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1. The Word of God. We believe that the Bible is the word of God, fully
inspired and without error in the original manuscripts, written under the
inspiration of the Holy Spirit and that it has supreme authority in all
matters of faith and conduct (Psalm 119:105; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews
4:12; 2 Peter 1:19-21).
2. The Trinity. We believe that there is one living and true God, eternally
existing in three persons; that these are equal in every divine perfection,
and that they execute distinct but harmonious offices in the work of
creation, providence and redemption (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; John
10:30).
3. God the Father. We believe in God the Father, an infinite, personal
spirit, perfect in holiness, wisdom, power, and love. We believe that He
concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of people, that He hears and
answers prayer, and that He saves from sin and death all who come to Him
through Jesus Christ (Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 40:18-31; John 4:24; Ephesians
4:24).
4. Jesus Christ. We believe in Jesus Christ, God's only begotten Son,
conceived by the Holy Spirit. We believe in His virgin birth, sinless life,
miracles and teachings. We believe in His substitutionary atoning death,
bodily resurrection, ascension into heaven, perpetual intercession for His
people and personal, visible return to earth (Luke 1:35; Hebrews 1:1-2;
John 3:14-18).
5. The Holy Spirit. We believe in the Holy Spirit who came forth from the
Father and Son to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment, and
to regenerate, sanctify and empower all who believe in Jesus Christ. We
believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every believer in Christ, and that He
is an abiding helper, teacher and guide (Psalm 51:11; John 16:7-14; Romans
8).
6. Man. We believe that man was created in the moral and spiritual
image of God; created free and rational beings. We believe that they were
given power and authority over God's creation. We believe it is inherent
within human nature to be disobedient and rebellious against God.
Therefore, man incurs spiritual and physical death. We believe that a
right relationship with God can only be obtained through God's gift of Jesus
Christ (Genesis 1-3; Psalm 8; John 3:16; Ephesians 2).
7. Regeneration. We believe that all men are sinners by nature and by
choice and are, therefore, under condemnation. We believe that those who
repent of their sins and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord are
regenerated by the Holy Spirit (Romans 3:23, 5:8-12, 6:23).
8. The Church. We believe in the universal church, a living spiritual body
of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons are members. We
believe in the local church, consisting of a company of believers in Jesus
Christ, baptized on a credible profession of faith, and associated for
worship, work and fellowship. We believe that God has laid upon the members
of the local church the primary task of giving the Gospel of Jesus Christ to
a lost world (Romans 12:5; 2 Corinthians 5:17-20; Ephesians 5:23-27; 1
Peter 2:9).
9. Christian Conduct. We believe that Christians should live for the glory
of God and the well being of people; that their conduct should be blameless
before the world; that they should be faithful stewards of their
possessions; and that they should seek to realize for themselves and others
the full stature of maturity in Christ (Romans 4; 1 Corinthians 6:9-20;
Ephesians 4; 1 Peter 1:13-19).
10. The Ordinances. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has committed two
ordinances to the local church, baptism and the Lord's Supper. We believe
that Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water into the name
of the triune God. We believe that the Lord's Supper was instituted by
Christ for commemoration of His death. We believe that these two ordinances
should be observed and administered until the return of the Lord Jesus
Christ (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41-42; 1 Corinthians 11:23-29).
11. Religious Liberty. We believe that every human being has direct
relations with God, and is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith;
that each church is independent and must be free from interference by any
ecclesiastical or political authority; that, therefore, Church and State
must be kept separate as having different functions, each fulfilling its
duties free from dictation or patronage of the other (Luke 20;20-26; Acts
5:29; 1 Timothy 2:1-5).
12. Church Cooperation. We believe that local churches can promote the
cause of Jesus Christ by cooperating with one another in a denominational
organization. Such an organization, whether a regional or district
conference, exists and functions by the will of the churches. Cooperation
in a conference is voluntary and may be terminated at any time. Churches
may likewise cooperate with inter-denominational fellowships on a voluntary
independent basis (John 17:21; Acts 15:22-23; 2 Corinthians 8:23-24).
13. The Last Things. We believe in the personal and visible return of the
Lord Jesus Christ to earth and the establishment of His Kingdom. We believe
in the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, the eternal blessedness
of the righteous, and the endless suffering of the wicked (Matthew 24-25;
Acts 1:11; 1 Corinthians 15; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 21).
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