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Section 1. The Doctrine of the Scriptures
We believe in the verbal (the very words) plenary (all the words) inspiration of the Scriptures in the original manuscripts (2 Timothy 3:16); that the 66 books which comprise the Old and New Testaments are equally inspired and without error or contradiction; that by virtue of the superintendence and empowering of the Holy Spirit, the human writers wrote not their private interpretations but the very words of God (2 Peter 1:20-21); that the Scriptures are eternal in nature (Ps. 119:89) and we recognize, based on our possession of a great number of existing manuscripts, that God, by his gracious providence, has preserved the Scriptures throughout all ages in a state of essential purity; that the Scriptures are the final authority in all matters pertaining to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), and are profitable for teaching, conviction, correction, and a continued walk in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16).
Section 2. The Doctrine of God
We believe in the one true and living God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:6,8), the Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth (Psalm 104), who exists eternally in three distinct persons (God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit) yet coequal in every divine perfection and attribute (Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
We believe that God possesses divine attributes that go beyond (transcend) the finite capabilities of any creature, including infinite knowledge (omniscience, Psalm 147:5; Proverbs 15:3), infinite presence (omnipresence, Psalm 139:7-8; Jeremiah 23:23-24), infinite power (omnipotence, Genesis 18:14; Job 42:2), immutability (Hebrews 6:17-18; James 1:17), and unique holiness (Exodus 15:11).
We believe that God possesses certain moral attributes in absolute perfection that He expects man to emulate, such as holiness (Leviticus 11:44; Isaiah 6:3), love (1 John 4:7-10), trustworthiness (Ps. 100:5), righteousness (2 Chronicles 12:6), goodness (Psalm 52:1), benevolence (Psalm 145:9), mercy (Ephesians 2:4), purity (Job 4:17), and grace (1 Peter 2:3).
Section 3. The Doctrine of Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is eternal God (John 1:1-2; Micah 5:2; Romans 9:5; Hebrews 1:8) and worthy of glory, honor, and worship (Revelation 5:12); that He became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:18; Isaiah 7:14), that He might reveal God the Father and redeem sinful man (John 1:12-14; Matt. 1:21-23).
We believe that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life, thereby qualifying Himself to be the substitutionary payment for the sins of the world (2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15); that He accomplished our redemption through the shedding of His blood in death on the cross (Romans 3:24-25; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7); and that He assured our justification by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (1 Peter 1:3-5).
We believe that Jesus Christ ascended into heaven and is now at the right hand of God, where, as our Great High Priest, He intercedes for us (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 4:14; 1 John 2:1) until He returns to rapture His saints and subsequently establish His millennial kingdom on earth (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Zechariah 14:4-11).
Section 4. The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3-4); that as a distinct person within the Godhead He possesses the attributes of personality (Matthew 12:31; Acts 5:3-4; 7:51; Ephesians 4:30; John 14:26); that He indwells every believer (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:19); that He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:8-11); and that He regenerates and sanctifies the believer (John 3:5-6; Titus 3:5; Romans 15:16).
We believe that the Holy Spirit’s work in the lives of Christians includes filling (Ephesians 5:18), making intercession (Romans 8:26), sealing unto the day of redemption (Ephesians 1:13-14), quickening (Romans 8:11-14), guiding (John 14:26), and bestowing gifts (Romans 12:4-8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-11; Ephesians 4:11). We believe that the sign gifts, used to authenticate the Apostolic office, ceased to exist with the death of the Apostles and closing of the New Testament canon (2 Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:3-4; 2 Peter 3:2; Ephesians 3:5).
Section 5. The Doctrine of Satan
We believe that Satan is a real and active being in whom no truth abides (John 8:44); that he fell from an exalted position in heaven due to his pride (Luke 10:18; 1 Timothy 3:6), taking a number of the angelic host with him in condemnation (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6); that Satan is the god of this world who blinds the minds of the unbeliever (2 Corinthians 4:4) and constantly battles and accuses the believer (Ephesians 6:11-12; Revelation 12:10).
We believe that Satan will seek whom he may devour (1 Peter 5:8) until the Millennial reign of Christ when he will be bound for one thousand years and then, subsequent to one final rebellion against Christ, be cast into the Lake of Fire to burn forever in utter torment (Revelation 20:1-6, 10).
Section 6. The Doctrine of Creation
We believe and accept by faith the literal creation of the universe by the direct act of God in six 24-hour days as recorded in the first two chapters of Genesis (Isaiah 45:12, 18; Hebrews 11:3; Colossians 1:16; John 1:1-3). We reject all theories of evolution, both theistic and atheistic, as they deny observable laws of nature (Romans 1:20), contradict the teaching of Scripture (Romans 5:12), and undermine the rightful authority of God over His own creation (Revelation 4:11).
Section 7. The Doctrine of Man
We believe that man was created in the image of God for His glory in a state of innocence (Genesis 1:26-27; James 3:9; Revelation 4:11), but by willful disobedience man sinned and as a result the whole human race fell and inherited a sin nature (Psalm 51:5; Romans 5:12;17-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22); that every man from Adam’s fall onward is a sinner by birth and by choice, thus alienated from God (Ephesians 2:12; Colossians 1:21) and utterly incapable apart from God of escaping his sinful condition or his rightful eternal punishment (Romans 3:10-23; John 3:19; Romans 5:6, 8).
Section 8. The Doctrine of Salvation
We believe that the salvation of sinners is a gift only by the grace of God (Romans 5:14-18; Romans 6:23), based on the substitutionary death and shed blood of Christ on the cross (Romans 3:24-26), and specifically excluding any meritorious good works by man on his own behalf (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5).
We believe that man receives salvation individually by a repentance from sin (Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19; Acts 20:21) and a personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31; Acts 20:21; Galatians 2:16); that once saved, all true believers will never totally or finally fall from grace; and that the power of God keeps them secure in Christ unto eternal and complete salvation (John 5:24; John 6:37-40; John 10:28-29; 1 John 5:13).
Section 9. The Doctrine of the Church
We believe that the local church is a group of professing believers united together for the purpose of worshiping and glorifying God, receiving religious instruction, fellowshipping with believers, observing the ordinances of the church, and rendering service to Christ (Ephesians 3:21; Ephesians 4:11-16; Hebrews 10:25; Acts 2:41-42; Matthew 28:19-20); that the local church is autonomous (self-governed), directly responsible to Christ who is the Head of the Church (Ephesians 5:23); and that God has established two official offices for the church, pastor and deacon (Philippians 1:1; Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11; 1 Timothy 3:1,10).
We believe that God gave the church two ordinances to observe, baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:38-42; Matthew 28:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). We believe that baptism is a symbol of a believer’s identification with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:3-5). We believe that immersion is the proper mode of baptism (Matthew 3:16) and that the only authority for baptism is the local church. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is a memorial of the broken body and shed blood of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 11:24-25) and that it is open to all true believers who are in a right standing with God (1 Corinthians 11:27-29).
Section 10. The Doctrine of Last Things
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Daniel 12:2-3; Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29; John 11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-6, 12-15). We believe in a literal heaven where Jesus Christ is presently preparing a place for believers (John 14:2-3). We also believe in a literal hell, originally prepared for the devil and his fallen angels (Matthew 25:41), consisting of everlasting torment, flames, punishment, and separation from God (Matthew 25:41, 46; Mark 9:47-48; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Isaiah 66:24).
We believe in the imminent bodily resurrection of deceased believers immediately followed by the catching away of living believers to meet the Lord Jesus in the air prior to the seven-year Great Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:1; 1 Corinthians 15:51-54; Matthew 24:44; Daniel 9:27; Revelation 13:5); that after the tribulation, Jesus Christ will return to earth to destroy the wicked and establish His thousand-year millennial reign on earth (Revelation 19:21-20:4); that at the conclusion of the Millennium, Jesus Christ will cast Satan and all of his evil forces into the Lake of Fire for their eternal destruction (Revelation 20:10), that He will sentence all unbelieving sinners to eternal damnation at the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:12-15), and that the redeemed of all ages, after receiving their rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10), shall, in glorified bodies, dwell with the triune God forever, to serve and enjoy Him in perfect peace and happiness (Revelation 21-22).
Section 11. Doctrine of Separation
We believe that we are mandated by God in the Scriptures to separate ourselves unto Christ and as much as possible from any participation in or endorsement of sin; from ecclesiastical organizations and religious personalities that deny the faith or compromise its message; from brethren that walk disorderly or who unrepentantly continue in sin or engage in the compromise aforementioned. Believers are not to enter marriage, partnerships, or other bonds with unbelievers that create an unequal yoke. We, therefore, urge every member to abstain from every questionable thing, keeping himself from even the appearance of evil in religion, dress, conversation, amusement, business, habit, and life, according to the teachings of God’s Word. (Romans 12:1-2; Romans 16:17; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18; Ephesians 2:8-10; 2 Thessalonians 3:11-15; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-16; 2 John 9-11).
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