Our Doctrinal Beliefs

We believe that the Scriptures are God’s Holy Word and, as such, are inerrant and infallible in their original writings. We believe that the Scriptures are sufficient to make one wise unto salvation and contain everything we need for godly living. We believe that the Scriptures are necessary as God’s self-disclosure; it is through the Scriptures alone that we can know God savingly. We believe that the Scriptures are understandable and are the final authority for all matters of faith and practice.(2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Mark 13:31; John 8:31,32; John 20:31; Acts 20:32)

We believe there is one living and true God, eternally existing in one essence and yet in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Though equal in essence, power, and glory, the three persons of the Godhead execute distinct yet harmonious roles in the great works of creation, providence, and redemption. We believe that God is Spirit: infinite, eternal, self-sufficient, holy, sovereign, omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. He is unchangeable in His being, wisdom, justice, mercy, truth, and love. To Him all creatures owe the highest love, trust, and obedience.(Genesis 1:1,26; John 1:1,3; Matthew 28:19; John 4:24; Romans 1:19,20; Ephesians 4:5,6)

We believe that God the Father created the world out of nothing and perpetually sustains, directs, and governs all creatures and all events. Yet He is neither the author nor the approver of sin, nor does His sovereign governance diminish the willful responsibility of intelligent creatures. We believe that God the Father infallibly foreknows all that shall come to pass, including the future free choices of all human beings and other moral beings. He mercifully concerns Himself with the affairs of humanity, hears our prayers, and answers according to His wisdom and will. We believe that God the Father shows mercy to all, yet He is Father, in truth, only to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.(Luke 10:21,22; Matthew 23:9; John 3:16; 6:27; Romans 1:7; 1 Timothy 1:1,2 & 2:5,6; 1 Peter 1:3; Revelation 1:6)

We believe in Jesus Christ, God’s only Son and our Savior. The eternal Son of God left the glories of heaven, came to earth, and became man. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Jesus Christ is the eternal God-man, fully God and fully man. We believe that He came as our Mediator and became like us in every way, yet without sin. He lived a perfect life and died a sacrificial death on behalf of sinners. He was crucified, died, and was buried, and on the third day was raised from the dead by the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit, demonstrating His victory over sin, death, and the Devil. We believe that Jesus appeared bodily to many, ascended into heaven, and now sits at the right hand of the Father. He will personally and visibly return to judge the living and the dead.(Matthew 1:18–25; Luke 1:26–38; John 1:1, 20:28; Romans 9:5, 8:32; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:21–23; John 20:30, 31; Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 1:4; Acts 1:11; Romans 5:6–8 & 6:9,10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:28; I Timothy 3:16)

We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, co-equal in essence, power, and glory with the Father and the Son. The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He indwells, teaches, guides, empowers, and equips believers, giving spiritual gifts according to His will and always with the purpose of glorifying Jesus Christ.(John 14:16,17,26 & 15:26,27; John 16:9–14; Romans 8:9-11; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19; Galatians 5:22–26; Ephesians 1:12-14)

We believe God created the first man and woman free from sin, but, through the temptation of Satan, they willfully transgressed the command of God and so fell from their original state of holiness and righteousness, thereby earning God’s wrath, dying spiritually and eventually physically, and coming under the dominion of sin and Satan. As a result, their posterity – all human beings – have inherited a nature corrupt and wholly opposed to God and His law, are sinners by choice, and are justly under condemnation to eternal damnation without defense or excuse.(Genesis 1:26, 5:2; Genesis 3; Genesis 2:17, 3:19; Psalm 51:7; Jeremiah 17:9; James 1:14; Romans 3:19, 5:19; Proverbs 28:13; 1 John 1:9)

We believe that salvation is a gift of God’s grace, received through faith in Jesus Christ alone. In his sinful condition, man is deserving of condemnation and eternal separation from God. In His mercy, God provided Jesus Christ, the Second Adam, as our representative. Through His righteous life and sin-bearing death, Christ was given by God as the provision for mankind’s sinful condition. Christ willingly bore the penalty of God’s wrath against sin on our behalf. We believe that God grants salvation—including the forgiveness of sins, reconciliation and peace with God, and new life—to those who repent of their sins and place their faith in Jesus Christ. We believe that salvation is wholly of God and is not based on any merit of our own. God initiates His saving work in the life of the believer through election, effectual calling, regeneration, and conversion. All who are converted are justified, sanctified, and glorified, and they will persevere to the end through the keeping power of God.(Eph. 2; Rom. 8; 1 Cor. 15; Jude; Phil. 1:6)

We believe that regeneration is the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit whereby He changes the heart of a person, bringing spiritual life in place of spiritual death. The result of regeneration is new life, marked by genuine repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.(Ezekiel 36:26; John 1:13, 3:3-8, 6:63-65; Acts 16:14-15; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:1-10; Titus 3:5; 1 John 5:1)

We believe that salvation requires genuine repentance and faith, which follow upon God’s gracious drawing of sinners through the gospel. Repentance occurs when, by the Holy Spirit, a person is made sensible of the manifold evil of his sin, detests and forsakes it, humbles himself with godly sorrow and self-abhorrence, and endeavors to walk before God so as to please Him in all things. Saving faith is the belief, on God’s authority, of whatever is revealed in His word concerning Christ and accepting and resting upon Him alone for justification and eternal life. It is accompanied by all other saving graces and leads to a life of holiness.(Proverbs 28:13; Matthew 3:8-10; Mark 1:15; John 3:16, 36, 5:25, 6:40, 44, 65; Acts 2:37-28, 11:18, 13:38-39, 17:30, 20:21; Romans 2:4-5, 3:21-28, 4:1-5, 17-25, 8:1, 10:3-4, 14, 17; 2 Corinthians 5:21, 7:10-11, Ephesians 2:8-10, Philippians 1:29, 3:9; Hebrews 11:6; James 2:14-26)

We believe that sinners are justified in the sight of God through faith in Jesus Christ alone. Christ made full atonement for sin through His sacrificial death, and His righteousness is graciously imputed to those who believe. Justification is received by grace through faith and is not based on works; rather, good works are the necessary fruit and evidence of genuine faith and follow after justification.(Romans 1:17, 5:1; Galatians 3:24; Ephesians 2:8, 10; Titus 3:5)

We believe that all the saints are chosen in Christ Jesus, according to God’s sovereign purpose and free grace, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and obedient. We believe that all who are chosen receive the effectual call of the Holy Spirit, are justified by faith, and are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation. They will persevere to the end and be brought into final glory with Christ in heaven.(Romans 8:29-30, 9:15-18, 11:4-6; Ephesians 1:4-6)

We believe that those who have been regenerated and justified are progressively sanctified and increasingly conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. This sanctification remains imperfect in this life, as believers continually engage in an irreconcilable conflict between the flesh and the Spirit. We believe that sanctification guarantees that all believers will overcome the corruption of sin and continue to grow in grace until, in the glorified state, they are finally and completely freed from the presence of sin.(John 17:17, 19; Romans 12:1-2, 15-16; 1 Corinthians 1:30, 6:11; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 1:4; Philippians 1:9-11, 2:12-13, 3:12-16; I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; Hebrews 2:11, 6:1, 7:1, 10:10, 12:10; 1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 1:5-8; I John 2:29)

We believe that those whom God has accepted in Christ and sanctified by His Spirit will never totally or finally fall away from the state of grace but will certainly persevere to the end. Though they may, through neglect and temptation, fall into sin, they will be renewed unto repentance and restored to fellowship with God. They are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation and will be preserved to the end.(Jeremiah 32:40; Matthew 13:20-21; John 8:31, 6:66-69; Romans 8:28-39; Philippians 1:6; Hebrews 13:5; 1 John 2:27-28, 3:9, 5:12, 18)

We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body of which the Lord Jesus Christ is the Head and of which all regenerated persons are members. We believe in the autonomy of the local church, consisting of baptized believers in Jesus Christ who have given a credible profession of faith and have covenantedtogether for worship, edification, discipline, fellowship, and the proclamation of the gospel. We believe that the scriptural offices of the church are pastors/elders and deacons. The church is to be led by a plurality of pastors/elders who shepherd the congregation according to the Word of God.(Ephesians 2:19–22; Acts 1:8; Ephesians 5:19–21; Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:23–25; 1Timothy 3:1-12; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-4)

We believe that Christ has commanded His church to observe two ordinances: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We believe that baptism, administered in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, is the first command of Christian discipleship and serves as a testimony of faith in Jesus Christ. Baptism does not cause regeneration or the remission of sins in any sense. Rather, it is a sign of our union with Christ in His death and resurrection and of the remission of sins received through faith in Jesus Christ. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is in no sense a sacrifice, but was instituted by Christ to commemorate His death, to strengthen the faith and other graces of believers, and to serve as a bond, pledge, and renewal of our communion with Him and with one another. We believe that these two ordinances are to be observed and administered by the church until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.(Matthew 28:18–20; Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3–5; 1 Corinthians 11:23–26)

We believe that God wonderfully and immutably created each person as male or female, establishing two distinct and complementary sexes. We believe that God has commanded that sexual intimacy is to occur only between a man and a woman who are married to one another. As revealed in Scripture, marriage is the union of one man and one woman in a single, exclusive covenant relationship, uniquely reflecting Christ’s relationship with His church. Marriage was given by God as a gift to humanity for companionship, mutual help, joy, procreation and the passing on of the faith. We believe that Scripture reveals a high calling for those who are Christians and remain unmarried. Spiritual maturity, usefulness, and giftedness are in no way dependent upon marriage. Those who remain unmarried and live in wholehearted dependence upon the Lord are an invaluable resource for the advancement of God’s kingdom.(Genesis 1:26-27, 2:18-25; Ephesians 5:25; Romans 1:22-32; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4; Revelation 19:7-9)

We believe that God created humanity to bear His image and serve as His representatives in creation. He created humanity as male and female, two distinct and complementary sexes, equal in essence, dignity, and value, yet uniquely designed according to His wise purposes to complement one another in mutually enriching ways. As part of God’s good, created order, men and women have distinct yet complementary roles and responsibilities in the home and in the church.(Ephesians 5:22-25; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Timothy 3:12; Titus 2:1-5; 1 Peter 3:1-7)

We believe that mankind, male and female, was created in the image of God as the crown of His creation, that they might have fellowship with Him. Human life is sacred and of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, from conception through natural death.(Genesis 1:26-28; Psalm 51:5; Psalm 139:13-16)

We believe in the existence of a personal Devil. He was created by God as an angel, but through pride and rebellion became the enemy of God, His work, and His people. He is presently at work in the world, seeking to destroy the souls of humanity and to blind unbelievers to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We believe that in the end, the Devil and all his demons will be cast into the lake of fire, where they will be eternally punished.(Isaiah 14; Ephesians 6; Rev. 21)

We believe that Jesus Christ will personally and visibly return to the earth in glory, at a time known only to God Himself. The dead will be raised bodily, and Christ will judge all people in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment. The righteous, raised and glorified in body, will dwell joyfully and eternally with the Lord.(Daniel 12:2; Matthew 16:27; Mark 14:62; John 5:28-29, 14:3; Acts 1:9-11; Philippians 3:20; 1 Thessalonians 4:15; 2 Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 1 Corinthians 15; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–10; Revelation 20:4–6, 11–15)