Statement of Faith
The Scriptures
We believe that the Holy Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testament Scriptures, is God’s only inspired revelation, and is a perfect treasure of heaveny instruction; that it has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter, that it reveals the principles by which God will judge us and therefore is, and shall remain for eternity, the absolute Christian authority and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.
II Timothy 3:16, II Peter 1:20,21, Matthew 4:4
The True God
We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; that he is holy and worthy of all possible honor, reverence, confidence, love, and service; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons – God, the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit – equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
John 10:30, Ephesians 2:18, Mark 12:30, I Timothy 2:5, Isaiah 43:11, Isaiah 45:21
The Depravity of Man
We believe that man was created in holiness under the law of God but by voluntary transgression fell from that perfect state; that all mankind are reckoned guilty sinners before God because of that fall; and that by nature are utterly void of that holiness required by the law of God, positively inclined to evil, and therefore under just condemnation to eternal punishment without defense or excuse.
Romans 3:9-23, Romans 1:20
Salvation
We believe that salvation is “by grace”, plus nothing and minus nothing; that the condition of salvation is repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; that men are accounted righteous before God, only through the merits of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:8-9, Luke 13:3, Acts 16:31, II Corinthians 5:21, Romans 5:18, Philippians 3:9
The Work of Christ
We believe in the death, burial, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ; that the death of Christ is sufficient for the salvation of all men and made full atonement for the sins of the world; that the offer of salvation has been made free to all men through the gospel.
I John 2:2, Titus 2:11, I Timothy 4:10, I Peter 3:9, Romans 4:25
Sanctification
We believe that sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God, we are made partakers of His holiness; that it is a progressive work; that it is begun in regeneration; and that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, and Sealer, and Comforter, in the continual use of appointed means – especially the Word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness, and prayer.
Philippians 1:1, Hebrews 3:1, II Corinthians 3:18, Ephesians 5:26,27, John 17:17, I Peter 1:15-16, II Peter 3:18
Security of the Believer
We accept as unchangeable the truth the statement of God’s Word that having once received Christ as our personal Saviour, “There is now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus,” and that having received “Eternal Life” from God there is no possibility of God allowing his word to be broken and us become lost again.
John 3:16, John 6:37, John 10:28, Hebrews 13:5
The Church
We believe that the local church is the only organization Christ left behind to carry on His work in the world, and that it is incumbent upon every Christian to join the local church and to enthusiastically enter its program, winning souls to Christ; that it is a congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the fait and fellowship of the Gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by His Word; that it’s only scriptural officers are bishops or pastors and deacons.
I Timothy 3:1-15, Matthew 16:18, Matthew 28:19-20, I Corinthians 1:2, Philippians 1:1, Acts 2:41-42
Ordinances
We believe Christ gave the Church two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which every Christian should observe in obedience to Him and as a testimony before the world; that though there is no saving merit in either, both are sobering ceremonies which should draw us closer to our Saviour, and none can call himself a good Christian who refuses to obey these commands. We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, in the name of the Father and Son, and Holy Spirit to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life. We believe that the Lord’s Supper, in which the members of the church by the sacred use of the bread and wine are to commemorate together the death of Christ, is to be preceded always with solemn self-examination.
I Corinthians 11:2, 20, 23-30, Romans 6:4-5, Acts 8:36-39, Acts 2:41-42, Matthew 28:19-20
Stewardship
We believe in the stewardship of our lives; that our minds, talents, time, money, health, loved ones and all things belong to the Lord. We believe that we will each be called upon to give account of our stewardship for God’s glory and that a tenth of all our gross income is His. We believe that we have not given an offering until we have paid the tithe and given above it from the nine tenths that remain.
Malachi 3:8-10, I Corinthians 16:1-2, Luke 16:1-2, II Corinthians 8 & 9, I Corinthians 4:1
Last Things
We believe in the personal, visible, imminent, and pre-millennial return of Jesus Christ for His saints, that He will personally and latterly reign over all the earth for 1,000 years; that all men will be judged; that those who have accepted Christ as Saviour during this life will live forever with God in prepared mansions in Heaven; that those who refuse the salvation Christ offers will spend eternity in the awful punishment of Hell, prepared for Satan and his angels.
I Thessalonians 4:13 – 17, I Corinthians 15:51-53, I Corinthians 9:27, Revelation 1:7, Revelation 20:6, John 14: 1-6, Revelation 20:11-15