Doctrinal Statement

Section 1 - The Scriptures

platform A) We believe that the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament are given by inspiration of God in their original writings; so that the result is the very Word of God and the final authority in faith and conduct. (Prov. 30:5-6; II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:21)

B) We believe that the King James and the New King James Bibles are accurate and faithful translations of the original writings and are to be used in the teaching and preaching ministries of the church. This is not to imply that we are a “King James only” church, but that we desire to have consistency and continuity in our teaching ministries.

Section 2 - The Godhead

We believe there is one God, the first person of the Trinity, who is living and true. He eternally exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. All are equal in power and work harmoniously to accomplish the work of redemption. To them should be ascribed the same attributes, adoration, titles, worship, and confidence. (Gen. 1:26; Mt. 28:14; Jn. 10:30,15:26; II Cor. 13:14; I Pet.1:2)

Section 3 - Person and Work of Christ

A) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that he might reveal God and redeem sinful man. (Lk. 1:35; Jn. 1:1-2, 14; Phil. 2:1-9)

B) We believe that Jesus died on the cross suffering the full penalty of divine wrath for mankind, was bodily raised and ascended into heaven where He now sits at the right hand of the Father as our High Priest.(Mt. 28:6-7; Mk 16:6; Lk. 24:2-6, 39, 51; Jn. 20:27;Acts 1:9-11; I Cor. 15:3-4; I Tim. 2:5; Heb. 2:17, 5:9-10, 7:25, 8:1, 10:12, 12:2; I Jn. 2:1-2; Rev. 3:21)

We believe His return for the church is imminent, pre-tribulational and pre-millennial; and at that moment the dead in Christ and the living in Christ shall be caught up to meet Him in the air. At the end of the great tribulation, Christ will return to Earth and establish the millennial reign. (Mt. 24:29-31; I Cor. 15:51-54; I Thess. 4:13-18; Rev. 3:10, 20:1-6)

Section 4 - The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

A) We believe that the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, was active in creation. (Gen. 1:1-2)

B) We believe that the Holy Spirit restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled. (II Thess 2:7)

C) We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment. (Jn. 16:8-11)

D) We believe that the Holy Spirit bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony. (Acts 5:30-32; Rom. 15:19)

E) We believe that the Holy Spirit bestows on each believer at least one spiritual gift at the time of accepting Christ. These gifts must be used for the glorification of God. (Rom 12:3-8; I Cor 12:1, 14:40; Heb 2:4)

baptism F) We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers at the point of conversion into the body of Christ, indwelling, and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (Jn. 16:8-11; Rom 8:9; I Cor 12:12-14; II Co. 3:6; Eph 1:13,14)

Section 5 - Man

A) We believe that man - body, soul, and spirit - was the direct and immediate creative act of God. Man was created in innocence, but fell from that state. Hence, all men are sinners by birth and absolutely unable of themselves to be reconciled to God. (Gen 1 & 2, 3:6-24; Rom 3:19-23, 5:12)

B) We believe that salvation of sinners is wholly of grace, through the Son of God who by His death made full atonement for our sins. (Isa 53:4-5; Jn 3:16; Rom 4:5; Eph 2:1-5,8-9; Tit 3:5;
Heb 7:25-26, 9:13-25)

C) Repenting and faith must accompany salvation. They are brought to pass in one’s life by the Holy Spirit and are manifested by honest contrition, confession, and a change of heart and mind about sin, and the accepting of Christ as one’s Lord, personal sin-bearer, and all-sufficient Savior. (Mk 1:14-15; Acts 2:37-38, 3:19, 11:18, 20:21; Rom 10:9-11)

In order to receive the gift of salvation, one must be born again. This rebirth results in evident change in the believer’s life - the outward indication that his soul has been quickened by the Holy Spirit. Those who are truly born again of the Spirit of God will be kept by the power of God for eternity. (Jn. 3:6-7, 10:28-29; II Cor. 5:17; Eph. 4:24; Phil. 1:6; I Pet. 1:23; I Jn. 5:11)

Section 6 - Sanctification

We believe that the will of God for every believer is to be made holy and like Jesus Christ (Rom. 8:29; I Thess. 4:3). At the point of salvation the believer receives a holy standing before God due to the righteousness of Christ, often referred to as positional sanctification (Heb. 10:10, 14). The new birth creates within every believer a new nature which is made after the likeness of God in true holiness and righteousness ( Eph. 4:24). There still remains in the believer unsubdued tendencies toward sin which are in constant conflict with the new nature (Gal. 5:16-21). The biblical process of spiritual growth, often called progressive sanctification, requires removing the sinful patterns of the unsaved condition and replacing these with patterns of godly character (Eph. 4:22-24). The Holy Spirit accomplishes these changes as the believer, by faith, yields obedience to the Word of God (Rom. 6:11-13; II Cor. 3:18) and puts to death all sinful practices (Rom. 8:13; Col. 3:5). The believer will ultimately be made completely holy when he enters the presence of Jesus Christ either at death or Christ’s return (Phil. 1:6, 3:21; I Thess. 5:23; I Jn. 3:2).

Section 7 - Justification

We believe that justification is the judicial act of God, whereby He declares us to be righteous through faith in Christ and His shed blood , and that justification includes pardon of sin. (Isa 53:11; Acts 13:39; Rom 5:1, 9; 8:1)

Section 8 - The Church

A) We believe that the Church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this present age. (I Cor 12:12-14; II Cor 11:2; Eph 1:22-23, 5:25-27)

B) We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. (Acts 14:27,20:17, 28-32; I Tim. 3:1-13; Tit. 1:5-11)

C) We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or control.
(Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28; Rom 16:1, 4; I Cor. 3:9, 16, 5:4-7, 13; I Pet 5:1-4)

D) Baptism - A public confession of Christ as Savior and Lord, where the Scriptural mode is immersion. It is a symbol of one’s union with Christ’s death and resurrection and therefore is to be administered to those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ. Baptism has no saving power in and of itself, but is an outward sign of an accomplished inward work. (Mt 28:19-20; Acts 2:38, 8:36-39a)

E) The Lord’s Supper - Should be observed by all believers in obedience to the command “this do in remembrance of Me”. It consists of partaking of unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine (unfermented), and symbolizes Christ’s broken body and shed blood for the remission of our sins. The union of believers around the Lord’s Table shall be open to all who are in a right relationship with the Lord and with one another. (Mt 26:26-28; I Cor 10:16, 17, 21; 11:23-34)

Section 9 - Salvation

We believe that Christ’s death on the cross is sufficient for all humanity - past, present, and future. Jesus Christ did not die for some, but for all (Unlimited Atonement). They are saved because they have believed on the name of the only begotten Son of God and are God’s elect. God’s election does not interfere with man’s free will and man’s free will does not interfere with God’s election. (II Cor.5:14-15, 19; II Pet 2:1; I Jn 2:2, 4:14)

Section 10 - Eternal State

A) We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Mt. 25:46; Jn. 5:28-29,11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6, 12-13)

B) We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Lk. 23:43; II Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23, 3:21; I Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6)

C) We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into theLakeofFire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment. (Mt. 25:41-46, Mk. 9:43-48; Lk. 16:19-26; II Thess. 1:7-9; Jude vv. 6,7; Rev. 20:11-15)

Section 11 - Satan

A) We believe that Satan is a real personality, created perfect by God, given power, but through pride he fell and became the father of sin. He is the archenemy of God and of our souls. We believe that he will be eternally punished in the lake of fire. (Job 1:6-7; Ez. 28:14-15;
Isa 14:12-14; I pet. 5:8; Mt. 4:2-11; Jn. 8:44; Rev. 20:10)

B) We believe that Satan and his angels (demons) are active in tempting and deceiving believers to sin (I Cor 7:5; Eph 6:11,12; I Thess 3:5; Acts 5:3). Satan blinds the minds of the lost
(II Cor 4:3,4). He was judged at the cross (Jn 12:30,31; 16:11; Heb 2:14). He is the accuser of the believer (Job 1:7-11;Rev 12:10).

C) We believe that Satan is accountable to God and is limited in his activity. (Job 1:6,7)

Section 12 - Articles of Biblical Faith Regarding Contemporary Issues

A) Creation - We believe that the Genesis account of creation is to be accepted literally and not figuratively in that God, without the use of existing materials and secondary causes, by the word of His mouth brought into being the whole visible and invisible universe. We believe that the six days of creation mentioned in Genesis chapter one are literal 24-hour days. We believe that all animal and plant life was made directly and that they followed God’s law in multiplying “after their own kind.” We believe that the entire human race sprang up from one man, Adam, and one woman, Eve, literal people, who were created directly in God’s image and after His likeness and did not evolve from any lower form of life. (Gen 1:1 - 2:25; Ex 20:11, 31:17; Neh 9:6;
Ps 33:6-9; Isa 40:21-31; Jn 1:3; Col 1:16,17; Heb 11:3)

B) Human Sexuality - All forms of sexual activity, except that which occurs between a man and a woman in the holy bond of matrimony, are prohibited scripturally. This includes, but is not limited to, intercourse outside of marriage, adultery, promiscuity, and homosexuality. (Ex 20:14; Lev 18:1-30; Rom 1:26-32; I Cor 6:9-18; I Thess 4:1-7; Heb. 13:4)

C) Marriage - This Church only recognizes traditional marriage between only one man and one woman as set forth in the Bible. The Church neither condones nor performs weddings for couples who do not meet Biblical criteria for marriage as understood by this Church.
(Gen 2:22-25; Mt 19:3-6; Eph 5:22,23)

D) Divorce and Remarriage - The Scriptures are clear that God hates divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Although divorced individuals, divorced and remarried individuals, or individuals married to a divorced person may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor, Elder, or Deacon. (Mal 2:14-16; Mt 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; I Cor 7:10-14;
I Tim 3:2,12; Titus 1:6)

E) Lawsuits Between Believers - The Scriptures prohibit Christians from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. The church possesses all the resources and is equipped to resolve personal disputes between believers. Scriptures clearly teaches that lawsuits between believers are a poor witness to the unbelieving world.
(I Cor 6:1-8)

F) Abortion - Only God authors life and that life begins from the moment of conception. Therefore the matter of abortion is not a matter of choice, but a question of murder. God specifically prohibits murder and, thus, abortion is unquestionably wrong. (Ex 20:13; Job 3:16;
Ps 139:14-16; Isa 44:24, 49:1,5; Jer 20:15-18; Lk 1:44)

Affiliation

This church shall be an independent, autonomous church subject only to Jesus Christ, the head of the church. It has the right to cooperate and associate with other Biblical groups on a voluntary basis.

There shall be no cooperation with any group that permit’s the presence of apostates or apostasy or that endorses groups that permit the presence of apostates or apostasy, nor will we cooperate or associate with modernists, liberals, or neo-evangelicalism or those who indulge in the charismatic tongues movement, or any other movements that do not follow the precepts and principles of the Word of God.

Missions

Only missionaries who are members of established Mission Boards, whose doctrine and practices are homogeneous with those of this church, shall receive support.

The elder board shall always be alert to the theological trends and liberal practices of missionaries and mission boards to protect the Lord’s Work and to be good stewards of the Lord’s funds.