What We Believe
The Holy Bible, consisting of the Old and New Testaments, is the only written revelation of God to humankind. It is inspired by God, without error in the original documents, and is the final authority for all matters of faith and practice (II Timothy 3:16, II Peter 1:19-21).
There is one God, the Creator, Sustainer, and Sovereign Ruler of all things, eternally existing in three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:1; Matthew 28:19; Acts 17:24-27).
The Lord Jesus Christ is fully God, was born of a virgin, and is sinlessly perfect. His death on a cross was substitutionary and satisfies completely God’s judgment upon sin. He rose bodily from the grave; ascended to the Father’s right hand where he presently sustains Believers by His ministry as High Priest and Advocate; and will return to the earth to establish His millennial kingdom. (John 1:14; Philippians 2:6-10; Romans 3:24; Hebrews 6:20; I John 2:1; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:6).
The Holy Spirit is equal with the Father and the Son. He is present in the world to convict people of their need for Christ and, He indwells every believer from the moment of salvation, providing them with power for living, understanding of Scripture, and guidance. (John 14:15-27)
God created humans, male and female, in His image. Human life, sexual identity, and gender roles are aspects of God’s creative design. We believe that marriage was instituted by God at creation as a sacred, permanent union of one man and one woman. All sexual relations must be reserved for that union. God gave as a pattern for marriage the relationship between Christ and his church, a relationship characterized by sacrificial love and faithfulness. We view divorce as an infraction of the clear teaching of Christ, although not beyond the forgiving grace of God when this is sought with repentance, faith, and humility. We furthermore affirm that children are a blessing from the Lord and that all human life is sacred, begins at conception, and is worthy of protection. (Genesis 1:26-28; 2:24; Psalms 127:3-5; 128:3-4; 139:13-16; Matthew 19:1-9; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; 7:1-5; Ephesians 5:22-33; Hebrews 13:4)
All of humankind is lost and separated from God as a result of Adam’s disobedience; each person is sinful by nature and by choice, and is therefore subject to the righteous judgment of God (Romans 3:23; 6:23). Salvation from God’s judgment is by grace through faith, and is the gift of God to all who believe in Jesus Christ and His redemptive work on the cross (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 10:9; Acts 16:31).Those who are trusting Christ alone for salvation permanently receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit; are adopted into God’s family; receive forgiveness of sins; are no longer slaves to sin; and have eternal life (Ephesians 1:7,13; Romans 8:9,14-15; 6:11-14; 6:23).
In addition, all believers are members of the Body of Christ, of which He is the Head. The union of believers with Christ and with one another is manifested in each local gathering of believers. In these nondenominational gatherings, believers meet regularly to serve Jesus Christ and one another through edification in the faith, prayer, sharing in fellowship, mutual growth in godliness, and evangelism (I Corinthians 12:7,12; Ephesians 4:11-13; II Peter 3:18; Acts 2:42).
Our Lord left two loving requests for those who believe in Him: baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Baptism by immersion signifies that the believer has died with Christ, been buried, and risen with Christ to walk in newness of life. The Lord’s Supper is our weekly opportunity to remember our Savior with worship and praise. All believers are urged to participate in this communion service focused upon Him (Romans 6:1-4; I Corinthians 11:23-26; Acts 20:7, Matthew 26:26-29, 28:19).
The believer’s blessed hope is the imminent, pre-tribulational return of the Lord Jesus Christ. Once believers have been caught up to meet the Lord in the air, the earth and those remaining on it will be exposed to a time of suffering and great tribulation, fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy of Daniel. This period of intense suffering will conclude with the second coming of our Lord and the establishment of His millennial kingdom. All who are trusting Christ by faith will live eternally with Him; the lost who are rejecting Christ will be condemned to an eternal and conscious judgment in the lake of fire. The final judgment will be followed by the eternal state, an everlasting condition of blessing with God and His people in the new heaven and new earth (I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Daniel 9:27; 12:1-2; Matthew 24:21-22; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:1-27).