TRUSTING WHOLLY IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST FOR OUR SALVATION, WE HEREBY AFFIRM OUR FAITH IN THE FOLLOWING BASIC DOCTRINES OF SCRIPTURE.

WE BELIEVE THAT THE BIBLE TEACHES:

1. That the Scriptures, both the "Old' and "New" Testaments, were verbally inspired by God, without error in the original writing, and that they are supreme and final in authority, faith and life.

Psalm 119:1-11, 105: Matthew 22:29; John 5:39; II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21


2. That there is one God, eternally existent in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, co-equal in power and glory, identical in their essential nature, attributes and perfection.

Genesis 1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19-20; John 1:1-2; John 4:24; John 10:30; John 14:16, 17, 26; Philippians 2:5-8; John 15:26; I John 5:7


3. That the Lord Jesus Christ was begotten in the flesh by the Holy Spirit through the virgin Mary, being thus true God and true man, and the only Mediator between God and man.

Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:14; I Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:16-18; 4:14-16; 7:25; Galatians 4:4


4. That the Holy Spirit is that person of the Triune Godhead, Who convicts men of sin and indwells believers for a life of victory and seals them unto the "Day of Redemption.”

John 14:16-17; 16:7-12; Romans 8:14-16; I Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 1:13-14


5. That Satan is a personality, that he is the arch-enemy of God and man, that he seeks to discredit and dishonor God and to deceive those whom God would save.

Job 1:6-7; Isaiah 14:12-14; Ezekiel 28:13-15; II Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 6:11-12; II Thessalonians 2:9-10


6. That man was created by God in His image, not a product of evolution, but that man fell into sin and thereby incurred to himself and his posterity, not only physical death, but also that spiritual death which is separation from God; and that all human beings are born with a sinful nature, and in the case of those who reach the age of moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word and deed.

Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:10, 23; Romans 5:12; I Corinthians 11:7; Ephesians 2:1-3; Colossians 3:5-9


7. That the Lord Jesus Christ died as a substitutionary atonement for our sins and that all who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood.

Exodus 12:5-13; Leviticus 17:11; John 3:14-19; Acts 13:38-39; Romans 5 (especially vs. 8); II Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 9:12-14; I Peter 2:22-24


8. That salvation is not of works, but by grace alone, and that all who receive the Lord Jesus Christ by faith as personal Savior, are born again of the Holy Spirit thus becoming the Children of God and are indwelt by the Holy Spirit and baptized by Him into that spiritual Body (the Church) of which Christ is the Head.

John 1:11-13; John 3:1-6; Romans 11:6; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:8-10; Colossians 1:18; Titus 3:5-7


9. That all who trust fully in the saving power of the Lord Jesus Christ are eternally secure, and that their final state shall be one of eternal bliss with God and the “redeemed” of all ages.

John 3:16; John 5:24; John 10:28, 30; John 17:24; II Timothy 1:12; I John 5:12-13; Revelation 21:3-4


10. That the crucified body of our Lord was raised from the dead, that He ascended into heaven where He is now "High Priest” and "Advocate" for all true believers.

Psalm 16:10; Romans 4:24-25; Romans 10:9-10; I Corinthians 15:3-8; Hebrews 7:25; I John 2:1-2; Matthew 28:5-7; John 20:24-29; Luke 24:50-51; Mark 16:19; Acts 1:9-11; Revelation I:18


11. That the Lord will appear in person, in bodily and visible form, to call away His Church and will return after the "Great Tribulation" to establish His kingdom as foretold in the Scriptures; that the Church is an elect company of believers, the Body of which Jesus Christ is the Head; that God has purposed that the Church glorify Him in an aggressive effort to disciple all nations through the preaching of the "gospel.”

John 14:1-6; I Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 3:10; Matthew 24:29-30; Daniel 2:44; Ephesians 1:22-23; I Corinthians 12:12-14; Act. 1:8; Revelation 12:22


12. That baptism is the immersion of a believer in water, in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, and that this sets forth the essential facts of redemption, namely: the death, burial and resurrection of Christ; and also that this implies the "newness of life" (new birth) of the believer; and that the Lord's Supper is a commemoration of the Lord's death until He comes.

Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 8:36-40; Romans 6:3-6; Acts 10:47; I Corinthians 15:1-4; Matthew 26:26-30; I Corinthians 11:23-27


13. That both "saved" and "lost" shall undergo bodily resurrection. The "saved" shall appear in heaven at the "Judgment Seat" of Christ to receive rewards and dwell with Him for all eternity. The "lost" shall be judged at the "Great White Throne" and be cast into hell. We believe in the eternal conscious punishment of the "lost" in a literal hell of torment which was prepared for the devil and his angels.

John 5:28-29; II Timothy 4:8; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; II Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:12-15.


14. That born-again believers should witness to the world by leading lives separated unto the Lord and by shunning all appearance of evil or worldliness.

John 17:15-16; Romans 12:2; I Corinthians 6:17-20; I Thessalonians 5:22; Titus 2:11-15; I John 2:15


15. That, as concerning religious freedom, every human being is directly responsible to God in matters of faith and life and that each should be free to worship God according to his understanding of the Scriptures. We hold that Christians should obey and respect the law of the land as taught in Scripture except when the law encroaches upon the individual's right to worship God as his conscience dictates. In accordance with these principles we hold it our God-given right and duty to "Go into all the world and preach the gospel" as commanded by our Lord.

Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 5:29; Romans 10:14-17; Romans 13:1-14; I Peter 2:13-18


16. That a local New Testament Church consists of a company of baptized believers in Jesus Christ who, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, have voluntarily associated themselves for worship, for instruction and for service for our Lord as a local manifestation of the body of Christ.

Acts 2:41; Acts 2:47; 10:47; Romans 12:5; I Corinthians 12:13; Colossians 1:18


17. That a local New Testament Church is an autonomous body and must be free from interference by any convention, ecclesiastical or political authority. The Church and State must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its duties free from the dictates or patronage of the other

Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:25; Acts 5:29; Colossians 1:18; Revelation 17