We Believe
The Bible
The Bible, composed of the 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament, is the divinely inspired Word of God, the final and trustworthy authority for faith and practice. The Bible clearly reveals the essentials necessary for salvation and the basics of how to conduct our lives. It is the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tried.
Deuteronomy 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 2:15, 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21
The Trinity
That there is only one true and eternal God consisting of three co-equal persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Matthew 3:16-17; Matthew 12:28; Matthew 28:19; John 15:26; Acts 2:33; Acts 10:38; Romans 1:4; Romans 8:9; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 2:18; Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 1:2
Humanity
God created humanity in the Divine image – male and female He created them.
Sin
Through the fall of Adam and Eve, all people became sinful and separated from God. The consequence of living sinful lives is death and eternal separation from God. This created a need for the powerful, saving redemption through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus as atonement for humanity’s sin.
Matthew 25:31-46; 1 John 1:8; Romans 3:10; Romans 3:23-24; Romans 5:12; Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:22
Jesus & Atonement
Jesus Christ is God’s Son, begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin – Mary, fully divine and fully human, the eternal and pre-existent Word. By His substitutionary death, Christ made full atonement for our sins, and by His resurrection, He showed Himself to be the Lord and giver of life to all who believe.
Luke 1:34-35; John 1:1-3:17; John 3:16-17; Hebrews 1:1-3; Hebrews 4:14-15
Salvation & Sanctification
God offers forgiveness of sin and justification through faith in Christ Jesus, by His grace, apart from works. Such redemption is received by human individuals as God’s gift upon repentance from sin and faith in Jesus Christ. Through Christ, the believer becomes a new creation whose mind and will are transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit from loving sin to loving the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind and loving all people as we love ourselves.
Matthew 22:37-38; 1 John 1:6-2:11; 1 John 1:6-2:11; Galatians 5:15-23; Ephesians 2:8-22; Colossians 3:1-17
Marriage
In the beginning, God designed marriage as a covenantal bond between one man and one woman, which is affirmed by Jesus in the New Testament. It is in this marriage union that God blessed a special spiritual, emotional, and sexual intimacy for joy, satisfaction, and procreation. Further, we believe God’s intent for sexual intimacy is to occur only in the covenant of marriage between a man and a woman.
Genesis 2:22-25; Matthew 19:4-6
The Church
The Church is a community of faith consisting of believers with Christ as Lord. Such believers claim a personal relationship with God through Jesus Christ, are indwelt by the Holy Spirit, follow the Lord in believer’s baptism by immersion, share in the Lord’s Supper, gather regularly for worship, and covenant for mutual edification and caregiving. The Church is called to proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ and God’s reconciling grace in the power of the Holy Spirit, inviting persons to receive salvation and follow Christ as His disciples.
Matthew 3:13-17; Matthew 16:15-19; Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; Acts 16:30-33; Romans 10:9-10; ; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26; Galatians 3:26-28; Ephesians 1:17-23; Hebrews 10:23-25;James 1:27; James 2:8
Judgment & Second Coming
Jesus Christ will return visibly. He will raise the dead and judge all people. Believers will enjoy eternal fellowship with God as they participate in the fullness of His eternal reign, while unbelievers will suffer eternal separation from God.
Matthew 24:29-31; Matthew 25:31-46; 1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; Revelation 20:4-6, 11-15