WHAT WE BELIEVE

About Jesus Christ

We believe the Lord Jesus Christ is fully and literally God in human form (1 Tim 3:16), He was conceived of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35), and in the womb of a virgin named Mary (Isa 7:14) received a human body. We believe He was tempted by Satan in all points like we are, yet without sin (Mt 4:1-11; Heb 4:15; 1 John 2:16). We believe He allowed Himself to be crucified in order to pay the penalty deserved for all our sin (Rom 5:11-21), He literally and bodily rose again from the grave on the third day (1 Cor 15:3-4), and He now sits on the right hand of the Father in heaven (Col 3:1).

About the Scriptures

We believe all Scripture was given by verbal, complete, and inerrant inspiration of God (2 Tim 3:16) and God has promised to preserve every jot and tittle of what He inspired (Mt 5:18). This Bible is preserved for us without error in the King James Authorized Version of 1611 A.D.

We hold to the Authorized Version (King James Bible) as the standard for English teaching within our local church and believe we find within it the certainty of the words of truth (Pro 22:20-21).

About God

We believe in one true God who is manifest in three eternal Persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit (1 John 5:7; Mt 3:16-17; 28:19).

About the Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit is fully God and the current, earthly manifestation of God through His indwelling of the believer in the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor 3:16; John 16:7), and that He seals the believer and baptizes (immerses) him into the body of Christ at the moment of salvation (1 Cor 12:13) with the goal of teaching God's Word and conforming the believer to the very image of Christ (Eph 1:3-14; 1 Cor 2:9-16; 2 Cor 3:17-18). We believe all spiritual blessings are received at the time of salvation (Eph 1:3), the Spirit gives gifts to every believer as He (the Spirit) wills so the believer might effectively communicate the love of Christ (1 Cor 12-13), and the modern tongues movement is not according to Scripture (1 Cor 14).

About Satan

We believe Satan is a real, historical being, a fallen cherub who was lifted up in pride and rebelled against God, leading an army of angelic beings with him (Isa 14:12-17). His defeat was sealed by the work of Christ on the cross (Heb 2:14). His final destiny is the lake of fire (Rev 20:10).

About Adam & Eve

We believe the Genesis account of creation is historical, not allegorical or figurative. We believe Adam was an historical person, created by the direct act of God and in His image (Gen 1-2). Adam chose to sin against God through the free will God gave him and reaped the wages of death. As the originator of the human race, Adam passed his sinful nature to all mankind (Rom 5:12). All men are sinners by birth and become sinners in experience (Rom 3) for which the wages is death (Rom 6:23).

About Salvation

We believe salvation is by God's grace alone on the basis of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross and in His resurrection, appropriated by the faith of anyone who will personally believe in his heart and confess with his mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord (Eph 2:8-9; Rom 10:9-10). We believe the act of salvation is just as definite and decisive as physical birth (John 3:1-7). We believe this salvation cannot be reversed or lost and believers are kept by the power of God (John 10:28-29; 1 John 2:19; Rom 8:35-39; 1 Pet 1:5).

About the Church

We believe the local assembly of believers (church) is God's instrument in this age. While all genuine, born-again believers in Christ share an organic, family relationship, the overwhelming number of references of the word ''church'' in the Bible apply to a local, visible assembly of believers (Acts 14:23; Eph 1:22-23; 4:11-16; 1 Tim 3:1-13). At the Second Coming of Christ, all genuine believers from the time of Christ's ascension will be united together as the Body of Christ (1Thes 4:13-18; Rev 19:7-8; 21:2). Until then, it is the responsibility of each local church to continue in evangelism, discipleship, and missions both independently and interdependently (Mt 28:18-20). We believe each local assembly should be as self-governing, self-supporting, and self-propagating as possible, practicing the ordinances of baptism and the Lord's Table and operating under the leadership of those who hold the office of pastor (also known as ''bishop'' or ''elder'') and assisted by those who hold the office of deacon (Mt 28:18-20; 1 Cor 11:23-34; 1 Tim 3:1-13; 1 Pet 5:1-4; Heb 13:17). We believe every member of the local church has the responsibility to minister the Word of God and support the ministry through prayer, holy living, tithes, and offerings (1 Cor 16:2; Mal 3:10; Acts 4:34-37; 2 Cor 8:7; Acts 2:41-47; 13:1-4).

About the Return of Christ

We believe in the literal, physical return of Jesus Christ to the earth in power and great glory to judge the world and reign (Acts 1:11; 2 Thes 1:7-10). We believe shortly before Christ's Second Coming, all genuine believers will be raptured out to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thes 4:13-18; 1 Cor 15:51-52) followed by a seven year period of tribulation on earth during which time God will judge His people Israel and all without Christ (1 Thes 5:1-11; Mt 24). That period of tribulation will be ended by Christ's personal return to rule for a thousand years (Rev 20:1-6; Mt 25:31-46).

About Judgment

We believe all men will spend eternity either with Christ or eternally separated from Him. We believe the lost who die, wait in a literal Hell for the day of final judgment where they will be assigned to the proper degree of punishment in a literal lake of fire (Rev 20:11-15). We believe those who have accepted Christ as Savior will experience a bodily resurrection to everlasting life (1 Thes 4:13-18; 1 Cor 15:51-58).