DOCTRINE STATEMENT

The Holy Scriptures:

We believe in the divine inspiration and authority of the Scriptures.  By this is meant a miraculous guidance of the holy Spirit in their original writing, extending to all parts of the Scriptures equally, applying even to the choice of words, so that the result is the very Word of God, and only infallible rule of faith and practice.  Moreover, it is our conviction that God has exercised such singular care and providence through the ages in preserving the written Word that the Scriptures as we now have them are in every essential particular as originally given and contain all things necessary to salvation.

By the Scriptures is meant the 39 books of the Old Testament and the 27 books of the New Testament which are accepted by historical fundamental Christian Churches.    

II Timothy 3:16-17; I Peter 1:20, 21


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The One True God:

We believe that there is only one living and true God, infinite in every excellence; that in the Trinity of the

Godhead there are three persons: 


The Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit.  These are one in substance and equal in every divine perfection.

Exodus 20:2-3; I Corinthians 8:6; I John 5:7


We believe in the absolute Deity of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, that He was Divine as no other man can be, being very God of very God, existing from all eternity co-equal with the Father and the Spirit; that He never ceased to be God for one instant and that His humiliation did not consist in laying aside his Deity; that as a man He was miraculously begotten of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.

John 1:1-2; I John 5:20; Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:26-38; Hebrews 1:8

    

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine person, co-equal with the Father and the Son and of the same substance and nature; that He convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment, bears witness to the truth, is the agent of the New Birth, that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses to, sanctifies, and helps the believer, in dwelling every true child of God.

John 14:16-17; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; I Corinthians 12:13; Acts 5:3-5; John 16:7-11 


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The Personality of Satan:

We believe that Satan is a personal being, a fallen angel, prince of demons, the god of this age, the great enticer and deceiver, the adversary of Christ and His people, the accuser of the brethren, whose end is the Lake of Fire.

Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12, 19; II Corinthians 4:3-4; I Peter 5:8; Revelation 12:9, 19; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10


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The Creation:

We accept the Genesis account of creation as literal and historical.  We believe that man came by direct creation of  God, created a full man, and not by evolution, and occurring in a seven day week, each day having twenty-four hours.

Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:3


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The Fall of Man:

We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of His maker but by voluntary transgression, fell from his sinless and happy state, in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners not only by constraint, but by choice; and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse.


We believe that man was created in the image of God and that when he sinned he incurred 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 moral responsibility, become accountable for their sins in thought, word, and deed.

Genesis 3:1-6; Ephesians 2:1-10; Romans 5:10-19; Genesis 3:24; Romans 3:23; Genesis 2:17


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The Virgin Birth:

We believe that Jesus was begotten of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner, born of Mary a Virgin as no other man was ever born, or can ever be born of woman, and that He is both the Son of God and God the Son. 

We believe in His perfect humanity.  That is, it was impossible for our Lord to have sinned.

Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14, 9:6; Luke 1:35; Hebrews 4:15; Hebrews 6:18; 2 Corinthians 5:21



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Redemption from Sin:

We believe that the only escape from the condemnation of sin is through the redemption wrought by Jesus Christ when He voluntarily took upon Him a human body and nature, yet without sin.  By His sufferings, death, and resurrection made full satisfaction to the justice of God for the sin of man, through His blood, and that the blessing of this salvation is given on the grounds of grace to all who believe and confess Jesus Christ as Savior.  For, salvation is wholly of grace through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ in virtue of His redemptive work on the cross and that neither baptism, the Lord’s Supper, nor any other rite, ceremony, or work can avail one whit for the sinner’s salvation.  Christ alone saves. 

 John 14:6; John 3:1-7; Acts 4:12; Romans 5:9; Ephesians 1:7; Ephesians 2:8, 9; Titus 3:5


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The New Birth:

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with the Word of God, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruit of repentance and faith and newness of life.

John 3:3; II Corinthians 5:11; I John 5:1; John 3:6-8; II Peter 1:4; Ephesians 2:1, 26; Colossians 2:13


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The Resurrection:

We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ.

Matthew 28:6-7; Luke 24:2-6, 39; Mark 16:6; John 20:27; I Corinthians 15:4     

 

The Ascension - Acts 1:9-11; Luke 24:51; Mark 16:19; Hebrews 12:2

 

The High Priesthood - I Timothy 2:5; I John 2:1; Heb. 2:17; 5:9-10; 8:6

 

 The Return of Christ

We believe in the bodily, personal, premillennial return of Jesus Christ; that He will come before the seven year tribulation period to catch away His Church, coming only into the air, and that He will come with His Church at the close of the tribulation to judge the living nations and to set up His kingdom on earth.

I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 19:11-21; John 14:3; Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 3:10

 

The Resurrection of the Righteous Dead - I Thessalonians 4:13-18; I Corinthians 15:51-53

 

The Change of the Living in Christ - I Corinthians 15:51-53; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Philippians 3:20-21

 

The Judgment Seat of Christ - I Corinthians 3:13-15; Romans 14:10; II Corinthians 5:10

 

The Millennial Reign - Isaiah 32:1; 11:4-5; Psalm 72


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The Local Church: 

We believe that a local church is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His Word; that its officers are: Pastors, Deacons, Elders and Trustees whose qualifications, claims, 

and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures.

I Timothy 3


We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government free from the inheritance of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only head is Christ, through the Holy Spirit.

Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23


We believe that it is Scriptural for true Churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for furtherance of the Gospel; that each local Church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation on all matters of membership or polity, or government; of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local Church is final.

I Corinthians 12:1-11; I Corinthians 8:1-6 


We believe that the invisible Church or body of Christ includes all regenerated persons from Pentecost to the Second Coming of Christ, and that Her supreme mission is Her world-wide commission set forth by Christ and His apostles.

Matthew 28:19, 20


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The Eternal State of the Saved and the Lost:

We believe in the eternal salvation of the regenerate and the eternal condemnation of the unregenerate.

 

We believe in a Heaven and a Hell.  Heaven the place of eternal conscious joy for all who receive Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.

 

Hell, the place of eternal conscious punishment in the Lake of Fire for all who reject Jesus Christ, and those who have never heard the Gospel of Christ are condemned to Hell by the witness of God’s glory in creation.

John 14:1-6; Psalm 9:17; 16:11; Philippians 1:21; John 8:24; Revelation 20:10-15; Luke 16:19-26


Yes, we believe in the endless bliss of believers and in the endless sufferings of unbelievers.

John 10:28-29


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The Ordinances of the Church:

We believe in baptism by immersion for all regenerated persons.


We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water one time backward to show forth, in a solemn and beautiful emblem, our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, as a testimony to our death to sin and resurrection to a new life.  We believe that it is a prerequisite to the privilege of Church membership.

Acts 8:26-39; Romans 6:3-5; Matthew 3:16; Colossians 2:12



The Lord’s Supper: We believe that the Lord’s supper is the commemoration of His death until He come.  This ordinance should be preceded by solemn self-examination.

I Cor. 11:23-38


The communion service shall be held the first Sunday of each month.  The communion service shall be conducted in the following manner:  the Pastor shall administer the elements of unleavened bread to the Deacons, the Deacons in turn will administer the same to the congregation which will hold the bread until the Pastor asks that all eat together.  This same procedure will be followed in the partaking of the cup.  The wine for the service shall be grape juice.  The Pastor is responsible for the reading of the proper Scripture that relates to this ordinance.


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Civic Government:

We believe that civil government is the divine appointment for the interest and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Lord of the conscience. 

Romans 13:1-7; Acts 23:5; Matthew 22-21; I Timothy 2:1-2; I Peter 2:13-15 


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Separation and Sanctification:

We believe that the Scriptures clearly teach non-conformity to the world for every believer; that born-again people should be separated from the world unto Christ.

Colossians 3:1-4; II Corinthians 6:14-17; Titus 2:14; I Peter 1:14-16; II Corinthians 7:1; Ephesians 5:25-27; 

Romans 12:1-2


We believe that positional sanctification takes place at the New Birth and is to progress throughout the entire span of life of a believer here on earth.


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Marriage and Family:

We believe that marriage was ordained by God at creation as the sacred union of one man and one woman.  All sexual relations must therefore be reserved for that union.  Christian marriage is a representation of Christ’s relationship to His church.  We also believe that children are a blessing from the Lord.  Thus, all human life is sacred and worthy of protection from the moment of conception.

Genesis 1:26-28; 2:24; Psalm 127 & 128; 139:13-16; Matthew 19:1-10; 1 Corinthians 6:9-11; Ephesians 5:22-33; Hebrews 13:4