Our Basic Beliefs
The Bible
We believe the Bible to be the revealed Word of God, fully and verbally inspired of God. We believe the Scriptures to be the inerrant, infallible Word of God, found within the 66 books from Genesis to Revelation. We believe that God has preserved His Word through the ages. (Psalm 12:6–7; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Peter 1:23-25; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
God
We believe in one God who is eternal, self-existent, infinite, and immutable. We believe He is one, yet manifests Himself to man in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Timothy 1:17; James 1:17; 1 John 4:4)
Jesus Christ
We believe Jesus Christ to be the one and only Saviour of mankind. We believe Jesus Christ to be eternally God and to possess all the attributes of Deity. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was virgin-born, that He was God incarnate, and that the purposes of the incarnation were to reveal God, to save men, and to rule over God's kingdom. We believe Jesus Christ never relinquished any attributes of His Deity when He lived a perfect, sinless life on earth. (Psalm 2:7-9; Isaiah 7:14, 9:6, 43:11; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:25; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:1, 1:3, 14, 18, 29; Romans 3:19-25; Romans 5:6-15; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18)
The Holy Spirit
We believe the Holy Spirit of God is a person who has personality and all the attributes of Deity. We believe the Holy Spirit has ministry that includes reproving the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. The Holy Spirit was also sent to regenerate, sanctify, and seal those who have placed their faith in Christ. The Holy Spirit will fill all who yield to Him in faith for Divine empowering and victorious living. (Genesis 1:2; John 3:5-6; John 14:16; Acts 1:5; Ephesians 5:18)
Sin and Salvation
We believe all men were born with an inherited sin nature received from our common ancestor, Adam. Because of this sin, we deserve the judgment of God in Hell. We believe that Christ died for our sins as our substitute and that three days later he rose again. We believe the only hope of deliverance for man is a dependence on Christ alone without works. We believe that all those who reject Jesus Christ as their Saviour are already condemned to an eternity in the lake of fire. We believe that all of those who are saved will be saved forever. (Genesis 5:1-5; Acts 4:19; Acts 16:31; Romans 3:10-23; Romans 5:6-12; Romans 6:23; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-6; Revelation 20:11-14)
The New Testament Church
We believe that the church began with the calling out of the apostles by Jesus Christ and was empowered on the day of Pentecost. We believe the local church is composed of members who have been saved and baptized according to the command of Christ, and have voluntarily united together for the purposes of worship, fellowship, service, and observance of the ordinances of baptism and communion. (Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 1:15; Acts 2:41-43; Acts 11:15; Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 15: 51-58)
The Last Days
We believe in the literal interpretation of the Scriptures in both their grammatical and their historical context. We believe in the pre-tribulational rapture of the church saints, followed by the seven-year tribulation. We believe in the pre-millennial return of Christ to the earth and His literal rule of 1,000 years. Following this one-thousand-year reign is the Great White Throne judgment and then the new heaven and new earth. (1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9; Revelation 19-22)
Separation
We believe that all those who are saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord. God commands His people to separate from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful practices, and to refrain from any involvement that would take away from the Glory of God as he has called us to live in Holiness. (Romans 12:1-2; 14:13; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17)
Creation
We believe that God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, and any theory or design not attributed to God as unscriptural. (Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11)
Human Sexuality
We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. (Genesis 2:24, 19:5, 13, 26:8-9; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1: 26-29; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:9; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Corinthians 7:10; Ephesians 5:22-23)
God's Sovereignty and man's free Will
We believe in both God's sovereignty and man's free will and allow this to be a mystery as to how God put the two together. We believe it is dangerous to emphasize one over the other and believe in balance. (2 Peter 3:8-10; Ephesians 1)
Love
We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward both those who are not believers and those who are against us. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, gossip,or the taking of revenge. We believe in practicing Spirit filled, Godly rebuke. We believe God's requirement for right relationships is forgiveness as opposed to bitterness and anger. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions. (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Romans 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Philippians 2:2-4; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; 1 John 3:17-18)
Missions
We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be glory brought to God in a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. As those receiving this commission, we must use all available and right means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us. (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:20)