Our Beliefs
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- God
- Man
- Eternity
- Jesus Christ
- Salvation
- Perserverance of the Saints
- The Holy Spirit
- The Bible
- Water Baptism
- Communion
- Christ’s Return
- The Final Judgement
1. God
We believe that God exists as three persons - the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. By this we mean God is a Trinity, three in one. The Father, Son, and Spirit are three distinct persons distinguishable from one another, yet they are one. Because they are indivisible the scriptures will speak of God as one, and because they are distinct the Bible will attribute specific acts to each one of the Trinity.
Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Genesis 1:1; Genesis1:26-27; Genesis 3:22; Psalm 90:2; 1 Peter 1:2;
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2. Man
Man is made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character.
He is the supreme object of God’s creation. Although man has tremendous potential for good, he is marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called sin. This attitude separates man from God.
Genesis 1:27; Psalm 8:3-6; Isaiah 53:6a; Romans 3:23; Isaiah 59:1,2
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3. Eternity
Man was created to exist forever.
He will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or in union with God through forgiveness and salvation. To be eternally separated from God is Hell. To be eternally in union with Him is eternal life. Heaven and Hell are places of eternal existence.
John 3:16; John 2:25; 1 John 5:11-13; Romans 6:23; Revelation 20:15; Matthew 8:11; Matthew 24:44
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4. Jesus Christ
We believe Jesus Christ is God’s Son conceived by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary.
By this we mean Jesus is God’s one and only eternal Son come down from heaven to earth. He became fully human by taking upon himself a human body, soul and spirit. Even though he became fully human, he was without sin and remained God’s divine Son while on earth. He died on the cross and arose after three days. After 40 days, Jesus ascended to heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Father where he remains until he returns.
We believe Jesus became human to save the lost. By this we mean Jesus came to show the Father’s love and to call all who are willing to enter God’s kingdom. To remove the obstacle of sin, Jesus died on the cross as a sacrifice to satisfy God’s righteous demand for judgment and to express God’s unconditional love to mankind. Jesus now ever lives to intercede for those for whom he died.
Luke 19:10; Romans 3:21-26; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 2:17-18; Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1-5; John 14:10-30; Hebrews 4:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; 1 Timothy 6:14-15; Titus 2:13
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5. Salvation
We believe everyone needs to be saved and that salvation can only be obtained through Jesus Christ. By this we mean everyone separated from Christ is lost and needs salvation. Jesus came for the purpose of seeking and saving the lost and it is only through him that someone can be saved. This salvation is received as a free gift from God through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 14:6; Acts 4:12; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8-9; John 14:6; John1:12; Titus 3:5; Galatians 3:26; Romans 5:1
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6. Perseverance of the Saints
Because God gives man eternal life through Jesus Christ, the believer is secure in the salvation for eternity. The efficacy of Jesus Christ Salvation is never in question. Our eternal life is maintained by the grace and power of God, not by the self-effort of the Christian. It is the grace and keeping power of God that gives this security.
John 10:29; 2 Timothy 1:12; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 10:10; Hebrews 10:14; 1 Peter 1:3-5
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7. The Holy Spirit
We believe in the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, and it is often accompanied with speaking in tongues. By this we mean it is possible to be born again and not yet be baptized with the Holy Spirit. Nevertheless the Baptism with the Spirit is available to all Christians. Peter declared it is for everyone the Lord calls. And like on the Day of Pentecost, the Baptism with the Spirit is often accompanied with speaking in tongues.
Acts 1:5-8; Acts 2:1-4; Acts 2:38-40; Acts 10:44-46; Acts 19:1-4 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13; John 14:16-17; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13; Galatians 5:25; Ephesians 5:1
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8. The Bible
We believe the Bible is the inspired Word of God. By this we mean the Holy Spirit led the human writers to write every word. He did this in such a way that involved their personalities but did not allow their personalities to dilute God’s Word.
2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 1:13; Psalm 119:105; Psalm 119:160; Psalm 12:6; Proverbs 30:5
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9. Water Baptism
We believe in water baptism in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit of those who have confessed their faith in Christ. By this we mean only those who have confessed their faith in Christ should be baptized. This excludes infants but may include children old enough to confess faith. Baptism is a first act of obedience that should occur as soon as possible after the initial confession of faith and be performed in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:34-38; Acts 22:16
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10. Communion
We believe in communion as a partaking of Christ’s body and blood. By this we mean that we accept Jesus’ words at face value. He said “This is my body…This is my blood.” We, by faith, receive the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ when we partake of communion.
Matthew 26:20-35; 1 Corinthians 10:16-17
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11. Christ’s Return
We believe in the personal and visible return of our Lord Jesus Christ. By this we mean Jesus is returning bodily. At his return, he will catch away all living believers and raise from the dead those who have fallen asleep in Christ. Then death, his last enemy, will be defeated.
Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians15:20-58
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12. The Final Judgment
We believe in the final judgment. By this we mean there is coming a day when God will judge all people. Then the righteous will inherit eternal life and the wicked will be cast into eternal hell.
Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:11-15
We believe in the new heaven and the new earth. By this we mean after the final judgment God will create a new heaven and new earth. In the new heaven and new earth there will be no unrighteousness and the Son of God shall light it with his radiance. Then the saints shall enjoy perfect fellowship with God and all the effects of the curse shall be removed.
Romans 8:18-25; Revelation 21:1-22