I.  The Scriptures, the Holy Bible

We believe in the supernatural, full and complete inspiration of the scriptures, that they are without mistake and that they are supreme and final authority in all matters of doctrine and deeds.  We believe the Bible to be the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tried. We hold to and use the King James Bible.   II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:21.

II.    The True God

A.   God the Father.  We believe there is one, and only one living and true God.  An infinite, intelligent Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of Heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love. That in the unity of the Godhead, there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. Exodus 20:2-3; I Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11; I John 5:7.

B.   God the Son.

We believe in the absolute Deity of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ; that He was divine as no other man can be, being very God of very God, existing from all eternity co-equal with the Father and the Spirit; that he never ceased to be God for one instant and that his humiliation did not consist in laying aside His Deity; that as man He was miraculously begotten of the Holy Spirit and born’ of the Virgin Mary.  John 1:1-2; I John 5:20; Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:26-38.

C.   God the Holy Spirit.

We believe that the Holy Spirit is divine person; equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that he was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; that He bears witness to the Truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth; that He seals, endows, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer, indwelling every true child of God.  John 14:16-17; Genesis 1:1-3 Mark 1:8; Luke 1:35; Matthew 28:19; John 16:8-1; John 1:33; Ephesians 1:13-14; Hebrews 9:14; Acts 5:30-32; Acts 11:16; Romans 8:14,16,26,27; John 14:26; Luke 24:49.

III.  The Devil or Satan

We believe in the personality of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age, and the author of all the powers of darkness and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire.  Matthew 4:1-3; II Corinthians Revelation 20:10 Job 1:6-7.

IV.    The Creation

We believe that God created the heaven and the earth, including all life “each after its own kind” by direct act, and not by the process of evolution.  Genesis 1 and Genesis 2; Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:3;

 V.     The Fall of Man

We believe that man in the person of the first Adam, was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not only by constraint, but of choice; and, therefore, under just condemnation without defense or excuse.  Genesis 3:1-6; 5:10-19; Ephesians 2:3; Romans 1:18; Romans 3:10-19.

VI.    The Virgin Birth

We believe that Jesus was begotten of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner, born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can be born of woman, and that He is both the Son of God and God the Son.  Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:14.

VII.   The Atonement for Sin

We believe that the salvation of sinners is of grace through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin; honored the divine law by His personal obedience; and by His death made a full vicarious atonement for our sins.  We believe that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was a voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinners place, the Just dying for the unjust; Christ the Lord, bearing our sin in His own body on the tree; that having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in Heaven, and uniting in His wonderful persons the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection, He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and all-sufficient Saviour.  Ephesians 2:8; I John 4:10; Romans 3:24; I Corinthians 15:31 II Corinthians 5:21; John 3:16; Matthew 18:11; Hebrews 2:11; Isaiah 53:4-7.

VIII.      Salvation by Grace

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners Must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and received eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and newness of life.  John 3:3; II Corinthians 5:17; I John 5:1; John 3:6-7; Acts 16:30-33; II Peter 1:4; Ephesians 2:1,5; II Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 2:131 John 3:8.

We believe that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation, and that those who are truly born again are kept by God the Father for Jesus Christ through eternity.  Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 5:1; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 11:6; I John 5:11-13; John 5:11-13; John 10:28-29; Philippians 1:6.

IX.             Justification

We believe that the gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is justification:

A.   That justification included the pardon of sin and the gift of eternal life on principles of righteousness.

B.    That it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done. but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood His righteousness in imputed to us.  Acts 13:39; Isaiah 53:11; Zechariah 13:1; Romans 8:1; 5:9; 4:25; 5:1.

X.  The Local Church

We believe that a local church is a congregation of baptized believers; associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His law, and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers are pastors and deacons, whose qualifications, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures.  We believe that the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity.  We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government free from interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; that each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation on all matters of membership, of policy of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final.  The gifts of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are sufficient for the perfecting of the church today.  Sign gifts including tongues, gradually disappeared as the canon of Scripture was completed; but God, being sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts, does hear and answer the prayer of faith according to His own will for the sick and afflicted.

Acts 2:41; I Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:11; Acts 20:11-28; I Timothy 3:1-7; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 4:7-8; 11-12; I Corinthians 13:8-10; James 5:13-16.

XI.  Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water 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 the privileges of a church relation.  We believe the Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of His death until He comes, and should be preceded always by solemn self-examination.  Acts 8:36-39; John 3:23; Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12; I Corinthians 11:23-28; Matthew 3:16.

XII.           The Righteous and the Wicked

We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God; are truly righteous in His esteem; while all such as continue impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse; and this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost, and the everlasting blessedness of the saved.  Malachi 3:18; Genesis 18:23; Romans 6:l-18; I John 5:191 Romans 7:6; 6:23; Proverbs 14:32; Luke 16:25; Matthew 25.34:41; John 8:21.

XIII.          Civil Government

We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interest and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed; except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the Coming Prince of the earth.  Romans l3: 1-7; Acts 23:5; Matthew 22:21; Acts 4:19-20; Acts 5:29; Daniel 3:17-18.

 

XIV.          The Resurrection, Personal, Visible, Pre-Millennial Return of Christ and Related Events.

A.  We believe in the bodily resurrection.  Matthew 28:6-7; Luke 24:39; John 20:27; I Corinthians 15:4: Mark 16:6; Luke 24:2-6.

          B.    The Ascension.  Acts 1:9-11; Luke 24:51; Revelation 3:21: Hebrews 12:2

C.    The High Priesthood.  Hebrews 8:6; I Timothy 2:5; I John 2:1; Hebrews 2:17, 5:9-10.

          D.    The Second Coming.  John 14:3; Acts 1:11; I Thessalonians 4:16; James 5:8; Hebrews 9:28.

E.     The Resurrection of the Righteous.  I Corinthians 15:20-23; John 5:23,29

F.     The Pre-Tribulational Rapture of the Church.  I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 4:1-5.

G.    The Change of the Living in Christ.  I Corinthians 15:51-53; I Thessalonians 4:13-18;             Philippians 3:20-21

H.    The Reward and Judgment of Believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  II Corinthians 5:10; I Corinthians 3:12-15.

          I.      The Judgment of All Unbelievers.  Revelation 20:11-15.

          J.     The Pre-Millennial and v Visible, Return of Our Lord. Revelation 1:7; Acts l:8

     K.    The Throne of David and the Millennial Reign of Christ. Luke 1:32; Isaiah 9:6-7; Acts 2:29-30; I Corinthians 15:25; Isaiah 32:1; 11:4-5; Psalm 72:8; Revelation 20:1-6.