Doctrine
The Scriptures • The True God • Concerning Christ • The Holy Spirit • Creation and Fall of Man • Way of Salvation • Justification • Regeneration • Sanctification • Security of the Believer • The Church •
A. The Scriptures.
We believe the Authorized Version (King James Bible) is the preserved Word of God for the English-speaking people. The Bible was originally written by men Divinely inspired of God, and our Bible is infallible, inerrant, and our supreme Authority in all matters of faith and conduct. It is the only English version that will be used to preach and teach from in church-related ministries.
(2 Timothy 3:15-17, 1 Peter 1:23, 2 Peter 1:19-20, Psalm 12:6-7)
B. The True God. We believe there is one, and only one living and true God. God is an infinite, intelligent Spirit Whose Name is Jehovah, the Maker and supreme Ruler of Heaven and earth. God is inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
(John 4:24, Exodus 15:11, Mark 12:30, Matthew 28:19)
C. Concerning Christ. We believe in the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ as well as His true humanity. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, and is therefore God manifest in human flesh.
(John 1:1, John 10:30, Philippians 2:6-7, Luke 1:35, 1 Timothy 3:16, Galatians 4:4)
D. The Holy Spirit. We believe in the personality and Deity of the Holy Spirit. We believe the Holy Spirit is the agent of the New Birth through the act of regeneration, He seals, and He indwells everyone who trusts Christ as their Saviour.
(John 14:16-17, John 14:26, Ephesians 1:13, Ephesians 4:30)
E. The Creation and Fall of Man. We believe God spoke the world into existence as accounted for in Genesis chapter one. We deny all aspects of man’s theory of evolution. We believe God created man in His own Image and that man came into the world by direct creation of God. We believe he was created in innocence, but by the voluntary transgression fell; in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by constraint but by choice; and therefore under just condemnation to eternal ruin without defense or excuse.
(Genesis 1:26-27, 2:7, 3:6-24; Romans 6:19; Isaiah 63:6; Ephesians 2:1-3)
F. The Way of Salvation. We believe the salvation of a sinner is wholly of Christ, in His death (with the shedding of His precious blood), His burial, and His resurrection.
(Ephesians 2:8, John 3:16, 1 Peter 1:18-19, 1 Corinthians 15:4)
G. Justification. We believe justification includes pardon of sin, the promise of eternal life, and such is ours by virtue of faith in Christ’s perfect righteousness freely imparted to us from God.
(Romans 5:8-9, Acts 13:38-39, Romans 4:25)
H. Regeneration. We believe that, because of Adam’s fall, all mankind is guilty of sin and is condemned. Therefore, we must be born again to be regenerated (Romans 5:12). The evidence of regeneration is a transformed life because of the presence of the Holy Spirit, Who comes to dwell within the believer at conversion.
(2 Corinthians 5:17, Romans 6:22)
I. Sanctification. We believe sanctification to be threefold. First, a person is sanctified (set apart) the very moment he accepts Christ as his Saviour. Second, sanctification is a process - growing in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour by means of Bible study, prayer, witnessing, and self-examination. Third, one day, we shall be completely changed in Heaven into a body like that of the body of Christ. Our understanding of sanctification is to be distinguished from the Holiness doctrine of “sinless perfection.”
(1 Corinthians 1:30, 2 Peter 3:18, Hebrews 10:10)
J. Preservation of the Saints. We believe in the preservation of the saints, who are kept by the power of God, through faith unto salvation, which (because it is based on the work of Christ) can never be lost. (Philippians 1:6, 1 Peter 1:3-5, John 10:28-29)
K. The Church. We believe the local New Testament church is a congregation of saved, baptized believers in the fellowship of the Gospel, observing the ordinances; governed by God’s laws and exercising their gifts.
L. The Ordinances.
1.) We believe baptism and communion are the two ordinances of the church. Baptism is the picture and communion is the memorial of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. (Romans 6:3-5, Acts 8:26-40)
2.) The unleavened bread does not become the actual Body of Christ. Neither does the grape juice become the Blood, but they are to remind us of the Saviour’s death. The Christian is to examine himself before partaking and confessing his sins, understanding that those who partake in an unworthy manner will come under the chastening hand of a “loving Heavenly Father.” Being unworthy is defined as an unwillingness to confess and forsake sin; counting the sin more precious than the sacrifice of Christ on their behalf.
M. The Lord’s Day. We believe that the first day of the week (Sunday) is the Lord’s Day and it is to be used in service and praise to His glory.
(Acts 20:7, Hebrews 10:25)
N. Civil Government. We believe that the civil government is of Divine appointment for the interests of good order of human society; and magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, obeyed; except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 13:1-7, Acts 5:29)
O. The Lord’s Return. We believe in the second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. His return will be in two parts. Christ will return in the clouds prior to the Tribulation in order to receive His Bride (the saved). He will return after the Tribulation with His saints to establish His kingdom on earth. We believe His coming to be personal, pre-millennial, pre-Tribulational, and imminent.
(Acts 1:10-11, 1 Thessalonians 3:13-18, 1 Corinthians 15:51-58, Revelation 20:6)
P. Satan. We believe in the reality and personality of Satan. He is the prince of the power of the air and ruler of the world.
(Matthew 4:11, Revelation 20:10, 1 Peter 5:8)
Q. Eternity. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the saved and the unsaved; the saved to the blessedness in Heaven, and the unsaved to the everlasting punishment of Hell.
(Revelation 20:15, Revelation 21, John 14:1-3)
R. The Family.
1.) We believe marriage was ordained by God as one male and one female becoming one flesh. We believe it was God’s design that a man and woman enter the marriage union for life.
(Genesis 2:18-25, Matthew 19:3-9, Romans 7:2,
Ephesians 5:22-32)
2.) We believe God has provided for intimate sexual relations between man and woman within the covenant of marriage. Sexual relations outside the bonds of marriage, including homosexuality, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, adultery, fornication, pedophilia, among others alluded to in God’s Word are
sin. We believe that acts which defile God’s human creation such as gender modification through medical procedures or by appearance and participation in the sexual degradation of others through pornography are attacks against the family unit, are against the will of God, and are sins.
(Genesis 2:24; Genesis 19:5,13; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 6:6-10; Hebrews 13:4; Ephesians 5:3-5; 1 Thessalonians 4:8)
3.) We believe in the sanctity of human life. We believe human life begins at conception and that from conception through the elderly adult years should be respected as a creation of God. We believe abortion, infanticide, euthanasia, suicide, assisted suicide, and other similar acts are murder and therefore against the will of God.
(Genesis 1:27; Exodus 20:13; Leviticus 19:32; Job 12:12;
Psalms 139:13-14; Isaiah 44:2,24; Jeremiah 1:5;
Romans 9:20-22; 1 Timothy 5:1-2)
4.) We believe children are a blessing from God and are to be taught spiritual and moral values by their parents, who are to rear them with loving discipline following the example and instruction of our Lord.
(Deuteronomy 6:6-7, Psalms 78:4-7, Psalms 127:3, Proverbs 22:6, Ephesians 6:4)