We believe that the Bible alone, the 66 divinely inspired books of the Old and New Testament, is God’s Word, our only inerrant, infallible rule of faith and practice. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter.
Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy 4:1-2; 17:19; Joshua 8:34; Psalms 19:7-10; 119:11,89,105,140; Isaiah 34:16; 40:8; Jeremiah 15:16; 36:1-32; Matthew 5:17-18; 22:29; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; Acts 2:16ff.; 17:11; Romans 15:4; 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2; 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21.
We believe that God is the triune Creator and Sustainer of everything whose divine nature is infinite, eternal, and unchangeable. The one, triune God exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each member of the Godhead has distinct personal attributes, yet each is equal in essence, power, and glory, having the same nature and being.
Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11ff.; 20:1ff.; Leviticus 22:2; Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:6; 1 Chronicles 29:10; Psalm 19:1-3; Isaiah 43:3,15; 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; 17:13; Matthew 6:9ff.; 7:11; 23:9; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:6; 12:9; 1 Peter 1:17; 1 John 5:7.
We believe that God created man from the dust, male and female, in His image, after His likeness, and with dominion over the earth and all other creatures. Being made in the image of God, every person of every race, whether male or female, possesses full dignity and is worthy of love and respect. Man’s ultimate purpose is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.
Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5,7,18-22; 9:6; Psalms 1; 8:3-6; Acts 17:26-31.
See also: Psalms 16:11; 37:4; 73:25-26; Isaiah 43:7; 48:9-11; Matthew 5:16; 1 Corinthians 10:31; Ephesians 1:4-6; 1 Peter 4:11.
We believe that sin is any rebellion against God and His Law in thought, word, or deed, and its end is death. God, being perfect, has planned a day to pour out His wrath against all who sin. Due to the original sin of Adam and Eve, all people inherit a sinful nature. Therefore, not a single person, past, present, or future, has or will ever be perfect, except for the God-man, Jesus Christ.
Genesis 3:1-24; Psalms 1:1-6; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5; Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:30-31; Romans 1:18-32; 3:10-18, 23; 5:12, 19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22; Ephesians 2:1-22
See also: Psalms 51:5 119:53; Isaiah 53:6; 64:6; Matthew 5:48; John 3:6-7; Romans 5:12-13, 18-19; 6:23; 7:18; 14:23; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 10:31; 15:21-22; Ephesians 2:1-3; James 2:10; 1 Peter 1:16; 1 John 3:4.
We believe that salvation is a free gift from God that was accomplished for man by Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross in our place. Not everyone will be saved. Man can only be saved from the power and consequences of sin trusting Jesus by faith and turning from sin to God by repentance. Those who do so will be born again to live for God in holiness, obedience, and eager anticipation for the ultimate redemption of our bodies in heaven.
Genesis 3:15; Exodus 3:14-17; 6:2-8; Matthew 1:21; 4:17; 16:21-26; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 10:9,28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; 17:30-31; 20:32; Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3ff.; 5:8-10; 6:1-23; 8:1-18,29-39; 10:9-10,13; 13:11-14; 1 Corinthians 1:18,30; 6:19-20; 15:10; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 5:22-25; 6:15; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11-16; Philippians 2:12-13; Colossians 1:9-22; 3:1ff.; 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 11:1-12:8,14; James 2:14-26; 1 Peter 1:2-23; 1 John 1:6-2:11; Revelation 3:20; 21:1-22:5.
See also: Psalm 32:1-6; Isaiah 53:10-11; Hosea 13:14; John 14:6; Galatians 4:4-5
We believe that there is one universal church, the Body of Christ, which includes all believers across time and in all locations. This church manifests itself in local, autonomous congregations of baptized believers. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes and is not subject to any higher ecclesiastical body. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord.
Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5; 20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14; Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3.
There are two church ordinances that are commanded by God in Scripture: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith and new life in Jesus. Being a church ordinance, it is prerequisite to the privileges of church membership and to the Lord’s Supper.
The Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread and the fruit of the vine, memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.
Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12.
We believe in the personal, visible return of Jesus Christ to the earth. Christ will judge all men in righteousness. The unrighteous will be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment, on account of their sin. Those made righteous by Jesus’ death, after receiving their sinless, resurrected, and glorified bodies, will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord on account of Jesus’ righteousness and death in their place.
Isaiah 2:4; 11:9; Matthew 16:27; 18:8-9; 19:28; 24:27,30,36,44; 25:31-46; 26:64; Mark 8:38; 9:43-48; Luke 12:40,48; 16:19-26; 17:22-37; 21:27-28; John 14:1-3; Acts 1:11; 17:31; Romans 14:10; 1 Corinthians 4:5; 15:24-28,35-58; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:5; 3:4; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 5:1ff.; 2 Thessalonians 1:7ff.; 2; 1 Timothy 6:14; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:27-28; James 5:8; 2 Peter 3:7ff.; 1 John 2:28; 3:2; Jude 14; Revelation 1:18; 3:11; 20:1-22:13.