THE SCRIPTURES
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed, and therefore are the final authority for faith and life.
The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to man. The Bible is just as true, relevant and profitable today as it was when it was written in the original manuscripts (Hebrews 4:12). According to 2 Timothy 3:16, the Bible is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.
GOD
Who is God?
God is one (Isaiah 43:10-12; 44:6-8) and has revealed himself in three persons, God the Father (Ephesians 4:6), God the Son (John 1:1-2; 10:30), and God the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26). God has no beginning and no ending (Psalms 90:2; Habakkuk 1:12); is everywhere present (Psalms 139:7-12); all-powerful (Genesis 18:14; Job 42:2; John 10:29); all knowing (Psalms 147:5; 1 John 3:20); unchanging (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17); sovereign (Romans 9:6-26; 1 Timothy 6:15); and holy (Psalms 99:9; Isaiah 6:3; 57:15; Revelation 4:8). These attributes are intransitive or belong only to him. Other attributes that are communicable or transitive include love (1 John 4:8); mercy (Exodus 33:19; 34:6-7; Psalms 51:1; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:4-5); and goodness (Psalms 86:5; 100:5; Romans 8:32).
JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ has always existed (John 8:35, 56-58; Hebrews 13:8; Revelation 1:8). He is the Son of God (John 1:1-2, 14; Romans 1:3-4; Phillipians 2:6-8; 1 Timothy 3:16). He was born of a virgin, being conceived in Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 7:14; Matt. 1:18, 24-25; Gal. 4:4). Equal to God the Father he became a man (Phillipians 2:6-7; Hebrews 10:5), taking on the physical limitations that a human body has such as sleep (Matthew 8:24), hunger (Matthew 4:2), and thirst (John 19:28). He also displayed human emotions (John 11:35). He was tested like anyone else (Hebrews 4:15), and yet sinless (Isaiah 53:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 7:26), and could, therefore, offer himself as an acceptable sacrifice in the sinner’s place (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2). He is immutable (Hebrews 13:8), and in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead (Collosians 1:19; 2:9). He has no beginning nor ending (Proverbs 8:22-23; Isaiah 43:11-13; John 1:1; Collosians 1:17); and is able to save anyone that comes to him in faith (John 6:37; Hebrews 7:25). He voluntarily laid down his life to die in the place of sinners (John 10:17-18). After three days and nights in the grave he arose (Matthew 12:40; 1 Corinthians 15:4), and after several weeks he ascended to heaven in a cloud (Acts 1:9), and will return someday in the clouds to receive believers in the air to be with him forever (Acts 1:11; John 14:3; 1 Thessolonians 4:16-17). Even now, he is the believers’ High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16) and intercedes continually to the Father on their behalf (Hebrews 7:25).
HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit has all the attributes of God. He is omniscient (1 Corinthians 2:10-11), omnipresent (Psalms 139:7-11), and eternal (Hebrews 9:14). He is deity as much as God the Father or God the Son (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17), though his office and work are specific. He is the Comforter (John 14:16, 26). He helps the believer remember the words of Jesus (John 14:26), and thereby guides the believer into all truth (John 16:13). He intercedes for the believer when he is unsure of what or how to pray (Romans 8:26-27), fills the believer with power to witness (Acts 1:8), and seals the believer until the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30). The Holy Spirit convinces the sinner of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8-11). At the moment of conversion, the Holy Spirit seals the believer (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). The new convert is also indwelled by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9; 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19). At the moment of salvation the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Matthew 3:11). The Holy Spirit does not exalt himself, but always glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:13-14).
CREATION
God created the world in six literal, 24-hour, consecutive days as described in Genesis (Genesis 1) and is, therefore, owner of everything he created (Psalm 24:1). He made everything with a purpose (Proverbs 16:4), and his purposes will not be thwarted (Isaiah 46:8-11). He made man in his own image, he made mankind male and female, and he made mankind to have dominion over the rest of creation (Genesis 1:26-27). He spoke everything into existence except for man and woman. He made man out of the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7), and woman was made from the rib of man (Genesis 2:21-23). Everything was good in the beginning (Genesis 1:31) before sin entered the world. God is worthy of praise and glory because he created everything (Isaiah 40:25-26; Revelation 4:11).
FALL OF MAN
Adam and Eve sinned by eating of the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:1-19). By this time evil was already at work in the spirit world because Satan, in the form of a serpent, seduced Eve into disobeying God (Genesis 3:1-5). He sowed seeds of doubt regarding what God said (Genesis 3:1), he lied about the consequences of disobedience (Genesis 3:4) and he promised things that would not materialize (Genesis 3:5). He still works in this way today, lying (John 8:44) and trying to deceive believers (2 Corinthians 11:13-15), and doing all he can to destroy the effectiveness of believers (John 10:10). This act of disobedience by Adam and Eve put all of mankind in a state of sin (Romans 1:18-3:20; 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:21). The unsaved, or natural man, is a slave to sin (John 8:34). Each person is guilty before God (Romans 3:19) regardless of his nationality, upbringing or religious heritage.
SALVATION
Salvation from eternal punishment is only received one way, through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). A person must recognize that he is a sinner, realize that Christ died to pay his payment on the cross, and must ask Him to forgive him of his sins and be his Savior. A person must trust Christ and Christ alone for his salvation (His death, burial, and resurrection), for He is the only way (Acts 4:12).
A person does not need to “get his life right” with God before he can approach Him. The whole reason why man needs a Savior is because he cannot “get his life right” enough to find favor in God’s eyes, so he must let God do the work in him.
ETERNAL SECURITY
When a person receives Jesus Christ as Savior, he also receives the eternal life that He gives (1 John 5:11-13). Once a person receives eternal life, he cannot lose it. Because a person cannot receive eternal life by his works, it is impossible that his eternal life be taken away because of works. Moreover, there is no man that can take it away from him, not even himself (John 10:27-29, Romans 8). If this were the case, eternal life would not be eternal, but temporal. It is God that saves, not the person; therefore it is God who keeps one saved, and not the person.
THE CHURCH
The Bible clearly teaches that only those that have accepted Christ as their Savior are part of the church (Acts 2:47). The Bible frequently refers to the church as the Bride of Christ, Christ himself being the Bridegroom. Another name in the Bible for the church is the body of Christ, and specifically names Christ the Head of the church (Collosians 1:18). The church in the Bible is very significant, for Ephesians 5:25 says that Christ gave himself for it. The Bible teaches that even though the church is significant, no one can receive salvation by means of a church, for it is only Christ that can forgive sins (Mark 2:7, John 14:6, Acts 4:12).
There are two ordinances of the Church: Baptism (Matthew 28:19) and the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-28). Baptism is administered only once after salvation (Acts 2:41; 8:36-37). The purpose of water baptism is to identify publicly with Jesus Christ (Acts 2:37-38) and to have a clear conscience before God (1 Peter 3:21). Baptism is by immersion,in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19) and administered by the authority of the local church (Acts 2:41). If someone is baptized before understanding the gospel, he should submit to baptism again after salvation (Acts 19:1-5).
The Lord’s Supper is to be observed as often as the local congregation desires to do so (1 Corinthians 11:26), and after the members have had an opportunity to examine themselves spiritually (1 Corinthians 11:28-31). In observing the Lord’s Supper the supreme sacrifice Jesus made for sinners is remembered and announced (1 Corinthians 11:26).
END TIMES
The rapture can occur at any time. It is imminent, meaning there is nothing else that has to happen before Jesus comes again (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). He will come in the clouds (Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:17), and this will happen at the sound of the trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16). The dead in Christ will rise from their graves (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16), then the believers that are still alive when he comes will be caught up together with the raised dead and they will meet the Lord in the air and forever be with him (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
The “tribulation” begins on earth at the point when all believers are raptured (Revelation 4:1) and the Holy Spirit is removed (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7). It is a period of seven years (Daniel 9:24-27). Half way through this seven-year period (Daniel 9:27; Revelation 11:12; 12:13-14) the Antichrist breaks his truce with Israel and profanes the temple in Jerusalem. While this happens on earth, there is the judgment seat of Christ going on in heaven where believers’ works are judged (Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 4:1-5).
The Second Coming of Christ is as follows: at the end of the tribulation, Jesus Christ will return riding a white horse and will bring all believers with him (Revelation 19:11-16) to establish his millennial reign (Revelation 20:1-6). During the millennium, believers who were raptured or resurrected will reign with Christ in their glorified bodies (Revelation 20:4-6). Also during the millennium, Satan will be bound for one thousand years (Revelation 20:1-2), after which he will be released (Revelation 20:3). While he is bound, the depravity of man will still be evident because when he is loosed there will be a huge army ready to follow him into battle against the Lord and against the saints (Revelation 20:7-9).
There will be a judgment of Satan and fallen angels (Revelation 20:10) and believers will take some part in this at least as far as judging the angels (1 Corinthians 6:2-3). There will be the final great white throne of judgment where all unbelievers will be resurrected and judged (Revelation 20:11-15).
The eternal state of the Bride of Christ will be in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21) and all the rest of the saints of God (O.T. Saints, Tribulation and Millennial Saints) will inherit the new heavens and new earth (Isaiah 65:17-25; Revelation 21). It will be full of incredible and wonderful things, too wonderful to even imagine (Isaiah 64:4; 1 Corinthians 2:9). The eternal fate of unbelievers will be eternity separated from God in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15) where they will be tormented forever (Revelation 20:10).
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed, and therefore are the final authority for faith and life.
The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to man. The Bible is just as true, relevant and profitable today as it was when it was written in the original manuscripts (Hebrews 4:12). According to 2 Timothy 3:16, the Bible is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, and instruction in righteousness.
GOD
Who is God?
God is one (Isaiah 43:10-12; 44:6-8) and has revealed himself in three persons, God the Father (Ephesians 4:6), God the Son (John 1:1-2; 10:30), and God the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17, 26; 15:26). God has no beginning and no ending (Psalms 90:2; Habakkuk 1:12); is everywhere present (Psalms 139:7-12); all-powerful (Genesis 18:14; Job 42:2; John 10:29); all knowing (Psalms 147:5; 1 John 3:20); unchanging (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17); sovereign (Romans 9:6-26; 1 Timothy 6:15); and holy (Psalms 99:9; Isaiah 6:3; 57:15; Revelation 4:8). These attributes are intransitive or belong only to him. Other attributes that are communicable or transitive include love (1 John 4:8); mercy (Exodus 33:19; 34:6-7; Psalms 51:1; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 2:4-5); and goodness (Psalms 86:5; 100:5; Romans 8:32).
JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ has always existed (John 8:35, 56-58; Hebrews 13:8; Revelation 1:8). He is the Son of God (John 1:1-2, 14; Romans 1:3-4; Phillipians 2:6-8; 1 Timothy 3:16). He was born of a virgin, being conceived in Mary’s womb by the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 7:14; Matt. 1:18, 24-25; Gal. 4:4). Equal to God the Father he became a man (Phillipians 2:6-7; Hebrews 10:5), taking on the physical limitations that a human body has such as sleep (Matthew 8:24), hunger (Matthew 4:2), and thirst (John 19:28). He also displayed human emotions (John 11:35). He was tested like anyone else (Hebrews 4:15), and yet sinless (Isaiah 53:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 7:26), and could, therefore, offer himself as an acceptable sacrifice in the sinner’s place (Romans 3:25; 1 John 2:2). He is immutable (Hebrews 13:8), and in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead (Collosians 1:19; 2:9). He has no beginning nor ending (Proverbs 8:22-23; Isaiah 43:11-13; John 1:1; Collosians 1:17); and is able to save anyone that comes to him in faith (John 6:37; Hebrews 7:25). He voluntarily laid down his life to die in the place of sinners (John 10:17-18). After three days and nights in the grave he arose (Matthew 12:40; 1 Corinthians 15:4), and after several weeks he ascended to heaven in a cloud (Acts 1:9), and will return someday in the clouds to receive believers in the air to be with him forever (Acts 1:11; John 14:3; 1 Thessolonians 4:16-17). Even now, he is the believers’ High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16) and intercedes continually to the Father on their behalf (Hebrews 7:25).
HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit has all the attributes of God. He is omniscient (1 Corinthians 2:10-11), omnipresent (Psalms 139:7-11), and eternal (Hebrews 9:14). He is deity as much as God the Father or God the Son (Acts 5:3-4; 1 Corinthians 3:16-17), though his office and work are specific. He is the Comforter (John 14:16, 26). He helps the believer remember the words of Jesus (John 14:26), and thereby guides the believer into all truth (John 16:13). He intercedes for the believer when he is unsure of what or how to pray (Romans 8:26-27), fills the believer with power to witness (Acts 1:8), and seals the believer until the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30). The Holy Spirit convinces the sinner of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8-11). At the moment of conversion, the Holy Spirit seals the believer (Ephesians 1:13; 4:30). The new convert is also indwelled by the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9; 1 Cor 3:16; 6:19). At the moment of salvation the Holy Spirit baptizes us into the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:12-13, Matthew 3:11). The Holy Spirit does not exalt himself, but always glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ (John 16:13-14).
CREATION
God created the world in six literal, 24-hour, consecutive days as described in Genesis (Genesis 1) and is, therefore, owner of everything he created (Psalm 24:1). He made everything with a purpose (Proverbs 16:4), and his purposes will not be thwarted (Isaiah 46:8-11). He made man in his own image, he made mankind male and female, and he made mankind to have dominion over the rest of creation (Genesis 1:26-27). He spoke everything into existence except for man and woman. He made man out of the dust of the ground (Genesis 2:7), and woman was made from the rib of man (Genesis 2:21-23). Everything was good in the beginning (Genesis 1:31) before sin entered the world. God is worthy of praise and glory because he created everything (Isaiah 40:25-26; Revelation 4:11).
FALL OF MAN
Adam and Eve sinned by eating of the forbidden fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:1-19). By this time evil was already at work in the spirit world because Satan, in the form of a serpent, seduced Eve into disobeying God (Genesis 3:1-5). He sowed seeds of doubt regarding what God said (Genesis 3:1), he lied about the consequences of disobedience (Genesis 3:4) and he promised things that would not materialize (Genesis 3:5). He still works in this way today, lying (John 8:44) and trying to deceive believers (2 Corinthians 11:13-15), and doing all he can to destroy the effectiveness of believers (John 10:10). This act of disobedience by Adam and Eve put all of mankind in a state of sin (Romans 1:18-3:20; 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:21). The unsaved, or natural man, is a slave to sin (John 8:34). Each person is guilty before God (Romans 3:19) regardless of his nationality, upbringing or religious heritage.
SALVATION
Salvation from eternal punishment is only received one way, through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). A person must recognize that he is a sinner, realize that Christ died to pay his payment on the cross, and must ask Him to forgive him of his sins and be his Savior. A person must trust Christ and Christ alone for his salvation (His death, burial, and resurrection), for He is the only way (Acts 4:12).
A person does not need to “get his life right” with God before he can approach Him. The whole reason why man needs a Savior is because he cannot “get his life right” enough to find favor in God’s eyes, so he must let God do the work in him.
ETERNAL SECURITY
When a person receives Jesus Christ as Savior, he also receives the eternal life that He gives (1 John 5:11-13). Once a person receives eternal life, he cannot lose it. Because a person cannot receive eternal life by his works, it is impossible that his eternal life be taken away because of works. Moreover, there is no man that can take it away from him, not even himself (John 10:27-29, Romans 8). If this were the case, eternal life would not be eternal, but temporal. It is God that saves, not the person; therefore it is God who keeps one saved, and not the person.
THE CHURCH
The Bible clearly teaches that only those that have accepted Christ as their Savior are part of the church (Acts 2:47). The Bible frequently refers to the church as the Bride of Christ, Christ himself being the Bridegroom. Another name in the Bible for the church is the body of Christ, and specifically names Christ the Head of the church (Collosians 1:18). The church in the Bible is very significant, for Ephesians 5:25 says that Christ gave himself for it. The Bible teaches that even though the church is significant, no one can receive salvation by means of a church, for it is only Christ that can forgive sins (Mark 2:7, John 14:6, Acts 4:12).
There are two ordinances of the Church: Baptism (Matthew 28:19) and the Lord’s Supper (1 Corinthians 11:23-28). Baptism is administered only once after salvation (Acts 2:41; 8:36-37). The purpose of water baptism is to identify publicly with Jesus Christ (Acts 2:37-38) and to have a clear conscience before God (1 Peter 3:21). Baptism is by immersion,in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19) and administered by the authority of the local church (Acts 2:41). If someone is baptized before understanding the gospel, he should submit to baptism again after salvation (Acts 19:1-5).
The Lord’s Supper is to be observed as often as the local congregation desires to do so (1 Corinthians 11:26), and after the members have had an opportunity to examine themselves spiritually (1 Corinthians 11:28-31). In observing the Lord’s Supper the supreme sacrifice Jesus made for sinners is remembered and announced (1 Corinthians 11:26).
END TIMES
The rapture can occur at any time. It is imminent, meaning there is nothing else that has to happen before Jesus comes again (1 Corinthians 15:51-52). He will come in the clouds (Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:17), and this will happen at the sound of the trumpet (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16). The dead in Christ will rise from their graves (1 Corinthians 15:52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16), then the believers that are still alive when he comes will be caught up together with the raised dead and they will meet the Lord in the air and forever be with him (1 Thessalonians 4:17).
The “tribulation” begins on earth at the point when all believers are raptured (Revelation 4:1) and the Holy Spirit is removed (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7). It is a period of seven years (Daniel 9:24-27). Half way through this seven-year period (Daniel 9:27; Revelation 11:12; 12:13-14) the Antichrist breaks his truce with Israel and profanes the temple in Jerusalem. While this happens on earth, there is the judgment seat of Christ going on in heaven where believers’ works are judged (Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 4:1-5).
The Second Coming of Christ is as follows: at the end of the tribulation, Jesus Christ will return riding a white horse and will bring all believers with him (Revelation 19:11-16) to establish his millennial reign (Revelation 20:1-6). During the millennium, believers who were raptured or resurrected will reign with Christ in their glorified bodies (Revelation 20:4-6). Also during the millennium, Satan will be bound for one thousand years (Revelation 20:1-2), after which he will be released (Revelation 20:3). While he is bound, the depravity of man will still be evident because when he is loosed there will be a huge army ready to follow him into battle against the Lord and against the saints (Revelation 20:7-9).
There will be a judgment of Satan and fallen angels (Revelation 20:10) and believers will take some part in this at least as far as judging the angels (1 Corinthians 6:2-3). There will be the final great white throne of judgment where all unbelievers will be resurrected and judged (Revelation 20:11-15).
The eternal state of the Bride of Christ will be in the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21) and all the rest of the saints of God (O.T. Saints, Tribulation and Millennial Saints) will inherit the new heavens and new earth (Isaiah 65:17-25; Revelation 21). It will be full of incredible and wonderful things, too wonderful to even imagine (Isaiah 64:4; 1 Corinthians 2:9). The eternal fate of unbelievers will be eternity separated from God in the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15) where they will be tormented forever (Revelation 20:10).
