Article III - 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 Statement of Faith accurately represents the teachings of the Bible and, therefore, is binding upon all members. All literature, whether in print or electronic, used in the church, shall be in complete agreement with the Statement of Faith. In all conflicts regarding interpretation of the Statement of Faith, the Senior Pastor and the Deacon Board, on behalf of the church, have final authority.

1. The Word of God - We believe the Bible: is wholly, word for word, God’s revealed, breathed-out (inspired), absolute truth, concerning Himself, humanity, and every relatable matter; is the concealing and revealing of the supernatural nature of Jesus Christ; is the final authority of truth which is to be trusted with, and in, life and eternity. (II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20, 21; Mark 13:31; John 8:31, 32; John 20:31; Acts 20:32)
2. The True God / The Trinity - We believe God: is triune, perfectly one in three persons, consisting of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; is love, righteous, and just; is infinite; works in infinite ways, immutable words, and an inevitable will; is sovereign, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, supreme, inexpressibly and unfathomably glorious, holy, and supernatural in every way; is the uncreated Creator and Architect of everything, by whom all things consist; seeks relationship with those made in His image; is loving, unselfish, merciful, generous, graceful, trustworthy, desiring and worthy of worship. (Genesis 1:1-26; John 1:1-3; Matthew 28:19; John 4:24; Romans 1:19-20; Ephesians 4:5-6)
3. Jesus - We believe that Jesus Christ: is God incarnate; is Immanuel of the Old and New Testament; is the unequivocal Son of the One True God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; was born of the virgin Mary; is a descendant and the Lord of King David and therefore his rightful heir to the throne as King of Israel; is the Fulfillment of Old Testament prophesies; lived a perfectly sinless life; contained eternal life in His blood; allowed Himself to be slain in real body as the propitiation for the sin of mankind; physically rose from the dead on the third day; ascended bodily into Heaven; makes intercession for those whom God has elected to salvation, who have repented of their sin, trusted only and wholly in Christ, and have been regenerated, adopted, forgiven, reconciled, redeemed; will come to earth again, glorify His people, establish His earthly kingdom and government, rule and reign, and make all things new. (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:26-38; John 1:1; 20:28; Romans 9:5; 8:32; II Corinthians 5:21; I Peter 2:21-23; John 20:30, 31; Matthew 20:28; Ephesians 1:4; Acts 1:11; Romans 5:6-8; 6:9, 10; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:28; I Timothy 3:16; Revelation 21)
4. Salvation / Regeneration - We believe: that man (including male and female) was created by God in His own image; that man sinned and thereby incurred physical, spiritual and eternal death, which is separation from God; that as a consequence, all human beings are born with a sinful (depraved) nature, at some point become practicing sinners by choice, and are therefore under God's condemnation; that those who repent (i.e. confess and forsake sin) and trust Jesus Christ as their only Savior are regenerated by the Holy Spirit and become new creatures, are delivered from condemnation and receive eternal life; that salvation: is by Grace through Faith in Jesus Christ alone, is not attained by works, practice, penance, religious ritual, or any other personal merit, but is free to everyone who will accept it, whom God calls to Himself; that salvation cannot be lost by the possessor, taken by the accuser, revoked by the Redeemer, or disjointed by any other for any reason, and is evidenced in the believer’s actions, speech, works, perseverance, and the bearing of the Fruit of the Spirit. (Genesis 1:26; 5:2; Genesis 3; Genesis 2:17; 3:19; Ecclesiastes. 2:11; John 3:14; 5:24; John 5:30; 7:13; 8:12; 10:26; Romans 9:22; II Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 19:3, 20; 20:10, 14, 15; 21:18; Psalm 51:7; Jeremiah 17:9; James 1:14; Romans 3:19; 5:19; Proverbs 28:13; I John 1:9; John 3:16; John 1:13; II Corinthians 5:17; Romans 8:1; Galatians 5:22)
5. Ordinances: We believe that there are only two ordinances given and established by Christ Jesus for His Church: 1.) Baptism: We believe Christian Baptism: is immersion in water; does not save souls; is a symbol of the beautiful union regained once and for all, at the point of salvation/justification, identifying the new convert with Jesus Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection; is a public statement of faith in Christ Jesus. 2.) The Lord’s Supper - We Believe that Communion / The Lord’s Supper: cannot save souls; does not transubstantiate into the actual body and blood of Christ; is a solemn ordinance performed by the sanctified members of the church of the living Christ in remembrance of the sacrifice made on that faithful day by Him when He poured out His blood for an atonement of sins and allowed His body to be broken for our healing and redemption. (Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians 11:23-26)
6. Civil Government & Religious Liberty - We Believe: that Human Government: is by Divine appointment of God; is to be honored and obeyed, in as much as the Bible allows, with respect to the particular governing bodies’ adherence to Biblical Truth and/or the particular ordinance’s or law’s creation within the sphere of Biblical Truth, otherwise, is subject to civil disobedience; that every human being is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith; that each church is independent and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical or political authority; that Church and State must therefore enjoy a degree of separation, having different functions in the world, each fulfilling its responsibilities before God, free from dictation or patronage of the other; that the Church is to be a prophetic voice to all the nations; that the Bible does not encourage any Christian to shed themselves of their Christian faith when entering the public “arena”, but instead, “bring the Kingdom of God to bear” on all of human society and culture. (I Timothy 2:5; Romans 13 & 14:7-9; 1 Peter 2 & 3)
7. Knowledge and Biblical Interpretation - We believe: that human knowledge is limited; that the Bible discloses all that we need to know, but not all that we want to know, and therefore is divinely perfect; that Biblical Doctrine is distinguishable from Biblical Interpretation; that Biblical Doctrine is not debatable or disputable; that many texts and the subject matter contained therein demand interpretation that is itself subject to the perspective, preferences, passions, etc. of the individual scholar or corporate denomination; that disagreement pertaining to doctrine is irreparable but disagreement pertaining to interpretation is bearable, and should in no wise hinder casual fellowship or political alliance. 2 Peter 1:20; Acts 20:27
8. Church Cooperation - We believe: that local churches can best promote the cause of Jesus Christ by cooperating with one another where mutual agreement in faith does allow. (Acts 15:36,41; 16:5; I Corinthians 16:1; Galatians 1:1-3; Revelation 1:4, 10, 11)
9. The Last Things / Eschatology - We believe in: the second coming and advent (parousia) of Jesus Christ; the personal and visible return of God’s Son to earth, and the establishment of His kingdom in fullness; the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, eternal life with God of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked; the New Heaven and the New Earth and Christ's reign over both for all eternity. (Matthew 16:27; Mark 14:62; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Philippians 3:20; I Thessalonians 4:15; II Timothy 4:1; Titus 2:13; I Corinthians 4:5; I Corinthians 15; II Thessalonians 1:7-10; Revelation 20:4-6, 11-15)
10.  Marriage & Family – (i) The Institution of Marriage: We believe that marriage is an institution created by the God of the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures, therefore, only God can define what marriage is—its nature and makeup—and has done so in the Bible (both Old and New Testaments) as being composed of one man and one woman. We prescribe and adhere to the Bible’s definition of marriage—that marriage can only be between one man and one woman; that marriage is a covenant between one man and one woman before God, which conveys the sublime and mysterious union between Christ and his Church, and any other combination of persons is blasphemous to God; that God joins together the groom and the bride in a holy union which no person should harm or break; that marriage is a religious institution which can only be dissolved by death or sexual immorality or abandonment; that there is no other marriage in eternity other than Christ’s marriage to the Church. We believe that no other combination or makeup of any other marrying couple or party (not a man and man, not a woman and woman, not any polygamist parties, not a human with beast) is acknowledged or recognized by God or the true Church of Jesus Christ (not the church’s leaders or membership) as being a legitimate marriage. Therefore, the Church and all local assemblies are prohibited from participating in any and all ceremonies of such redefinitions of marriage, or from allowing any such ceremony which includes any unbiblical redefinition of marriage on church premises, property, or in church facilities, all of which we believe are owned by God as kingdom resources. We do not recognize any human institution as being able to redefine marriage, including governments, courts, church officials, or local magistrates. We do not believe pastors are allowed by God, or the Bible, to preside over any so-called “marriage” of homosexuals, transgender persons, polygamist’s parties, or those wishing to engage in bestiality, or any other marriage than that between one man and one woman. (ii) Order in the Home: We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God, but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be the leaders (pastors, deacons, & elders) of the church. (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; 1 Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12) (iii) The Family: We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are a wonderful gift and heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values through consistent lifestyle example, and appropriate training and discipline. (iv) Divorce and remarriage: We believe that God disapproves of and forbids divorce, except on the grounds of sexual immorality or abandonment. Although divorced and remarried persons, or divorced persons, may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, there may be restrictions for those who divorced wrongly (i.e. unbiblical). (Gen. 1-2; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Ps. 127:3-5; Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mk. 10:6-12; 1 Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Col. 3:18-21; 1 Pet. 3:1-7; Mathew 5 & 19; Romans 1; 1 Corinthians 7; Ephesians 5).  Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Mark 10:11-12; Rom. 7:1-3; I Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6; I Cor. 7:10-16)
11. Sanctity of Life: (i) Abortion. We believe that: human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being; that abortion is murder and constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. (Job 3:16; Ps. 51:5; 139:13-16; Isa. 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:36, 44). (ii) Euthanasia. We believe that an act or omission which, of itself or by intention, facilitates premature death, is assuming a decision that is to be reserved for God. We do not believe that discontinuing medical procedures, that are extraordinary or disproportionate to the expected outcome, is euthanasia. (Ex. 20:13; 23:7; Matt. 5:21; Acts 17:28)
12. Love: We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward those who are not believers, those who oppose us, and those who engage in sinful actions. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or use of violence, as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such actions. We do not believe that “tolerance” demands our acceptance of belief systems, or worldviews, or tenets that conflict with God’s Word, nor do we subscribe to pluralism in any form. (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Rom. 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; I Peter 3:8-9; 1 John 3:17-18)
13. Lawsuits within the Church: We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits within the Church against fellow believers (i.e. Christians). 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. (1 Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32)
14. Protection of Children: We believe that children are a heritage from the Lord and must be absolutely protected within the church from any form of abuse or molestation. The church has zero tolerance for any person, whether paid staff, volunteer, member, or visitor, who abuses or molests a child. (Ps. 127:3-5; Matt. 18:6; Matt. 19:14; Mark 10:14)