Statement of Faith
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We believe in the verbal, plenary, infallible, unlimited inerrant inspiration of the Bible. The Bible is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible was written by men as they were controlled by the Holy Spirit (2 Peter 1:21). We believe that we have God’s word perfectly preserved in the English language in the King James Bible.
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We believe there is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4), but three persons (Matthew 28:19). This is known as the Triune God.God the Father, Creator of Heaven and earth, who is holy, omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, omni-sapient, eternal, immutable, all loving, and rich with grace toward man. He holds precious the prayers of the saints and gives eternal life to those who come to Him through Jesus Christ, my Lord. (Psalm 83:18; 139; Exodus 33:18-23)
God the Son, Jesus Christ, who was born of a virgin by the power of the Holy Spirit, the Word of God made flesh, the Lamb of God that takes away the sins of the world. Jesus was tempted by Satan in all points as we are, but totally without sin. He became our sins and died the cruel death of the cross. After three days, Jesus bodily rose from the dead by the power of God. He is currently seated at the right hand of the Father. Jesus is our Advocate and Intercessor before God the Father. We look forward to his imminent, premillennial, pretribulational return; which is our blessed hope. (John 1:1,14;3:16; Matthew 1:18-25;Galatians 4:4-5; Philippians 2:6-10; 1 Corinthians 15:3-7; Hebrews 4:14-16)
God the Holy Spirit, who was sent from God by the request of Jesus Christ. He is co-equal to God the Father and God the Son in all His attributes. The Holy Spirit is the Comforter of the saints and teaches the saints all things through the Word of God. He also seals the believer until the day of redemption. The Holy Spirit reproves the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. (John 3:5; 14:16,17,26;16:7-14; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 1:13; 15:18; 1 John 2:27)
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We believe that man was created in the image of God. That by the sin of one man, all are creatures of sin and are under the penalty of sin: death, which is separation from God. The Law of God shows all men their sinfulness and their helplessness in showing merit of their own before God. If man dies in this state, then the full penalty of the law shall be exacted by the righteous judgment of God. There is absolutely no means of salvation within man. (Genesis 1:27; 3:6; Psalm 51:5; Proverbs 16:25; Romans 3:23; 6:23; Galatians 3:11)
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We believe that God created a perfect and holy being known as Lucifer. He was created with all precious stones and musical instruments. He was the most beautiful of God’s heavenly host designed to cover the throne of God. Due to pride, Lucifer exalted himself above God and persuaded a third of the host of heaven to rebel against God. God cast him and the angels that rebelled from heaven. To this day, and until the day of Christ return to establish his millennial kingdom here on earth, Satan walks to and fro across the face of the earth seeking whom he may devour. He is the accuser of the saints seeking to destroy all that God has created. The angels that followed Satan are now demons that seek to destroy man and exalt Satan. Satan and all of his minions were judged at the cross of Calvary and will be cast into the lake of fire. Only those that are saved, and submitted to God can resist Satan and his minions. Therefore, all Christians are called upon to take on the whole armor of God that we may withstand the wiles of the Devil. (Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-17; Ephesians 6:11-18; 1 Peter 5:8; 1 John 3:8; Revelation 12:9-11; 20:10)
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We believe in salvation by faith without any work from man. That a person must be born again to see the Kingdom of Heaven. This rebirth encompasses a conception of a burden of sin from the convicting power of the Holy Spirit, a separation from sin through repentance, and washing away of sin by the blood of Jesus Christ by faith alone. Salvation is a free gift from God that can only be received through faith in the resurrection of Jesus by the power of God and a verbal profession of the Lord Jesus Christ. This free gift is available to all of mankind. (John 3:3; 14:6; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9-13; Philippians 1:6)Once saved, we are called to strive for saintification (Matthew 5:48). We still have the sin nature in the flesh while our regenerated spirit yearns for the things of God (Romans 7). Therefore, we are to ask God for the filling of the Spirit (Luke 11:13), walk in the Spirit (1 John 1:7), be led by the Spirit (Galatians 5:18), and focus our sight upon Jesus (Matthew 6:22-23). We are not to be partakers of the things of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21), but are to cultivate and produce the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). We are to only think about things that are honoring to God; this includes staying away from, and not looking upon, things that are dishonoring to God (Philippians 4:8-9; Matthew 6:22-23). We are also to remove ourselves from and not fellowship with those who claim salvation but still walk disorderly (2 Thessalonians 3:6).
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We believe that there are only two places people will abide forever. One is the saints abode in Heaven; while the other is were those who died without Christ will abide, Hell. These are literal places prepared by God.If a man dies in his sins (lost), he shall be cast into Hell, which is a place of torments. Hell was not designed for man, but for Satan and all of the fallen angels. It is a place of fire and of torments (Luke 16:23). At the end of the millennial reign, Hell shall deliver up the dead which are in it and they shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, which is the second death (Revelation 20:13-14).
If a man dies with his name in the Lamb’s Book of Life (saved), then they shall be in heaven with Jesus Christ our Lord (Philippians 1:23). There, Jesus is preparing a home for the saved (John 14:2). Heaven is beyond the comprehension of man to understand (1 Corinthians 2:9). At Jesus’ premillennial, pretribulational return to rapture the church, those that are with Christ will return to the grave to be raised with their glorified bodies first. Then the rest of the redeemed will be changed in a twinkling of the eye into their glorified bodies to meet Jesus in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17).
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We believe in the two aspects of the church. The first church is the corporate body of all born again believers that will be together for the first time at the Rapture. This group of believers will reign with Christ during his millennial kingdom. Some are already with Christ in Heaven (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17).The Bible has more to say about the second use of church which is the local assembly. We are commanded not to forsake the assembling of ourselves together in a local church (Hebrews 10:25). Each local church is to be self-governed with Jesus Christ as the head of the church. Each member is placed in the local church by Jesus Christ to perform a particular function according to the talents given each believer (1 Corinthians 12:1 – 14:40). We believe that the government should not control the churches, but that each believer has a God given responsibility to be active in the government (i.e.. voting). The local church is commanded to pray for the government, but not to rebel against or replace the government (1 Timothy 2:1-4). The local church is made up of a pastor, deacons, and lay people where the pastor and deacons have special qualifications according to 1 Timothy 3. The lay people are to be saved and scripturally baptized. We believe that is the responsibility of the local church to spread the gospel. Therefore, it is the duty of everyone in the local church to participate in the spreading of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
The local church has two ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism is a complete immersion of a saved person as an identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is done in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Baptism does not save or regenerate a person. The only prerequisite for baptism is the new birth (salvation by grace alone). We do not accept baptism by churches that teach baptismal regeneration, the necessity to speak in tongues to be saved, sinless perfection after salvation, a denial of Heaven or Hell, or any other heresy that departs from the scriptural truth. The Lord’s Supper is to be observed by born again believers that have been scripturally baptized and are members of a local new testament church. The Lord’s Supper is to be performed with unleavened bread and unfermented fruit of the vine (grape juice). These are symbols of the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring to remembrance what he has done for us. The bread and grape juice do not transmute into the actual body and blood of Jesus. (Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 22:14-20; Acts 2:41; 1 Corinthians 11:17-34; Romans 6:3-5)
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We believe that God commands all born again believers to go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15-18). Therefore, it is sin for any born again believer not to spread the gospel (James 4:17). We also believe that anyone that rejects the gospel or has never heard the gospel is lost. It is the duty for every born again believer to witness to these lost people and to be an example to other believers (Ezekiel 3:17-21).