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Our Beliefs *

We believe all those who confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior share a common faith and would hold the following statement of faith to be true. This statement covers major areas of biblical doctrine that we understand as foundational and primary to the Christian faith. 

Statement of Faith

The Bible

We accept the Bible as the Holy Scriptures, the written Word of God. The Bible is an essential and infallible record of God's self-disclosure to mankind. Being given by God, the Scriptures are fully inspired by him. Therefore, as originally given, the Bible is free of error in all it teaches. All believers are exhorted to study the Scriptures and diligently apply them to their lives. We believe the Scriptures are the final authority for our lives and the standard by which all other revelation is to be evaluated, as well as all church teaching, practice, experience, and tradition. ( Isa. 40:8; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; Heb. 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21)

The Trinity

We believe in one God, existing in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. They live in perfect harmony and are co-existent, co-equal- and co-eternal. As God each one is all powerful (omnipotent), all knowing (omniscient), and everywhere present (omnipresent). One God-Father ,Son and Holy Spirit is foundational to the Christian faith.
(Deut. 6:4; Isa 48:16; Matt. 28:19; John 10:30; 2 Cor. 13:14; Heb. 1:8)

God the Father

God the Father is the creator of heaven and earth. By His Word and for His glory, He created the world from nothing. He rules over all and is the only Sovereign. He made man for fellowship with himself, and intended that all creation should live to the praise of his glory. In his amazing grace he gave his Son, Jesus Christ, for mankind's redemption. The Father has highly exalted Jesus and given him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Gal. 4:6, Eph. 1:3, Eph. 4:6, 1John 3:1)

God the Son: Jesus Christ

We believe Jesus Christ to be the incarnate Son of God, fully God and fully man, the second person of the triune Godhead. He is the Messiah prophesied by Scripture, born of a virgin, and anointed with the Holy Spirit and power. According to God's sovereign plan, Jesus was crucified and died, taking upon himself man's sin and its consequences, and bore the wrath of God. Christ then arose victoriously over death on the third day, and He ascended back to the Father in heaven, where He is now seated, interceding for his people, and ruling as Lord over all. We also believe that Jesus Christ is man's only savior, redeemer, healer, and deliverer. He is the head of his Church, now serving as his body, and he is worthy of all praise and adoration and should be loved, served and obeyed by all. (Jn 1:14, Jn 5:17-18, Jn 10:29-30, Rom 8:3, Phil. 2:5-8)

God the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is fully God, one with the Father and the Son, yet distinct in person as the third person of the Godhead. Scripture describes the activities of the Holy Spirit as the one who empowers us, intercedes for us, teaches us, comforts us, leads us, and distributes gifts to us. The experience of conversion, in which a person repents and believes upon Christ, is the result of a radical change of one's heart through the agency of the Holy Spirit, who indwells the heart and causes one to be "born again." This is called our "regeneration" in the Scripture. The Holy Spirit continues to indwell believers for the duration of their life and effects change in their character to become more like Christ - the process which is called in Scripture our "sanctification". The Holy Spirit is to be respected, and honored as the Third person of the Godhead. (Matt. 3:11, Lk 3:22, Lk 11:13, Jn 14:26, Acts 2:4, Tit. 3:5-6)

Man and Sin

God made mankind, male and female, in His own image, as the crown of creation, that man might have fellowship with him. His intent was that man would willingly choose to live in a dependant and obedient relationship with Him for their joy and blessedness, and for His glory and joy. However, through the rebellion and disobedience of Adam and Eve, all men have inherited a sinful nature, and because of this all men are sinful before God, separated from Him and under condemnation. Man became subject to divine wrath, inwardly depraved and incapable of returning to God by his own efforts. In his depraved state, man is at enmity with God, hostile toward God, and without hope apart from the salvation in Christ. Unregenerate man lives under the dominion of sin and Satan. We believe sin is not just acts committed which do not conform to God's moral law revealed in Scripture, but that it encompasses all attitudes which reflect the violation of love for God and others, all rebellion and independence from God, and all worship of or trust in anything other than God. Because of sins total pervasiveness within man, mans only hope of escape is through saving faith in Jesus Christ. Further, we believe that Satan is a created being of limited power, and is in opposition to God and His people. He is an adversary to be resisted. Satan's power and the power of sin will be fully defeated by God at the end of the ages.

Salvation

We believe man's salvation and reconciliation are experienced through renouncing his own proud self-determination, taking responsibility for his sinful disobedience, turning from his sin, and seeking forgiveness from God. Further, we believe such a penitent person must put a personal faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, trusting in His saving work on the cross, where He died for our sin.


Finally, we believe that this salvation of man is wholly a work of God's free unmerited grace and is not the result of human goodness, works, or religious ceremony. God imputes His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, their sin having been laid on Christ as their substitute in His death on the cross, and thereby justifying them in His sight. This is called in Scripture our "justification" in Christ through His life and His work on the cross. Also, for everyone who, by faith, receives this gift of righteousness, God also makes them His child, and they become a member of His family, and a co-heir with Christ. Scriptures refer to this as our "adoption" in Christ, and is the gift of a new identity and status as a son or daughter of God.

The Priesthood Of Believers And Covenant Life

We believe in the great reformation doctrine of the priesthood of the believer. By the shedding of His blood on the cross, Jesus invoked a New Covenant and has become the believer's High Priest, making it possible for each Christian to have free access to the presence of the Father. In His presence, each one can know God and can receive from Him. Each Christian, likewise, is responsible to come to the Father in confidence and faith as a priest unto Him under the New Covenant.


We believe God is a covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. He has made promises to those who are, by faith in Jesus Christ, under the New Covenant covered by His blood shed on the cross. When one accepts Jesus as Lord, he pledges his life also to the will of God. Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to abide in us and to seal this covenant, writing it on our hearts. We also believe that in this covenant which God has sealed, we can have security about our future and about our eternity. We are confident that God will keep us to the end of our lives, as we remain faithful to Him. Therefore it is our privilege as believers to not live in fear of losing our salvation, yet not in presumption with unrepentant sin or rebellion, but diligently continuing in our faith to the end of our lives.

The Church

We believe the very nature and purpose of God is revealed in and through His Church. Jesus Christ has established the Church as His Body in the earth. We believe that the universal church consists of all who confess and live under Jesus' Lordship, both those on earth and those in heaven. The local church is a body of believing people in a locality joined together as a church family. Since the Church is one, as God is one, the local Church must seek to walk in harmony with the universal Church, especially in the city in which they are located.

Evangelism, Missions, And The Extension Of The Kingdom

We believe the gospel of Jesus Christ is to be preached to all men through both word and action, for it is through hearing and responding to the gospel that men are saved. Every believer is called to be a witness for Christ, and the local Church is to actively and creatively engage and evangelize its community and culture, thereby extending the reign of Christ as men and women surrender to His loving rule over their lives. Also, both believers individually and the Church corporately are to extend the Kingdom of God by acts of mercy and love to the poor, oppressed, broken, and sick, and to the widow and the orphan, becoming Christ's instrument of grace to a needy world. In addition, the Church is to be a prophetic people in our lifestyles and a prophetic voice for justice, righteousness, and truth, living and speaking as "salt and light" in a world and a culture held in bondage to sin and the god of this age.


We believe in the biblical call upon the church for world evangelization. We accept the commission of Jesus Christ to proclaim the Gospel and to make disciples for Him in all nations, to baptize them and teach them to observe His commandments. We desire to partner with others to accomplish this urgent task of world missions, fulfilling the biblical vision of a "sending church", and carrying God's heart for the unreached peoples of the world.

Christ's Return, The Final Judgement, And The Resurrection

We believe Jesus Christ will return to the earth in a visible way. His purpose will be to manifest His government and peace in the earth. Christians are exhorted to be watchful and obedient until His appearing. While there are many viewpoints concerning the details of His second coming, we believe Christians should not give their primary attention to these theological debates but lovingly look for His appearing, giving full attention to spiritual sensitivity and obedience while He tarries. We believe His appearing will occasion the resurrection of the righteous who have died and are now with Him.


We believe that when a Christian dies he goes immediately into heaven and the presence of God. Then, at the end of the age, after Christ's return, there will be a final judgment. All men, the righteous and wicked, shall stand before Him and be judged. Those who have been regenerated, made righteous by Christ's atonement for their sin, will be rewarded the privilege of ruling with Him and enjoying His eternal presence and blessings, having been fully freed from indwelling sin and given an immortal resurrected body. This is what the Scriptures call our "glorification" in Christ, and is the consummation of our redemption in a new heavens and a new earth which He will create. Those who were rebellious and wicked will be eternally separated from God and punished for their sin.

*  Note: this page may be modified from time to time as we try to clarify the wording.

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