Close Menu X
Navigate

What We Believe

What We Believe

The gospel is the hope of the world. As we read the Scriptures, we see the overarching themes of God’s providence, power and provision to reconcile all things to Himself through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. In light of this, we aim to be explicitly Christ-centered in all that we preach, teach and practice.

Statement of Basic Beliefs:

-The Scriptures are true, authoritative and sufficient (Psalm 19:7-11; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

-There is only one true God, Creator of heaven and earth, who eternally exists in three distinct persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-6;Isaiah 46:9-10; John 17:3; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; 1 Timothy 2:5; Genesis 1:26; Psalm 45:6-7; Psalm 110:1; Matthew 3:13-17; Matthew 28:17-20; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6).

-All things exist for the glory of God (Psalm 148; Proverbs 16:4; Isaiah 61:3; Romans 11:33-36; 1 Corinthians 10:31; 2 Corinthians 5:15; Ephesians 1:3-14).

-All humanity, Christ excluded, is sinful by both birth and action (Genesis 6:5; Psalm 51:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:23; 5:8, 12-21; 7:18; Ephesians 2:1-3).

-The deserved penalty for sin is physical and spiritual death (Genesis 2:15-17; Genesis 3:19; Romans 5:12; 6:23; James 1:14-15).

-Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. He was born of a virgin and is both fully God and fully human (Matthew 1:20; Luke 2:52; John 1:1-4, 14; Colossians 1:15-20; Hebrews 1:1-3).

-Jesus Christ died as the sacrificial substitute to pay the penalty for sin (John 1:29;10:1-18; Romans 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 1:4; 1 Peter 3:18).

-Jesus Christ physically rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and will one day physically return (Matthew 28:1-20; Mark 16:1-8; Luke 24:1-53; John 1:20-21:25; 1 Corinthians 15:12-34; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Hebrews 9:28; 1 John 3:2; Revelation 1:7).

-There will be a future physical resurrection of the dead. Only those who turn from sin and to Jesus in faith and repentance will be raised to eternal reward. Those who do not turn from sin and to Jesus will experience eternal punishment (Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15).

-Only through faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ and repentance from sin can one be reconciled to God and experience true life and joy (John 3:18, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 3:21-26; 1 Timothy 2:5-6).

Statement of Theological Distinctives:

While the doctrines expressed in the Statement of Basic Beliefs are recognized to be universal and primary within the Church, there are a number of secondary beliefs that we passionately proclaim. Not all Christians hold these beliefs, but they are nonetheless important and true in light of how we understand the Scriptures. Complete agreement is not required for the sake of membership, but it should be known that we will preach, teach and counsel in accordance with these convictions.

These distinctives represent five areas of doctrine and practice:

Divine Sovereignty:
God is sovereign over all things such that there is no aspect of reality outside of His ultimate control. Though God’s rule extends to all things, it is particularly His sovereignty over the work of salvation that is a theological distinctive. We believe that it is exceedingly good and glorious news that salvation is not dependent on the desires and deeds of man, but is grounded instead in God’s eternal decree of election. Though man is responsible for his sin, God is ultimately and entirely responsible for drawing those He would save unto Himself and overcoming their natural resistance to the gospel (Psalm 115:3, 135:6; Ephesians 1:3-14, Romans 8:26-9:23; Philippians 1:29; 1 Thessalonians 2:13).

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit:
The gifts of the Holy Spirit that we see exercised in the Scriptures did not cease with the death of the last Apostle or the closing of the New Testament canon. They are available today and are to be eagerly desired and practiced in submission to the Scriptures (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12-14; Ephesians 4:1-16).

The Value of Men and Women:
Men and women are absolutely equal in essence, dignity and value but are different by divine design. These differences are God’s grace to man and woman and are to be protected and preserved for His glory and our joy (Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Peter 3:1-7).

Believer’s Baptism by Immersion:
Baptism is intended only for those who have professed faith in Jesus Christ. It involves the immersion of a believer in water as an act of obedience symbolizing the death and resurrection of Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:38;Romans 6:1-11).

The Relationship of God’s Glory to Man’s Joy:
We believe that man’s greatest joy is found only in faithful obedience to God and that our enjoyment of Him is one of the chief means by which He is glorified (Psalm 16:11;37:4; Matthew 13:44; John 15:11; Philippians 3:8; Hebrews 11:6).