ABOUT

I believe in one God, revealed to the world as Yahweh of Israel, uncreated, self-existent, eternal, all-powerful, and unchanging. He knows all things, and there is nowhere where he is not. He is good, his word is inerrant, and his nature is love.

I believe there is one God who eternally exists as three distinct Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Father is God, the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, yet they are not three, but one. They are distinct in Person while perfectly united in the one divine nature, eternally dwelling in communion with one another. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are uncreated and have always existed as the one eternal God.

I believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are inspired by God and are His written Word to mankind. Scripture is true and inerrant and is the final authority for Christian faith, doctrine, and godly living. All teaching, revelation, and spiritual experience must be tested according to the written Word of God.

I believe God created time, space, matter, and all things, accomplishing His initial act of creation in six days and resting on the seventh. On the sixth day, God created mankind in His own image, creating Adam, the first male, from the dust of the ground, and Eve, the first female, from Adam.

I believe God established marriage as a sacred and monogamous covenant between one man and one woman. In marriage, the two are joined together and become one flesh. God designed marriage to be a lifelong union marked by love, faithfulness, and commitment. Scripture recognizes sexual immorality and the abandonment of a believer by an unbelieving spouse when addressing circumstances in which the marriage covenant has been broken.

I believe God gave Man the choice of obedience or rebellion, and Adam and Eve willfully rebelled by eating the forbidden fruit, which came from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They suffered spiritual death and passed their sin nature on to us.

I believe that God justly judged the world by a flood, sparing Noah and his family, through whom the nations came. And from Noah’s son Shem came Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and from Jacob the twelve tribes of Israel and the prophets.

I believe that in the fullness of time God gave us His son, born under the law to redeem those condemned by the law. He was born in the town of Bethlehem to a virgin named Mary, and in accordance with God’s command, was named Jesus.

I believe Jesus Christ came fully as God and fully as man, truly divine and truly human. He is the eternal Son of God who took on human flesh without ceasing to be God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He experienced genuine human weakness, hunger, suffering, and temptation, yet remained completely without sin.

I believe that before the foundation of the world, God ordained that His Son would give Himself for our redemption, to live a sinless human life in perfect obedience to the Father, that He might die a substitutionary death in place of sinners, giving forgiveness of sins and eternal life to all who trust in Him.

I believe Jesus freely gave His life in obedience to the Father, and at the order of Pontius Pilate, was flogged and crucified. At the ninth hour, He declared His purpose in death was finished, and he died and was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea.

I believe that death had no power over God’s perfect Son, and on the third day, He conquered death by rising to life again. This was literal, physical, and attested to by over 500 witnesses, and it is the event that gives our faith power and validation.

I believe that men are reconciled to God only through Jesus Christ and receive salvation by grace through faith, apart from works. I believe the gospel calls all people to repent and believe in Jesus Christ, turning from sin and toward God. True repentance is not merely feeling sorry for sin, but a change of heart that produces a changed direction. By the Holy Spirit, those who believe are born again and baptized into one body, the Church. Christians are called to follow Christ, love one another, and continue in faith and obedience to Him.

I believe salvation begins a lifelong walk of sanctification as the Holy Spirit works within believers to make them more like Christ. Believers are called to continue in faith, abide in Christ, turn away from sin, pursue holiness, and remain faithful to Him. Good works do not earn salvation, but genuine faith produces obedience and spiritual fruit. Scripture warns believers against willfully turning away from Christ and calls us to endure in faith to the end.

I believe water baptism and Communion were commanded by Jesus and are to be faithfully practiced by His Church. I believe water baptism is an outward expression of faith in Jesus Christ, identifying the believer with His death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism does not earn salvation, but is an act of faith and obedience following belief in Christ.

I believe Communion is a sacred remembrance of the body and blood of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us. Communion should not be approached casually. Scripture instructs believers to examine themselves before partaking, discerning the body of Christ and recognizing the seriousness of what Communion represents. We should come before the Lord with reverence, examining our hearts, repenting where repentance is needed, and remembering Christ’s death until He comes.

I believe in the equipping of Saints and that the full standings of the Five-Fold Ministry are available for today. God has graciously equipped believers in the church to lead the church. He alone saves and sanctifies individuals.

I believe in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, and I believe speaking in tongues is a gift that is still active today. However, I do not believe every believer must speak in tongues as proof of salvation. The Holy Spirit gives supernatural spiritual gifts as He chooses, and those gifts can work alongside and in harmony with the natural, God-given talents and abilities He has placed within us.

I believe Satan and demons are real spiritual beings who oppose God and seek to deceive, tempt, oppress, and destroy. I believe spiritual warfare is a present reality and that believers are called to resist the devil, stand firm in faith, and walk in the authority of Jesus Christ. Jesus demonstrated His authority over demons and gave His followers authority to confront the works of darkness in His name. I believe the ministry of deliverance remains active today and that people can be set free from demonic bondage and oppression through the authority and power of Jesus Christ. Deliverance does not replace repentance, discipleship, renewing the mind, or walking in obedience to God, but should work alongside them as part of bringing people into greater freedom and maturity in Christ.

I believe the Church is a universal priesthood of believers. A follower of Christ becomes part of the universal Church not through membership in a denomination or organization, but through faith in Jesus Christ.

I believe God has not rejected Israel or forgotten the promises He made to them. Gentile believers have not replaced Israel but, through faith in Jesus Christ, have been grafted in and made fellow partakers of God’s promises. I believe Christians should not boast against, despise, or curse Israel, while recognizing that biblical support for Israel does not require agreement with every decision or action of the modern nation or its government. Our allegiance is first to God and His truth, and all nations and people are accountable to Him.

I believe Jesus Christ is King and that the Kingdom of God is His rule and reign. Through Jesus, the Kingdom of God has come near, and those who are born again enter His Kingdom through faith in Him. Believers are called to seek His Kingdom, submit to His authority, and represent Christ faithfully in this world. Although God’s Kingdom is already at work among His people, we still await its fullness when Jesus Christ returns to reign, every enemy is defeated, and all things are brought under His authority.

I believe Jesus Christ will personally, visibly, and bodily return to the earth. At His coming, the dead in Christ will be raised and living believers will be gathered to Him. I believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead, the final judgment of mankind, eternal life with God for those who belong to Christ, and eternal punishment for those who reject Him. Christ will ultimately destroy every enemy, including death, and God’s redeemed people will dwell with Him forever in the new heavens and new earth.