Beliefs

The Old and New Testaments, in their entirety, constitute the written Word of God and are therefore without error. They were written by men through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and are consequently fully authoritative in all matters for the follower of Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 5:18)

There is one God, infinite, eternal and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, love, justice, goodness and truth, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, whose desire is that we should know him intimately and live a life of fulfillment through the pursuit of his glory. (Genesis 1:1-3, Genesis 1:26, 2 Corinthians 13:14, 1 John 1:1-4)

God the Father, by means of the Son, is the creator of all things. He spoke the universe into existence, thereby creating the world out of nothing. Through his Word, he sustains all of creation. He is the king of the universe, and his sovereign purposes cannot be thwarted. He cannot lie, he keeps his covenant, and he works all things together for good for those who love him. He is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving, and all-wise. In his unfathomable grace, he gave his Son, Jesus Christ, in order that the world he loved might be saved. He made humanity for fellowship with himself, and intended that all creation should live to the praise of his glory. God the Father is, therefore, the author of eternal salvation, having loved the world and having given his Son for its redemption. (Genesis 1:1, Colossians 1:16, Numbers 23:19, Deuteronomy 7:9, Romans 8:28, 1 Chronicles 29:11, Romans 11:33, John 3:16,17, 1 John 4:7-10, Ephesians 1:12)

He is True God of True God, begotten not made. He became human; conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary. He made his dwelling among us, living a full life without sin. His life and his death on the cross provide the only atonement that fully satisfies the righteous requirements of God for the sinner. The death of Jesus was a full and final payment for sin – redemptive, substitutional and efficacious. The historic fact of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead is a powerful witness to his deity and is humanity’s ultimate hope in God. Jesus Christ will make a personal and imminent return to Earth. His return is a sanctifying “hope” which has vital bearing on the life of every Christian. (John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35; Romans 3:24; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5, Ephesians 2:1-10)

The Holy Spirit regenerates the lost through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is personal and divine, the third member of the Godhead. He convicts the world of sin and its consequences. He brings repentance and faith to the believer. He indwells the believer with the radical life of Jesus Christ. He gives gifts to every believer for mutual service within the body of Jesus. He unites believers in the Body of Jesus and seals them in that relationship. He bears the fruit of Christian character in the life of every believer. He guides, instructs, and empowers the believer for Godly living and service. He is worshipped with the Father and the Son. (John 16:8-11; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Titus 3:5)

All humans are created in God’s image and as such, all human life is sacred. In creating humans as male and female, God communicated his image through harmonious interpersonal relationships, equality of persons, importance of individuals and the ability to distinguish roles and authority. (Genesis 1:27)

God has created every person in the image of God, but we have fallen into sin, and are therefore lost, and only through the life-giving regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained. All humans are sinners and face the judgment of God. The shed blood of Jesus Christ and his resurrection provide the only ground for justification. Only those who place faith in Jesus will be delivered from the wrath of God toward sin. Those who receive Jesus Christ by faith are said by Holy Scripture to be justified, sanctified, and adopted into the family of God as heirs with Jesus. There are no other means of salvation for a person aside from repentance and an honest confession of Jesus Christ as Redeemer and King. We also believe that a true Christian will persevere to the end of their life, or until Jesus returns, meaning that you cannot lose your salvation if you were genuinely saved. (Genesis 1:26-27; John 1:12, 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Romans 3:22-23, 5:12, 8:1, 38-39; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8; Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 2:1-3, 8-10, 12-13; 1 Peter 1:3-5, 18-19)

All Christians in all times and in all places have been united into a single body by an operation of God. This resultant union is called the Body of Jesus, the Universal Church.  Simply put, we’re not the only true church; we recognize that all who have put their faith in Jesus throughout history are part of God’s true Church. (Ephesians 1:22-23; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14).

Scripture commands that all Christians band together in assembly for instruction, worship, service, and fellowship. These assemblies are called local churches. As a local church, we embrace the rich and vibrant traditions of the Universal Church. Only those who are members of the Universal Church are eligible for membership in the local church. Baptism of responsible believers and the Lord’s Supper are the two sacraments to be observed by the local church in the present age. These ordinances are not to be regarded as means of salvation. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; Acts 18:8; 1 Corinthians 3:9; 1 Corinthians 11:23-34).

All people will be resurrected to give account of their lives before God. The believer in Jesus will be resurrected to everlasting blessedness and joy in the presence of God. The non-believer will be resurrected to judgment and everlasting conscious punishment.  (Zechariah 14:4-11; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:9; Revelation 3:10-12; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:1-6)

What’s significant in this statement is that we as a church do not necessarily affirm any single position on Jesus’ return. We do affirm what is clear biblically: that Jesus is returning, that there is a resurrection of the dead to occur and that there will be a judgment after which the believers will live in the presence of God, and non-believers will be resurrected to eternal punishment and judgment. This means we believe in hell and that we believe that it is an eternal punishment.