Statement of Faith
- The Trinity: There is one living and true God, infinite in glory, wisdom, holiness, justice, power, and love; one in His essence but eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (Genesis 1:1, 26; John 1:1, 3)
- The Word of God: The books, which form the canon of the Old and New Testaments, as originally given, are inspired and free from all error in the whole and in the part. These books constitute the written word of God, the only infallible rule of faith and practice. (II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21)
- Creation: God, in His sovereignty, created the world out of nothing so that His creation, while wholly dependent upon Him, neither comprises part of God, nor conditions His essential perfection. (Genesis 1-2)
- The Fall of Man: God created man in His own image, in a state of original righteousness, from which he subsequently fell by a voluntary revolt and, as a consequence, is guilty, inherently corrupt, and subject to divine wrath. The unregenerate are totally depraved and do not possess a will free from the dominion of the sin nature. (Genesis 1:26; Genesis 3)
- Jesus Christ: Jesus Christ, the eternal Son, possesses all the divine Excellencies, being co-substantial and co-eternal with the Father and the Holy Spirit. In His incarnation, He united to His divine nature a true human nature, and so continues to be both God and man in two distinct natures and one person, forever. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, inborn of the Virgin Mary, fulfilled the requirements of the law by His sinless life, suffered under Pontius Pilate, poured out His blood as a vicarious and propitiatory atonement for sin in satisfaction of divine justice, and on the third day was raised from the dead in the same body, now glorified. He ascended into heaven and is now seated at the right hand of God the Father, interceding in Glory for His redeemed. (Matthew 1:18-25, I Peter 2:21-25)
- The Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit, eternally proceeding from the Father and the Son, through the ministry of regeneration and progressive sanctification, applies salvation, guides and comforts the children of God, directs and empowers the church in fulfillment of the Great Commission, and convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. (John 14:16, 17, 26; John 16:8-14)
- Salvation: Salvation consists of the sovereign act of regeneration, the remission of sins, the imputation of the righteousness of Jesus Christ, the gift of eternal life, and the concomitant blessings thereof, which are a free gift of God and received by faith alone apart from human works of merit. Even the ability to believe is the gift of God. This blessing in no way relieves men of their responsibility to repent and believe. (John 3:16; Romans 10:9-10; I John 1:9)
- Heaven: At death, the souls of the redeemed are made perfect in holiness and immediately enter into the presence of Christ, enjoying conscious fellowship with Him, there to wait the resurrection of the body. (John 14:1-3; Philippians 3:20-21)
- The Return of Jesus Christ: The Lord Jesus Christ will return bodily, visibly, and personally to conform believers to His own image and to establish His kingdom. He will judge the quick and the dead and will effect a final separation of the redeemed and the lost, assigning unbelievers to eternal punishment and believers to eternal glory. (Matthew 16:27; I Thessalonians 4:13-17)