The Bible

We believe that the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are God’s Word¹, written through men², by inspiration of the Holy Spirit³. Therefore, The Bible is infallible—as originally given⁴, essential for instruction in faith and practice⁵, and the sufficient revelation of Christ Jesus. Therefore, the Word of God is our final authority⁶.

¹1Corinthians 14:37; Psalm 119; ²1 Peter 2:21; ³2 Timothy 3:16; ⁴Psalm 12:6; ⁵Romans 15:4; 2 Timothy 3:14-16; Luke 22:27, 44-45; Acts 17:2-3; 2 Peter 3:16; ⁶Hebrews 4:12

God

Regarding God’s nature, we believe in one God¹—eternal², living³, holy⁴, true⁵, and all-glorious⁶, existing in three distinct persons, while sharing divine perfection in their one essence⁷, comprising of the Father⁸, the Son⁹, and the Holy Spirit¹⁰.

¹Deuteronomy 6:4; ²Genesis 1:1; ³Matthew 16:16; ⁴Isaiah 6:3; ⁵Romans 3:4; ⁶Psalm 138:5; ⁷John 17:21; ⁸Malachi 2:10; ⁹John 1:1; 5:18; ¹⁰John 15:26

As to God’s divine perfection, we believe He is unchanging¹, boundless in knowledge², infinite in power³, limitless in His presence⁴, perfect in His wisdom⁵, justice⁶, mercy, grace, faithfulness, and love⁷.

¹Numbers 23:19; ²Isaiah 46:9-10; ³Jeremiah 32:17; ⁴Jeremiah 23:24; ⁵Romans 11:33; ⁶Deuteronomy 32:4; ⁷Exodus 34:6

As to God’s character, we believe that God has revealed himself truly¹, though not exhaustively², in His creation³, in the human conscience⁴, and by divine revelation through His Word—The Bible. In so doing, He has displayed His regard for His creatures⁵.

¹Hebrews 1:1-3; ²Romans 11:33-36; ³Romans 1:17; ⁴Romans 2:15; ⁵Hebrews 1:1-2

As to God’s work, we believe the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit share in the work of creation¹, providential governance², judgment³, and salvation⁴.

¹Genesis 1:1, 26; Psalm 33:6; ²Romans 11:33-36; ³Acts 10:42; ⁴Psalm 34:22

God the Father

Regarding God the Father’s nature, we believe He is an eternal personal spirit¹, and the source of all authority².

¹John 6:46; ²Matthew 28:18

As to God the Father’s work in creation, we believe that by His decree, He created all things.

Genesis 1:1; 1 Corinthians 8:6

As to God the Father’s work in redemption, we believe that by His decree He has purchased a people and adopted them as his children out of this world¹, to conform them to the image of His Son², to the praise of His glorious name³.

¹Ephesians 1:3-4; ²Romans 8:28-29; ³Ephesians 1:11-12

God the Son

Regarding God the Son’s nature, we believe that He is the Son of God¹, being of one essence with the Father², eternally proceeding from Him, and without beginning³. He was conceived in the flesh by the Holy Spirit⁴, born of a virgin⁵, and is both fully God and fully man⁶.

¹John 20:31; ²Colossians 2:9; ³Colossians 1:15-16; ⁴Matthew 1:18; ⁵Matthew 1:23; ⁶John 6:46, 10:30, 38; Titus 2:13; Philippians 2:6-8; Colossians 1:15-17; 2:9; Revelation 4:11

As to God the Son’s work in creation, we believe that He, as the very Word of God¹, is the agent by which all things were created², and are ever-sustained³.

¹John 1:14; ²John 1:3; ³Hebrews 1:3; Colossians 1:15-17

As to God the Son’s work in redemption, we believe that He lived a perfectly obedient life¹, died a substitutionary death, having been crucified on a cross to atone for our sins², rose bodily from the dead³, and ascended into the heavens⁴, as witnessed by many⁵, where He now advocates at the right hand of the Father⁶ on behalf of those who believe in Him⁷.

¹Hebrews 4:15; ²1 Corinthians 15:3; ³1 Corinthians 15:4; ⁴Luke 24:29-43, 51-53; ⁵1 Corinthians 15:5-8; ⁶1 John 2:1; Hebrews 7:25; ⁷Romans 1:16; Ephesians 2:8-9

God the Holy Spirit

Regarding the nature of God the Holy Spirit, we believe that He is eternally proceeding from God the Father and God the Son, while comprehending and revealing the thoughts of God.

John 14:26; 15:26; 1 Corinthians 2:8-11

As to God the Holy Spirit’s work, we believe He is sent by the Father and Son¹ to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment², to bring to spiritual life from spiritual death³, and to permanently indwell the saints⁴, sealing⁵, sanctifying⁶, guiding⁷, teaching⁸, equipping⁹, and comforting¹⁰ all those who believe in Jesus.

¹John 7:39, 14:26-27, 15:26; ²John 16:8; ³John 3:6-8; ⁴Romans 8:9; ⁵Ephesians 1:13; ⁶Ezekiel 36:26-27; ⁷John 16:13; ⁸Ezekiel 36:26-27; ⁹1 Corinthians 12:7-10; ¹⁰Acts 9:31

Humanity and Its Destiny

Regarding humanity, we believe that we were created in the image of God¹, first with Adam from the dust of the ground, and then Eve from Adam’s side². Thus, they are the historical parents of the human race, originally being without sin, and created to love and enjoy God³.

¹Genesis 1:26-27; ²Genesis 2:7; ³Genesis 1:22, 28

We believe that although God created mankind upright¹, our first parents were led into sin by personal disobedience to the revealed will of God². It was in this manner they fell from their original innocence and communion with God³.

¹Ecclesiastes 7:29a; ²Ecclesiastes 7:29b; Romans 1:21-23; Genesis 3:17; ³Genesis 3:1-7

Thereby, as head of the human race, through Adam’s fall became the fall of all his posterity, thus separating humanity from God, and properly incurring a nature of corruption, hostility, guilt, death, and condemnation.

Romans 1:21-32, 3:23, 5:9-10, 12-19; 1 Corinthians 15:21-22; Colossians 2:13

Therefore, we believe that every human being is enslaved to sin¹, and morally incapable² of loving and honoring God, and therefore facing eternal judgment and wrath from Him³.

¹John 8:34; ²Romans 6:16, 20, 23, 8:7-8; ³John 3:36

Humanity and Salvation

We believe that God the Father, in His desire to save humanity, sent His Son—Jesus—to die as a sinless¹ substitute for sinners² once for all³, and to rise from the dead, thus guaranteeing and securing the resurrection to eternal life for those who believe in Him⁴ and His substitutionary work—which is the gospel.

¹2 Corinthians 5:21; ²Romans 5:8-21; Titus 3:3-7; ³Romans 6:10; ⁴1 Corinthians 15:20-22; Philippians 3:20-21; Colossians 1:21-22, 2:13

We believe that because of man’s corrupt nature and incapability to submit to God, God freely saves by regenerating the heart, by the power of the Holy Spirit¹, through the hearing of the gospel—Jesus’s life, death, resurrection, and ascension². It is His work that guarentees³ redemption⁴ for those who place their individual faith⁵ in His person and work alone⁶.

¹Ezekiel 36:26-27; ²1 Corinthians 2:14, 15:3-5, 45; ³Ephesians 1:14; Jude 24-25; ⁴Hebrews 9:12; ⁵Acts 17:30; John 5:24; Romans 3:23-26; ⁶Ephesians 2:8-9

Satan

Regarding Satan, we believe he is a powerful being¹ who was created by God² and consigned to reign over this present world³. His work includes destroying⁴, murdering⁵, deceiving⁶, and accusing⁷ humanity, constantly opposing God, while remaining under God’s sovereign control⁸.

¹Revelation 12:4-9; ²Ezekiel 28:12-16; ³1 John 5:19; 2 Corinthians 4:4; ⁴1 Peter 5:8; ⁵John 8:44; ⁶John 8:44; ⁷Zechariah 3:1; ⁸Job 1:6-12

We believe that for those who have placed their faith in Jesus and his redemptive work on their behalf, Satan has lost his condemning power¹ and at the appointed time, he will meet his final doom, being cast into the lake of fire forever².

¹Colossians 2:15; John 12:31; ²Jude 6-7; Revelation 20:10

The Church

Regarding the universal Church, we believe that she is comprised of all those who possess a persevering faith in Christ¹, both in generations past, present, and future. These are the saints of God who were called out of the world and into fellowship with Him², thus overcoming the world³, with Christ Jesus as her head⁴.

¹Hebrews 7:25; Ephesians 2:8-9; Revelation 5:9; ²Ephesians 1:3-4; ³1 John 5:4-5; ⁴Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 1:22

Regarding the local church, we believe that God has commanded her, for her joy, to regularly gather together in congregational worship¹, devoting themselves to the Word of God, prayer, the ministry of fellowship², in addition to the biblical ordinances of water baptism³ and participation of the Lord’s Table⁴.

¹1 Corinthians 16:19; Hebrews 10:24-25; ²Acts 2:42; Colossians 3:16; ³Matthew 28:19; ⁴1 Corinthians 11:23-26

Regarding the gifts of the local church, we believe that the Holy Spirit has dispensed on every saint different gifts for worship, the common good of the church body¹, and for the advancement of the gospel², to the glory of God among the nations³.

¹Ephesians 4:11-14; Romans 12:4-8; ²Romans 10:15; ³1 Peter 2:9, 4:11; Mark 16:15

The Return of Jesus

Regarding the return of Christ Jesus, we believe that the blessed hope of God’s children¹ is that at the appointed time He will return to His world personally², physically³ and suddenly⁴ in power and magnificent glory⁵.

¹Titus 2:13-14; ²Acts 1:9-11; Revelation 1:7; ³Mark 14:62; Philippians 3:20-21; ⁴1 Thessalonians 5:2-3; ⁵Luke 21:27

As to the last day, we believe that at His coming, God will bodily raise everyone from the dead.

Daniel 12:2; Acts 24:15; John 5:28-29; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9

As to the non-elect, God will judge all who suppressed the truth in unrighteousness¹ and consequently consign them to eternal conscious misery in Hell².

¹Romans 1:18; ²Matthew 3:12b; 10:28; 18:8; 25:31-46; Mark 3:29; Luke 16:26; Acts 17:31; Jude 12-13; 2 Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 14:11; 19:3; 20:10, 15

As to the elect, God will gather them into His consummated kingdom to share in His everlasting joy¹, in His presence² where they will reign with Jesus Christ forever in the New Heavens and New Earth³.

¹Matthew 3:12a, 24:30-31; ²Matthew 25:23, 46; John 3:16, 14:3; 1 Corinthians 15:22-24; 2 Timothy 4:1; Luke 22:28-30; ³Matthew 19:29; Romans 8:17; 1 Corinthians 2:9; Luke 22:29-30; 2 Timothy 2:12