Statements of Faith

The Bible is the Word of God, inerrant, divinely revealed, written by men, guided by the Holy Spirit (2 Pet. 121, 2 Tim. 3:16-17).

It is the objective, sufficient, and authoritative guide to the believers' life.

There is one triune God who is one in essence by three in personality (Matt. 28:18-19, 2 Cor. 13:14).

Man was originally created in the image of God. Man fell through sin and, as a consequence of his sin, lost his spiritual life and became subject to the power of Satan. Spiritual death is inherited by all (Rom. 3:10-18, 23, 5:12-14).

Man can be saved from eternal death only through Jesus Christ and His substitutionary death on the cross. Jesus Christ rose from death as proof of that provision. Salvation is a free gift received by faith and faith alone -- trusting Christ as your personal savior. It is the eternally secure possession of every believer (John 3:16, 36, 10:28, Eph. 2:8, 9, Rom. 8:28-39, Phil. 1:6, Jude 1).The believer's spiritual life develops by the daily intake ( ) of the Word of God and a moment-by-moment walk in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit (1 Pet. 2:2, Gal. 5:16, 22-23).

At the moment of death the believer enters instantly into the presence of God, there to remain in conscious bliss until the bodily resurrection of all believers to the Rapture (2 Cor. 5:8, 1 Cor. 15:35-37, 1 Thes. 4:13-18).

The "signs gifts" of tongs, miracles, prophecy, apostleship and healing ended in the first century, but God still hears and answers prayers of faith for the sick and afflicted in accordance with His own will (Acts 4:8,21, Rom. 8:23, 1 Cor. 13:8, 14:22, Eph. 2:20, Heb. 2:3,4).

Satan is real, has a personality and is engaged in a program to discredit Christ and substitute his own false system (Is. 14:12-17, Ezek. 28:11-19, 2 Pet. 2:4). We believe the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be God-breathed (a), plenary (every word) (b), verbal (consisting of words) (c), and inerrant in the original writings (d). They are the supreme and final authority in faith and life (e).

a. 1Cor 14:37; 2:9-10; 2Tim 3:16; 2Pet 1:21; 3:15-16.

b. Mt 5:18; 2Tim 3:16

c. Mat 4:4; John 6:63.

d. John 17:17; Tit 1:2-3; Heb 6:17-18

e. Ps 19:7-11; Ps 119:11; Isa 55:11; Mat 5:17-18; John 10:35; Rom 15:4; 2Tim 3:16-17.

B. SALVATION BY FAITH ALONE

We believe that salvation is received by means of personal faith in Jesus Christ alone without benefit of or requirement for works (a), that it is accomplished as a grace gift by God the Father (b) through the work of His Son Jesus Christ on the cross (c).

a. John 3:16-18; Rom 3:19-28; 4:5; 5:1; Gal 2:16; Eph 2:8-9; I John 5:11-13.

b. John 3:16; 6:40; Rom 5:8; Eph 2:8; 2Tim 1:8-9.

c. John 3:16; 14:6; Rom 5:5-11; 1Cor 15:1-4.

C. SUBSTITUTIONARY DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST

We believe that Jesus Christ, perfect and without sin (a), died as a substitution sacrifice on the cross (b), bearing punishment for all the sins of the entire world, past, present and future (c).

a. 2Cor 5:21; 1Pet 1:18-19; 2:22; 3:18; 1John 3:5.

b. Rom 3:23-26; 5:6-8; 1Cor 15:3-4.

c. 2Cor 5:14-21; 1Tim 2:5-6; 1John 2:2.

D. THE GODHEAD

We believe in the one (a) eternal God (b) existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (c). They are co-eternal (d) and coequal as to nature, attributes, and perfection (e).

a. Deut 4:35; 6:4; Isa 45:5-6; James 2:19.

b. Ps 90:2; John 1:1.

c. Isa 48:16-17; Mat 3:16-17; 28:19; 2Cor 13:14; 1 John 5:7.

d. Gen 1:1-2; John 1:1.

e. Isa 48:16; John 5:17-18; 10:30; 1 John 5:7.

E. DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST

We believe that the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary (a), lived a sinless life, did not possess a sinful nature (b), and is both true God and true man (c).

a. Isa 7:14; Mat 1:18; Luke 1:34-35.

b. 2Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 7:26; 1John 3:5.

c. John 1:1-3, 14; Phil 2:5-7; Heb 2:17.

F. RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST

We believe that the physical body of Jesus Christ was resurrected (a) and ascended into heaven (b) where He is our Advocate and High Priest (c).

a. John 20:26-27; 1Cor 15:3-8.

b. Luke 24:50-52; Acts 1:9-11; 1Pet 3:21-22.

c. Romans 8:34, Heb 7:24-25, 8:1, 1John 2:1

G. SPIRITUALITY

Just as salvation is by grace though faith, so also the whole Christian way of life is by grace through faith. We believe that spirituality is an absolute condition in the life of a believer in the present age wherein he is filled or controlled by the Holy Spirit, walking in love and fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that spirituality is distinct from maturity; that a believer becomes carnal through an act of mental, verbal, or overt sin; and that spirituality or fellowship with Christ is restored solely by personal confession of that sin to God the Father.

John 15:7-8; Rom 6:11-13; 2Cor 5:6-7; Gal 5:16; Eph 5:15-20; I John 1:9.

H. RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BELIEVERS

It is God's will that every believer should grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ by the regular and frequent intake of Bible Doctrine. This is the basis of glorifying Jesus Christ in the angelic conflict (a). Every believer has been called with a holy calling to walk not after the flesh but after the spirit, and so to live in the spirit that they should not fulfill the lust of the flesh; but the flesh being still in us to the end of the earthly life, needs to be kept constantly in subjection to Christ, or it will surely manifest itself to dishonor His name (b).

a. John 17:14-17; Mat 4:4; Eph 4:11-16; 2Pet 3:18.

b. Rom 8:12-13; 13:14; Gal 5:16-25; Eph 4:22-24; 5:18; Col 3:1-10.

I. SATAN

We believe that Satan is a created being who exists in personality and reality. He is the enemy of both God and of believers. He is the leader of a group of fallen angels.

Job 1:6-7; Mat 4:2-11; 25:41; Acts 5:3; 1Pet 5:8; Rev 12:7-10.

J. ETERNAL STATE

We believe that all those who do not believe in God's provision of redemption through the death of Christ are eternally separated from God (a); they will be cast into the Lake of Fire where they will not be annihilated but will be punished with everlasting torment (b). We believe in a literal heaven (c). The Church-age believers pass immediately into God's presence at death (d).

a. Luke 16:19-26; John 3:17-18; 5:25-29.

b. Mat 25:41; Rev 20:14-15.

c. Acts 7:55-56; Phil 3:20; 1Thes 4:16.

d. John 14:3; 2Cor 5:8; 1Thes 4:17.

K. RAPTURE AND RESURRECTION

Believers who have died remain in heaven in conscious bliss until the resurrection of their glorified bodies at the Rapture when body and soul will be united and remain with the Lord forever (a). Old Testament and Tribulation believers will receive their resurrection bodies at the Second Advent (b).

a. 1Cor 15:42-58; Phil 3:20-21;

1Thes 4:13-18.

b. Dan 12:1-2; Rev 20:4-6.

L. THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit is God. He is a distinct person of the Godhead who convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment (a); regenerates those who believe (b); baptizes them into the body of Christ (c); indwells all believers of the present age (d); seals them unto the day of redemption (e); is the only source of power for acceptable worship and service (f); is the infallible interpreter of Holy Scripture (g); is ever0 present to testify concerning Jesus Christ (h). It should be the desire of every believer to be controlled by the Holy Spirit (i).

a. John 14:16-17; 16:7-11; 1John 5:7.

b. John 3:5-6; Tit 3:4-5.

c. 1Cor 12:12,13.

d. John 14:16-17; Rom 8:9-11; 1Cor 3:16; 6:19.

e. 2Cor 1:21-22; Eph 4:30.

f. Acts 1:8; Rom 8:26-27; Gal 5:16-25.

g. John 14:26; 1Cor 2:9-16.

h. John 16:12-15; 1Pet 1:10-12.

i. Eph 5:18.

M. ETERNAL SECURITY

We believe that all believers everywhere, once saved, shall be kept saved forever.

John 5:24; 10:28-29; Rom 8:1; 8:38-39; 1John 5:13; Jude 24-25.

N. GREAT TRIBULATION

We believe that the present age will end and will be followed by Daniel’s seventieth week (a). The Abomination of Desolation spoken by Daniel the prophet will appear in the middle of the seventieth week (b). The appearance of the Abomination of Desolation will begin the most terrible time ever known in history, called "The Great Tribulation" (c). The Great Tribulation is finally climaxed by the visible and personal return of Jesus Christ to set up his Kingdom (d).

a. Dan 9:24-27.

b. Dan 9:27; Mat 24:15.

c. Jer 30:7; Dan 12:1; Mat 24:21-22.

d. Zech 14:1-9; Mat 24:29-30; 2Thes 1:5-10.

O. MAN CREATED AND FALLEN

We believe that the immaterial part of man was created in the image of God but the first man, Adam, willfully sinned and fell from God's grace (a). In Adam, all men have inherited a sinful nature and all men have sinned and have incurred spiritual death, which is separation from God. Thus all men now are alienated from God and remain totally unable to redeem themselves (b). Those who reach moral responsibility are held accountable for their sinfulness in thought, word, and deed (c). Through Jesus Christ, God created man and all that has come into being (man, animals and the universe did not evolve) (d).

a. Gen 1:26-27.

b. Gen 2:17; Ps 51:5; Rom 3:23; 5:12; 6:23; 7:17-25; Eph 2:1-3.

c. Rom 2:1-15; Jas 2:10.

d. Gen 1:1-2:3; Ps 139:15-16; Col 1:16.

P. THE CHURCH - UNIVERSAL AND LOCAL

We believe that the Church Universal, which is the Body and Bride of Christ, includes the whole company of believers from Pentecost to the Rapture and that Jesus Christ is the Head and the Bridegroom (a). We believe that the local church is any autonomous group of believers in Christ, in one geographical location, united in the Spirit, who meet together for instruction in the Word of God, prayer, observance of the Lord's supper, and observance of the ordinance of baptism by immersion (b). We believe that the mission of the Church is to glorify God and to present Jesus Christ to the world (c).

a. 2Cor 11:2; Eph 1:22-23; Col 1:24.

b. Mat 3:13-16; Acts 20:7; 1Cor 1:2, 11:23-29.

c. John 15:15-16; 1Cor 10:31; Phil 2:15-16.

Q. SPIRITUAL GIFTS

We believe that God the Holy Spirit, in grace and apart from human merit, sovereignty bestows spiritual gifts to believers in this dispensation. Some of the permanent spiritual gifts which exist today are: pastor-teacher, prophet, and evangelist, and administrator, helper, giving and showing of mercy. We further believe that the temporary spiritual gifts ceased with completion of the Canon of Scripture, and these were: apostleship, prophecy, speaking in tongues, interpreting tongues, healing, and working of miracles.Rom 12:4-8; 1Cor 12:1-11, 27-31; 13:8-10; Eph 4:7, 11-16; 1Pet 4:10-11.

R. DISPENSATIONAL VIEWPOINT

This Association, by virtue of a consistent literal interpretation of the Scriptures, is Dispensational, Pre-millennial, and Evangelical. The English word dispensation comes from the Greek word oikonomia, which means "stewardship." A Dispensation or Stewardship is a distinguishable economy or period in the outworking of God’s purpose (a). We believe that Israel always denotes the physical posterity of Jacob, and is never to be confused with the church (b).

a. Col 1:24-26; Eph 1:9-10; 3:2-6.

b. 1 Cor 10:32; Rom 10:1, 11:1, 25-28

S. DEATH OF CHRIST

We believe there are two aspects of the death of Christ - spiritual death and physical death. The spiritual death of Christ is the three hours on the cross during which He was judged in our place for the sins of the world to accomplish redemption (a). Physical death was the point when Christ voluntarily yielded up His soul and spirit after the work of redemption was completed. The physical death was a necessary part of the total work of Christ on the cross from numerous standpoints, including: the verification of the fact that redemption had been accomplished; the necessity for a bodily resurrection of the God-man as the First Fruits of the resurrection; the fulfillment of the covenants to Israel; Headship of the Church (b).

a. Mat 27:45-46; Luke 23:44-45; Rom 3:24-25; 5:8-9; 2Cor 5:21; Eph 1:7; 1Pet 1:18-19.

b. Mat 27:50; Mk 15:37; Luke 1:31-33; 23:46; John 19:30; Acts 2:30-33; Rom 4:25; 1Cor 15:22-23; Eph 1:20-23; Col 1:18.

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