What We Believe
1). SCRIPTURE:
The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments have their authority
from God alone, and are given to us by divine inspiration. They are the only perfect, supreme,
infallible, and sufficient standard of
faith and practice. (2 Timothy 3: 16-17; John 17:17)2). GOD:
There is one true and living God.
He is an infinite Spirit; self-existent, omniscient, omnipotent, good,
wise, just, and merciful. He is the
creator, preserver, and sovereign of the universe; He is inexpressibly glorious
in holiness, and worthy of all honor, confidence and love. In the Godhead there are three persons in
one—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, who are equal in every divine
perfection, and who execute distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of
redemption. (II Corinthians 13:14;
Matthew 28:19)
3). JESUS CHRIST: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the person of the Trinity, whom by virtue of His sacrificial work, is the world’s Redeemer and the Savior of all who believe. He is at present the intercessor of His people at the right hand of the Father, and is to be the judge of all men. (Romans 5:8,9; I Corinthians 15:3,4; Romans 9:5; and I Timothy 2:5)
4). HOLY SPIRIT: The Holy Spirit is the person of the Trinity by who all saving, comforting, and sanctifying power is exerted upon human hearts. (John 16: 7-11; I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1: 13,14; and Romans 8: 14-17).
5). STATE AND FALL OF MAN: Man was created sinless; by his own disobedience he fell into sin. Through his fall into sin, an evil nature was transmitted to the whole race, revealing itself in actual transgression and bringing all under the reign of condemnation and death. (Psalm 51:5; Romans 3: 23; 5:12)
6). ATONEMENT: The perfect life, vicarious death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, have removed the obstacles in the way of the Holy Spirit’s regenerating power, and of the Father’s forgiving grace being extended to the sinner, and constitutes for every believing soul an all prevailing plea and sufficient ground for righteousness before God. (Isaiah 53:5,6; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Acts 13: 38,39 and 1 John 1:7).
7). REGENERATION: In regeneration a new principle is begotten in the soul of man by the Holy Spirit through the word of truth, producing a disposition to joyful obedience to Christ and to holy conduct of life. (Psalm 51:10; John 1:4; Romans 6: 3-18).
8). REPENTENCE: In repentance the sinner, having seen his sin, being moved by the energy of the Holy Spirit, is led to grieve for and hate it as an offense against God, and apprehending the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, he lovingly returns to God to walk in the way of His commandments. (Deuteronomy 30: 1-10; Acts 3:19; Romans 11:23)
9). FAITH: Faith is a conviction of the intellect that God will perform all that He has promised and an implicit trust of the heart in Christ as a personal Savior. It includes a hearty concurrence of the will and affections with the whole plan of salvation as revealed in the gospel, and is a condition of justification and of cleansing from the pollution of sin and of all subsequent gospel blessings. (John 3:14-18; Mark 16:16; II Timothy 1:12)
10). JUSTIFICATION: Justification is an act of God wherein He accepts as righteous the sinner, to whom is imputed the perfect righteousness of Christ, on the condition of faith alone. (Genesis15:6; Isaiah 45:24; Romans 4:6)
11). SANCTIFICATION: The Scriptures teach that sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God, Christians are made partakers of His holiness; that it has its beginning in regeneration, and that it carried on in hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, in the continual use of the appointed means—the Word of God, self-examination, watch-fullness, and prayer. (1 Corinthians 1:30; II Timothy 2:21; John 17:17)
12).THE CHURCH: We believe that a Christian church is a congregation of believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws; and exercising in them by His word. In a more general sense, the word Church is used to designate all whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are defined in the epistles to Timothy and Titus. (Ephesians 4: 4-5, 12-16, 25)
13). BAPTISM: This is the immersion of believers in water into the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in which are represented their death to the world, the washing of their souls from the pollution of sin, their resurrection to newness of life, the burial and resurrection of Christ, their resurrection at the last day, and their engagement to serve God. (Matthew 28:19; John 3:5; Mark 16:16).
14). THE LORD’S SUPPER: The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of Christ, to be observed in the manner indicated by Him in Matthew 26: 26-30. (Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; John 13:1-4)
3). JESUS CHRIST: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is the person of the Trinity, whom by virtue of His sacrificial work, is the world’s Redeemer and the Savior of all who believe. He is at present the intercessor of His people at the right hand of the Father, and is to be the judge of all men. (Romans 5:8,9; I Corinthians 15:3,4; Romans 9:5; and I Timothy 2:5)
4). HOLY SPIRIT: The Holy Spirit is the person of the Trinity by who all saving, comforting, and sanctifying power is exerted upon human hearts. (John 16: 7-11; I Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1: 13,14; and Romans 8: 14-17).
5). STATE AND FALL OF MAN: Man was created sinless; by his own disobedience he fell into sin. Through his fall into sin, an evil nature was transmitted to the whole race, revealing itself in actual transgression and bringing all under the reign of condemnation and death. (Psalm 51:5; Romans 3: 23; 5:12)
6). ATONEMENT: The perfect life, vicarious death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, have removed the obstacles in the way of the Holy Spirit’s regenerating power, and of the Father’s forgiving grace being extended to the sinner, and constitutes for every believing soul an all prevailing plea and sufficient ground for righteousness before God. (Isaiah 53:5,6; 1 Corinthians 15:3,4; Acts 13: 38,39 and 1 John 1:7).
7). REGENERATION: In regeneration a new principle is begotten in the soul of man by the Holy Spirit through the word of truth, producing a disposition to joyful obedience to Christ and to holy conduct of life. (Psalm 51:10; John 1:4; Romans 6: 3-18).
8). REPENTENCE: In repentance the sinner, having seen his sin, being moved by the energy of the Holy Spirit, is led to grieve for and hate it as an offense against God, and apprehending the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, he lovingly returns to God to walk in the way of His commandments. (Deuteronomy 30: 1-10; Acts 3:19; Romans 11:23)
9). FAITH: Faith is a conviction of the intellect that God will perform all that He has promised and an implicit trust of the heart in Christ as a personal Savior. It includes a hearty concurrence of the will and affections with the whole plan of salvation as revealed in the gospel, and is a condition of justification and of cleansing from the pollution of sin and of all subsequent gospel blessings. (John 3:14-18; Mark 16:16; II Timothy 1:12)
10). JUSTIFICATION: Justification is an act of God wherein He accepts as righteous the sinner, to whom is imputed the perfect righteousness of Christ, on the condition of faith alone. (Genesis15:6; Isaiah 45:24; Romans 4:6)
11). SANCTIFICATION: The Scriptures teach that sanctification is the process by which, according to the will of God, Christians are made partakers of His holiness; that it has its beginning in regeneration, and that it carried on in hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit, in the continual use of the appointed means—the Word of God, self-examination, watch-fullness, and prayer. (1 Corinthians 1:30; II Timothy 2:21; John 17:17)
12).THE CHURCH: We believe that a Christian church is a congregation of believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws; and exercising in them by His word. In a more general sense, the word Church is used to designate all whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are defined in the epistles to Timothy and Titus. (Ephesians 4: 4-5, 12-16, 25)
13). BAPTISM: This is the immersion of believers in water into the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in which are represented their death to the world, the washing of their souls from the pollution of sin, their resurrection to newness of life, the burial and resurrection of Christ, their resurrection at the last day, and their engagement to serve God. (Matthew 28:19; John 3:5; Mark 16:16).
14). THE LORD’S SUPPER: The Lord’s Supper is an ordinance of Christ, to be observed in the manner indicated by Him in Matthew 26: 26-30. (Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; John 13:1-4)