Our Beliefs
What We Believe
We believe in one God, Creator of all things, holy, infinitely perfect, and eternally existing in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. 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.
(Deuteronomy 6:4; Genesis 1:1; Exodus 15:11; Psalm 18:30; Acts: 17:24-25; 1 John 4:8,16; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Matthew 3:17; John 14:16, 17, 26; Psalm 139:1-16; Romans 8:28; 1 Peter 1:20; Revelation 21, 22; Isaiah 43:7; Revelation 4:11)
We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation in Jesus Christ, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavor should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
Hebrews 1:1-2; 2 Peter 3:15,16; Luke 1:1-4; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Proverbs 30:5; 2 Timothy 3:15; John 17:17; 2 Timothy 3:16; Matthew 28:20; Romans 1:2)
We believe that God created Adam and Eve in His image, but they sinned when tempted by Satan. In union with Adam, human beings are sinners by nature and by choice, alienated from God, and under His wrath. Only through God’s saving work in Jesus Christ can we be rescued, reconciled and renewed.
(Genesis 1:26-27; Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 5:12-14; Genesis 6:5; Romans 5:10; Romans 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Colossians 1:20; Ephesians 4:24)
We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man, one Person in two natures. Jesus—Israel's promised Messiah—was conceived through the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified under Pontius Pilate, arose bodily from the dead, ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.
(John 1:1; John 1:14, 18; Luke 2:40, 52; John 10:30; Genesis 12:1-3; 2 Samuel 7:11b-16; Luke 4:16-22; Acts 2:36; 2 Timothy 2:8-9; Luke 1:34, 35; Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:7-8; Mark 15:15; Matthew 28:1-10; Romans 4:25; 1 Timothy 3:16; 1 Peter 3:22; Hebrews 4:14; Hebrews 7:25)
We believe that Jesus Christ, as our representative and substitute, shed His blood on the cross as the perfect, all-sufficient sacrifice for our sins. His atoning death and victorious resurrection constitute the only ground for salvation.
(Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 10:45; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18; Matthew 26:28; 1 Peter 18-19; Hebrews 9:23-24, 26, 28; Isaiah 53:5-7; Hebrews 2:17; 1 John 2:2; Hebrews 2:14-15; Romans 6:14; 1 Corinthians 6:14; 2 Corinthians 4:14; 1 Peter 1:3)
We believe that the central work of the Holy Spirit glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ. He convicts the world of its guilt. He transforms sinners, and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God. He also indwells, illuminates, guides, equips and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service.
(John 16:14; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ezekiel 36:25-27; John 3:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:4-5; Titus 3:5; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Romans 12:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 3:28; Ephesians 1:4; Ephesians 4:32; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Galatians 4:5; Matthew 12:49-50; Romans 8:11; Philippians 1:9-11; Romans 8:14; Romans 12:4-8; Acts: 1:8; Romans 8:4-6; Romans 8:12-16)
We believe that the true church comprises all who have been justified by God's grace through faith alone in Christ alone. They are united by the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The true church is manifest in local churches, whose membership should be composed only of believers. The Lord Jesus mandated two ordinances, baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which visibly and tangibly express the gospel. Though they are not the means of salvation, when celebrated by the church in genuine faith, these ordinances confirm and nourish the believer.
(Ephesians 4:4-6; Isaiah 44:22; John 3:16; Acts 16:31; Romans 3:20-28; Romans 8:1; Romans 8:33-34; Romans 10:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Colossians 1:18; Acts 9:31; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 9; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Hebrews 10:25; Colossians 2:12; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:38)
We believe that God's justifying grace must not be separated from His sanctifying power and purpose. God commands us to love Him supremely and others sacrificially and to live out our faith with care for one another, compassion toward the poor, and justice for the oppressed. With God’s Word, the Spirit’s power, and fervent prayer in Christ’s name, we are to combat the spiritual forces of evil. In obedience to Christ’s commission, we are to make disciples among all people, seeking to bear witness to the gospel in word and deed.
(Matthew 7:17-18; Hebrews 11:6; Ephesians 2:10; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17, 23; Deuteronomy 6:5; Matthew 22:37-39; Mark 12:30; Luke 10:27; Romans 12:10, 14:13; Ephesians 4:32; Psalm 82:3-4; Proverbs 19:17; Leviticus 19:15; Ephesians 6:10-18; Hebrews 10:25; 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; 1 John 5:3-4; Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8; Matthew 5:13-16)
We believe in the personal, bodily return of our Lord Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ, at a time known only to God, demands constant expectancy and, as our blessed hope, motivates the believer to godly living, sacrificial service and energetic mission.
(Matthew 24:30; Acts 1:11; Matthew 16:27; Mark 8:38; Colossians 3:4; Titus 2:13; 1 Peter: 1:7; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-8; Revelation 19:11-21; Matthew 24:36; Mark 13:32; Matthew 24:42-51; James 5:8-9; 2 Peter 3:10-14; Revelation 3:3; Hebrews 9:28; 1 John 3:2-3)
We believe that God desires everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to eternal condemnation and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to the praise of His glorious grace. Amen.
(Acts 20:20; Mark 1:15; John 8:24, 11:26, 14:1; Acts 16:31; Romans 3:22, 10:14; 1 Timothy 1:16: 1 Peter 1:8; 1 John 3:23; Isaiah 55:6-7; Acts 2:37-38, 3:19, 20:21; John 1:12; 1 Corinthians 15; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Ecclesiastes 12:14; Matthew 12:36; Acts 17:31; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 21:6,8, 22:14-15; John 14:2; Revelation 21:1-2; Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1, 22:3; Ephesians 1:6, 12)