Paragraph I - of the Scriptures

We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be verbally inspired of God. We accept them as final authority for faith and life, in errant in the original writing, infallible and God-breathed. We accept the King James Version of the Bible as a reliable and good English translation of the original Hebrew and Greek Scriptures.

• 2 Tim. 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness."
• 2 Pet. 1:20,21 "...no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation ...holy men of old spoke as they were moved by the Holy Ghost."

Paragraph II - of the True God

We believe that there is only one living and true God, infinite in every excellence: that in the unity of the God-head there are three personal distinctions--the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit--one in substance and equal in every divine perfection.

• Deut. 6:4 "...the LORD our God is one LORD."
• 1 Cor. 8:6 "...there is but one God, the Father ...and one Lord Jesus Christ..."

Paragraph III - of the Person and Work of Christ

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been supernaturally conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem men.

• John 1:14 "And the Word was made flesh...and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical, resurrection from the dead.

• 1 Pet. 2:24 "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree..."
• Eph. 1:7 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace."

We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Intercessor and Advocate.

• Heb. 7:25 "Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost ....seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."
• 1 John 2:1 "If any man sin we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous."

Paragraph IV - of the Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God's purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; that He bears witness of the Truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; and that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption.

• John 16:8 "...he (the Comforter) will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:"
• 1 Cor. 12:13 "For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body..."
• Eph. 4:30 "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed until the day of redemption."

We believe the Holy Spirit is the divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth, and that it is the privilege and duty of all saved to be filled with the Spirit.

• John 16:13 "Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth..."
• Eph. 5:18 "...but be filled with the Spirit;"

Paragraph V - of Satan

We believe in the distinct personality of Satan, that he was created perfect but because of pride and rebellion against God he became the originator of sin and later caused the fall of man. He is the "prince of the world" and has great power including the power of death. He blinds the minds of unbelievers and opposes and accuses the believers. In the final judgment Satan and his angels are destined to an eternal justice in the lake of fire.

• Ezek. 28:14,15 "Thou are the anointed cherub that covereth; ...Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee."
• 2 Cor. 4:3,4 "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not..."
• Rev. 20:10 "And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire..."

Paragraph VI - of Mankind

We believe that the entire universe, including mankind, came into being by direct creation of God¹ and not by process of evolution. We believe that mankind was created in the image and likeness of God² and that every human life is of equal value before God beginning at conception until death so that each should be protected from abortion, abuses, and euthanasia³.

We further believe God created marriage to be between one man and one woman for their entire life⁴. We believe that sexual relations are limited to the marriage relationship and that any other such relations including sex outside of marriage, adultery, and homosexuality are condemned by our Lord⁵.

We believe that in Adam's sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God⁶; and that man is totally depraved, and of himself utterly unable to remedy his lost condition.⁷

• 1 Genesis 1:1, John 1:3; Colossians 1:16; Genesis 1:27; 2:7, 21
• 2 Genesis 1:27; 9:6
• 3 Jeremiah 1:5; Psalm 139:13-16; Job 14:5; Acts 17:26-28
• 4 Genesis 2:23-24; Matthew 19:3-6;1 Corinthians 7:39
• 5 Hebrews 13:5; 1 Corinthians 6:9, 13-18; Leviticus 18:22-23
• 6 Romans 3:23; 5:12; 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3
• 7 Romans 3:10, 20

Paragraph VII - of Faith and Salvation

We believe that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation. The salvation of the sinner is wholly of grace and made possible only through the death of Jesus Christ upon the cross of Calvary, as our substitute, and that there is salvation in none other than Christ, and that personal acceptance of Him is absolutely essential. To be saved, a person must take God at His word, confess his need of salvation as a sinner, and turn from sin to God. (Jesus calls this a new birth, John chapter 3). In this new birth, the one which was dead in trespasses and sin is made partaker of the divine nature, and receives eternal life as the free gift of God. The birth is instantaneous and not a process. Some of the visible evidences of salvation are: a love for God's Word, a walk of obedience to it, and a desire for fellowship with God's people.

• John 3:7 "...Ye must be born again."
• 2 Cor. 5:17 "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; old things are passed away; behold all things are become new."
• Rom. 10:9-13 "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, "Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek; for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
• Acts 4:12 "...for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
• John 14:21 "He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him."
• 1 John 1:3 "That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ."

Paragraph VIII - of the Believer's Two Natures

We believe that every saved person possesses two natures, with provision made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, and, that all claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural.

• Gal. 5:16,17 "...Walk in the Spirit and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh:..."
• 1 Cor. 10:13 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way of escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
• 1 John 1:7,8 "But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves..."

Paragraph IX - of Separation

We believe that all saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord; and that separation from all religious apostasy (departure from the Bible faith), all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded of God.

• Rom. 12:1.2 "...that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God ...and be not conformed to this world..."
• 2 Tim. 3:1-5 "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves ...unthankful, unholy, ...lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."
• 2 Cor. 6:17,18 "Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty."

Paragraph X - of the Ministry and Spiritual Gifts

We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts; and, that the gifts of evangelists, pastors and teachers are sufficient for the perfection of the saints today.

We believe that speaking in tongues and the working of sign miracles gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established.

• Eph. 4:7-12 "But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. ...And He gave some ...evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:"

Paragraph XI - of the Church

We believe the Bible teaches that there is a body of Christ being formed of which Christ is the head. Most of its members are in Heaven; the rest, scattered upon the earth; and some still not born. It is a church in prospect; sometimes referred to as the universal church. It began with the New Testament saints and will be consummated at the coming of Christ in the Rapture.

• Matt. 16:18 "...and upon this rock I will build my church..."
• Eph. 1:22,23 "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, Which is his body, the fullness of him that filleth all in all."

We believe that the local church is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in it by His Word; that its officers are pastors and deacons; that it has the absolute right of self government directed by the Holy Spirit and it is answerable only to Christ, and that in all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline and benevolence, the will of the local church is final.

• 1 Cor. 1:2 "Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints..."
• 1 Tim. 3:15 "...that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."

Paragraph XII - of the Ordinances

We believe that there are two church ordinances; Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water and is properly called "Believer's Baptism". It portrays in a beautiful and solemn way our faith in a crucified, buried and risen Saviour, with its effects in our lives of death to sin and resurrection to a new life. Baptism is a prerequisite to the Privileges of church membership. The Lord's Supper is the commemoration of our Lord's death until He comes and our continual fellowship with Him, should be preceded by baptism and always by careful self examination.

• Acts 8:36-38 "The eunuch said ...What doth hinder me to be baptized? (Gk. for "immersed"). And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. ...And he commanded the chariot to stand still; and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him."
• Rom. 6:4 "Therefore we are baptized with him (Christ), by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead ...so we also should walk in newness of life."
• 1 Cor. 11:27,28 "... Whosoever shall eat this bread and drink this cup of the Lord un-worthily, shall be guilty ...But let a man examine himself..."

Paragraph XIII - of the Second Advent of Christ

We believe in that "Blessed Hope", the personal, imminent, pretribulational and premillennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones; and in His subsequent return to earth, with His saints, to establish His millennial kingdom.

• Titus 2:13 "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ."
• Rev. 22:12 "And behold, I come quickly..."
• Rev. 20:6 "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection ...they shall reign with Him (Christ) a thousand years."

Paragraph XIV - of the Judgment Seat of Christ

We believe that every saved person will appear before the "judgment seat of Christ" to be judged by his Lord in regard to faithful service. This judgment is not a judgment for sin; the believer's sin has all been judged at the cross of Calvary; but for works. The result of this judgment is "reward" or "loss of reward". Christians will be rewarded for works that have been judged worthy of reward by the Lord Jesus Christ.

• 2 Cor. 5:10 "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."
• 1 Cor. 3:13-15 "Every man's work shall be made manifest:for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss; but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

Paragraph XV - of the Eternal State

We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. The souls of the redeemed are at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord.

We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the second resurrection, (which will occur after the millennium) when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne of Judgment, and shall be cast into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment.

• Matt. 25:46 "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous into life eternal."
• 2 Cor. 5:7,8 "....For we walk by faith ...to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."
• 1 Cor. 15:49,53 "And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall bear the image of the heavenly ...for this corruptible must put on incorruption..."
• Rev. 20:7,15 "And when the thousand years are expired ...whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."

Paragraph XVI - of the Civil Government

We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, consciously honored, and obeyed except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ as revealed by His Word.

• Rom. 13:1-4 "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers ...the powers that be are ordained of God ...for he is the minister of God to thee for good..."
• 1 Tim. 2:1-2 "I exhort therefore, that, first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made ...for kings, and for all that are in authority that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life..."

SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES

1. "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;"
   Eph. 4:11.
2. "It is not reason that we should leave the Word of God, and serve tables. Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business ...And the saying pleased the whole multitude; and they chose." Acts 6:2-5.
3. "Go ye, therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost." Matt. 28:19.
4. "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world". Matt. 28:20.
5. "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many." Mark 10:45.