What we believe

The Scriptures

·         We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men supernaturally inspired…

·         By "inspiration" we mean that the books of the Bible were written by holy men of old, as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, in such a definite way that their writings were supernaturally and verbally inspired and free from error, as no other writings have ever been or ever will be inspired.

·         We believe that the Holy Bible has truth without any admixture of error for its matter; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the age, the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man…

·         …the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.

·         We believe the "The Holy Bible" is the collection of sixty-six books, from Genesis to Revelation, which, as originally written does not only contain and convey the Word of God, but IS the very Word of God.

·         God promises that He will preserve His Word; Jesus said, “but my words shall not pass away”–Matt. 24:35.

·         …We believe God has kept that promise by preserving His infallible Word in the traditional Hebrew and Greek manuscripts and that the Authorized Version (KJV) is an accurate English translation of the preserved Word of God.

Psalm 19:7-11; 119:89,105,130,160; Proverbs 30:5-6; Isaiah 8:20; Luke 16:31; 24:25-27,44-45; John 5:39,45-47; 12:48; 17:17; Acts 1:16; 28:25; Romans 3:4; 15:4; Ephesians 6:17; 2Timothy 3:16-17; 1Peter 1:23; 2Peter 1:19-21; Revelation 22:19

The Godhead

·         We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit…

·         …the Maker and Supreme Ruler of Heaven and Earth;

·         …inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love;

·         …that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.

Genesis 17:1; Exodus 20:2-3; 15:11; Psalm 83:18; 90:2; 147:5; Jeremiah 10:10; Matthew 28:19; Mark 12:30; John 4:24; 10:30; 15:26; 17:5; Acts 5:3-4; Romans 11:23; 1Corinthians 12:10-11; 8:6; 12:4-6; 2Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 2:18; 4:6; Philippians 2:5-6; 1Timothy 1:17; 1John 5:7; Revelation 4:11

The Virgin Birth

·         We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner; born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of a woman, and that He is both the Son of God, and God, the Son.

Genesis 3:15; Psalm 2:7; Isaiah 7:14; Matthews 1:18-25; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:35; John 1:14; Galatians 4:4; 1Corinthians 15:47; 1John 5:20

The Atonement For Sin

·         We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace; through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God…

·         …Who by appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience…

·         …and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place…

·         …the Just dying for the unjust, Christ, the Lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; that, having risen from the dead…

·         …He is now enthroned in Heaven and uniting in His wonderful person the most tender sympathies with divine perfection, He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate and an all sufficient Savior.

Isaiah 53:4-7,11-12; Matthew 18:11; John 3:16; 10:18; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24-25; Galatians 1:4; Ephesians 2:8; Philippians 2:7-8; Hebrews 2:14; 7:25; 9:12-15; 12:2

The Holy Spirit

·         We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person; equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature;

·         …that He was active in the creation

·         …that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God's purpose is fulfilled…

·         …that He convicts of sin, of judgment and of righteousness;

·         …that He bears witness to the Truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony;

·         …that He is the agent in the New Birth;

·         …that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies and helps the believer.

Genesis 1:13; Matthew 3:11; 28:19; Mark 1:8; Luke 1:35; 3:16; 24:49; John 1:33; 3:5-6; 14:16-17,26; 15:26-27; 16:8-11,13; Acts 5:30-32; 11:16; Romans 8:14,16,26-27; Ephesians 1:13-14; 2Thessalonians 2:7,13; Hebrews 9:14; 1Peter 1:2

The Creation

·         We believe in the Genesis account of creation and that it is to be accepted literally, and not allegorically or figuratively; that man was created directly in God’s own image and after His own likeness;

·         …that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species, or development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms;

·         …that all animal and vegetable life was made directly and God’s established law was that they should bring for only after their kind.

·         Since God created mankind into genders distinctly male and female, we believe that the only legitimate marriage is that between a man and a woman. He has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that God rejects any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or appearance.

Genesis 1:1,11,24,26-27; 2:21-23; Exodus 20:11; Nehemiah 9:6; Jeremiah 10:12; John 1:3; Acts 4:24; 17:23-26; Romans 1:20; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews 11:3; Revelation 10:6

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.

Genesis 3:1-6,24; Ezekiel 18:19-20; Romans 1:18,20,28,32; 3:10-19; 5:12,19; Galatians 3:22; Ephesians 2:1,3

Grace In The New Creation

·         We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again;

·         …that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process;

·         …that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God;

·         …that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, nor by the will of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth…

·         …, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel;

·         …that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life.

Luke 5:27; John 1:12-13; 3:3,6-7; Acts 2:41; Romans 6:23; 2Corinthians 5:17,19; Galatians 5:22; Ephesians 2:1; 5:9; Colossians 2:13; 1John 5:1

The Freeness Of Salvation

·         We believe in God's electing grace; that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by the gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent and obedient faith; and nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the gospel; which rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation.

Isaiah 55:1; Matthew 11:28; John 3:15-18,36; 5:40; 6:37; Acts 2:38; Romans 8:29-30; 10:13; 1Corinthians 15:10; Ephesians 2:4-5; Colossians 3:12; 1Thessalonians 1:4; 1Timothy 1:15; Titus 1:1; 1Peter 1:2; Revelation 22:17

Justification

·         We believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is Justification;

·         …that Justification includes the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life on principles of righteousness;

·         …that it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done; but solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood, His righteousness is imputed unto us.

Isaiah 53:11; Habakkuk 2:4; Zechariah 13:1; Acts 13:39; Romans 1:17; 4:1; 5:1-9; 8:1; Galatians 3:11; Titus 3:5-7; Hebrews 10:38

The Church

·         We believe that a Baptist church is a congregation of baptized believers associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel,

·         …said church being understood to be the citadel and propagator of the divine and eternal grace;

·         …observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word;

·         …that its officers of ordination are pastors or elders whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the scriptures.

·         We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions of men and women in the home and in the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home and men are to hold the leadership positions (pastors and deacons) in the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible of licensure and ordination for pastor by the church.

·         We believe the true mission of the church is found in the Great Commission: first, to make individual disciples; second, to build up the church; third, to teach and instruct as He has commanded. We do not believe in the reversal of this order; we hold that the local church has the absolute right of self government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; that every church is the sole and only judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; on all matters of membership, of policy, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final.

Leviticus 27:31; Malachi 3:10; Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 6:5-6; 14:23; 15:22-23; 20:17-28; 1Corinthians 5:11-13; 6:1-3; 11:2; 12:4,8-11; 16:1-2; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:11; 5:23-24; Colossians 1:18; 1Timothy 3:1-13

Baptism And The Lord's Supper

·         We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,

·         …with the authority of the local church, to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, with its effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life;

·         …that it is prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation and to the Lord's supper, in which the members of the church, by the sacred use of bread and the fruit of the vine are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ; preceded always by solemn self-examination.

Matthew 3:6; 3:16; 28:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-42; 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5; 1Corinthians 11:23-28; Colossians 2:12

The Return of Christ and The Resurrection

·         We believe in and accept the sacred Scriptures upon these subjects at their face and full value.

·         We believe that Christ rose bodily "The third day according to the Scriptures"; that He ascended "to the right hand of the throne of God";

·         …that He alone is our "merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God"; "that this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven," bodily, personally, and visibly;

·         …that the "dead in Christ shall rise first"; that the living saints "shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump"; "that the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David"; and that "Christ shall reign a thousand years in righteousness until He hath put all enemies under His feet."

Psalm 72:8; Isaiah 11:4-5; Matthew 24:27,42; Matthew 28:6-7; Mark 16:6,19; Luke 1:32; Luke 24:2,4-6,39,51; John 14:3; John 20:27; Acts 1:9,11; 1Corinthians 15:4; Philippians 4:20; 1Thessalonians 4:16; 1Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 2:17; 5:9; 8:1; 9:28; 12:2

The Righteous And The Wicked

·         We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked;

·         …that such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus,

·         …and sanctified by the Spirit of our God,

·         …are truly righteous in His esteem;

·         …while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse, and this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost.

Genesis 18:23; Proverbs 11:31; 14:32; Malachi 3:18; Matthew 7:13-14; 25:34; Luke 9:26; 16:25; John 8:21; 12:25; Acts 10:34-35; Romans 1:17; 6:16-18,23; 7:6; 1Corinthians 15:22; Galatians 3:10; 1Peter 4:18; 1John 2:7,29; 5:19