THE SCRIPTURES
We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men supernaturally inspired; that it has truth without any admixture of error for its matter; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the age, the only complete and final revelation of the Will of God to men; the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and opinions should be tried.
1. By the Holy Bible we mean that collection of sixty-six books, from Genesis to Revelation, which does not only contain and convey the Word of God, but IS the very Word of God. We accept only the King James, or authorized version of 1611, as updated in 1769, as God’s perfectly preserved Word for English speaking people.
2. By Inspiration we mean that the books of the Bible were written by holy men of old, as they were moved by the Holy Spirit in such a definite was that their writings were supernatural and verbally inspired and free from error, as no other writings have ever been or ever will be inspired.
(Psalm 19:7-11; Proverbs 30:5-6; Romans 15:4; II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21)
THE TRUE GOD
We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent 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 Spirit, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
(Genesis 1:1; II Cor. 13:14; Ephesians 4:6; I Timothy 1:17; I John 5:7)
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person; equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; and in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled, for He convicts of sin, of judgment and of righteousness; that He bears witness of 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.
(Genesis 1:1-3; Matthew 28:19; John 16:8-11; Ephesians 1:13-14; II Thess. 2:6-8; II Thess. 2:13)
THE DEVIL OR SATAN
We believe that Satan was once holy, and enjoyed heavenly honors, but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the malignant prince of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world. We hold him to be man’s great tempter, the enemy of God and Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power back of the present apostasy, the lord of the anti-christ, and the author of all the powers of darkness - destined however to final defeat at the hands of God’s Son, and the judgment of an eternal justice in hell, a place prepared for him and his angels.
(Isaiah 14:12-15; Ephesians 2:2; I Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:7-9; Revelation 19:16-20; Revelation 20:10)
THE CREATION
We believe in the Genesis account of creation, and that it is to be accepted literally, and not allegorically of figuratively; that man was created directly in God’s own image and after His own likeness; that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species, or developments through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animals and vegetable life were made directly; and God’s established law was that they should bring forth only after their kind.
(Genesis 1:1; Genesis 1:24; John 1:3; Hebrews 11:3; Revelation 10:6)
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 by constraint, but by choice; and therefore, under just condemnation without defense or excuse.
(Genesis 3:6, 24; Romans 1:32; Romans 3:10-19; Romans 5:12; Romans 5:19)
THE VIRGIN BIRTH
We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner; born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of woman, and He is both the Son of God, and God the Son.
(Isaiah 7:14; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:35; John 1:1,14)
THE 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 appointment of the Father, freely took upon Himself 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 the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the just dying for the unjust, Christ the Lord, bearing our sins 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 every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate and an all-sufficient Saviour.
(2 Cor. 5:21; Ephesians 2:8-9; Phil. 2:8; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 12:2; I John 2:2)
THE 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 Jesus Christ; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a 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, not by culture, not by character, nor by the will of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with the 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 3:6-8,18; Acts 16:30-33; Romans 6:23; 2 Cor. 5:17; Galatians 5:22)
THE FREENESS OF SALVATION
We believe in God’s electing grace; that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the Gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent and obedient faith, and that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the Gospel, but which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation.
(Isaiah 55:6-7; Matthew 11:28; John 3:15-16, 18)
JUSTIFICATION
We believe that the great Gospel blessing which Christ secures to us as believers 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 or righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood, His righteousness is imputed unto us and it brings us into a state of most blessed peace and favor with God, and secures every other blessing needful for time and eternity.
(Hab. 2:4; Acts 13:39; Romans 4:1-8; Romans 5:1,9; Galatians 3:11; Titus 3:5-7)
REPENTANCE AND FAITH
We believe that repentance and faith are solemn obligations and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of God; thereby, being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger and helplessness, and of the way of salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession and supplication for mercy, at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confessing Him as our only and all-sufficient Saviour.
(Psalm 51:1-4, 7; Isaiah 55:6-7; Acts 20:21; Romans 10:9-11,13)
THE CHURCH
I. The Church Purpose. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Founder and Builder of the church-the body and the espoused bride of Christ. We believe in the local church as an assembly of baptized believers gathered together for the purpose of carrying out the great commission. We believe that the local church is the only agency that properly carries out the great commission and its purpose is to exalt the Savior, evangelize the lost, and edify and equip the saints. We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures
(Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; Acts 2:41-47;14:27; 20:17, 28-32; Philippians 1:1; 1Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).
II. The Church Members. We believe that the local church is solely made up of saved (born-again) persons who, at the moment of salvation, are placed into the Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit. We believe that saved persons are to be baptized by immersion and instructed to identify with a local assembly of believers, called a church, and to support it by consistent attendance, prayer, giving, and use of their spiritual gifts.
(1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:25-27; Hebrews 10:23-25).
III. The Church Government. We believe that the local church is autonomous and has the absolute right of self-government, which makes it free from interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations on the outside. We further believe that on all matters of membership, policy, government, or benevolence the will of the local church is final. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Head of each local assembly and that through the Holy Spirit He seeks to administrate all the affairs of that assembly.
(Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 13:1-4; 14:27; 15:19-31; 20:28; Romans 16:1,4; 1 Corinthians 3:9,16; 5:4-7,13; Galatians 1:2; 1 Peter 5:1-4).
IV. The Church Offices. We believe that Jesus Christ appoints an under-shepherd for each assembly called a pastor, and raises up men for the office of deacon to care for the temporal matters of the church. We believe there are two biblical offices in the church. Pastors (called bishops, elders, or overseers in the Bible) are responsible for the care and feeding of the flock of God, purity of doctrine, and oversight of the operation of the church. Deacons are appointed as servants in the church to help meet the needs of the church, and to free the pastors to focus on prayer and the ministry of the Word of God. The church shall also ordain and license men to the Gospel ministry
(Acts 6:1-7; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9).
BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER
We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, with the authority of the local church, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Saviour, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is a prerequisite to the privileges of a Church relation and to the Lord’s Supper; in which the members of the Church by the sacred use of bread and the fruit of the vine are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ; preceded always by solemn self-examination.
(Matthew 3:16; Matthew 28:19-20; John 3:23; Romans 6:3-5; Col. 2:12; I Cor. 11:23-28
THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS
We believe that those only who are real believers will endure unto the end; that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grant mark which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special Providence watches over their welfare; and that they are kept by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation.
(John 10:28-29; Romans 8:23; I Peter 1:5; Romans 8:35-39; Col. 1:21-23)
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, and sanctified by the Spirit of God, are truly righteous in His esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and are under the curse, and this distinction holds among men in and after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost.
(Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 25:34,41; Romans 6:17-18;Romans 6:23; I Peter 4:18)
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 only 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.
(Matthew 10:28; Matthew 23:10; Acts 5:29; Acts 23:5; Romans 13:7; Phil. 2:10-11; Titus 3:1)
THE RESURRECTION AND RETURN OF CHRIST AND RELATED EVENTS
We believe in and accept the sacred Scriptures upon these subjects at their face and full value. Of the resurrection, we believe that Christ arose bodily the third day according to the Scriptures; that He ascended to the right hand of the throne of God; that this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven bodily, personally and visibly; that the dead in Christ shall rise first; that the living saints shall be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump; that the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His Father David; and that Christ shall reign a thousand years in righteousness until He hath put all enemies under His feet.
(Mark 16:19; Acts 2:29-30; I Cor. 15:4; I Cor. 15:25; I Thess. 4:16-17)
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