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| STATEMENT OF FAITH |
THE BIBLE |
| We believe that the Bible (consisting
of the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament and the
twenty-seven books of the New Testament) is the inspired and
inerrant Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). |
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| ONE GOD |
| We believe that there is one God
(Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Corinthians 8:4; James 2:19), eternally
existent in three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son,
and God the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:26; Matthew 28:19; Luke 3:2;
2 Corinthians 13:14). |
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| JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD |
| We believe that Jesus is the Son of
God; co-equal and co-eternal with God the Father (John 1:1). He
was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the
virgin Mary (Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:26-35); lived a sinless life
(1 Peter 1:19; 2:22); died as the sinner’s substitute (2
Corinthians 5:21); rose again the third day (1 Corinthians
15:3-6); ascended into heaven where He intercedes for believers
(Acts 1:9-11; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 1:3; 7:25); and is coming
again a second time to judge the quick and the dead (Acts 1:11;
2 Timothy 4:1; Revelation 22:12). |
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| HOLY SPIRIT IS GOD |
| We believe that the Holy Spirit is also
God, co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and Son (1
Corinthians 2:10; 3:16; 6:19; and Acts 5:1-5). He convicts the
world of sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:8-11). He
actively works in the conversion of the sinner (John 3:5-8) and
permanently indwells believers (John 14:16-17; Romans 8:9; 1
Corinthians 6:19-20), equipping them for service (1 Peter
4:10-11) and sealing them until the day of redemption (Ephesians
4:30). |
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| MAN WAS CREATED IN GOD'S IMAGE |
| We believe that man was created by God
in His own image (Genesis 1:26-27). Although the image of God in
man was obscured by the fall (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12), it was
not obliterated. Therefore, every human life is worthy of
respect and dignity, from conception onward (Psalm 139:13-17).
Furthermore, we believe that gender is not a random act of
nature, but the loving gift of God (Genesis 1:27). Having
created gender, God has also assigned different roles to men and
women in the church and family. We also believe that marriage is
between one man and one woman (Matthew 19:4-6). |
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| SALVATION |
| We believe that salvation is by grace
through faith in Jesus Christ and not of works (John 3:16; Acts
16:31; Ephesians 2:8). Because of the finished work of Christ on
the cross (John 19:30; Hebrews 9), any convinced sinner who
turns from their dead works (wicked deeds and worthless deeds)
and looks alone to Jesus Christ as their only hope shall be
saved (Romans 4:5). This salvation involves: deliverance from
sin’s penalty presently (Romans 8:1); deliverance from sin’s
power progressively; and deliverance from sin’s presence
perfectly when the believer reaches heaven. We believe that God
saves sinners-men as God finds them, guilty, proud, helpless,
powerless, unable to life a finger to do God’s will or to
improve their spiritual lot. We believe God saves sinners-and
the force of this confession must not be weakened by disrupting
the unity of the work of the Trinity, or by dividing the
achievement of salvation between God and man and making the
decisive part man’s own decision. |
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| NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH |
| We believe that a New Testament church
is a church where the true gospel is preached, the two
ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper are administered,
and believers watch over one another in love and concern. A true
New Testament Church will be Christ centered, Biblically guided,
elder led, practice church discipline guided by (Matthew
18:15-19) and will find a way to minister to the poor and needy! |
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| BAPTISM |
| We believe that baptism is the
immersion of the believer in the name of the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Ghost (Matthew 28:19) and symbolizes the believer’s
faith in and union with a crucified, buried, and risen Savior
(Romans 6:3-4). The Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of the
Redeemer’s suffering (Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 11:24-25)
and an anticipation of His Second Coming (Matthew 26:29; 1
Corinthians 11:26). |
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| TRULY SAVED |
| We believe that every person who is
truly saved will endure to the end (John 10:28-30; Romans
8:30-38). This is so because of the Father’s purpose (Romans
8:28-29); the Son’s purchase and prayer (Luke 22:31-32; Hebrews
7:25); and the Holy Spirit’s presence (Ephesians 4:30). |
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| THE RESURRECTION |
We believe in the resurrection of the
saved and lost, the one to everlasting life, and the other to
everlasting damnation (Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29). We reject the
doctrine of annihilation for unbelievers and hold to the
teaching of Christ concerning the eternal torment of hell
(Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:46; Luke 16:23-26).
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