Statement Of Faith

The Bible is God’s divinely inspired revelation of Himself to man. It claims inerrancy, infallibility, and authority. The Holy Scriptures are God breathed, and men wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. The Bible is the final authority for all things concerning faith and practice and thereby supersedes opinion, religious creeds, and all other statements concerning the Bible, including this statement of faith.

Exodus 24:4; Deuteronomy 4:1-2; 17:19; Joshua 8:34; Psalms 19:7-10; 119:11,89,105, 140; Isaiah 34:16; 40:8; Jeremiah 15:16; 36:1-32; Matthew 5:17-18; 22:29; Luke 21:33; 24:44-46; John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17; Acts 2:16; 17:11; Romans 15:4; 16:25-26; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-2;

4:12; 1Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21.

There is one true and living God. He is eternal, immortal, Creator of all that exists, sovereign over all, and supreme above all. He is all powerful, all knowing, and is infinite in all of His perfections. The triune God manifests Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

1. God the Father

God the Father reigns providentially over all of His creation according to the purposes of His grace. He is Father to all who receive adoption as His children through faith in His Son, Jesus.

Genesis 1:1; 2:7; Exodus 3:14; 6:2-3; 15:11; 20:1; Leviticus 22:2; Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:6; 1

Chronicles 29:10; Psalm 19:1-3; Isaiah 43:3,15; 64:8; Jeremiah 10:10; 17:13; Matthew 6:9; 7:11;

23:9; 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8; Acts 1:7; Romans 8:14-15;

1 Corinthians 8:6; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 4:6; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:6; 12:9; 1 Peter 1:17; 1 John 5:7.

2. God the Son

Christ is the eternal Son of God. He humbled Himself to become embodied in human flesh, and born of the virgin Mary, conceived by the Holy Spirit, being fully God and fully man. Jesus lived out and expressed the perfect will of God, in identifying Himself completely with mankind. He lived a sinless life in this world. He obeyed the law of God perfectly, and fulfilled all righteousness. He took upon Himself the sin of the world, and died on a cross as a substitute to make provision for the redemption of mankind from sin to Himself. He rose from the dead conquering sin, death, and hell, appeared to many on earth with a glorified body, ascended into heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where He is the One mediator between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to consummate His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord.

Genesis 18:1; Psalms 2:7; 110:1; Isaiah 7:14; Isaiah 53:1-12; Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29;

11:27; 14:33; 16:16,27; 17:5; 27; 28:1-6, 19; Mark 1:1; 3:11; Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46; John

1:1-18,29; 10:30,38; 11:25-27; 12:44-50; 14:7-11; 16:15-16,28; 17:1-5, 21-22; 20:1-20,28; Acts

1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5,20; Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3,34; 10:4; 1 Corinthians

1:30; 2:2; 8:6; 15:1-8,24-28; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; 8:9; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:20; 3:11;

4:7-10; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:13-22; a2:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 1 Timothy 2:5-6;

3:16; Titus 2:13-14; Hebrews 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 7:14-28; 9:12-15,24-28; 12:2; 13:8; 1 Peter 2:21-

25; 3:22; 1 John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9; 2 John 7-9; Revelation 1:13-16; 5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8;

19:16.

3. God the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is eternally divine. He inspired men to write the Scriptures, and He illuminates the hearts of men to understand them. He exalts Christ, and convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He draws men to Christ, and regenerates those who believe in Jesus. The Spirit baptizes every believer into the body of Christ. He is the means of all Christian growth, comforts believers, and bestows on every believer spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He indwells the body of every believer and seals them unto the day of final redemption.

He enlightens and empowers believers and the church to worship, evangelize, and serve.

Genesis 1:2; Judges 14:6; Job 26:13; Psalms 51:11; 139:7; Isaiah 61:1-3; Joel 2:28-32; Matthew 1:18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19; Mark 1:10,12; Luke 1:35; 4:1, 18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49; John 4:24; 14:16-17,26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 2:1 4,38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17,39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6; Romans 8:9-11, 14-16,26-27; 1 Corinthians 2:10-14; 3:16; 12:3-11, 13; Galatians 4:6; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:19; 1 Timothy 3:16; 4:1; 2 Timothy 1:14; 3:16; Hebrews 9:8,14; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 John 4:13; 5:6-7; Revelation 1:10; 22:17.

God created man in His own image, for His own glory. He created them male and female, with differing roles, but equal in value, dignity, and respect. He created man with spirit, soul, and body, special and distinct from the rest of creation. Man was innocent of sin when God created him, and given the freedom of choice. Man sinned against God by his own will through the deception of Satan, and brought sin to all mankind, losing the moral innocence he once had, and inheriting a nature of sin for all. Man is completely inept to bring himself back into relationship with God. God’s grace alone can redeem mankind and enable man to live in the fullness of God’s purpose.

Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5,7,18-22; 3; 9:6; Psalms 1; 8:3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5; Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5;

Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18, 23; 5:6, 12, 19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 8:14-18,29; 1 Corinthians 1:21-31; 15:19,21-22; Ephesians 2:1-22; Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11.

Salvation is a gift of God, freely given to all who believe in the Lord Jesus. Jesus accomplished everything necessary for us to be saved from our sin and reconciled to God. In His life, He fulfilled all righteousness, living in perfect obedience to the Father in all things. In His death, He satisfied the holy wrath of God against sin on our behalf. He was raised for our justification, and imputes His righteousness on the account of all who believe. Salvation is all of God and by the grace of God alone. Faith is trusting and resting in the finished work of Jesus alone to bring us salvation. There is no salvation apart from personal faith in Jesus Christ.

In salvation, we are regenerated, given a new nature by the Spirit of God. We are justified, declared righteous before God. We are sanctified, set apart for God, and enabled to grow in spiritual maturity through the presence and power of the Holy Spirit dwelling in us. We will be glorified, the final blessed and abiding state of the redeemed.

Genesis 3:15; Matthew 1:21; 16:21; 27:22-28:6; Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32; John 1:11-14,29; 3:3-21,36; 5:24; 10:9,28-29; Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; Romans 1:16-17; 3:23-25; 4:3-4; 5:8-10; 8:1-4,29-39; 10:9-10,13; 1 Corinthians 1:18,30; 6:19-20; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Galatians 2:20; 3:13; 6:15; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-22; Colossians 1:12-14; 2 Timothy 1:12; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 1 Peter 1:3-5; Revelation 21:1-22:5

Because eternal life is a gift from God through Jesus Christ, those who have trusted in Christ are secure in that salvation for eternity. It is not up to man to earn, keep, or prove their salvation, it is sustained by the grace and power of God. Our past, present, and future sins have been dealt with by the blood of Christ. Our assurance does not come from self improvement or moral effort, it is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us full security.

Romans 4:1-8; John 10:29; Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 4:30; 2 Timothy 1:12: Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 10:10-14; 1 Peter 1:3-5

The New Testament church was instituted by our Lord Jesus as the local congregation of believers, associated by our common salvation. The Head of the Church is Jesus, and we operate under the governance of His Lordship. The church gathers to bring glory to God through worship, growing in His Word, and exercising the gifts given to each as God supplies for the mutual upbuilding of the church. God has commissioned the church to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. God has appointed in Scripture for the local church to have the office of pastor, to preach the Word, and lead the local body of believers under the authority of Scripture and in submission to the Lord Jesus. The office of pastor is limited to men as qualified in Scripture, and God gifts and uses men and women for service in the church. The New Testament speaks also of the church as the Body of Christ which includes all of the redeemed of all the ages.

Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42,47; 5:11-14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23,27; 15:1-30; 16:5;

20:28; Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4-5; 7:17; 9:13-14; 12; Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; 3:8-11,21; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:18; 1 Timothy 2:9-14; 3:1-15; 4:14;

Hebrews 11:39-40; 1 Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 2-3; 21:2-3.

Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water as an act of obedience, symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior. In baptism, we identify with Christ’s death to sin, burial of the old life, and the resurrection of Christ as the power to walk in newness of life in Him.

The Lord’s Supper is an act of obedience whereby the church partakes of the bread and the fruit of the vine, to symbolize in remembrance the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming.

Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19-20; Mark 1:9-11; 14:22-26; Luke 3:21-22; 22:19-20; John

3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:35-39; 16:30-33; 20:7; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29; Colossians 2:12.

God created two genders: male and female, and Biblical marriage is reserved for one man and one woman as in the gender He created them. Marriage was instituted by God, and is the uniting of a man and woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime, and the two become one flesh. Marriage represents the union between Christ and His church, Christ being the groom, and the church His bride. Christ pursued and loved the church sacrificially, giving Himself for her, and the church is to respect and submit to Christ. Biblical marriage calls for husband and wife to submit to Christ together, for the husband to lead his wife in love, and for the wife to submit to her husband, as equal partners who share in the grace of God.

Genesis 1:27-28; 2:7; 18-24; Exodus 20:14; Proverbs 18:22; Isaiah 54:5; Jeremiah 29:6; Malachi 2:14-15; Matthew 19:2-9; Mark 10:2-12; Romans 1:26-27; 7:2; 1 Corinthians 6:12-7:16; 39-40; Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-19; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 1:3-7.

God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to Him. All of the blessings, possessions, and gifts God has entrusted to us were given to use for His purposes and honor. According to the Scriptures, Christians should contribute of their means in precedence, cheerfully, regularly, proportionately, and liberally for the advancement of the Redeemer’s cause on earth.

Genesis 14:20; Leviticus 27:30-32; Deuteronomy 8:18; Malachi 3:8-12; Matthew 6:1-4, 19-21;

19:21; 23:23; 25:14-29; Luke 12:16-21,42; 16:1-13; Acts 2:44-47; 5:1-11; 17:24-25; 20:35;

Romans 6:6-22; 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; 6:19-20; 12; 16:1-4; 2 Corinthians 8-9; 12:15;

Philippians 4:10-19; 1 Peter 1:18-19.