congregation, upon their individual salvation, have been made individual priests to God. See: Acts 8:38; Rom. 6:3-5; 1 Pet. 2:5

Ordinances
We believe that the scriptural mode of baptism is immersion in water. Though baptism has no saving merit, it does show forth in solemn and beautiful symbol the believer’s faith in, and union with, the crucified, buried and risen Savior.
We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a provision of bread and the cup which are symbolic of Christ’s broken body and shed blood; that the Lord’s Supper is partaken of by saved individuals in commemoration of the suffering and death of their Lord and in anticipation of His soon coming again; that its observance is to be preceded by faithful self-examination. See: Luke 22:19-20; 1 Cor. 11:23-30

Satan
We believe in the distinct personality of Satan as the enemy of God. That he is the unholy god of this age, author of all powers of darkness and sin, the accuser, the adversary, and the deceiver. We believe the fall of Satan began when he was known as the angel Lucifer, a created being, who desired to “be like the most high God” (Isaiah 14:14). Lucifer, along with all of his fallen angels, sinned against God and thus are destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. Satan is by no means an equal to the one true God. While powerful, Satan is still a created being, under the complete control of the sovereign God of the universe. We therefore reject any notion of duality or equality between Satan and God. See: Isa. 14:12-14; Matt. 4:1-3; 2 Cor. 2:4; 4:4; 1 Tim. 5:21; Rev. 20:10

The Future
We believe in the personal, visible, imminent return of the Lord Jesus Christ for His Church. On the Day of the Lord, the wicked will be judged to endless punishment in hell, and the righteous to endless joy in the presence of God. See: 1 Thess. 4:16-17; Matt. 24:44; John 14:3; Rev. 22:12