DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

The Bible

We believe that the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, is verbally inspired by God, without error in the original writings, and is the supreme and final authority for every aspect of faith and life (Rom.15:4; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:21).

The Godhead

We believe there is one God, Creator of all things and eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each is a Person distinct from the others, but inseparable, coequal, coeternal, unlimited and unchanging in power, presence and knowledge. All are worthy of the same worship and obedience (Gen. 1:26; Deut. 6:4; Matt. 28:19; Acts5:3-4; Rom. 11:33-36; 1 Cor. 8:6; 2 Cor. 13:14; Eph. 4:4-6; Col. 1:16-17; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 1:8-10).

Christ

We believe in the full humanity and full deity of our Lord Jesus Christ; His virgin birth, His sinless life, His miracles, His substitutionary death, His bodily resurrection, His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His personal return in power and glory (Luke 1: 35; Rom. 1: 3-4; 1 Cor. 15:1-8; Phil. 2:6-11).

The Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, coequal with the Father and the Son. It is the Holy Spirit who convicts unbelievers of their sin and condemnation before God, and regenerates the hearts of believing sinners. He baptizes the believer into the Body of Christ. He also seals, indwells, enlightens, equips for service, and empowers the believer to live a godly life (John 16:7-8; Acts 5:3-4; 1 Cor. 2:10-12; 6:19; 12:13; 2 Cor. 3:18; Gal. 5:16-26; Eph. 1:13-14; 4:4-6; Tit. 3:5).

Humanity and Sin

We believe that God created the first man and woman in His own spiritual image and likeness. They disobeyed God, died spiritually and became subject to physical death. As their descendants, we are all sinners both by nature and by choice, and are totally unable of ourselves to do anything pleasing to God (Gen. 1:26-27; Isa. 64:6-7; John 15:5; Rom. 3:9-23; 5:12; 8:5-8; Eph. 2:1-3; Tit.3:5).

Salvation

We believe that God justifies ungodly sinners solely by His grace upon the grounds of the sacrificial blood of Jesus Christ and His Resurrection. This complete salvation is given as the free gift of God through faith, apart from our works. Only those who trust in Jesus Christ are born of the Spirit and become children of God (John 1:11-13; 3:16; Rom. 3:24-28; 10:9-13; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; 2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-9).

Eternal Security

We believe that all believers are eternally saved through Christ and are sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption (John10:28-29; Rom. 8:1; 8:28-39; Eph. 1:13-14; 4:30; Col. 3:1-4; 2 Thess. 2:13-14; 1 John 5:11-13).

Sanctity of Life

We recognize all human beings are made in the image of God and created as male and female; thus every human being has been granted by God the right to life from conception, or the functional equivalent thereof until his or her natural death. Therefore, the intentional killing of an innocent human being violates God’s lasting commandment, “You shall not murder” (Gen. 1:26, 9:6; Ex. 20:13; Psa. 139:13-14).

Sanctity of Marriage

We recognize that marriage is between one man and one woman for life and that God has designed sexual relations to be enjoyed only within the God-ordained marriage relationship

(Gen. 2:24; Matt. 19:4-6; Eph. 5:22-23; Heb. 13:4).

Dispensations

We believe that the Holy Scriptures are best understood through the framework of Dispensational Theology. The Bible is clear that God deals in different ways, at different times with different people. These changes in the outworking of God’s plan are referred to as “dispensations.”

We recognize several distinct dispensations, or administrations, in Scripture. Each is marked by revelation from God specific only to that dispensation. The current dispensation, God’s plan for the Church, the Body of Christ, “the mystery” revealed to the Apostle Paul, is distinct from God’s plan for the nation of Israel. We find in Paul’s writings alone the revelation, position and destiny of the Church (Rom. 16:25-27; 1 Cor. 15:51-54; Gal. 1:11-12; Eph. 3:1-12; Col. 1:24-29; 2 Tim. 2:15).

The Church

We believe that all in this dispensation who are saved by faith in Jesus Christ are united together in the one true Church, the Body of Christ, of which He is the Head. God’s specific truth of and for this Church was first revealed through the Apostle Paul. This Church began historically with Paul before the writing of his first epistle (1 Cor. 12:13, 27; Eph. 1:22-23; 3:1-11; Col. 1:18, 24-25).

Spiritual Gifts

We believe that God has given believers spiritual gifts with which to serve the Lord for the building up of the Body of Christ (Rom.12:3- 8; 1 Cor. 12:1-31; Eph. 4:7-16). Some of the spiritual gifts that operated in the Church were temporary in nature and were intended for its infancy, including the official offices of apostle and prophet. Other gifts, such as miraculous powers, the gift of healing, tongues and the interpretation of tongues, revelations and visions ceased (Rom. 11:11-36; 1 Cor. 1:22; 13:8-13; 2 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 2:20; Phil. 2:25-26; 1 Tim. 5:23; 2 Tim. 4:20). We do believe that God is sovereign and able to operate in miraculous ways as He desires Eph. 3:20).

The Believer’s Walk

We believe that, as a result of Christ’s victory over sin and the indwelling Holy Spirit, all of the saved may and should experience deliverance from the power of sin in their daily lives. This comes through constant submission to the Holy Spirit and obedience to God’s Word. Since sinless perfection is not a possibility in this life, we must consciously work in harmony with the Holy Spirit (Ps. 119:9-11; Rom. 6:6-14; 1 Cor. 10:12-13; 2 Cor. 2:14; 10:2-5; Gal. 5:16-25; Phil. 2:12-13).

Baptism

We believe that the Holy Spirit places all believers into the Body of Christ at the moment of salvation by one spiritual baptism. Through this work of the Holy Spirit, we are identified with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. The Bible also speaks of other baptisms, some are spiritual in nature and others were ritualistic and played a key part in God’s program with Israel. While those baptisms all had importance in the past, Scripture speaks of this divine baptism as the one and only baptism that is operative today. Therefore, we practice no other baptism. We emphasize this spiritual baptism as foundational to the unity of all believers (Rom. 6:3-4; 1 Cor. 1:17; 12:12-13; Gal. 3:26-27; Eph. 4:3-6; Col. 2:9-12; Heb. 9:9-10).

The Lord’s Supper

We believe that the Lord’s Supper (i.e., Communion or the Lord’s Table) is a memorial of the broken body and shed blood of Christ on the Cross. We believe the elements are only symbolic, serving as a sacred reminder and proclamation of Christ’s death until He comes again. Participation in the Lord’s Supper is open to every believer who is in fellowship with Christ (1 Cor. 10:14-22; 11:17-34).

Resurrection

We believe in the physical resurrection of the dead. Jesus Christ was resurrected bodily, and therefore everyone will have a bodily resurrection. The saved will be raised to eternal glory and the unsaved to eternal punishment (Luke 24:39-43; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15; 1 Cor. 15:12-24; Phil. 3:21; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Rev. 20:4-6, 11-15).

The Return of Christ

We believe the Lord Jesus Christ will personally come to take His Church to heaven, commonly referred to as “the Rapture of the Church.” All members of the Body of Christ, both living and dead, will be caught up together to meet the Lord in the air. This event is imminent and will take place prior to the Tribulation that will come upon the earth (1 Cor. 15:51-53; Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; Titus 2:13-14). After the seven year Tribulation period, Jesus Christ will return in power to establish His Kingdom upon the earth (Jer. 30:7; Dan. 9:20-27; Zech. 14:4, 9; Matt. 24:15-41; Rev. 19:11-16; 20:1-4).

State of the Dead

We believe that immediately after death all people exist in a state of consciousness that will last forever. The believer of this dispensation passes directly into the presence of Christ in Heaven. All of the unsaved dead enter a state of conscious eternal suffering without any hope of salvation (Luke 16:23-28; John 3:36; 2 Cor. 5:6-8; Phil. 1:23; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Heb. 9:27; Rev. 14:11; 20:10-15).

Mission

We believe our mission is to bring glory to God as we proclaim the message of reconciliation to all the unsaved; as we equip and train the saved for the spiritual and physical growth of the Body of Christ; and as we serve all people through acts of grace and compassion. In this way we make plain to everyone the unsearchable riches of Christ according to the dispensation of the mystery (Rom. 12:9-21; 16:25-27; 1 Cor. 10:31-11:1; 2 Cor. 5:14-21; Gal. 2:10; 6:10; Eph. 3:8-9; 4:11-16; Phil. 2:1-8; Col. 4:3-6; 1 Tim. 2:3-7).