What We Believe

I. Of the Scriptures

Section One. We believe that the Holy Bible as originally written was verbally inspired and the product of Spirit-controlled men, and therefore, has truth without any admixture of error for its matter. We believe the Bible to be the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tried.
II Timothy 3:16–17; II Peter 1:19-21

Section Two. Since Biblical translation necessarily reflects the doctrinal position of its translators, no version of the Bible shall be used in a favorable light, either in the pulpit or a class, whose translators did not subscribe to the Section One of our Articles of Faith at the time the version was made. Such translations at the adoption of this Constitution are the Revised Standard Version and the New English Bible in addition to others not named.

II. Of the True God

We believe there is one and only one living true God, an infinite Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth, 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 Ghost; equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
Exodus 20:2-3; I Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11; I John 5:7

III. Of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, with God the Father and God the Son of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; that He bears witness to the Truth of the gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies and helps the believer.
John 14:16-17, 26; Matthew 28:19; Hebrews 9:14; Luke 1:35; Genesis 1:1-3; John 16:8-11; Acts 5:30–32; John 3:5-6; Ephesians 1:13-14; Mark 1:8; John 1:33; Acts 11:16; Luke 24:49; Romans 8:16, 26-27

IV. Of the Devil or Satan

We believe in the personality of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age, and the author of all the powers of darkness, and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire.
Matthew 4:1–3; II Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10

V. Of the Creation

We believe the Genesis account of creation to be actual history that could be proven by science if all the facts were available and known; that man came by the direct and instantaneous creation of God and that He did not initiate, control or cultivate any system of evolution by placing a human spirit into the product of an evolutionary process.
Genesis 1 & 2; Colossians 1:16–17; John 1:3

VI. Of the Fall of Man

We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not only by constraint, but of choice; and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse.
Genesis 3:1–6; Romans 5:10–19; Romans 1:18, 32

VII. Of the Person and Deity of Christ

We believe that Jesus was begotten of the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner, born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of woman, and that in His Divine Person, He is the second person of the Godhead, equal with the Father and the Holy Spirit and of the same nature; that in His humanity He has both a human body and human nature; and as a result He is fully God and fully man.
Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke1:35; John 1:4

VII. Of Atonement for Sin

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace; through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was a voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the just dying for the unjust; Christ, the Lord, bearing our sin in His own body on the tree; that having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in Heaven, and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection, He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate and an all-sufficient Savior.
Ephesians 2:8; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24; John 3:16; Matthew 18:11;
Philippians 2:7; Hebrews 2:14; Isaiah 53:4-7; Romans 3:25; I John 4:10;
I Corinthians 15:13; II Corinthians 5:21

IX. Of Grace in the New Creation

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life.
John 3:3; II Corinthians 5:17; I John 5:1; John 3:6-7; Acts 16:30-33; II Peter 1:4; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1; II Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 2:13; John 3:8

X. Of Justification

We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is
justification:
– that justification includes the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal Life, on principles of righteousness.
– that it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done; but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s Blood, His righteousness is imputed to us.
Acts 13:39; Isaiah 53:11; Zechariah 13:1; Romans 8:1; Romans 5:9; Romans 5:1

XI. Of Faith and Salvation

We believe that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation.
Acts 16:31

XII. Of the Local Church

We believe that a local church is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Baptism and the Lord’s Supper governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers are pastors and deacons whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have the opportunity. We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government free from the inheritance of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the gospel; that each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation on all matters of membership, of polity, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final.
Acts 2:41-42; I Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22-23; Philippians 4:11; Acts 20:17-28; I Timothy 3:17; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23-24; Acts 15:13-18

XIII. Of Baptism and The Lord's Supper

We believe that Christian Baptism is the immersion of the believer in water one time backward to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is prerequisite to the privilege of a church relation. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is the commemoration of His death until He comes, and should be preceded always by a solemn self-examination.
Acts 8:26-39; John 3:23; Romans 6:3-5; Matthew 3:16; Colossians 2:12; I Corinthians 11:23-28

XIV. Of the Security of the Saints

We believe that all who truly are born again are kept by God the Father for Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6; John 10:28-29; Romans 8:35-39; Jude 1

XV. Of the Righteous and the Wicked

We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked, that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit of our God, are truly righteous in His esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse; and this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost.
Malachi 3:18; Genesis 18:23; Romans 6:17-18; I John 5:19; Romans 6:23; Proverbs 14:32; Luke 6:25; Matthew 25:34-41; John 8:21

XVI. Of Civil Government

We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Lord of the conscience, and the coming Prince of the kings of the earth.
Romans 13:1-7; II Samuel 23:3; Exodus 18:21-22; Acts23:5; Matthew 22:21; Acts 5:20; Acts 4:19-20; Daniel 3:17-18

XVII. Of the Resurrection, Personal, Visible Pre-Millennial Return of Christ and Related Events

We believe in:

  • The Bodily Resurrection.
    Matthew 28:6-7; Luke 24:39; John 20:27; I Corinthians 15:4; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:2-6
  • The Ascension
    Acts I: 9-11; Luke 24:51; Mark 16:19; Revelation 3:21; Hebrews 12:2
  • The High Priesthood
    Hebrews 8:6; I Timothy 2:5; I John 2:1; Hebrews 2:17; Hebrews 5:9-10
  • The Return Of Christ
    We believe in the bodily, personal, pre-millennial return of Jesus Christ; that He will come before the seven year tribulation period to catch away His Church, coming only into the air, and that He will come with His church at the close of the tribulation to judge nations and to set up His Kingdom on earth.
    I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 19:11-21;
    John 14:3; Acts 1:11; James 5:8; Hebrews 9:28
  • The Resurrection of the Righteous Dead
    I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:42-44, 52
  • Change Of the Living In Christ
    I Corinthians 15:51-53; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Philippians 3:20-21
  • The Millennial Reign
    I Corinthians 15:25; Isaiah 11:4-5, 32:1; Revelation 22:6 & 14

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