What We Believe

The Scriptures Inspired: The bible is the Inspired Word of God, a revelation from God to man, the infallible rule of faith and conduct.  II Timothy 3:15-17; I Peter 1:23-25; Hebrews 4:12

The One True God: The One True God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent, self-revealed, “I AM” and as the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  Deuteronomy 6:4; Mark 12:29; Isaiah 43:10; Matt. 28:19

The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ:  The Lord Jesus Christ is the Eternal Son of God.  He is both divine and human.  Luke 1:26-38; John 14:1-3; Acts 2:36, 3:14-15; Philippians 2:5-12

The Fall of Man:  Man was created good and upright, for God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness,” but man, by voluntary transgression, fell, and his only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  Genesis 1:26, 3:107; Romans 5:12-21

Conditions to Salvation:  Repentance-Turn from sin to God, by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  
Acts 2:37-39, 16:30-34

Evidences of Salvation:  Inward evidence, to the believer, of his salvation, is the direct witness of the Spirit.  Romans 8:16. The outward evidence, to all men, is a life of righteousness and true holiness.

The Ordinances of the Church:

• Baptism of Water:  The ordinance of Baptism by burial with Christ should be observed as commanded in the scriptures, by all who have really repented and in their hearts, have truly believed on Christ as Savior and Lord.  In so doing, they declare to the world that they have died with Jesus, and that they have also been raised with Him to walk in newness of life.  Matt. 28:19; Acts 10:47; Romans 6:4
• Holy Communion:  The Lord’s supper, consisting of the elements, bread and the fruit of the vine, is the symbol expressing our partaking of the divine nature of our Lord, Jesus Christ.  It is a memorial of His suffering and death, and a prophecy of His second coming, and is enjoined on all believers “until He comes.”  John 6:45, 51, 53-57; Luke 22:19-20; II Peter 1:4; I Corinthians 11:26
• The Baptism of the Holy Spirit:  We believe the Holy Spirit to be the third person of the Trinity, whose purpose in the redemption of man is to convict men of sin, regenerate the repentant believer, guide the believer into all truth, indwell and give gifts to believers as He wills, that they may minister as Christ would to men.  We believe that the manifestations of the Holy Spirit operate in present day churches, which yield to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Luke 11:13; John 7:37-39, 14:16-17; Acts 2:39-48.  We believe that Jesus Christ is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit, therefore, we believe that the Baptism in the Holy spirit is for all believers.  As promised by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:11) and Jesus (Acts 1:4-5, 8) and Peter (Acts 2:38-41), Baptism of the Holy Spirit was witnessed by the early disciples (Acts 2:4, 10:44-47, 9:1-6) and is witnessed by present day disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.
• The Separated Life:  We believe that believers should seek, as the early disciples did, to practice the separated life from the world and unto Christ, and to set standards of conduct which shall exalt our Lord and His Church.  Romans 12:1-3; II Corinthians 6:17; Galatians 6:14; Ephesians 5:11; Colossians 3:17
• The Church:  The Church is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine power of the fulfillment of the great commission.  Every believer born of the spirit is an integral part of the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which are written in Heaven.  Ephesians 1:22; Hebrews 12:23
• The Ministry: A divine called, and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for a two-fold purpose:  1.  The Evangelism of the World.  2.  The Edifying of the Body of Christ. Mark 16:15-20; Ephesians 4:11-13, Matthew 28:18-20
• Divine Healing:  Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement.  Isa. 53:4-5; Matt. 8:16-17; Mark 16:18; John 5:14
• Second Coming:  We believe in the visible, bodily return of Christ Jesus to this earth to rapture His Church and judge the world.  Acts 1:10-11; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; II Thessalonians 1:7-10; James 5-8; Revelation 1:7
• Heaven and Hell:  We believe the scriptures clearly set forth the doctrines of eternal punishment of the lost and eternal bliss and service for the saved.  Hell for the unsaved, and Heaven for the saved.  Matt. 25:34, 41, 46; Luke 16:19-31; Revelation 20:11-15
• Priesthood of Believers:  We believe that each believer is a priest of the Lord and has direct access to the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ.  Each person must believe for himself, be baptized for himself, obey for himself, and answer to the Creator for himself.  Revelation 1:6
• The New Heavens and New Earth:  We, according to His promise, look for “new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelt righteousness.”  II Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:22