I. The Word of God

We believe that the Bible is God’s written revelation to humanity, and thus the sixty-six books of the Bible given to us by the Holy Spirit constitute the plenary (inspired equally in all parts) Word of God.

Jeremiah 23:28–29; 1 Corinthians 2:7–14; 2 Peter 1:20–21

We believe the Bible is the Word of God, fully inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that it has supreme authority in all matters of faith and conduct. It is completely sufficient in the life of the Christian and the body of Christ, the Church.

Mark 13:31; John 8:31–32; 20:31; Acts 20:32; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20–21

II. The Trinity

We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally existing in three persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; that these are equal in every divine perfection, and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of creation, providence and redemption.

Genesis 1:1, 26; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1, 3; 4:24; Romans 1:19–20; Ephesians 4:5–6

III. God the Father

We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power and love. We believe that He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of men, that He hears and answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all that come to Him through Jesus Christ. We believe that He orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace.

Isaiah 46:9–10; Matthew 23:9; Luke 10:21–22; John 3:16; 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Timothy 1:1–2; 2:5–6; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6

As the only absolute and omnipotent ruler in the universe, He is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption. In His sovereignty, He is neither author nor approver of sin, nor does He waive the accountability of His creatures. He has graciously chosen from eternity past those whom He would have as His own, not based on anything we have done, but according to His own good pleasure.

Genesis 1:1–31; Psalm 103:19; Habakkuk 1:13; John 8:38–47; Romans 11:36; Ephesians 1:4–6; 1 Timothy 6:13–16; James 1:13; 1 Peter 1:17; 2:8–9; Revelation 4:11

IV. Jesus Christ

We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son. We believe in His virgin conception by the Holy Spirit, sinless life, miracles, and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary, propitiatory (satisfaction of His Father’s holiness, thereby averting His wrath) death, bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His people, and personal, visible return to earth. We believe Jesus Christ is coequal, consubstantial (i.e., having the same substance, nature, or essence), and coeternal with the Father.

Isaiah 9:6–7; Matthew 1:18–25; 20:28; Luke 1:26–38; John 1:1, 14; 10:30; 14:9; 20:28, 30–31; Acts 1:11; Romans 5:6–8; 6:9–10; 8:4; 9:5; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Ephesians 1:4; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:8; 7:25; 9:28; 1 Peter 2:21–23; 2 Peter 1:1

We believe that in the Incarnation (God becoming man), Christ surrendered only the prerogatives of deity but nothing of the divine essence, either in degree or kind.

Philippians 2:5–8; Colossians 2:9

We believe that Jesus Christ represents humanity and deity in indivisible oneness.

Micah 5:2; John 5:23; 14:9–10; Colossians 2:9

We believe that on the basis of the efficacy (effectiveness) of the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, every genuine believer is freed from the punishment, the penalty, the power, and one day the very presence of sin; and that he/she is declared righteous (justified), given eternal life, and adopted into the family of God.

Romans 3:25; 5:8–9; 2 Corinthians 5:14–15; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18

We believe that in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, God the Father displayed to His creation the deity of His Son and gave proof that He accepted the propitiatory work of Christ on the cross.

Isaiah 53:10–12

V. The Holy Spirit

We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the Father and the Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the supernatural and sovereign agent in regeneration. It is His work to indwell, sanctify, instruct, empower for service, and seal until the day of redemption all who believe on Jesus Christ. We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He is an abiding helper, teacher and guide. He is a divine person, eternal, underived (having no beginning or source), possessing all the attributes of personality and deity. In all the divine attributes, He is coequal, consubstantial, and coeternal with the Father and the Son.

Jeremiah 31:31–34; John 14:16–17, 14:26; 15:26–27; 16:9–14; Acts 2:15–20; Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Galatians 5:22–26; Ephesians 1:13; Hebrews 10:15–16

VI. Regeneration

We believe that man was created by God in His own image; that he sinned and thereby incurred physical, spiritual and eternal death, which is separation from God; that as a consequence, all human beings are born with a sinful nature and are sinners by choice and therefore under condemnation. We believe that those who repent and forsake sin and trust Jesus Christ as Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become new creatures, delivered from condemnation and receive eternal life.

Genesis 1:26; 2:17; 3:19; 5:2; Psalm 51:7; Proverbs 28:13; Ecclesiastes 2:11; Jeremiah 17:9; John 1:13; 3:14, 3:16; 5:24, 5:30; 7:13; 8:12; 10:26; Romans 3:19; 5:19; 8:1; 9:22; 2 Corinthians 5:17; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; James 1:14; 1 John 1:9; Revelation 14:15; 19:3, 20; 20:10; 21:18

VII. Humanity

We believe that humanity was directly and immediately created by God in His own image and likeness, free from sin, with a rational nature, intelligence, and volition; yet with a moral responsibility to the God who created him.

Genesis 1:26–27; 2:7, 15–25; 1 Corinthians 11:7; James 3:9

We believe that God’s intention in the creation of man was that man should glorify God by enjoying Him forever.

Isaiah 43:7; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11

We believe that in Adam’s sin of disobedience to the revealed will and Word of God, humanity lost its innocence, incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death, became subject to the wrath of God, and became inherently corrupt and utterly incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace. Thus, every human being is totally depraved (corrupted in every aspect of his being) and, having no recuperative powers to enable him to rescue himself, is hopelessly lost. Man’s salvation is, therefore, wholly of God’s grace through the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Genesis 2:16–17; 3:1–19; John 3:36; Romans 3:10–11, 3:23; 5:12; 6:23; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1–3, 8–9; 1 John 1:8

We believe that because all humanity descended from Adam, a nature corrupted by Adam’s sin has been transmitted to all of humanity (Jesus Christ being the only exception). All of humanity is thus sinful by nature, by choice, and by divine declaration, spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins, and by nature, children of God’s wrath.

Psalm 14:1–3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:9–18, 3:23; 5:10–12; Ephesians 2:1–3

VIII. The Church

We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for worship, ministry and fellowship. We believe that the overflow of the worship of this glorious God will lead the members of the local church to declare the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world.

Acts 1:8; 2:42; Ephesians 2:19–22; 5:19–21 Hebrews 10:23–25

We believe that every child of God is baptized by the Holy Spirit into one united spiritual body, the bride of Christ, of which Christ is the Head. We also believe that the bride of Christ includes Old Testament saints.

Isaiah 54:5–6; 62:4–5; Hosea 2:19–20; 1 Corinthians 12:12–13; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22–23; 5:23–32; Colossians 1:18; Revelation 19:7–8

We believe that the establishment and continuity of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures and that the members of the one spiritual, universal body are directed to associate themselves together in local assemblies.

Acts 13:1–3; 14:23, 27; 20:17, 28; Romans 16:1–5, 16; 1 Corinthians 11:18–20; Galatians 1:2; Philippians 1:1; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; Hebrews 10:25

We believe that the one supreme authority for the church is Christ and that church leadership, gifts, order, discipline, and worship are all appointed through His sovereignty as found in the Scriptures. The biblically designated officers serving under Christ and over the assembly are elders (also called bishops, pastors, and pastor-teachers). The local congregation is to submit to their leadership. The biblically designated officers serving the assembly under the direction of the elders are deacons. Both elders and deacons must meet biblical qualifications.

Acts 20:28; Ephesians 1:22; 4:11; 5:23; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 3:1–13; Titus 1:5–9; Hebrews 13:7, 17; 1 Peter 5:1–5

We believe that these leaders who lead or rule “well” are worthy of double honor before the church, but likewise, those who continue to sin in a manner contradictory to the biblical qualifications while holding the office and responsibility of an elder must be publicly rebuked before the congregation for the purpose of making the church fearful of sinning.

1 Timothy 5:17–22

We believe in the importance of discipleship and mutual accountability of all believers to each other, as well as the need for discipline of unrepentant members of the congregation in accordance with the standards of Scripture.

Matthew 18:5–22; 28:19–20; Acts 5:1–11; 1 Corinthians 5:1–13; 2 Thessalonians 3:6–12; 1 Timothy 1:19–20; 2 Timothy 2:2; Titus 1:10–16

IX. Christian Conduct

We believe that a Christian should live for the glory of God and the well being of his fellow men; that his conduct should be blameless before the world; that he should be a faithful steward of his possessions; and that he should seek to realize for himself and others the full stature of maturity in Christ.

John 14:15, 23–24; Romans 12:1–3; 1 Corinthians 4:2; 10:31; 2 Corinthians 9:6–9; Colossians 1:9–10; Hebrews 12:1–2; 1 John 2:3–6

X. The Ordinances

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two ordinances to the local church, baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that Christian baptism, in the name of the triune God, is the visual representation with water of the believer’s identification with Christ spiritually. We believe that the Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ for commemoration of His death. We believe that these two ordinances should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. We do not believe these ordinances hold any salvific value; that is, they do not convey saving grace upon the recipient; yet they are means by which God reveals His gospel to His people and brings loving encouragement into their lives.

Matthew 28:18–20; Romans 6:3–5; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26

XI. Religious Liberty

We believe that every human being is created in the image of God, and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and must be free from interference by political authorities.

Romans 14:7–9, 12; 1 Timothy 2:5

XII. The Last Things

We believe in the personal and visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth and in His eternal kingdom in heaven. We believe in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal felicity of the righteous and the eternal damnation of the wicked.

Matthew 16:27; Mark 14:62; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15; Philippians 3:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–10; 2 Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:13; Revelation 20:4–6, 11–15