Statement of Beliefs

THE BIBLE

     We believe that the Bible is the infallible and inerrant Word of God.  The Bible is unique among all the writings of the world because it is inspired (literally, "God-breathed") by God Himself and is therefore revered as Holy.  The Bible is the only basis for our beliefs.  We believe that God's Word is reliable, true, and eternal.  The eternal truth of the Bible is not to be diluted with personal opinion or altered by the ever-changing traditions of humanity.  The Bible is the living, powerful, and active sword of the Spirit, revealing God's redemptive plan for humanity.

THE TRINITY

     We believe there is one and only one living and true God.  We accept the mystery of unity among diversity in the Triune Godhead.  God reveals Himself to us as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; each with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature, essence, or being.

GOD THE FATHER

     We believe in God the Father Almighty who is above all else infinitely Holy (literally, "totally other").  God is a unique personal being who is totally unlike any other.  He has always existed (having no beginning) and always will be (having no end).  God is the Creator and Sustainer of all that is, has been, and ever shall be.  Out of nothing He created the heavens and the earth, all things visible and invisible.  God is all-powerful and all knowing.  There is no place where one can escape the presence of the Living God.  God is immutable and is therefore not subject to change.  He is benevolent and fatherly in His attitude toward all humanity because He is Love.  God is, however, Father in truth only to those who have been adopted into His family as His children by His grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

GOD THE SON, JESUS THE CHRIST

     We believe in one Lord Jesus who is the Christ.  The Son is God, a person of the Trinity neither made, nor created, but begotten by the Father.  We accept the mystery of the incarnation believing that Jesus is literally, "God in the flesh."  He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.  Jesus is perfectly God and perfectly human (the God-man); yet He is not two, but one Christ.  He is God, of the substance of the Father, begotten before the worlds; and He is human, of the substance of His mother, born into the world.

     God so loved the world that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to earth as a "spotless lamb" in order to provide the perfect and final blood sacrifice for the sins of humanity.  Jesus lived His entire life in obedience to the will of God, and although tempted, never sinned.  He was denied as Messiah by the Jewish leadership.  Jesus is, however, the promised Christ / Messiah (literally, "Anointed One") prophesied about in the Old Testament concerning the coming King and Great High Priest of the Kingdom of God.  He suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, died, and was buried.  Jesus died on the cross to shed His own blood as atonement (payment) for the sins of humanity.  Jesus is therefore known as Savior, making redemption possible for all who accept His provision for the forgiveness of their personal sins through faith.  Jesus was bodily resurrected from the tomb on the third day after His crucifixion.  Jesus is therefore known as Lord because death itself could not contain Him; His resurrection from the dead serves as conclusive evidence that Jesus is who He claims to be, namely the Son of God.

     Jesus ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father where He now serves as the Great High Priest and Mediator between God and humanity for the purpose of reconciliation.  Salvation is exclusively possible through Jesus, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.  Jesus will return in glory to this earth for His Bride, the true Church, made up of all those who believe in Him from the heart; He will return in glory to judge the living and the dead; He will return in glory to reign forever and ever as the King of kings and Lord of lords.

GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT

     We believe in the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is God, a person of the Trinity neither made, nor created, nor begotten, but proceeding from the Father and the Son.  There is an intimate and inseparable connection between the Holy Spirit and the Holy Bible.  The Holy Spirit is the Author of the Bible; speaking through the inspired writers of the Scriptures.  Consequently, while believing that the Holy Spirit is still speaking to the people of God, every contemporary leading of the Holy Spirit will be consistent with what the Holy Spirit has already revealed in the Bible.

     The Holy Spirit bears witness to and exalts Jesus.  He proves the world wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment.  He draws people to Jesus and is an essential participant in spiritual new birth (regeneration).  The promised Holy Spirit is the seal of the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God's own people.  The results of the indwelling (God inhabiting the believer) of the Holy Spirit in the believer's life include, but are not limited to: sanctification, the bearing of spiritual fruit pleasing to God, the granting and empowering of spiritual gifts, guidance, instruction, comfort, boldness, and assistance in prayer.  While we affirm that a believer receives the Holy Spirit when they become a new creation in Christ (born again), we also recognize that there should be fresh encounters with the Holy Spirit after salvation in the believer's life.

HUMANITY

     We believe that humanity was created good, has fallen, is a slave to their sin nature, is valuable to God, and can be redeemed by God.  Humanity was created purposefully by God in His own image according to His own likeness.  As the crowning work of God's creation, humanity was given dominion over every living thing of the air, sea, and earth.  Adam and Eve were absolutely pure and innocent when God created them.  They were given a free will to choose as they pleased concerning obedience to God.  Adam and Eve, tempted by Satan, chose to sin against God by disobeying His will and consequently lost their original innocence (the, "Fall") and were separated from the presence of God.  This original sin introduced suffering, toil, and death into the human experience.

     Having infected themselves with sin, Adam and Eve transmitted their sin nature to all of humanity (except Jesus, the God-man, born of a virgin).  Therefore, humanity inherited a fallen nature and an environment inclined toward sin.  Each and every person has sinned against God is therefore subject to His just condemnation resulting in physical death and eternal spiritual consequences.  In spite of humanity's sinful rebellion against God, He still loves and values people.  God, in His great mercy, has made the offer of peace and the provision for forgiveness of our sins through the blood of Jesus in order that people who accept His offer of grace and forgiveness by faith may be redeemed and restored to an abiding relationship with God.  The fact that humanity is created in the image of God and that God considers people so precious that He offered His only Son on their behalf testifies that human beings are a special creation, valuable, and sacred.  Therefore we consider all people worthy of dignity, respect, and Christian love.

SALVATION

     We believe that every person is in desperate need of salvation.  Humanity, with its fallen nature and sinful rebellion against God, is at war with God.  In this war, God will prevail with a legitimate, just, devastating, and eternal wrath against rebellious humanity.  Every person stands condemned before the Holy and Living God because of their sins; they need to be saved from this imminent judgment.  In spite of our offenses against God, He has made a provision for peace with Him, making it possible to be saved from the eternal consequences of our sins and restored to an eternal love relationship with Him.  "God proves His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.  Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by His blood, will we be saved through Him from the wrath of God.  For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life.  But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation."  The only provision for peace with God is Jesus.

     The salvation experience includes a spiritual new birth (regeneration) and justification, sanctification (being set apart from the world unto God), and glorification.  Salvation begins with the Holy Spirit convicting a person of their sins against God, which produces a godly grief leading to sincere repentance (a turning away from sin to God).  Placing their faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sins and committing to follow Jesus as Lord, a person is justified (made acceptable) before God and becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus.  The new disciple of Jesus is infused with divine power from God by the presence of the Holy Spirit in their life for the purpose of sanctification.  The disciple, in the power of the Spirit, begins the process of increasing personal holiness, growing to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ.  Transformation is central to God's purpose of salvation.  At the cross, Jesus not only paid the penalty for our sins with His own blood, but He also set us free from the dominion of sin.  Through His abiding presence, Jesus is able to set His people free from the controlling power of sin, free to live lives of holiness.  The conclusion of salvation is glorification.  Every one redeemed by the blood of Jesus, adopted into God's family, is assured a glorified eternal existence in the presence of the Lord as a citizen of His glorious Kingdom.

     Salvation is a gift of God.  An unbeliever is dead in their trespasses and sins, incapable of any sign of spiritual life.  Unable to repent, powerless to produce the kind of faith in Christ's death that saves, incapable of obeying God, the unbeliever is spiritually dead until God, in His mercy and by His Spirit, begins to bring life to a dead heart.  We are saved by the grace of God through faith; salvation cannot be earned.  Jesus did not die to make bad people good, He died to make dead people alive!

THE CHURCH

     We believe in one Holy Church, which is the Body of Christ, comprised of all the redeemed saints of God from all over the world throughout the ages - past, present, and future.  By definition, the Church (ekklasia) is separate and distinct from anything else in the world; the Church is profoundly different from the world.  Ekklasia literally means, "the called out ones," and refers to the reality that the saints of God are called out of the world to be holy (separate; set apart for God, His purposes, and His pleasure).  Church is a community of believers - a fellowship of lovers of Jesus, who are redeemed by His blood, who have followed Him in believer's baptism, who are His disciples (dedicated, committed, followers), who demonstrate a resolve to pursue holiness, and are primarily interested in seeking and advancing the Kingdom of God.  The Church is the Bride of Christ; She was purchased and created by Jesus for Jesus.

     Local congregations should reflect the primary characteristics of the first century Church as described in the New Testament, especially in Acts 2.  These characteristics include: members were saved and baptized; their affection was on things that would matter after death; they were committed to the apostles' teaching (which is now recorded in the Bible), fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer; they enjoyed a strong bond of unity; their compassion for each other was put into action by personal sacrifice; they met together frequently for mutual encouragement; and they exhibited a consistent and exuberant praise to God.  The Church is a living organism (the Body of Christ) rather than just an organization.

     God gives leaders to the Church for the purpose of equipping the saints for the work of the ministry.  God's plan for the church is that every member be actively engaged in the work of the ministry, using their God given gifts, talents, and resources for the building up of the Body.

     We believe that it is vitally important that every Christian should become actively involved in the life, fellowship, and ministries of a local congregation.  Few things are more wonderful for a disciple than to be part of a fellowship of believers that is of the same heart and mind, worshiping and ministering together in love and joy to accomplish the will of the Father.

WORSHIP

     We believe that worship is the primary function of the Church gathered.  It is the privilege and duty of every disciple to faithfully worship God in both corporate and private settings.  Worship literally means to declare the worth of God to God.  Because God is Spirit, disciples must worship Him in spirit and truth.  The audience for true worship is God; the performers of worship are believers; and the prompters for worship are the worship leaders (musicians, singers, artists, preachers, teachers).  Worship is a response of the heart, not just an activity of the mind.  In the Bible, worshiping the Lord is expressed in many and diverse forms including: words; shouts; raving and boasting about the Lord; celebrating His greatness; bowing; singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs; dance; playing instruments; raising hands; stillness; sitting; lying prostrate.  While forms of worship are important, they are secondary to the essence of worship.  Worship must be authentic; it is the condition of the heart that ultimately matters, not the external form of worship.  God alone is worthy of worship.  Worship pleasing to God is a balance of freedom and order.

LAST THINGS

     We believe that God is in complete control of history and has revealed His ultimate plan for the remarkable conclusion of the world in the Bible.  God is currently withholding judgment and extending His gracious offer of peace, forgiveness, and salvation to humanity through Jesus Christ.  God will not, however, continue this season of grace forever.

     The world will experience turmoil and suffering because of an increase of human wickedness, supernatural evil, and natural disasters.  Nations will continue raging against God and His people.  Disciples of Jesus will suffer rejection and intense persecution for their faith.  Satan will raise up world leaders to prepare the way for a unified world government that promises peace while rejecting Jesus.

     At a time unknown to humanity, Jesus will come again to the earth.  This time (His second coming) He will not come as the Suffering Servant and Sacrificial Lamb, rather He will come as King of kings and Lord of lords.  He will gather His people to Himself, restore Israel, establish His Kingdom, and judge the wicked.  Jesus will reign as King for one thousand years in Jerusalem.  After this millennial reign, Satan will be released on earth to arouse the nations of the world to rebel against God a final time.  God will destroy the rebelling nations with fire from heaven and Satan will be thrown into the Lake of Fire to be tormented forever, never again to disturb humanity.  The dead will be raised and everyone will stand before Almighty God to give an account for every word and deed of their lives.  Anyone whose name is not found in the Book of Life will be thrown into the Lake of Fire; this is the second death.

     The heaven and the earth will pass away and God will create a new heaven and a new earth.  The people of God will be given glorified bodies that are not subject to corruption, sickness, or death.  God will establish His dwelling place in the midst of His people and reign in righteousness forever, receiving the worship He deserves.