The Scriptures:
We believe that the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are the Word of God; that they are inerrant in the original writings; and that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and practice. (II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:21; Luke 24:27,44; 2 Peter 3:16)
Godhead:
We believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God having precisely the same nature, attributes and perfection, and worthy of precisely the same homage, confidence, and obedience, each one executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. (Genesis 1:26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:18-19; Mark 2:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3-4; Titus 3:3-7; Hebrews 1:1-3; I Peter 1:2-3; Revelation 1:4-6)
Creation:
We believe that God personally created the heavens and earth (Genesis 1:1; John 1:1-3); that man was originally created in the image and after the likeness of God (Genesis 1:26) and that he disobeyed God, bringing sin (total depravity) and its condemnation upon the whole human race (Genesis 3:17). We believe that every child of Adam is born into the world with a nature which not only possesses no spark of divine life, but essentially and unchangeably is evil apart from divine grace. Psalm 4:1-3; Psalm 51:5; Jeremiah 7:9; Mark 7:20-23; Romans 1:24-32; Romans 3:10-19; Romans 5:12; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1-3).
The Person and Work of Christ:
We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, is true God and true man (John 20:28), and in the sacrificial and atoning death of Christ through His shed blood upon the cross (Job 19:25; Isaiah 53; Matthew 28; Luke 2; I Corinthians 15; I Peter 1:18,19; I John 1:7; Hebrews 9:14,22), in His bodily resurrection and ascension (Acts 1:10, 2:32-36) to Heaven where He sits (Hebrews 1:1-3; I John 2:1-2) as the mediator between God and man today, (I Timothy 2:5) and His literal future return to earth (Acts 1:11) as the greater son of David who shall sit upon David´s throne and establish an everlasting Kingdom (Luke 1:32,33).
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit:
We believe that the ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, and to testify of Him (John 15:26). He is the infallible interpreter of the infallible Word. He convicts men, regenerates the believing sinner, indwells, guides, instructs, and empowers the believer for Godly living, service, and worship. (John 6:13-15; John 4:26; Romans 8:26-27; I Corinthians 2:14, 3:16, 6:19; I John 2:27)
Salvation:
A. Sanctification (Past)
We believe that when a unregenerate person (child of Adam) exercises that kind of faith in Christ which is illustrated and described by Abraham in Romans 4, he passes immediately out of spiritual death into spiritual life (John 5:24; Acts 13:39; Romans 5:1, 8:35-39; I Corinthians 3:21-23; Ephesians 1:3; Colossians 2:10; I John 4:17, 5:11,13), and from the old creation into the new, that he has been justified from all things, and is accepted before the Father according as Christ loved, having his place and portion linked to Him and one with Him forever; therefore, he is in no way required by God to seek a “second work of grace” for justification, nor to maintain his justification by his own works of righteousness.
B. Sanctification (Present)
We believe that God has already perfected our Sanctification because our position toward God is the same as Christ’s position (I Corinthians 1:30). However, we believe that we retain our sin nature (i.e. It is not eradicated in this life) and thus our present state is no more perfect in this life than our experiences in daily life (Philippians 3:12). We believe that if a person has experienced the assurance of salvation (justification), normally he shall demonstrate his faith by works; therefore, it is the privilege and responsibility of every believer to “press on” in holiness of life (Romans 6:1,2).
The biblical motivation for faithfulness is not a threat to ones security but;
(1) Love (I John 5:5).
(2) Fear of standing before Him at the bema seat and being chided for useless deeds (2 Cor 5:10).
(3) Rewards (I Cor 3:12-16).
The solution for waywardness (as with the tenor of the epistles) is to call individuals to “Walk worthy of their call.” This includes exhorting them via the biblical motivations.
We believe the means of experiencing daily victory over the flesh, world and devil, is through faith in appropriating His death and life, by learning the Word of God, by prayer, and by fellowship with other believers (Luke 9:23,24; John 17:17; Ephesians 6:18; 2 Timothy 3:15).
C. Sanctification (Future)
We believe that our sanctification is made complete in experience when we partake of bodily resurrection, at which time our bodies become like unto His (Romans 8:18-23; Philippians 3:20,21).
Satan:
We believe that Satan is an actual person, and not an imaginary influence; that he once enjoyed high heavenly honors and glorious heavenly privileges; that he, through pride, ambition, and self-will attempted to betray the Almighty and brought down upon his head the judgment of God (Job 1:6-12; Isaiah 14:12-20; Ezekiel 28:12-19); that he operates today as the prince of the power of the air (Matthew 24:11; Ephesians 2:2); that he is a diabolical inventor, an arch deceiver, and the father of all lies (Genesis 3:1-6; John 8:44; I Peter 5:8); that he is the greatest enemy, the mightiest tempter, and the most relentless accuser of the saints (Revelation 12:10); that he shall one day be incarnated in the person of the Anti-Christ (Revelation 13:1-9) and in that role will finally meet the Christ in the battle of Armageddon; that there “the seed of the woman shall bruise the serpent’s head” (Genesis 3:14,15; II Corinthians 4:4); and that he shall eventually be cast into the lake of fire (Revelation 19:20, 20:10), the eternal place of punishment prepared for the devil and his angels.
Church Ordinances
A. Communion
The Lord’s Supper is a memorial by which we commemorate together the dying love of Christ until He returns, and should be preceded always by solemn self-examination. (Acts 2:41,42; I Corinthians 11:23-34)
B. Baptism
We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, in the name of the Father, and Son and Holy Spirit, to show forth, in a solemn and beautiful emblem, our father in the crucified buried and risen Savior, and that baptism is a symbol of our death to sin and resurrection to a new life (Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:4).
The Rapture:
We believe in the imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ to receive to Himself all those who have believed in Him, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (Daniel 9:1-27; John 14:1-6; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10-11)
The Pre-millennial Return and Reign of Christ:
We believe in the bodily return of Christ with His saints as prophesied in the Davidic Covenant prior to the era of Israel’s restoration and universal peace for a thousand years, thus fulfilling the hopes and predictions of all the prophets (II Samuel 7:14; Isaiah 2:1-22, 11, 65:17-25; Zechariah 14:1-21; Revelation 19:1-21, 20:1-6).
The Eternal State:
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust, the just to everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the unjust to the everlasting condemnation of the lost (Revelation 20:11-15, 21:1-21).