WHAT WE BELIEVE
Our Statement of Faith
IN ESSENTIAL BELIEFS - WE HAVE UNITY.
"There is one Body and one Spirit...there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, and one God and Father of us all..." Ephesians 4:4-6
IN NON-ESSENTIAL BELIEFS - WE HAVE LIBERTY.
"Accept Him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters... Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls... So then each of us will give an account of himself to God... So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God." Romans 14:1,4,12,22
IN ALL BELIEFS - WE SHOW CHARITY.
"If I hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but also the very secrets of God, and if I have the faith that can move mountains - but have not love, I amount to nothing at all." I Corinthians 13:2 (Ph)
THE ESSENTIALS WE BELIEVE
About God
God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe. He has eternally existed in three personalities: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and are one God.
Genesis 1:1,26,27, 3:22 Psalm 90:2 Matthew 28:19 I Peter 1:2 2 Corinthians 13:14
About Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is co-equal with the Father. Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people by dying on a cross. He arose from the dead after three days to demonstrate His power over sin and death. He ascended to Heaven's glory and will return again someday to earth to reign as King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.
Matthew 1:22,23 Isaiah 9:6 John 1:1-5 ; 14:10-30 Hebrews 4:14,15 I Corinthians 15:3,4
Romans 1:3,4 Acts 1:9-11 I Timothy 6:14,15 Titus 2:13
About the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is co-equal with the Father and the Son of God. He is present in the world to make men aware of their need for Jesus Christ. He also lives in every Christian from the moment of salvation. He provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth and guidance in doing what is right. He gives every believer a spiritual gift when they are saved. As Christians, we seek to live under His control daily.
2 Corinthians 3:17 John 16:7-13, 14:16,17 Acts 1:81 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16
Ephesians 1:13 Galatians 5:25 Ephesians 5:18
About the Bible
The Bible is God's Word to us. It was written by human authors, under the supernatural guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is the supreme source of truth for Christian beliefs and living. Because it is inspired by God, it is the truth without any mixture of error.
2 Timothy 3:16 2 Peter 1:20,21 2 Timothy 1:13 Psalm 119:105,160, 12:6 Proverbs 30:5
About Human Beings
People are made in the spiritual image of God, to be like Him in character. People are the supreme object of God's creation. Although every person has tremendous potential for good, all of us are marred by an attitude of disobedience toward God called "sin." This attitude separates people from God and causes many problems in life.
Genesis 1:27 Psalm 8:3-6 Isaiah 53:6a Romans 3:23 Isaiah 59:1,2
About Salvation
We believe that salvation is a free gift from God; it is not deserved nor can it be earned through our works. We believe that we are saved by God's grace, which we access by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. Because we believe in Jesus, we will show obedience through repentance, confession, Christian baptism, and living a Christian life led by the Holy Spirit.
Romans 6:23 Ephesians 2:8,9 John 14:6, 1:12 Titus 3:5 Galatians 3:25 Romans 5:1
About Eternity
People were created to exist forever. We will either exist eternally separated from God by sin, or eternally 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 real places of eternal existence.
John 3:16 John 14:17 Romans 6:23 Romans 8:17-18 Revelation 20:15 I Corinthians 2:7-9
BECOMING A CHRISTIAN
The most important decision you will ever make in your life is whether or not you will accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, for this decision not only affects the rest of your life here on earth, but more importantly affects your eternal destiny... whether you spend eternity in heaven or hell.
We believe that salvation is a free gift from God; it is not deserved, nor can it be earned through our works. We believe that we are saved by God's grace, which we access by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. Faith that is real expresses itself in action (not actions that earn, actions that reveal).
Belief - it is imperative that your relationship with God begins by believing that Jesus of Nazareth is the only Son of God, who came down from heaven to live as a man, and to die on a cross to take away the sin of all mankind, and then to rise bodily from the grave just 3 days after His death. 1 Corinthians 15:1-4
Repentance - Once I believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the next step I must take is to change my life. The scripture calls this point of change "repentance." To repent is to change my mind in regard to sin and to turn from doing things "my way" to doing things "God's way." Acts 2:38
This Confession - The Bible makes it very clear that we need to say that we believe in Jesus, that is to confess Him publicly. Of course after that first initial confession, we should continue to speak for Him in our everyday lives, not only by what we say but also by what we do. Romans 10:9
Baptism - Being baptized is a visible, God-chosen and God-commanded response of faith. In our baptism, we follow the example set by Jesus as He was baptized in the Jordan River. Not only did Jesus set the example, but He also commanded that we be baptized. Matt 28:19-20 The Greek word for baptism meant "to dip under water," making it clear that the New Testament baptism was always by immersion.