Realizing the many erroneous and false doctrinal beliefs held by many Christians in this present age, this Church has put in writing those articles of faith which the members believe to be true, consistent with the teachings of the Bible and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The purpose then of this doctrinal statement is to prevent erroneous and false doctrinal beliefs from infecting this body and causing it to split over doctrinal differences.
1. We believe the Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, to be the inspired Word of God, without error in the original writings, and that they constitute the absolute authority in all matters of faith and practice (II Tim. 3:16; II Pet. 1:21).
2. We believe in one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect, eternally existing in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and that they are equal in all their attributes (Col. 1:16).
3. We believe Jesus Christ is true God and true man, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. We believe that He died on the cross as a sacrifice for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He arose bodily from the dead, and ascended into heaven where He is now seated at the right hand of the Father. He is now the believers High Priest, Mediator, and Advocate (I John 2:1).
4. We believe the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Godhead, who convicts men of their sin, regenerates the believing sinner, indwells, fills, guides, instructs and empowers the believer for godly living and service. We believe that the Holy Spirit baptizes all believers in Jesus Christ, meaning that at the moment of salvation they are placed into the universal Body of Christ, His Church (John 15:26; John 16:7-14).
5. We believe that the Holy Spirit gives gifts to all believers, (Rom. 12:3-8; I Cor. 12:1-12, 27-28, 14:27-28).
6. We believe that man/woman was created in the image of God, and that they sinned and thereby incurred spiritual death, total corruption and condemnation. Because of this, man is a sinner by nature and practice and is in need of salvation (Gen. 1:26, Eph. 4:24; Rom. 6:23).
7. We believe that the shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection provide the only ground for justification and salvation for all who believe, and that only those who confess and repent in faith, receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior are born of the Holy Spirit and in so doing, become children of God (Heb. 9:22; Rom. 5:1).
8. We believe in the eternal security of the believer, that the true believer cannot lose his/her salvation which was given to him/her as a free gift (Rom. 8:38-39). However, we believe God's Word clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for sinful living, and we believe the true believer would not willingly want to sin against his/her Savior (John 10:28-29; II Peter 2:20-21).
9. We believe that water baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper are ordinances to be observed by the Church during this present age. (I Cor. 11:23-34; Matt. 28:18-20).
10. We believe that the true Church is composed of all such persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are baptized into the Body of Christ of which He is the Lord and Head, and our church has the option under Christ, to decide and govern its own affairs (I Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:1-6, 22; Col. 1:17-18).
11. We believe that the fulfillment of the Great Commission is the responsibility of every believer, that every believer must be a personal witness of Christ, and a discipler of new believers (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8). We believe that Christians must live to glorify God in their lives and edify (build up) other believers in the Church (Eph. 4:11-16).
12. We believe in the personal and imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ and that this "Blessed Hope" has a vital bearing on the personal life and service of the believer (1 Thes. 4:14-16).
13. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead; of the believer to everlasting blessedness and joy with the Lord, of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting conscious punishment (II Cor. 5:10; Rev. 20:15; II Thes. 1:7-9).