What We Believe
The Bible
We believe the Bible in its entirety. The Bible is God's inspired, inerrant, Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It contains all that is necessary for salvation and instruction for how we are to live.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:20-21)
God
God has always existed. He is the Sustainer and Ruler of all things. He exists in three personalities, the Trinity - The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God. (Matthew 28:19-20, Deuteronomy 6:4)
God the Father
God created all things and without Him, nothing exists. He is transcendent above all things, which means He is sovereign, just, and holy. God is also immanent and personal and seeks to relate to all people as Father. He is tenderhearted, kind, and compassionate towards humanity. (Genesis 1:1-31, 2:1-3, Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Isaiah 64:8, John 3:16, Revelation 1:8)
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. He is the only way to get to God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born as a man of the Virgin Mary without ever ceasing to be God. While on this earth, He lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on the cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven’s glory to sit at the right hand of God the Father, to continually pray for those who follow Him. He will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
(1 John 4:9, Matthew 1:18-25, Romans 5:10, Romans 8:34, Acts 1:11)
The Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, sanctification (making us holy), understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily.
(John 16:7-13, 1 Corinthians 6:19, 1 Peter 1:2, Ephesians 5:18)
Human Beings
People are created in the image of God. Although we are created in His image, we still all choose sin which separates us from God. We are unable to choose right and spiritually dead apart from God's grace. We are all guilty and in need of a Savior to provide forgiveness for our sins.
(Genesis 1:27, Isaiah 59:2, Romans 3:23, Ephesians 2:1)
Salvation
Salvation is the free, gracious gift of God that is received by faith and not by anything we do. God's grace comes before salvation and shows us that we are sinners (conviction), and enables us to respond to Jesus in faith. We are saved when we turn from our sins (repent), and believe on Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior.
We believe eternal life begins the moment one believes on Jesus Christ, but it is possible even after experiencing salvation to reject the command to follow Jesus. So it is necessary to maintain by God’s power, our faith in Jesus (demonstrated by obedience) in order to keep God’s gift of salvation.
(Romans 3:28, Ephesians 2:8-9, Titus 2:11, Galatians 3:26, Hebrews 6:4-6)
Entire Sanctification
All humans are born with a "sin nature," an attitude of disobedience toward God. This nature is not our fault, therefore cannot be forgiven in salvation. It must be cleansed from our hearts by the Holy Spirit. This "second work" of God's grace is called "entire sanctification." This "second work takes place when a believer surrenders his life completely to God as a "living sacrifice." This "second work" cleanses us from our "sin nature" and empowers us to more effectively serve Jesus. We continue to grow in this grace by responding to the Holy Spirit as He guides us.
(Acts 15:8-9, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, Romans 12:1-2, Acts 1:8, Galatians 5:16)
Eternity, Heaven and Hell
We believe that there is conscious, personal existence after death. The final destiny of each person is decided by their response to God's grace and not by any arbitrary decree of God. Those who are righteous through faith in Jesus will live for eternity in the new heavens and new earth with God. Those who reject God will dwell forever separated from God in a lake of fire called Hell.
(Daniel 12:2, Hebrews 2:1-3, 2 Peter 3:13, Matthew 25:41)