What We Believe

The Bible

We believe that the Bible is the verbally inspired, authoritative Word of God.  God gave the infallible words of Scripture by inspiration without error. (2 Tim. 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:21). God promises that He will preserve His Word; Jesus said, “My words shall not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). We believe that God has preserved His Word in the traditional Hebrew and Greek manuscripts.  We believe that it is wise to use a scholarly and literal translation of the Bible, and as a result we use the King James version of the Bible in our church.

The True God

We believe in one God, Who is eternal, self-existent, infinite, and unchanging.  God is one in essence yet manifests Himself to man in three Persons: the Father, the Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Timothy 1:17; James 1:17)

God the Father

The Father is the One Who loved people enough that He sent the Son.  Jesus spoke of the Father often and typically prayed to the Father as the One which is in charge of the universe.  (Matthew 6:9-13)

Christ

We believe the Lord Jesus Christ to be eternally God. We believe that He was virgin-born, and while still being God He became a man.  He did this to redeem mankind, and to rule over God's kingdom.  We believe Jesus Christ to be the one and only Saviour of mankind. We believe He lived a perfect, sinless life, at the end of which He was offered for all mankind as a substitutionary blood sacrifice for man's sin.   We believe Jesus rose from the dead and He ascended into Heaven after His resurrection to be seated at the right hand of the Father and is now waiting for the time of receiving His church at the rapture. 

(Psalm 2:7-9; Isaiah 7:14, 9:6, 43:11; Micah 5:2; Matthew 1:25; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:1, 1:3, 14, 18, 29; Romans 3:19-25; Romans 5:6-15; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Timothy 2:5; 1 Timothy 3:16; Titus 2:10-15; Hebrews 7:26, 9:24-28; 1 Peter 1:19, 2:2; 1 John 1:3; Revelation 20:1-6).

The Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit of God is a person who has personality and all the attributes of God. We believe the Holy Spirit has always been involved in the affairs of mankind; however, we believe He has a special ministry that began at Pentecost and will continue until the rapture. This ministry includes conviction, regeneration, indwelling, baptism, sanctification, and illumination of all who are born into God’s family through Jesus Christ. 

(John 3:5-6, Eph. 1:13-14, John 14:16; Acts 1:5; Acts 11:15; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 1 Corinthians 12:13).  

We are opposed to the charismatic movement and it’s claims to the sign gifts, such as speaking in strange ways.

Creation

We believe that God created the heavens and the earth in six literal, 24-hour days, and that God created all life (Gen. 1-11). We reject evolution, the gap theory, the day-age theory, theistic evolution, and intelligent design not attributed to God as unscriptural theories of origin. (Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11)  We believe that God created man in His own image, but man chose to sin. Hence, all persons inherit a depraved nature and are lost sinners in need of salvation (Romans 3:10, Romans 3:23).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 by constraint, but of choice; and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse.

(Gen. 3:1-6; Rom. 5:12; Rom. 5:19; Rom 3:10-19)

Salvation and Sin

We believe all men were born with an inherited sin nature received from our common ancestor, Adam. We believe that because of his nature, man is a sinner by choice, and he is totally incapable of reforming himself or ceasing from his sin by his own power. We believe the only hope of deliverance for man is to acknowledge his sinful condition and inability to change it, and a turning to Jesus Christ as the only Saviour. We believe that only through the substitutionary sacrifice of Christ on the cross can a man be delivered from his sin. We believe that all those who reject Jesus Christ as their Saviour are already condemned to an eternity in the lake of fire which God created for the Devil and his angels.

(Genesis 5:1-5; Acts 4:19; Acts 16:31; Romans 3:10-23; Romans 5:6-12; Romans 6:23; Romans 10:9-10; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-6; Revelation 20:11-14)

The Church

We believe that the church began with the calling out of the twelve apostles by Jesus Christ and was empowered on the day of Pentecost. We believe the local church is composed of members who have been saved and baptized according to the command of Christ, and have voluntarily united together for the purposes of worship, fellowship, service, and observance of the ordinances of baptism and communion. We believe all true believers will be taken up at the rapture, just prior to the tribulation. (Matthew 16:16-18; Acts 1:15; Acts 2:41-43; Acts 11:15; Acts 20:28; 1 Corinthians 15: 51-58; Ephesians 1:12-14; Ephesians 5:25-30; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Timothy 3:4-15)

The Last Days

We believe in the literal interpretation of the Scriptures.  Therefore, we believe in the pre-tribulational rapture of the believers in Jesus Christ, followed by the seven-year tribulation. We believe in the pre-millennial return of Christ to the earth and His literal rule of 1,000 years on the throne of David in Jerusalem. Following this one-thousand-year reign is the Great White Throne judgment and then the new heaven and new earth. (1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9; Revelation 19-22)

Separation

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord. God commands His people to separate from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations; and to refrain from all immodest and immoderate appearances. (Romans 12:1-2; 14:13; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11; Leviticus 19:28; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)Repentance and Faith

We believe that Repentance and Faith are solemn obligations and also inseparable graces, wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of God; thereby being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger, helplessness and of the way of salvation by Christ we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy, at the same time heartily receiving the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confessing Him as our only and all-sufficient Savior.

(Acts 20:21; Mk 1:15; Acts 2:37-38; Luke 18:13; Rom 10:13; Ps. 51:1-4; Ps. 51:7)

Love

We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward both those who are not believers and those who oppose us. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or the use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions. (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Romans 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Philippians 2:2-4; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; 1 John 3:17-18)

Civil Government

We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home, 2) the church, and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced these responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. (Romans 13:1-7; Ephesians 5:22-24; Hebrews 13:17; 1 Peter 2:13-14)

Abortion

We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We believe there is no legitimate justification for murdering an unborn child including reasons such as rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection, birth or population control, or the physical or mental well being of the mother. (Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5; 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; 49:1, 5; Jeremiah 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)

Missions

We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:20)

Giving

We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but that every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the gift has been made.

(Genesis 14:20; Proverbs 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Corinthians 16:2; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7; Galatians 6:6; Ephesians 4:28; 1 Timothy 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17)

Human Sexuality

1.    We believe that God created humanity as distinctly and exclusively either male or female from the beginning, and that He blessed His created design as very good. We believe that every human’s true gender identity is identical to the genetic, biological sex with which they were born. We believe God disapproves of and forbids any and all attempts to alter one’s gender through surgery, medicinal manipulation, appearance, or expression contrary to His created design. (Genesis 1:26-28, 31, 2:23-24; Matthew 19:4-6)

2.    We believe that marriage is a sacred institution ordained by God, given to represent His love for the church, to continue the human race, and to bless humanity. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one biological male and one biological female in a covenant commitment before God. (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6; Romans 7:2; 1 Corinthians 7:2, 10; Ephesians 5:22-33)

3.    We believe that God has commanded that there should be no intimate sexual activity outside of a marriage. We believe that any relationships or activities involving homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, transgenderism, pedophilia, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, pornography, or other such things are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. (Genesis 2:24, 19:5, 13; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-32; 1 Corinthians 5:1; 6:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4)

4.    The Bible necessitates the following for our church:

a.     All people are welcome to attend our regular worship services, for we believe that all people need and deserve to hear the truth of the Gospel.

b.    Those who attend may not display and promote behavior that demonstrates violations of the sinful behaviors listed in this section.

c.     Church representatives shall enforce the doctrinal position of this church but shall not display overt disrespect for those who condone or display the sinful behaviors listed in this section.

d.    The pastor of the church will consistently preach against all forms of sinful sexual behavior, as well as other sinful behaviors.

Family Relationships

1.    We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and in the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be the leaders of the church.  (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:18; 1 Timothy 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12)

2.    We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are an heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values and leading them, through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including Scriptural corporal correction. (Genesis 1:26-28; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Psalm 127:3-5; Proverbs 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mark 10:6-12; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4, Colossians 3:18-21; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7)