WHAT WE BELIEVE

The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21).

There is one God, He exists in the TRINITY as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  Eternally existent in three persons in distinction and relationship: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  The Trinity is one, existing and working together, not independently of each other. (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; John 14:16,17; Luke 1:35; 1 Corinthians 1:24; Matthew 11:25-27; 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; 1 John 1:3,4;  John 5:17-30,32,37; 8:17,18).

Man was created good and upright. However, man by voluntary transgression fell and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death  (Gen. 1:26-31, 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21)

Man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
Salvation is received through true repentance of our sins toward God and declaring of faith the Lord Jesus Christ. By the cleansing of the Holy Spirit, by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God with the promise of eternal life (Luke 24:47; John 3:3; Romans 10:13-15;Titus 2:11).  

The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit. The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness. For anyone to know God, regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential. (Romans 8:16; Ephesians 4:24; Titus 2:12; John 6:44, 65)

Believers of Jesus, Christians,  have invited the Lord Jesus Christ to come into their lives and live inside them by His Holy Spirit. True followers of Jesus relinquish the authority of their lives over to Hand allow Jesus to be the Lord of their life as well as Savior. They put their trust in what Jesus accomplished for them when He died, was buried, and rose again from the dead. (John 1:12; John 14:17, 23; John 15:4; Romans 8:11; Revelation 3:20)

All who repent and believe on Christ as Savior and Lord are to be baptized. Each new convert is commanded by the Word of God to be baptized in water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit to declare to the world that they have died with Christ and that they also have been raised with Him to walk in newness of life (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 10:47,48; Romans 6:4).

All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian church. Given at Pentecost, it is the promise of the Father, sent by Jesus after His Ascension, to empower the Church to preach the Gospel throughout the whole earth. . This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4,8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31; Acts 8:12-17; 10:44-46; 11:14-16; 15:7-9).
See also: John 7:37-39; Acts 4:8; Acts 2:43; Hebrews 12:28; Acts 2:42;and Mark 16:20.

The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus’ great commission. Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral part of the church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
God’s purpose concerning man is to seek and to save that which is lost, to be worshiped by man, to build a body of believers in the image of His Son, and to demonstrate His love and compassion for all the world. The Church is an agent God for evangelizing the world; a corporate body where we can worship God; a channel of God’s purpose.  We are to be a people who demonstrate God’s love and compassion for all the world.  (Ephesians 1:22,23; 2:22; Hebrews 12:23; Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:19,20; Mark 16:15,16; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 4:11-16; 1 Corinthians 12:28; 14:12; Psalms 112:9; Galatians 2:10; 6:10; James 1:27)

Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified body three days after His death on the cross. In addition, both the saved and the lost will be resurrected; they are saved to the resurrection of life and they that are lost to the resurrection of eternal damnation. (Luke 24:16, 36, 39; John 2:19-21, 20:26-28, 21:4; Acts 24:15; I Corinthians 15:42, 44; Philippians 1:21-23, 3:21)

Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second time to establish His Kingdom. This will occur at a date undisclosed by the Scriptures.
 (Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; I Thessalonians 4:15-17; II Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 1:7)

There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be sentenced to everlasting punishment in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Matthew 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Revelation 19:20; 20:1115; 21:8).

After living one life on earth, the unbelievers will be judged by God and sent to Hell where they will be eternally tormented with the Devil and the Fallen Angels. (Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Hebrews 9:27; Revelation 14:9-11, 20:12-15, 21:8)

The one true God has revealed himself as the eternally self-existent “I AM,” the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10,11; Matthew 28:19; Luke 3:22).

Jesus Christ is the Son God. Jesus was both 100% God and 100% man.
·       He was born of a virgin  (Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:31,35)
·       He lived a sinless life on Earth (Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22)
·       He performed miracles (Acts 2:22; 10:38)
·       He died on the cross for mankind and paid for our sins through His shed blood (1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21)
·       He rose from the dead on the third day (Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:39; 1 Corinthians 15:4)
·       He ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory (Acts 1:9,11; 2:33; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 1:3)

We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts.
(Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22)

Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance we receive forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation. (Acts 2:21, 3:19; I John 1:9)

The Blood that Jesus Christ shed on the Cross is 100% sufficient to cleanse mankind of all sin. Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and our sins, enabling all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death. (I John 1:7; Revelation 1:5, 5:9; Colossians 1:20; Romans 3:10-12, 23, 5:9; John 1:29)

Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of dedication to God. By the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to obey the command: “Be ye holy, for I am holy”.  Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Spirit (Romans 12:1,2; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 13:12; Romans 6:1-11,13; 8:1,2,13; Galatians 2:20; 1 Peter 1:15,16; Hebrews 12:14; Philippians 2:12,13; 1 Peter 1:5).

The Lord’s Supper, consisting of the elements—bread and the fruit of the vine—is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ; a memorial of His suffering and death; and a prophecy of His second coming; and is enjoined on all believers “till He come!”.  The elements of bread and grape juice (the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) are taken in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross (2 Peter 1:4; 1 Corinthians 11:26; 1 Corinthians 11:26; Matthew 26:26-29; I Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-25).

The baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance. In this instance is the same in essence as the gift of tongues, but different in purpose and use (Acts 2:4; 1 Corinthians 12:4-10,28).

Divine healing is an integral part of the gospel. Healing of the sick is illustrated in the life and ministry of Jesus, and included in the commission of Jesus to His disciples. It is given as a sign to unbelievers. It is also a part of Jesus’ work on the Cross and one of the gifts of the Spirit.  Deliverance from sickness is provided for in Jesus’ work on the Cross the Atonement and is the privilege of all believers (Psalm 103:2-3; Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:16-17; Mark 16:17-18; Acts 8:6-7; James 5:14-16; I Corinthians 12:9, 28; Romans 11:29)

The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is the imminent and blessed hope of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17; Romans 8:23; Titus 2:13; 1 Corinthians 15:51,52).

The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on the earth for one thousand years. This millennial reign will bring the salvation of national Israel and the establishment of universal peace.
(Zechariah 14:5; Matthew 24:27,30; Revelation 1:7; 19:11-14; 20:1-6; Ezekiel 37:21,22; Zephaniah 3:19,20; Romans 11:26,27; Isaiah 11:6-9; Psalm 72:3-8; Micah 4:3,4)

Heaven is the eternal dwelling place for all believers in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
(Matthew 5:3, 12, 20, 6:20, 19:21, 25:34; John 17:24; II Corinthians 5:1; Hebrews 11:16; I Peter 1:4)

“We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21,22)