CREATION

We believe the Genesis account of creation is historical, not allegorical or figurative. We believe Adam was an historical person, created by the direct act of God and in His image (Gen. 1-2). Adam chose to sin against God through the free will God gave him and reaped the wages of death. As the originator of the human race, Adam passed his sinful nature to all mankind (Rom. 5:12). All men are sinners by birth and become sinners in experience (Rom. 3) for which the wages are death (Rom. 6:23).

THE BIBLE

The Bible is God’s word. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. All Scripture was given by inspiration of God (II Timothy 3:16) and God has promised to preserve every jot and tittle of what He inspired (Matthew 5:18). The Bible was written by human authors under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit, and is therefore the truth of God without any mixture of error (II Peter 1:20-21). We hold to the Authorized Version (King James Bible) as the inerrant standard for English speaking people and believe we find within it the certainty of the words of truth (Psalm12:6-7; Proverbs 22:20-21).

SIN

Mankind is the supreme object of God’s creation (Genesis 1:26-27; Psalm 8:3-6). Mankind was created by God in complete innocence in a perfect environment, but of his own free will, chose to sin against God (Genesis 2:15-17; 3:6). The result of Adam’s sin is not only physical death and spiritual death (separation from God for all eternity) for all mankind, but the fall also endowed upon all mankind a sinful nature (Romans 5:12). Therefore, all people are sinners, not only by constraint, but by choice, and are unable to regain their former position of innocence, and are under just condemnation without defense or excuse before God (Romans 3:23; Isaiah 53:6; 59:1-2)

SALVATION

Salvation is by God’s grace alone on the basis of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and in His resurrection power. Anyone who will recognize and believe by faith that their sin separates them from God, and will turn from their sin to God by personally believing in their heart and confessing with their mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord will be saved (Romans 10:9-10, 13). Salvation is God’s free gift to us, but we must accept it. We can never make up for our sin by self-improvement or good works (Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5). To become a Christian you must receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior for the forgiveness of sin and to be saved from sin’s penalty (Romans 6:23; John 1:12; 14:6). When we turn from our self-ruled life and turn to Jesus in faith we are saved. Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into His life by faith. The act of salvation is just as definite and decisive as physical birth (John 3:1-7).

ETERNAL SECURITY

Because God gives us eternal life through Jesus Christ, the true believer is secure in that salvation for eternity (Romans 8:35-39). If you have been genuinely saved, you cannot lose that (I John 2:19). Salvation is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives us this security (John 10:28-29; I Peter 1:3-5).

The CHURCH

The local assembly of believers (the church) is God’s instrument in this age. While all genuine, born-again believers in Christ share an organic, family relationship, the overwhelming number of references of the word “church” in the Bible apply to a local, visible assembly of believers (Acts 14:23; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:11-16). At the second coming of Christ, all genuine believers from the time of Christ’s ascension will be united together as the body of Christ (I Thessalonians 4:13-18). Until then, it is the responsibility of each local church to continue in evangelism, discipleship and missions both independently and interdependently (Matthew 28:18-20). Each local assembly should be as self-governing, self-supporting and self-propagating as possible, practicing the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper and operating under the leadership of those who hold the office of pastor (also known as bishop or elder) and assisted by those who hold the office of deacon (Matthew 28:18-20; I Corinthians 11:23-34; I Timothy 3:1-13; I Peter 5:1-4; Hebrews 13:17). Every member of the local church has the responsibility to minister the word of God and support the ministry through prayer, holy living, tithes, and offerings (I Corinthians 16:2; Malachi 3:10; Acts 4:34-37; II Corinthians 8:7; Acts 2:41-47; 13:1-4).

SATAN

Satan is a real, created, historical being, not allegorical or figurative. Satan is God’s enemy and seeks to keep unbelievers lost (II Corinthians 4:3-4; Acts 26:18) and Christians defeated (I Peter 5:8; Daniel 7:25). Satan is a fallen cherub who was lifted up in pride and rebelled against God, leading an army of angelic beings with him (Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-18; II Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6; Revelation 12:4). His defeat was sealed by the work of Christ on the cross (Hebrews 2:14). His final destiny is the lake of fire forever (Revelation 20:10).

THE RETURN OF CHRIST

There will be a literal, physical return of Jesus Christ to the earth in power and great glory to judge the world and reign (Acts 1:11; II Thessalonians 1:7-10). We believe in a pre-tribulation view of the rapture, meaning shortly before Christ’s second coming, all genuine believers will be raptured out to meet the Lord in the air (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:51-52) followed by a seven year period of tribulation on earth during which time God will judge His people Israel and all without Christ (I Thessalonians 5:1-11; Matthew 24). We also believe in a pre-millenial view of Christ’s return, meaning that period of tribulation will be ended by Christ’s personal return to rule for a literal period of a thousand years (Revelation 20:1-6; Matthew 25:31-46).

JUDGMENT

All mankind will spend eternity either with Christ or eternally separated from Him. The lost who die wait in a literal hell for the day of final judgment where they will be punished for their sin in a literal lake of fire. This is an event known as the Great White Throne Judgment (Revelation 20:11-15). Those who have accepted Christ as Savior will immediately be with the Lord when they die physically (II Corinthians 5:6-8) and one day experience a bodily resurrection to everlasting life (Philippians 3:20-21; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:51-58). The saved will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ to receive either rewards or loss of rewards based upon their stewardship of faithful service to the Lord (Romans 14:10; II Corinthians 5:10).

HUMAN SEXUALITY

We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. (Genesis 1:28, 2:24, 4:1; Genesis 19:5-7, 13; Leviticus 20:10-21; Deuteronomy 22:5, 23:1; Romans 1:26-29; I Corinthians 5:1, 6:9, 7:10; Ephesians 5:22-23; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4)

MARRIAGE

We believe that the only legitimate, scriptural marriage is the joining of one naturally-born man and one naturally-born woman. (Genesis 2:24; Romans 7:2; I Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 5:22-23)