What We Believe

The Bible is the inspired Word of God, which we accept as the infallible foundation for our beliefs. The Word of God is a living entity, full of the revelation of Jesus and who we are in Him. It provides a safe and relevant guide for our daily lives. Psalm 119:89, 105; Mathew 24:35; John 5:39, 17:17; Romans 15:4; I Thessalonians 2:13; II Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 1-3, 4:12; I Peter 1:25; II Peter 1:21, 3:15-16.

Our God is One, but manifested in three Persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. God the Father is greater than all. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, ever present, loving, merciful, and faithful. Jesus Christ, the Son, is the Word made flesh who came to dwell among us and save us from our sins, having risen from the dead and is faithfully making intercession for us before the Father. The Holy Spirit is Heaven's representative presently in the Earth convicting the world of sin, bearing witness of sonship in the believer, leading our footsteps and empowering us for Christian service. Mathew 28:19; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 1:35, 4:18; John 1:1-2, 14, 18, 5:21-23, 14:10, 16, 28, 15:26, 16:28; Acts 1:7-8; Romans 8:9-11; I Corinthians 3:15-20, 8:6; II Corinthians 13:14; Hebrews 1:8-10; James 2:19.

Man is a created being, originally made in the likeness and image of God. He is the culmination of the Creation, and the most object of God's love and affection. He is the first and foremost a spirit being. He has a soul (mind, will, and emotions), which must be renewed with the Word of God. He is temporarily housed in a physical body, which will one day be changed into a glorified body. Genesis 1:26-30; 2:7; 3:1-24; Psalm 8:3-8; John 3:16; Acts 17:26-31; Romans 12:1-2; II Corinthians 4:16; 5:16-17; I Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 4:12

Man was originally created perfect and innocent. He was to live in unity and fellowship with God, but through Adam's sin he became separated from Him. Every person is born in need of salvation, but cannot attain their own salvation through self-effort. Out of God's unconditional love, He sent His only Son to provide for us what we could not do for ourselves. Jesus is the only savior, the only hope of the world, and the only way to God. John 3:16, 8:44; Romans 1:16-18; 3:19-26; 5:12-21; Ephesians 2:1-10

The plan of salvation was a work carried out and completed by God the Father through the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a gift from God to be received by Faith, it cannot be earned through our own works of self-effort. It consists of two basic parts: the complete forgiveness of sins and the New Birth. Through the shed blood of Jesus, we have been forgiven and cleansed of all sins. Man contains the sin nature in His spirit and must be changed at the core of His being. The New Birth is a work of God completed by the Holy Spirit in the believer when they exercise Faith in Jesus, confessing Him as Lord and believing that God has raised Him from the dead. Every aspect and benefit of God's free gift of salvation is made available by Grace and must be appropriated and received through the individual's faith. John 3:1-18; Acts 13:38-39; 26:18; Romans 1:16-17; Romans 3:23-26; Romans 4:24-25; II Corinthians 5:17-21; Ephesians 1:7; 2:1-10; Colossians 1:14; 2:12-14; Titus 3:4-6; Hebrews 1:3; 2:5-11, 9:12-14, 26-28, 10:12-22

God created man to live forever. While the physical body may die, the spirit of man will live forever. Every person has the right to decide their destiny and eternal address. There is a real and literal Heaven and a real and literal Hell. Those who reject God's offer of salvation through Jesus in this life will be separated from God and eternally incarcerated in Hell. Those who accept God's plan of salvation through Faith in Jesus will live forever in the Father's presence as one of His own and receive a glorified body like that of Jesus. John 3:13-18, 36; Luke 16:19-31; Romans 6:23; II Corinthians 4:16; 5:1-10; Revelation 21-22

The baptism, or infilling, of the Holy Spirit is a gift from God as promised by the Lord Jesus to all believers in this dispensation. This gift is received by faith subsequent to salvation. A believer is empowered for service when they receive the Person of the Holy Spirit in fullness. Luke 11:13; 24:49; John 7:37-39; 14:16-17, 27; Acts 1:4-5, 8; 2:1-4, 32-33, 37-39; 8:4-8, 12-19; 9:10-12, 17; 10:44-47; 11:15-18;19:1-6; Galatians 3:2-5

Healing for the physical body is provided for in the completed work of redemption in Christ. It is a provision of salvation for any and all who will receive it by faith. Exodus 15:26; Psalm 103:1-5; Isaiah 53:3-5; Matthew 4:23-24;8:16-17; 12:14-15; 14:14, 35-36; 15:30; Mark 1:40-42; 5:25-34;I Peter 2:24

The return of the Lord Jesus is imminent. He will come back first for the catching away of the believers to end the dispensation of the church age and begin the seven year Tribulation period. Following the Tribulation, He shall return to the earth with the saints as King of kings and Lord of Lords. We will reign with Him on the earth for one thousand years. Acts 1:11; I Corinthians 15:51-55; I Thessalonians 4:16-17; Hebrews 9:28; Revelation 20:6

The Church is generally referred to in the Word of God as the Body of Christ those who have accepted Jesus through faith and been born again. The Body of Christ includes all believers (those born again) both in Heaven and on earth regardless of local church affiliation. As indicated in the New Testament, there are established local bodies of believers also called the church. The purpose of the local Church is to provide fellowship among those of like faith, while teaching and training every believer in the Word of God. The Mission of the local Church is to take the Gospel to the world. Every member of the Body both universally and locally are called to a specific purpose and contain a supply of the spirit necessary for the edification of the Body as a whole. Matthew 16:18-19; Acts 2:41-47; 5:11-14; 13:1-3; 14:23; 16:5, 20-28; Romans 12:4-5; I Corinthians 12:12-27; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:11-16; Colossians 1:18; 2:19; I Timothy 4:14; I Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 21:2-3