Statement of Faith

We believe in one true God, eternally existing in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each possessing equally all the attributes of Deity and the characteristics of personality. This one God is the Creator of all things, holy, perfect, and existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons. Having limitless knowledge and sovereign power, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory. The Father sent His only Son to become the redemption for lost mankind. The Holy Spirit was sent to continue the mission of Christ through His body, the Church. 

We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. The Bible is the inspired, infallible Word of God—without error in its original writings—and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. It is the complete revelation of His will for salvation, the fullness of God’s divine inspired revelation to man, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. It is timeless and relevant for all circumstances. The Word of God must be allowed to interpret itself within its accurate historical and literary context. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises. 

We believe that God created humanity in His image, both male and female. Yet Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying God when tempted by Satan, and in union with them, all human beings are sinners by nature and by choice—alienated from their Creator, corrupted in their original nature, and under divine condemnation for their sin. Humanity’s fallen condition renders us totally unable to please God in the flesh. Every person is in need of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled, and renewed. 

We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, yet without sin—one Person in two natures. As God the Son, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, fulfilling all He was sent to accomplish. He died on the cross for the sins of the world as our representative and substitute, shedding His blood as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice. On the third day He rose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven, and now sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate. He rules today at the right hand of the Father and will return in the clouds on the appointed day to call up all those who have been washed and regenerated by His atoning work. Jesus Christ is central to all true mind renewal and freedom. Apart from Him we can do nothing. 

We believe that the atoning death and victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ constitute the only ground for salvation. Salvation is wholly a work of God’s free grace, received through faith alone in Christ alone, and is not the result of human works, goodness, or religious ceremony. God imputes His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ, justifying them in His sight. Regeneration, or the new birth, is a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. Justification is God’s gracious and full acquittal of all sinners who repent and believe in Christ, bringing them into a relationship of peace and favor with God.

Salvation is an ongoing process: we were saved when we came to Christ in faith; we are being saved moment by moment from the lies we believe and the sinful propensity of the flesh; and we will be saved when we receive our immortal glorified bodies. Those who come to Christ in faith are made new creatures and will live in heaven for all eternity with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth. Those who do not respond in faith remain in a fallen state and will face eternal separation from God. 

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity. He glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ in all that He does. He convicts the world of guilt and sin, draws sinners to Christ, regenerates them, and baptizes them into union with Christ. From the moment of spiritual birth, He continually indwells, seals, illuminates, guides, equips, comforts, and empowers believers. He provides the power to obey God’s Word, renews the mind, teaches and leads into all truth, unifies true believers in a bond of love, and reveals truth. His fullness, power, and control are made available by faith. Every believer is called to live in the power of the indwelling Spirit so as not to fulfill the lust of the flesh but to bear fruit to the glory of God. 

Sanctification is the setting apart of the believer from sin unto godliness and holiness—an experience beginning in regeneration by which the believer is enabled, through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, to progress toward moral and spiritual maturity. God’s justifying grace must never be separated from His sanctifying power. Believers are called to lay aside the old self, be renewed in the spirit of the mind, and put on the new self created in righteousness and holiness. This is a work of God in which the believer cooperates, as the Apostle Paul prayed: “May the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely.”

God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially, to care for one another, show compassion to the poor, and pursue justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer, we combat spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we make disciples of all nations, bearing witness to the gospel in word and deed. 

The true Church universal comprises all who have been justified by God’s grace through faith alone in Christ alone and who are partakers of the divine nature. The indwelling of the Holy Spirit is the determining factor of authentic faith, not denomination, religious practice, or performance. The Church is the body of Christ, of which He is the Head, and is manifest in local churches composed of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances—baptism and the Lord’s Supper—which visibly express the gospel and nourish the believer.

The primary call and mission of the Church is to proclaim the good news of freedom in Christ to all the world, bring truth to those held captive by darkness, and prepare the way for His return by making ready His bride.

We believe in the personal, bodily, and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ at a time known only to God. This blessed hope motivates godly living, sacrificial service, and energetic mission. God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning unbelievers to eternal conscious punishment and believers to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord. Satan has been rendered powerless in the life of the believer through Christ’s death, though believers must remain alert to his schemes.

We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to repent and believe the gospel by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ.