Our Beliefs
The Holy Scriptures
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the verbally and plenarily inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible, and God- breathed, and therefore are the final authority for faith and life. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning. The King James Version of the Holy Bible shall be the official and only translation used by the Church.
II Tim 3:16-17, II Pet 1:20-21
Dispensationalism
We believe that the Scriptures interpreted in their natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules of life which define man’s responsibilities in successive ages. These dispensations are not ways of salvation, but rather are divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to His purpose. Three of these dispensations: the age of law, the age of the Church, and the age of the Kingdom, are the subjects of detailed revelation in Scripture.
Gen 1:28, I Cor 9:17, II Cor 3:9-18, Gal 3:13-25, Eph 1:10, 3:2-10, Col 1:24-25, 27, Rev 20:2-6
The Godhead
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections.
Deut 6:4, Mat 28:19, II Cor 13:14, John 14:10,26
The Person and Work of Christ
(1) a We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary in order that He might reveal God and Redeem sinful men.
a. Is 7:14, 9:6; Luk 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; II Cor 5:19-21; Gal 4:4-5; Phil 2:5-8
(2) b 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.
b. Acts 2:18-36; Rom 3:24-25; I Pet 1:3-5, 2:24, Eph 1:7
(3) c We believe that the 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 Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate.
c. Acts 1:9-10; Heb 9:24, 7:25; Rom 8:34; I John 2:1-2
The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
(1) a We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; 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.
a. John 16: 8-11; Rom 8:9; I Cor 12:12-14; II Cor 3:6; Eph 1:13-14
(2) b We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all saved to be filled with the Spirit.
b. Eph 1:17-18, 5:18; I John 2:20-27.
(3) c We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the assembly in order that they can do the work of the ministry.
c. Rom 12:3-8; I Cor 12:4-11, 28; Eph 4:7-12.
(4) d We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing.
d. I Cor 1:22, 13:8, 14:21-22.
The Total Depravity of Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin, the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and, that man is totally depraved, and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition.
Gen 1:26-27, Rom 3:22-23, 5:12, 6:23, Eph 2:1-3, 4:17-19
Salvation
(1) a We believe that salvation is the gift of God provided for all men by the substitutionary death of Jesus Christ and His shed blood. We believe salvation is wholly of God and apart from any works of righteousness by man. Salvation is exclusively through Jesus Christ and His vicarious atonement for sin.
a. Rom 3:24, 6:23; John 3:16, 14:6; Eph 1:7, 2:8-9; Titus 3:5.
(2) b We believe that the Holy Spirit of God convicts unbelievers of their sin, drawing them to salvation. The two ingredients for man to receive salvation are repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. At the moment of salvation the Holy Spirit regenerates, indwells, sanctifies, justifies, and seals the believer.
b. Acts 21:21; Luke 13:3; II Pet 3:9; Rom 5:1; John 3:3,36; I Cor 6:19-20; Eph 4:30
The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers
(1) a We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever.
a. John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Rom 8:1, 38-39; I Cor 1:4-8; I Pet 1:4-5
(2) b We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh.
b. Rom 13:13-14; Gal 5:13; Titus 2:11-15
Separation
We believe that all the saved should live in a manner as not to bring a reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations is commanded of God.
Rom 12:1-2; 14:13, II Cor 6:14, 7:1, II Tim 3:15, I John 2:15-17, II John 9-11
The Church
(1) a We believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born-again persons.
a. I Cor 12:12-14; II Cor 11:2; Eph 1:22-23, 5:25-27
(2) b We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures.
b. Acts 14:27, 20:17, 28-32; I Tim 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11
(3) c We believe in the autonomy of the local church, free of any external authority or control.
c. Acts 13:1-4, 15:19-31, 20:28; Rom 16:1,4; I Cor 3:9,16, 5:4-7,13; I Pet 5:1-4
(4) d We recognize water baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the Church in this age.
d. Matt 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42, 18:18; I Cor 11:23-26.
(5) We believe in the Pre-Millenial, literal view of the Scriptures. We are fundamental in theory and practice of the Word of God. We believe in using the King James Version of the Scriptures for all public services and are not in sympathy with the latter versions of the Scriptures. We believe there is a great movement of apostasy in the world deceiving both the saved and the lost, a falling away of the basic fundamentals of the faith of Jesus Christ and we are not in sympathy with speaking in tongues, gifts of healing and revelations of man. We believe the greatest task of the church is to fulfill the Great Commission in winning the lost and instructing the saved; and all missionary efforts are to be channeled through the local body of believers, the church. We believe to be the local body of believers, the church. We believe to be Ecumenical in nature would consist of a compromise of the faith once contended for by the saints and nor will be a part of such combining of denominations or interdenominational, but will always hold to the independent form or and view of the fundamental, Bible-believing Baptists.
(6) We are not in sympathy with the Charismatic movement, nor with the Ecumenical Movement, nor will we allow any of their practices or beliefs that are extra-Biblical, such as personal inspired revelations and sign gifts.
(7) This church, now, or in the future, shall never in any manner become officially connected with any conventions, associations, Federal, State, or Local Government, nor receive any funds, aid, advise, or dictates. This church shall remain and Independent, Fundamental, Bible Believing, Pre- Millennial, Baptist Church, and as long as this church has one voting member, it will remain Baptist. The authorized version of the King James Bible is approved and will be used for study, teaching and preaching.
The Second Advent of Christ
We believe in that “blessed hope”, the personal, imminent return of Christ who will rapture His Church prior to the seven-year tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return, with His saints, to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom which was promised to the Nation of Israel.
Psalms 89:3-4, Dan 2:31-45, Zech 14:4-11, I Thess 4:13-18, Titus 2:13, Rev 3:10, 19:11-16, 20:1-6
The Eternal State: Heaven and Hell
(1) a We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment.
a. Matt 25:46; John 5:28-29, 11:25-26; Rev 20:5-6, 12-13.
(2) b We believe that 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.
b. Luke 23:43; II Cor 5:8; Phil 1:23, 3:21; I Thess 4: 16-17; Rev 20:4-6.
(3) c We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment.
c. Matt 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16: 19-26; II Thess 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev 20:11-15
The Personality of Satan
(1) a We believe that Satan is a real and personal being. As Lucifer, he existed as the highest rank of all angelic creatures. He became the author of sin and the cause of the fall of man because of his sin and pride.
a. Gen 3:1-19; Isa 14:12-17; Matt 4:11; John 8:44
(2) b We believe Satan is the open and declared enemy of God and man. He has blinded the eyes of unbelievers and is in continual warfare with believers. He shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire.
b. II Cor 4:4; Eph 6:11-12; Rev 20:10.
Creation
We believe in the Genesis account of creation, and that it is to be accepted literally and not allegorically or figuratively. We believe that all things were created by God, including man. The Scriptures contradict the evolution model, whether it be theistic or non-theistic. God established the law that life should bring forth “after their kind”.
Gen 1-2, Exo 20:11, John 1:3, Col 1:16, Heb 11:3
Civil Government
We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home; 2) the Church; and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are accountable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the Church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God.
Rom 13:1-7, Eph 5:22-24, Heb 13:17, I Peter 2:13-14
Missions
We believe that God has given the Church a Great Commission to proclaim the Gospel to all people in all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ, we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us.
Matt 28:19-20, Mark 16:15, Luke 24:46-48, John 20:21, Acts 1:8, II Cor 5:20
Lawsuits Between Believers
We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against another Christian or the Church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the Church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander.
I Cor 6:14, Eph 4:31-32
Giving
We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that God in the Old Testament established the tithe(10%), as the basis for giving at that time, and that every Christian should, upon the first day of the week, also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the local New Testament Church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made.
Gen 14:20, Prov 3:9-10, Acts 4:34-37, I Cor 16:2, II Cor 9:6-7, Gala 6:6, Eph 4:28, I Tim 5:17-18, I John 3:17
Authority of Statement of Faith
The Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing Statement of Faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible, therefore is binding upon all members.