The Scriptures

The Holy Bible was inspired by God. It consists of the 66 books contained in the Old and New Testament Scriptures. The inspiration of the scripture is the divine process by which God conveys His Words through man to man in such a miraculous manner that the personality of the human instrument is discernable, yet the Words are as truly the exact Words of God as if they had been written down by God Himself. It has God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter. It reveals the principles by which God will judge us, and therefore is, and shall remain, the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions shall be tried. It constitutes the only infallible rule of faith and practice. The verbally inspired Word of God has been perfectly preserved in the Authorized King James 1611 Bible. (Psalm 12:6,7; 119:89; Isaiah 8:20; I Thessalonians 2:13, 5:21; II Timothy 3:15,16.)

The Godhead

There is but one living and true God. He made all things by the Word of His mouth and all things exist by His power. He is one God manifested in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit – equal in divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of creation, redemption, and glorification. He is perfect in all His attributes. Exodus 15:11; Psalm 83:18; Matthew 28:19; Mark 12:30; John 1:1-3, 4:24, 10:30; Ephesians 2:18; I John 5:7.

Jesus Christ

The Lord Jesus Christ is the manifestation of God in the flesh, conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the virgin Mary, fully man and yet wholly God. John 1:1-2,14 Matthew 1:18-21; John 8:58, 10:30; I Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 1:8

Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit of God is co-equal with God. He is a person and the third member of the Trinity. His present ministries include magnifying the Lord Jesus Christ, convincing the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment to come, comforting and teaching believers, and edifying the Body of Christ. The present-day charismatic movement is a dangerous counterfeit of the real ministries of the Holy Spirit, and we are totally opposed to it. John 16:7-14; Acts 5:1-4.

Satan

Satan is a created cherub and the author of sin. He incurred the judgment of God by rebelling against his Creator, involving one-third of the angels in his fall, and introduced sin into the human race by his temptation of Eve. We believe that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man who was defeated through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He will be eternally punished in the lake of fire which has been prepared for the Devil and his angels. Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Genesis 3:1-15; Revelation 20:10

Salvation

Salvation is solely by grace through faith in the blood sacrifice, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Son of God. All who admit their sin before God and turn to Jesus Christ as the only payment for their sins will be saved. Salvation reconciles us back into a relationship with God the Father because our sin debt has been paid by the death of Jesus Christ. (Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” 2 Cor 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”) If you accept Christ as the payment for your sins your eternal destiny changes from hell to heaven, death to life. (John 5:24 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.”)

The Church

A visible Church of Christ is a congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and the fellowship of the Gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word. Its only Scriptural officers are bishops or pastors and deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are defined in the epistles to Timothy and to Titus. This Church is an independent local autonomy, governed internally and responsible only to the Lord Jesus Christ. Its ministries include glorifying the Savior, edifying the saints, and evangelizing the world for Christ. Matthew 16:18, 28:19-20; Acts 2:47, 14:23, 20:28; Romans 16:5; Ephesians 1:22, 5:23; I Timothy 3.

Missions

God has given the Church a Great Commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ, we must use all available means to go to the foreign nations and not wait for them to come to us. Our ambassadorship must include an effort to win the lost locally as well. Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; II Cor. 5:20.