What We Believe

We teach that the Bible is God’s written revelation to man, and thus the sixty-six books of the Bible given to us by the Holy Spirit constitute the plenary (inspired equally in all parts) Word of God (1 Corinthians 2:7-14; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

 We teach that the Word of God is an objective, propositional revelation (1 Thessalonians 2:13; 1 Corinthians 2:13), verbally inspired in every word (2 Timothy 3:16), absolutely inerrant in the original documents, and God-breathed. 

We teach the literal (normal), grammatical-historical interpretation of Scripture which affirms the belief that the opening chapters of Genesis present creation in six literal days (Genesis 1:31; Exodus 31:17).

 We teach that the Bible constitutes the only infallible rule of faith and practice (Matthew 5:18; 24:35; John 10:35; 16:12-13; 17:17; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21). 

We teach that God spoke in His written Word by a process of dual (divine-human) authorship. The Holy Spirit so superintended the human authors that, through their individual personalities and different styles of writing, they composed and recorded God’s Word to man without error (2 Peter 1:20- 21; Matthew 5:18; 2 Timothy 3:16). 

We teach that, whereas there may be several applications of any given passage of Scripture, there is but one true interpretation. The meaning of Scripture is to be found as one diligently applies the literal grammatical-historical method of interpretation under the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit (John 7:17; 16:12-15; 1 Corinthians 2:7-15; 1 John 2:20). It is the responsibility of believers to ascertain carefully the true intent and meaning of Scripture (2 Timothy 2:15), recognizing that proper application is binding on all generations. Yet the truth of Scripture always stands in judgment of men; never do men stand in judgment of it. 

We teach that there is but one living and true God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7; 1 Corinthians 8:4), an infinite, all-knowing Spirit (John 4:24), perfect in all His attributes, one in essence, eternally existing in three Persons--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14)--each equally deserving worship and obedience. 

We teach that God the Father, the first person of the Trinity, orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace (Psalm 145:8-9; 1 Corinthians 8:6). He is the Creator of all things (Genesis 1:1-31; Ephesians 3:9). As the only absolute and omnipotent ruler in the universe, He is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption (Psalm 103:19; Romans 11:36). His fatherhood involves both His designation within the Trinity and His relationship with mankind. As Creator He is Father to all men (Acts 17:28-29), but He is spiritual Father only to believers (Romans 8:14; 2 Corinthians 6:18). He has decreed for His own glory all things that come to pass (Ephesians 1:11). He continually upholds, directs, and governs all creatures and events (1 Chronicles 29:11). In His sovereignty He is neither author nor approver of sin (Habakkuk 1:13; John 8:38-47), nor does He abridge (reduce or lessen) the accountability of moral, intelligent creatures (1 Peter 1:17). He has graciously chosen from eternity past those whom He would have as His own (Ephesians 1:4-6); He saves from sin all who come to Him through Jesus Christ; He adopts as His own all those who come to Him; and He becomes, upon adoption, Father to His own (John 1:12; Romans 8:15; Galatians 4:5; Hebrews 12:5-9). 

We teach that Jesus Christ, the second person of the Trinity, possesses all the divine excellencies and attributes, and in these He is coequal, consubstantial (has the same nature as), and coeternal with the Father (John 10:30; 14:9).
We teach that God the Father created all things according to His own will, through His Son, Jesus Christ, by whom all things continue in existence and in operation (John 1:3; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 1:1-3). 

We teach that in the incarnation (God becoming man) the Lord Jesus Christ surrendered only the prerogatives of deity but nothing of the divine essence, either in degree or kind. In His incarnation, the eternal Son of God accepted all the essential characteristics of humanity and so became the God-Man (Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 2:9). 

We teach that Jesus Christ represents humanity and deity in indivisible oneness (Micah 5:2; John 5:23; 14:9-10; Colossians 2:9). 

We teach that our Lord Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23, 25; Luke 1:26-35); that He was God incarnate (John 1:1,14); and that the purpose of the incarnation was to reveal God, redeem men, and rule over God’s kingdom (Psalm 2:7-9; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:29; Philippians 2:9-11; Hebrews 7:25-26; 1 Peter 1:18-19). 

We teach that our Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through the shedding of His blood and sacrificial death on the cross and that His death was voluntary, vicarious, substitutionary, propitiatory, and redemptive (John 10:15; Romans 3:23-25; 5:8; 1 Peter 2:24). 

We teach that on the basis of the efficacy (power to produce the intended results) of the death of our Lord Jesus Christ, the believing sinner is freed from the punishment, the penalty, the power, and one day the very presence of sin; and that he is declared righteous, given eternal life, and adopted into the family of God (Romans 3:25; 5:8-9; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18). We teach that our justification is made sure by His literal, bodily resurrection from the dead and that He is now ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He now mediates as our Advocate and High Priest (Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:38-39; Acts 2:30-31; Romans 4:23-25; 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; 9:24; 1 John 2:1). 

We teach that in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the grave, God confirmed the deity of His Son and gave proof that He has accepted the atoning work of Christ on the cross. Jesus’ bodily resurrection is also the guarantee of a future resurrection life for all believers (John 5:26-29; 14:19; Romans 1:4; 4:25; 6:5-10; 1 Corinthians 15:20,23). 

We teach that Jesus Christ will return to receive the church, which is His body, unto Himself at the rapture, and, returning with His church in glory, will establish His millennial kingdom on earth (Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 20:1-6). 

We teach that the Lord Jesus Christ is the One through whom God will judge all mankind (John 5:22- 23). He will judge:
a) Believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ (1 Corinthians 3:10-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10)
b) Living inhabitants of the earth at His glorious return (Matthew 25:31-46) 

c) Unbelieving dead at the Great White Throne (Revelation 20:11-15)
As the mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5), the head of His body the church (Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:23; Colossians 1:18), and the coming universal King who will reign on the throne of David (Isaiah 9:6; Luke 1:31-33), He is the final Judge of all who fail to place their faith in Him as Lord and Savior (Matthew 25:14-46; Acts 17:30-31). 

We teach that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, eternal, uncreated, possessing all the attributes of personality and deity including intellect (1 Corinthians 2:10-11), emotions (Ephesians 4:30), will (1 Corinthians 12:11), eternality (Hebrews 9:14), omnipresence (Psalm 139:7-10), omniscience (Isaiah 40:13-14), omnipotence (Romans 15:13), and truthfulness (John 16:13). In all the divine attributes He is coequal and consubstantial (has the same nature as) with the Father and the Son (Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:3-4; 28:25-26; 1 Corinthians 12:4-6; 2 Corinthians 13:14, and Jeremiah 31:31-34 with Hebrews 10:15-17). 

We teach that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to execute the divine will with relation to all mankind. We recognize His sovereign activity in creation (Genesis 1:2), the incarnation (Matthew 1:18), the written revelation (2 Peter 1:20-21), and the work of salvation (John 3:5-7; Titus 3:5). 

We teach of the work of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost when He came from the Father as promised by Christ (John 14:16-17; 15:26) to initiate and complete the building of the body of Christ, which is His church (1 Corinthians 12:13). The broad scope of His divine activity includes convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ; baptizing believers into His body; bestowing spiritual gifts and transforming believers into the image of Christ (John 16:7-9; Acts 1:5; 2:4; Romans 8:29; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 2:22). 

We teach that the Holy Spirit is the supernatural and sovereign agent in regeneration (Titus 3:5), baptizing all believers into the body of Christ at the moment of salvation (1 Corinthians 12:13). The Holy Spirit also indwells, sanctifies, instructs, empowers them for service, and seals them unto the day of redemption (Romans 8:9; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13). 

We teach that the Holy Spirit is the divine teacher who guided the apostles and prophets into all truth as they committed to writing God’s revelation, the Bible. Every believer possesses the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit from the moment of salvation, and it is the duty of all those born of the Spirit to be filled with (controlled by) the Spirit (John 16:13; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18; 2 Peter 1:19-21; 1 John 2:20, 27). 

We teach that the Holy Spirit administers spiritual gifts to every true believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit glorifies neither Himself nor His gifts by ostentatious (showy and pretentious) displays, but He does glorify Christ by implementing His work of redeeming the lost and building up believers in the most holy faith. The Holy Spirit is ever present to testify of Christ, directing our attention to Him instead of ourselves or our experiences (John 16:13-14; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 2 Corinthians 3:18). 

We teach, in this respect, that God the Holy Spirit is sovereign in the bestowing of all His gifts for the perfecting of the saints today (1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 13:8-10; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 4:7-12; Hebrews 2:1-4). (For a description of what we teach regarding the two categories of spiritual gifts see THE CHURCH [Spiritual Gifts] below.) 

We teach that God directly and immediately created man, male and female, in His own image and likeness. In His goodness, God gifted each human being with a specific gender, identified at conception by one’s biological sex (Genesis 1:26-27). Man was created free of sin with a rational nature, intelligence, volition, self-determination, and moral responsibility to God (Genesis 2:7; 2:15-25; James 3:9). 

We teach that God’s intention in the creation of man was that man should glorify God, enjoy God’s fellowship, live his life in the will of God, and by this accomplish God’s purpose for man in the world (Isaiah 43:7; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11). 

We teach that in Adam’s sin of disobedience to the revealed will and Word of God, man lost his innocence; incurred the penalty of spiritual and physical death; became subject to the wrath of God; and became inherently corrupt and utterly incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace. With no recuperative powers to enable him to recover himself, man is hopelessly lost. Man’s salvation is thereby wholly of God’s grace through the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ (Genesis 2:16-17; 3:1-19; John 3:36; Romans 3:23; 6:23; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 2:1-3; 1 Timothy 2:13-14; 1 John 1:8). 

We teach that because all men were in Adam, a nature corrupted by Adam’s sin has been transmitted to all men of all ages, Jesus Christ being the only exception. All men are thus sinners by nature and by choice (Psalm 14:1-3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:9-18; 5:12-21; 8:5-8). 

We teach that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The family is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood, or adoption. 

We teach that marriage, according to Scripture’s definition, is the uniting of one man and one woman into an exclusive covenant commitment for a lifetime (Genesis 2:23-24; Matthew 19:4-6; John 4:15- 17; Hebrews 13:4). Marriage is God's unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church (Ephesians 5:25-28) and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race (Genesis 1:27-28; 2:25; Proverbs 5:15-19; 1 Corinthians 7:1-5; Ephesians 5:31-33). 

We teach that the husband and wife are of equal worth, value, and standing before God, since both are created in God's image. 

We teach that the marriage relationship, as defined above, uniquely models the way God relates to His people. According to Scripture, a husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. Simultaneously, a wife is to submit herself graciously to the leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ (Ephesians 5:22-33). She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation. (Titus 2:4-5) (1 Timothy 2:15) (Genesis 3:1) (Genesis 2:18) 

We teach that children are a gift from God and are fully human from conception (Psalm 127:3; 139:13-16). Parents are to train their children by modeling a godly life, teaching them the Scriptures, disciplining them in love, and providing them a resource of wisdom and counsel and to point them to their need of a personal Savior from sin (Proverbs 1:8-9; 6:20; 13:24; 22:6; Colossians 3:21). Parents are to care for the needs of their children (2 Corinthians 12:14; Ephesians 6:4) and children are likewise to obey their parents with respect and honor, caring for them in the time of their dependency and old age (Proverbs 23:22; Ephesians 6:1-3; Colossians 3:20; 1 Timothy 5:8). 

We teach that salvation is wholly of God by grace on the basis of the redemption of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood, and not on the basis of human merit or works. Therefore, salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone (John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7-8; 2:8-10; 1 Peter 1:18-19). 

We teach that regeneration is a supernatural work of the Holy Spirit by which the divine nature and divine life are given (John 3:3-7; Titus 3:5-7). It is instantaneous and is accomplished solely by the power of the Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of the Word of God (John 5:24), when the repentant sinner, as enabled by the Holy Spirit, responds in faith to the divine provision of salvation. 

Regeneration is manifested by fruits worthy of repentance as demonstrated in righteous attitudes and conduct (Isaiah 55:6-7; Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 11:18; Romans 2:4-5; 2 Corinthians 7:10). Good works will be its proper evidence and fruit (1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Ephesians 2:10), and will be experienced to the extent that the believer submits to the control of the Holy Spirit in his life through faithful obedience to the Word of God (Ephesians 5:17-21; Philippians 2:12b; Colossians 3:16; 2 Peter 1:4-10). This obedience causes the believer to be increasingly conformed to the image of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 3:18). Such a conformity is climaxed in the believer’s glorification at Christ’s coming (Romans 8:17; 1 John 3:2-3). 

We teach that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel. It is the immediate duty of all to accept these blessings by a heartfelt, repentant, and obedient faith. Nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth, but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel, which only magnifies his condemnation. Isa. 55:1, Rev. 22:17, Rom. 16:25-26, Rom. 1:15-17, John 5:40, Matt.23:37, Rom.9:32, Pro. 1:24, Acts 13:46-47, John 3:16-19, Matt. 11:20, II Thess. 1:8-9 

We teach that sovereign election does not of itself save, and does not negate the responsibility of man to repent and trust Christ as Savior and Lord (Ezekiel 18:23, 32; 33:11; John 3:18-19, 36; 5:40; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9; Revelation 22:17). All men, including the elect, are lost until such time as they individually and personally exercise faith in Christ as their own Savior (John 3:14-18; 3:36; Acts 16:30-31; Romans 10:8-10). The Bible makes faith the single condition of salvation, thereby stressing the fact that the saving benefits of Calvary’s completed work are withheld until men believe the gospel. In the same way that the blood of the passover lamb became efficacious (capable of producing the desired effect) only when applied to the doorposts (Exodus 12:1-14), the work of Christ at Calvary becomes efficacious only when applied through faith. 

Faith, rather than being the product of salvation, is the actual means of receiving it. No appeal is ever addressed to men that they should believe because they have already been saved. It is rather that they should first believe and then receive eternal life. Here we have the twofold truth concerning salvation in Christ: the sinner must come, but he will not come unless drawn by the Father (John 6:35- 44). To come to Christ is the same as to believe on Him. Men must come (i.e. believe) to be saved, and yet they will not have the desire or ability to come unless they are drawn by God to do so. The seeming inconsistency or contradiction between the sovereignty of God in election and the responsibility of man in believing is only so in the finite mind of man, not in the infinite mind of God. Both truths are clearly taught in Scripture and must each be allowed to stand without diminishing the other (John 6:63-65; Romans 9:14-23). 

We teach that man’s faith in Christ does not add anything to the full and complete redemption procured by Christ. Faith does not save; Christ saves and Christ alone. Faith must be viewed as a means through which the grace of God comes to the needy heart (Ephesians 2:8-9). The salvation received is not improved upon nor is its nature altered in any way by the reception of it by faith. Scripture declares that faith is not a work (Romans 4:5). Men are required to exercise faith. But faith consists not in doing something, but in believing and receiving something. Faith is no more than an activity of reception contributing nothing to that which it receives. All whom the Father calls to Himself will come in faith and all who come in faith the Father will receive (John 6:37-40,44; Acts 13:48). 

We teach that the unmerited favor that God grants to totally depraved sinners is not related to any initiative on their own, nor to God’s anticipation of what they might do by their own will, but is solely of His sovereign grace and mercy (Ephesians 1:4-7; Titus 3:4-7; 1 Peter 1:2-3). 

We teach that God is absolutely sovereign, and He exercises this sovereignty in harmony with His other attributes-- especially His omniscience, justice, holiness, wisdom, grace, and love (Romans 9:11- 16 Ephesians 1:4-6). This sovereignty will always exalt the will of God in a manner totally consistent with His character as revealed in the life of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:25-27). 

We teach that justification before God is an act of God by which He declares righteous those who, through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, entrust their salvation solely to Him (Romans 4:5; 8:30,33; Galatians 3:8). This righteousness is apart from any virtue or work of man (Romans 3:20; 4:6) and involves the imputation of our sins to Christ (Colossians 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24) and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to us (1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21). By this means God is enabled to “be just, and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:26). 

 We teach that every believer is sanctified (set apart) unto God by justification and is therefore declared to be holy and is therefore identified as a saint. This sanctification is positional and instantaneous and should not be confused with progressive sanctification. Positional sanctification has to do with the believer’s standing, not his present walk or condition (Acts 20:32; 1 Corinthians 1:2,30; 6:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; Hebrews 2:11; 10:10,14; 13:12; 1 Peter 1:1-2). 

We teach that there is also a work of progressive sanctification of the Holy Spirit by which the state of the believer is brought closer to the standing the believer positionally enjoys through justification. Through obedience to the Word of God and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, the believer is able to live a life of increasing holiness in conformity to the will of God, becoming more and more like our Lord Jesus Christ (John 17:17,19; Romans 6:1-22; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4; 5:23). 

In this respect, we teach that every saved person is involved in a daily conflict--the new creation in Christ doing battle against the flesh – but adequate provision is made for victory through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit. The struggle nevertheless stays with the believer all through this earthly life and is never completely ended. All claims to the eradication of sin in this life are unscriptural. As long as we dwell in these fleshly bodies, eradication of sin is not possible, but the Holy Spirit does provide for victory over sin (Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; Philippians 3:12; Colossians 3:9- 10; 1 Peter 1:14-16; 1 John 1:8-10; 3:5-9; Romans 7-8).