The Statement of Faith
These
are the principles in which we believe. This is what is taught from the pulpit, demonstrated in our fellowship, and
exemplified in our lives:
1. We believe that love for one another as Jesus loves the believer manifests our
discipleship, proves our love for God and symbolizes our authority as New Testament churches. Love is therefore the
great commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ upon which all others are dependent.
(Matt. 22:35-41; John 13:34; John 15:12; I John 4:7-21; I John 5:1-3; Rev. 2:4,5)
2.
We believe in the infallible, verbal inspiration of the whole Bible, and that the Bible is the all-sufficient rule of faith
and practice. (Psalm 119:160; II Tim. 3:16,17)
3.
We believe in the one true God and that He eternally exists in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit;
that these Three are one God, co-equal and co-eternal, having precisely the same nature and attributes, and worthy of precisely
the same worship, confidence, and obedience. Matthew 3:16, 17; Matthew 28:19, 20; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3,4;
II Corinthians 13:14
4. We believe that Satan is a fallen angel, the archenemy of God and man, the unholy god
of this world, and that his destiny is the eternal lake of fire. (Isa. 14:12-15; Matt. 25:41; II Corin. 4:4; Eph. 6:10-17;
Rev. 21:10)
5. We believe in the virgin birth and sinless humanity of Jesus Christ. (Matt.
1:18-20; II Corin. 5:21; I Peter 2:22)
6. We believe the Holy Spirit is the divine Administrator for Jesus Christ in His
churches. (Luke 24:49; John 14:16; Acts 1:4, 5, 8; Acts 2:1-4)
7. We believe that man was created in the image of God and
lived in innocence until he fell by voluntary transgression from his sinless state, the result being that all mankind are
sinners. (Gen. 1:26; Gen. 3:6-24; Rom. 5:12, 19)
8. We believe that the suffering and death of Jesus Christ
was as a substitution for all mankind and is applied to those who believe. (Isa. 53:6; Heb. 2:9; I Peter 2:24; I Peter
3:18; II Peter 3:9; I John 2:2)
9. We believe in the bodily resurrection and ascension of Christ and the bodily resurrection
of His saints. (Matt. 28:1-7; Acts 1:9-11; I Corin. 15:42-58; I Thess. 4:13-18)
10. We believe
in the pre-millennial, personal, bodily return of Christ as the crowning event of the Gentile age. This event will include
the resurrection of the righteous to eternal heaven, and the Millennium will be followed by the resurrection of the unrighteous
unto eternal punishment in the lake of fire and that only the righteous will enter into the heaven age. (John 14:1-6;
I Thess. 4:13-18; II Thess. 2:8; Rev. 19; Rev. 20:4-6; Rev. 20:11-15; Rev. 21:8)
11. We believe
that the sinner is saved wholly by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, and the requirements to regeneration are repentance
toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Luke 13:3-5; John 3:16-18; Acts 20:21; Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8-9)
12.
We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts sinners regenerates, seals, secures, and indwells every believer. (John
3:6; John 16:8,9: Rom.8:9-11; I Corin. 6:19,20; Eph. 4:30; Titus 3:5)
13. We believe that all who trust Jesus Christ for salvation
are eternally secure in Him and shall not perish. (John 3:36; John 5:24; John 10:27-30; Rom 8:35-39; Heb. 10:39; I Peter
1:5)
14. We believe that God deals with believers as His children, that He chastises the disobedient, and that
He rewards the obedient. (Matt. 16:27; Matt. 25:14-23; John 1:12; Heb. 12:5-11; II John 8; Rev. 22:12)
15.
We believe that Jesus Christ established His church during His ministry on earth and that it is always a local, visible assembly
of scripturally baptized believers in covenant relationship to carry out the commission of the Lord Jesus Christ, and each
church is an independent, self-governing body, and no other ecclesiastical body may exercise authority over it. We believe
that Jesus Christ gave the Great Commission to the New Testament churches only, and that He promised the perpetuity of
His church. (Matt. 4:18-22; Matt. 16:18; Matt. 28:19,20; Mark 1:14-20; John 1:35-51; Eph. 3:21)
16.
We believe that there are two ordinances in the Lord's church; Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Scriptural baptism is
the immersion of repenting believers in water, administered by the authority of the New Testament church in the name of the
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The Lord's Supper is a time set aside to remember and relive the sacrifice of the Lord
Jesus Christ on our behalf. (Matt. 28:19,20; Acts 8:8-12, 38; Rom. 6:4; I Corin. 5:11-13; I Corin. 11:1, 2, 17-20, 26)
17.
We believe that all associations, fellowships, and committees are, and should be, servants of, and under the control of the
churches. (Matt. 20:25-28)
18. We believe that there are primarily two divinely appointed offices in the New
Testament church; pastors and deacons, to be filled by men whose qualifications are set forth in Titus and I Timothy.
19.
We believe in freedom of worship without interference from the government and affirm our belief in civil obedience, unless
the laws and regulations of civil government run contrary to the Holy Scriptures. (Rom. 13:1-7; I Peter 2:13-15)