Statement of Belief
- The entire basis of our faith rests upon the Holy Bible, God’s infallible, inerrant and verbally inspired written word, comprised of all 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. The word of God is the revelation of His mind and will to man, and it is the all-sufficient guide for salvation for lost sinners, and His instructions for the Christian life (2 Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Peter 1:20-21).
- In one God, who is the creator and sustainer of all, exists eternally and manifesting Himself in a Tri-unity as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each possessing equally the attributes of deity and distinct personality characteristics. (Romans 15:6; 1 Timothy 3:16; Titus 2:13; John 14:16-17)
- The Lord Jesus Christ is God, the Living Word-that he is true God and true man. He was begotten of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and He was perfect and sinless humanity. Hence He is perfect deity and true humanity united forever in one peerless person (John 1:1, Luke 1:28-35, 1 Timothy 2:5-6).
- His life on earth was lived in sinless perfection: He voluntarily died for the sins of mankind on the cross at Calvary, He satisfied all the righteous demands of a Holy God against sinful humanity, and in His death he purchased eternal redemption and salvation for all men (Hebrews 7:26, John 10:17-18; 19:30, Hebrews 9:12).
- That the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures, that he was buried, and that he rose from among the dead victoriously on the third day, according to the scriptures. The Holy scripture says He appeared in the same body in which he lived and died, though now glorified, to many of His followers, after which he was received up into heaven, where he occupies the honored place at God’s right hand (1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Acts 1:9-11).
- We believe, as the Holy Scripture confirms, that the Lord Jesus Christ will return bodily from heaven to take His redeemed people- those who are born again by the Holy Spirit- up to heaven before the time of the Tribulation which will come upon the world. Once the Christians have been taken out of the world great upheaval will take place as a great world leader, influenced by Satan and identified in the Bible as “the man of sin”, or the Anti-Christ, will be revealed (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; 2:3-12).
- All human beings are born with a sinful nature and are, therefore, totally depraved before a Holy and Righteous God. Because of the absolute inability of man to offer anything to God that could save him from eternal punishment, the salvation of man is totally the work of God, and does not depend in whole or in part, upon any good or religious works by man. “God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life” John 3:16. From the moment an individual has put his faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, he is assured of a full pardon for all his sins, and a guarantee of everlasting life (Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9-10; 1 John 1:9).
- All who, by faith, accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, are born again of the Holy Spirit, indwelt by the Holy Spirit and by the Holy Spirit baptized into the body of Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ is the risen Head of the Church, His body, composed of all those now living and those who have died, who have been made a part of His body through saving faith (1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18).</li><br>
- The early believers met together and, “continued steadfastly in the Apostle’s teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread, and in prayers.” The Holy Scripture encourages the Christian to “not forsake the assembling of yourselves together, as the manner of some is, but exhorting one another, and so much more, as you see the day approaching.” All believers are to regularly meet together for worship, especially the remembrance meeting, known as the Lord’s Supper- and for the mutual edification and encouragement through the scriptures (Luke 22:19-20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28; Acts 2:42; Hebrews 10:25).
- The New Testament does not support a one man trained pastorate, or a paid pastorate, but endorses a plurality of elders chosen from among the assembly of believers. These men oversee and shepherd the flock in the spirit of 1 Peter 5:1-4 and Acts 20:28.
- In the bodily resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous, the eternal blessedness of the saved and the everlasting, conscious punishment of the unsaved who have refused to accept God’s free offer of salvation (John 5:21-22; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Revelation 20:11-15).
- In the revelation of The Lord Jesus Christ in glory, when he comes to earth the second time to establish His Kingdom on earth, and to reign in righteousness over the entire earth (2 Thessalonians 1:6-10; Philippians 2:9-11).
- The Lord Jesus Christ commanded his followers to preach the Gospel (the good news) throughout the world and to disciple men of every nation, with the wonderful promise that, “All Power has been given unto Me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all things whatever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the ages. Amen” (Matthew 28:18-20).
- All who, by faith, accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, are born again of the Holy Spirit, indwelt by the Holy Spirit and by the Holy Spirit baptized into the body of Christ. This is known as Spiritual Baptism.
- Once a person accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, the next step is the obedience of being baptized by immersion. This is known as Real Baptism. This was the order of things practiced by the disciples of the Lord, for we read in the Acts chapter 2 and verse 41, (YLT) ”then those, indeed, who did gladly receive his word were baptized, and there were added on that day, as it were, three thousand souls.” The practice of baptism is the outward demonstration of an inward belief. It is to publicly confess to all that the believer has symbolically died with Christ and rose again with him from the grave. Rom 6:3-5 ”Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also should walk in newness of life. Since we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be in the likeness of His resurrection!”
- The next act of obedience on the part of the believer is to be received into the fellowship of a local assembly. Again Acts 2:41 says, those who were baptized were added to the local gathering of the Christians. The newly converted believer should have a clear testimony, a tender conscience, and a humble spirit to receive instruction on how to live a godly life for our Lord and Savior. The convert is to be made fully aware that fellowship is mutual, and that he/she is being received by the entire assembly of believers, not just the ruling brethren. A spirit of submissiveness to the authority of the governing brethren and an obedient attitude to learn and grow is to be observed in the applicant for reception to the local fellowship.
