Statement of Faith

II Timothy 3:16:
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness

STATEMENT OF FAITH

CONTENTS

  1. BIBLIOLOGY
  2. THEOLOGY PROPER
  3. CHRISTOLOGY
  4. PNEUMATOLOGY
  5. ANGELOLOGY
  6. ANTHROPOLOGY
  7. HAMARTIOLOGY
  8. SOTERIOLOGY
  9. ECCLESIOLOGY
  10. ESCHATOLOGY
  11. TENETS

1. BIBLIOLOGY (Study of the Word of God)

Revelation: The content of the Bible has been revealed by God so as to reveal Himself to man.

Inspiration: Through inspiration, God made certain that this revelation about Himself was written down without error in the original documents (every Scripture is God-breathed.)

Authority: Since the Bible is without error in its original manuscripts, it is our authority - The guide in all matters spiritual.

Canonicity: Because it is God's only written revelation to men, it is our sole source of information for faith and practice. We do not accept the apocryphal books as canonical.
(II Tim. 3:16-17, II Pet. 1:20-21, Mt.:15, John 16:12-13, Rev. 22:18-19).

2. THEOLOGY PROPER (Study of God the Father)

We believe that the Bible reveals a single, triune God, existing in three persons:
1. Father
2. Son
3. Holy Spirit, eternal in being, identical in nature, equal in power and glory and having the same attributes and perfections (Deut. 6:4, II Cor. 13:4)

The Father: plans and supervises (Eph. 1:11, 3:11).

The Son: carries out the Father's plan and is the mediator between God and Man.
(I Tim. 2:5, John 4:34, Heb. 10:7).

The Holy Spirit: reveals information about God's plan to men. (John 16:8-13, I Cor. 2:10).

3. CHRISTOLOGY (Study of Christ the Son)

The Incarnation: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God. (John 1:1-2, 14).

The Virgin Birth: He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
(Luke 1:35).

His Substitutionary Death: He accomplished our redemption, through His death on the cross, as a Substitutionary sacrifice. (1 Cor. 15:3, 1 Pet. 1:18-19)

His Resurrection: His literal physical resurrection from the dead guaranteed redemption forever. (Heb. 10:9-14, I Pet. 1:3-5).

His Present Session: The Lord Jesus Christ in His glorified body is now in Heaven, exalted at the right hand of God the Father, where He presently fulfills the ministry of representative, intercessor, and advocate, as the high priest for His people. (Heb. 7:25, 9:24, Rom. 8:34, I John 2:1-2).

4. PNEUMATOLOGY (Study of the Holy Spirit)

His Salvation Work: We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin; that at the moment of salvation, He indwells every believer during this present age, baptizes them into the body of Christ, and seals them unto the day of Christ, and seals them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11, I Cor. 12:12-14, Rom. 8:9, Eph. 1:13-14).

His Post-Salvation Work: It is the duty of every believer to seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Since the Holy Spirit indwells the believer at salvation and the condition is irrevocable, this is an absolute. The filling of the Holy Spirit is thus related to walking in love and walking as children of light and is clearly related to faith. Confession of sin(s) is and integral part of this process. (Eph. 5:18, Gal. 5:16, I John 1:9).

Spiritual Gifts: The Holy Spirit sovereignly bestows a spiritual gift (I Pet. 4:10, II Tim. 1:6) on every Church age Believer. The gift of apostleship, prophecy,miracles, tongues, and interpretation were generally discontinued for the remainder of the Church Age after the close of the Canon of Scripture. (I Cor. 13:8-11, 14:22, Eph. 4:3-16); We believe God is sovereign and can empower individuals to carry out His will and plan. (John 15:7,
I John 5:14-15, James 5:15).

5. ANGELOLOGY (Study of Angels)

Existence: We believe in the existence of a superior creation called angels, now divided into two categories know as "Elect" and "Fallen". Fallen angels are further divided into two sections:
1. free (demons)
2. imprisoned (demons) (I Tim. 5:21, Mark 8:38, II Pet. 2:4, Jude 6, I Tim. 4:1).

Creation: We further believe that these angels were created after God created the universe and before He created man. (Ezek. 28:13, Job 38:6-7).

Angelic Conflict: The Bible reveals a conflict between Satan (and his forces the "Fallen Angels"), and Michael the Archangel (and his forces the "Elect Angels"). This conflict is mirrored in and resolved by the exercise of human volition in obedience to God's Word for salvation and fellowship (Rev. 12:1 and following, I Cor. 11:10, I Pet. 1:12, Luke 15:10,
Eph. 3:10). Through this means the angels learn the wisdom of God.

Satan: God's Word reveals the personality and program of Satan, the leader of the Fallen Angels. His fall and future confinement in the Lake of Fire with all Fallen Angels and unbelieving humans, to experience everlasting conscious torment, are set forth clearly in the Word. (Isa. 14:12-14, Ezek. 28:12-17, Job 1:6-7, Rev. 12:7-9, 20:10).

6. ANTHROPOLOGY (Study of Man)

Creation: We accept the Genesis account of Creation in which God created the universe out of nothing by His spoken word, and of the seven consecutive days therein recorded.
(Gen. 1:1 and following, Psalms 33:6-9).

The Fall: 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. (Gen. 1:26-27, Rom. 3:22-23, 5:12, Eph. 2:12).

Total Depravity: In this state, man is totally unable to remedy his lost condition.
(Rom. 4:4-5, Titus 3:5, Isa. 64:6).

7. HAMARTIOLOGY (the Study of Sin)

We believe the Scriptures describe three categories of sin :
1. Imputed Sin
2. Inherent Sin
3. Personal Sin

Imputed Sin: At birth, every member of the human race shares in the responsibility and penalty for Adam's sin. (Rom. 5:12, 5:18-19, I Cor. 15:22).

Inherent Sin: (Old Sin Nature) Through the human father, every person inherits a capacity which entices and enables man to commit personal acts of sin. (Rom. 6:6, 7:17-18,
Eph. 4:22).

Personal Sin: These are those acts of sin(s) that fall into three categories:
1. Mental Attitude Sins (II Cor. 10:5).
2. Sins of the tongue (James 3:5-6).
3. Overt Sins (Rom. 6:12-13).

8. SOTERIOLOGY (The Study of Salvation)

Genuine Offer of Salvation: Since God is unable to be unfair to any person, loves all men equally, desires all men to be saved, is not willing that any should perish, invites all men to be saved, and atoned for the sins of the entire world, He has used the drawing ministry of Christ and the convicting ministry of the Holy Spirit to make it genuinely possible for any member of the human race to receive the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 3:16, 12:32, 16:7-11,
Acts 10:34-35, 16:31, Isa. 45:21, Rom 5:8, 8:32, I Tim. 2:4, II Pet. 2:2 I John 2:2).

Election: We believe that in eternity past God, because of His love for and foreknowledge of all those who would respond to His universal invitation to believe in Christ, provided for them to share His eternal destiny. (Ps. 2:9, II Tim. 1:9, Eph. 1:4, Rom. 8:28-30, I Pet. 1:2).

Mechanics of Salvation: Salvation was provided totally by the death of Jesus Christ for the sins of all members of the human race, as a free gift. Each person must decide either to reject or accept the offer by God of the gift of salvation. Acceptance of the offer of Salvation is through belief in the Lord Jesus Christ. ( Eph. 1:7, 2:8-10, John 1:12,
I Pet. 1:18-19, I John 5:1 ).

Eternal Security: Having decided to receive Christ as Savior at one point in time the Believer is kept secure forever by the Father and disciplined in time, when necessary, as a beloved child. (Rom. 8:38-39, Heb. 10:14, 12:6-13, John 3:3-7, John 10:27-30, I Cor. 12:12).

9. ECCLESIOLOGY (The Study of the Church)

The Universal Church: We believe that the Church, which is the body and future Bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism, made up of all Believers of this age without regard to their affiliation with Christian organizations. (Eph. 1:22-23, 4:11-16, Eph. 5:25-27,
I Cor. 12:12-14).

The Local Church: We further believe that the local Church is an assembly of Believers meeting together in a specified location for the purposes of worship, Bible study, fellowship, prayer, and witnessing.
(Acts 2:41-47, I Cor. 11:23-26)

Water Baptism: We believe that water baptism by immersion is designed to be a symbolic testimony of the identification of the Believer with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection to a new life. This baptism in no way affects the salvation, the spirituality, or spiritual growth of the Believer. (Mark 1:5, Mt. 3:16,
Acts 8:36-39)

The Lord's Supper: Our Lord instituted the ordinance of the Lord's Supper, which is commanded for all Believers. The two elements of the Lord's Supper, the bread and the cup, represent the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ and His work on the cross. Scripture requires that a partaker of the Lord's Supper be a Believer in Christ, and in fellowship with the Father through confession of known sins to Him (Luke 22:14-20, Mt. 26:26-30,
I Cor 11:23-32).

This Church does not require the Believer in Christ. to be a Member of this Church in order to partake of the Lord's Supper.

10. ESCHATOLOGY (The Study of Prophecy and Last Things)

The Blessed Hope: We believe in the fulfillment of prophecy by the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the air to receive to Himself the dead in Christ and Believers who are alive at His coming. This is known as the Rapture or Translation of the Church. (Titus 2:11-14,
I Thess. 4:13-18, I Cor 15:51-57, Phil. 3:20-21, I John 3:2, Luke 24:36-43).

The Tribulation: We believe that the Rapture of the Church will be followed by the fulfillment of Israel's seventieth week, the latter half of which is the time of Jacob's trouble, the great tribulation. (Dan. 9:27ff, Jer. 30:7, Mt. 24:15-21, Rev. 19:22-20).

The Second Coming: We believe the great tribulation will be climaxed by the pre-millennial return of the Lord Jesus Christ to Earth, to set up His Kingdom for the Millennium, a thousand years. (Acts 1:11, II Thess. 1:7-10, Zech. 14:4-11, Mt. 24:27-31,
Rev. 19:11-20).

The Millennium: During the thousand years, Christ will reign over the nations of the Earth with a rod of iron, in righteousness and justice with peace. (Rev. 20:1-10, Isa 9:6-7).

The Eternal State: We believe that the souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation do at death immediately pass into His presence, and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body at the Rapture.

This is when spirit, soul, and body reunited shall be associated with Him forever in glory. The souls of unbelievers, however, remain after death in conscious misery, until the final judgment of the Great White Throne, at the close of the Millennium. At that time they shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to be punished with everlasting torment, eternally separated from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power. (Luke 6:19-25, 23:43, II Cor. 5:8, Phil. 1:23, II Thess. 1:2-9, Jude 5-7,
Rev. 20:11-15).

B. TENETS

1. This Church is a nondenominational Church, not affiliated with or responsible to any other religious organization; however, this Church may from time to time form alliances with other groups of Believers for specific, limited purposes, such as the publication of Christian literature, conduct of joint services, co-sponsorship of missionaries, or exchange of workers.

2. No political campaigning or petition circulation will be permitted on Church property.