Our Statement of Faith
Inspired Scripture
The Bible is the only inspired, infallible, authoritative Word of God and reveals His character, will, and plan for humanity. God’s Word also establishes the foundation of faith and conduct for all believers.
1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; John 3:16
One True God
There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19; John 10:30;
Ephesians 4:4-6
The Deity of Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is God the Son. On earth, Jesus was 100% God and 100% man and shown to be divine in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood on the cross, in His bodily resurrection, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His personal return in power and glory.
Matthew 1:23; John 1:1-4 and 1:29; Acts 1:11 and 2:22-24; Romans 8:34; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:5-11; Hebrews 1:1-4 and 4:15
Redemption
Man was created good and upright, but by voluntary transgression he fell and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God; his only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God
Gen.1:26-31, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21
Salvation
We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts
Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22
Repentance
Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance we receive forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation
Acts 2:21, 3:19; 1 John 1:9
Sanctification
Sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ’s character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a godly life
1Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; 2 Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18, 2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, Romans 8:29, 12:1-2, Hebrews 2:11
Baptism in the Holy Spirit
Given at Pentecost, it is the promise of the Father, sent by Jesus after His ascension, to empower the church to preach the Gospel throughout the whole earth
Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:11; Mark 16:17; Acts 1:5, 2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:15-17, 19:1-6
The Gifts of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, and confirm the power of the Gospel. The Bible lists of these gifts are not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in various combinations. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of the gifts in their lives. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures.
Hebrews 2:4; Romans 1:11, 12 :4-8; Ephesians 4:16; 2 Timothy 1:5-16, 4:14; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; 1 Peter 4:10
Resurrection
Both the saved and the lost will be resurrected; the saved unto the resurrection of eternal life and the lost unto the resurrection of damnation and eternal punishment.
1 Corinthians 15:51-57; Revelation 20:11-15
The Church
The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulillment of Jesus’ great commission and the work of the Kingdom of God. Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral part of the church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ
Ephesians 1:22, 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23; John 17:11, 20-23
Second Coming
Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second time to establish His Kingdom. This will occur at a date undisclosed by the Scriptures
Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 1:7
Evangelism and Discipleship
The ministry of evangelism (sharing and proclaiming the message of salvation only possible by grace through faith in Jesus Christ) and discipleship (helping followers of Christ grow up into maturity in Christ) is a responsibility of all followers of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Romans 10:9-15; 1 Peter 3:15
Marriage and Sexuality
God’s plan for human sexuality is to be expressed only within the context of marriage, that God created man and woman as unique biological persons made to complete each other. God instituted monogamous marriage between male and female as the foundation of the family and the basic structure of human society. Marriage is exclusively the union of one genetic male and one genetic female.
Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:5-6; Mark 10:6-9; Romans 1:26-27; 1 Corinthians 6:9
Sanctity of Life
Human life is sacred from conception to its natural end; and that we must have concern for the physical and spiritual needs of our fellowmen.
Psalm 139:13; Isaiah 49:1; Jeremiah 1:5; Matthew 22:37-39; Romans 12:20-21; Galatians 6:10
Sacraments Water Baptism
Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the new convert is commanded by the Word of God to be baptized in water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit
Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38
Communion
A unique time of communion in the presence of God when the elements of bread and grape juice (the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) are taken in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross
Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48; 1Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-25