1. We believe in THE Holy Scriptures; accepting fully the writings of the Old and New Testaments as the very Word of God, verbally inspired in all parts and therefore wholly without error as originally given of God, altogether sufficient in themselves as our only infallible practice. Psalm 119:160; Proverbs 30:5a; II Timothy 3:16, 17; II Peter 1:19-21.
2. We believe in THE ONE TRUE GOD: who is an intelligent, sovereign, spiritual and personal Being; perfect, infinite and eternal wisdom and power; absolutely separate from and above the world as its Creator, yet everywhere present in the world as the Upholder of all things. He is revealed to us as Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three distinct persons but without division of nature, essence or being, and each having a distinct ministry in God’s relation to His creation and people. Genesis 1:1; Exodus 15:11; Psalm 83:18; 139:7-9; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; 15:26.
3. We believe in THE LORD JESUS CHRIST: who is the second Person of the Triune God, the eternal Word and Only Begotten Son; that without any change in His divine Person, He became man by miracle of the Virgin Birth, thus to continue forever as both true God and true Man, one Person with two natures; that as Man He was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin; that as the perfect Lamb of God He gave Himself in death upon the cross, bearing there the sin of the world, and suffering its full penalty of divine wrath in our stead; that He arose from the grave in a glorified body; that as our great High Priest He ascended into Heaven, there to appear before the face of God as our advocate and Intercessor. John 1:1, 14; 3:16; Matthew 1:18-25; Galatians 4:4, 5; Philippians 2:6-10; I Corinthians 15:3-7; Hebrews 4:14-16; I John 2:1, 2.
4. We believe in THE HOLY SPIRIT: who is the third Person of the Trinity, and the divine Agent in nature, revelation and redemption; that He convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgment; that He regenerates, indwells, baptizes, seals and anoints all who become children of God through Christ; that He further empowers, guides, teaches, sanctifies and fills believers who daily surrender to Him. John 3:5; 14-16, 17, 26; 15:7-14; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:13; II Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 1:13; 5:18.
5. We believe ALL MEN ARE BY NATURE AND CHOICE SINFUL AND LOST: that man was the direct creation of God, made in His image and likeness; that by personal disobedience to the revealed will of God, man became a sinful creature, the father of a fallen race which is universally sinful in both nature and practice, thus alienated from the life and family of God, under the righteous judgment and wrath of God, and has within himself no possible means of salvation. Genesis 1:27; 3:6; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3:23; 5:12, 19; Galatians 3:11.
6. We believe in SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH: that salvation is the free gift of God, neither merited nor secured in part or in whole by any virtue or work of man, but received only by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and thereby become children of God. Salvation affects the whole man; that apart from Christ there is no possible salvation. Eph. 2:8, 9; John 1:12; Romans 8:1, I Peter 1:18, 19.
7. We believe in RIGHTEOUS LIVING AND GODLY WORKS: not as a means of salvation in any sense, but as its proper evidence and fruit; and therefore as Christians we should obey the Word of our Lord, seek the things which as above, walk as He walked, accept as our solemn responsibility and duty and privileges of bearing the gospel to a lost world; remembering that a victorious and fruitful Christian life is possible only for those who in gratitude for the infinite and undeserved mercies of God have presented themselves wholly to Christ. Ephesians 2:10; Romans 12:1, 2; Philippians 2:16
8. We believe in THE EXISTENCE OF SATAN: who originally was created a holy and perfect being, but through pride and wicked ambition rebelled against God, thus becoming utterly depraved in character, the great adversary of God and His people, leader of all other evil angels and wicked spirits, and deceived and god of this present world, that his powers are vast, but strictly limited by the permissive will of God who overrules all his wicked devices for good; that he was defeated and judged at the cross, and therefore his final doom is certain; that we are able to resist and overcome him only in the armor of God, by the blood of the Lamb and through the power of the Holy Spirit. Isaiah 14:12-15; Ephesians 6:12; I Peter 5:8, I John 3:8; Revelation 12:9-11; 20:10.
9. We believe in THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST: that His coming in the air to rapture His Church, which is our blessed Hope, is always imminent; that when He has first by resurrection of the dead and translation of the living removed from the earth His waiting Church, He will then pour out the righteous judgments of God upon the unbelieving world and afterwards descend with His Church and establish His glorious and literal kingdom over all the nations for a thousand years. I Thess. 4:13-18; James 4:8; Heb. 10:37; Jude 14, 15; Rev. 19:11-16; 20:4-7.
10. We believe in FUTURE LIFE, BODILY RESURRECTION AND ETERNAL JUDGMENT: that the spirits of the saved at death go immediately to be with Christ in Heaven, that their works shall be brought before the Judgment Seat of Christ for the determination of rewards which will take place at the time when Christ comes for His own; that the spirits of the unsaved at death descend immediately into Hades, where they are kept under punishment until the time their bodies shall be raised from the grave, that they shall be judged and cast into Hell, the place of final and everlasting punishment. I Cor. 15; II Cor. 5:8-10; Luke 16:19-23; Rev. 20:11-15.
11. We believe in THE SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE: with each having definite and distinct spheres of responsibility. Matt. 22:21; Romans 13:1-7.
12. We believe in THE PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS: that Christ is our Great High Priest and through Him every born-again person has direct access into God’s presence without the need of a human priest that the believer has the right and responsibility to personally study and interpret the Scriptures guided by the Holy Spirit. John 14:6; Heb. 4:16; II Timothy 2:15; I Peter 2:1, 5, 9.
13. We believe in the LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST: that He alone is Head of the Body of Christ, into which all true believers are immediately baptized by the Holy Spirit; that all members of this one spiritual body should assemble and identify themselves in local Churches. I Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:22 & 23; 4:11-15; Gal. 28:19 & 22.
14. We believe in THE IMPORTANCE OF THE LOCAL CHURCH: that a New Testament church is a local assembly of born-again baptized believers united in organization to practice New Testament Ordinances, to meet together for worship, prayer fellowship, teaching and a united testimony and to actively engage in carrying out the Great Commission. Acts 2:41, 42; I Cor. 11:2; Matt. 28:19, 20.
15. We believe in THE INDEPENDENCE AND AUTONOMY OF THE LOCAL CHURCH as set forth in the Scripture, (Col. 1:18 “And He is the head of the body, the church: ------/that in all things He might have the PREEMINENCE,” that each New Testament Church is Governed by the Lord without ecclesiastical interference and should cooperate with other New Testament churches as the Holy Spirit leads; that it is responsible to follow the pattern of the New Testament church and is directly accountable to God. Matt. 18:17; Acts 6:1-5; 13:1-3; 15:22 & 23.
16. We believe THE ORDINANCES GIVEN TO THE LOCAL CHURCH ARE TWO, BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER (COMMUNION): that Baptism is immersion of believers, thus portraying the death and burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ; that the Lord’s Super is the partaking of the Bread and Cup by the believer as a continual memorial of the broken body and shed blood of Christ. Matt. 28:19 & 20; Acts 2:41; 8:38 & 39; Matt. 27:26-30; I Cor. 23-34.
