Our Beliefs
“And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”
(New International Version)
Scripture
We believe that all Scripture is inspired by God and is therefore to be received as His written Word, trustworthy and true in all that it teaches, the only infallible authority for Christian faith and life. All Scripture must be interpreted according to its nature, context and purpose, in humble and reverent obedience to God, who, by His Spirit, speaks through it. Scripture thus speaks with the authority of God and at the same time reflects the backgrounds, styles, and vocabularies of the human authors; there are no other writings similarly inspired by God. Proper interpretation requires applying the normal rules of grammar, and taking into account the literary context, historical-cultural setting, and the literary genre of each passage to be studied.
God
We believe in one living and true God, Who is the Creator and Preserver of all things, infinite in being and perfection, existing eternally in the three Persons of the Godhead (Trinity): Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. These three are coequal and co-eternal.
Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is true God and true man. He is the eternal second person of the Trinity Who put on a true human nature by His miraculous conception and virgin birth. He lived a life of perfect obedience to God the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of all people by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and securing salvation for all who would trust in Him alone. He rose from the dead in the same body, though now glorified, in which He lived and died. He ascended into heaven where He intercedes for His people and rules as Lord of all creation. He will come again to earth, personally and visibly to consummate His sovereign rule and the eternal plan of God.
Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit, through the proclamation of the gospel, brings about spiritual birth, repentance from sin, confession of the Lordship of Christ, holiness, and the assurance of salvation; that He intercedes for believers in accordance with the will of God; and that He leads believers into all truth and empowers them for godly living and witness to the risen Christ. The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity.
People
We believe that human beings are created in the image of God for fellowship with God; that through rebellion against the Creator they fell from a sinless state into a state of sin, death and estrangement from God; that the entire human race is born into this state of sin and death, sinful by nature and by choice, and, apart from grace, incapable of returning to God. Thus, all stand in need of God’s saving grace.
Salvation
Salvation is wholly the work of God’s free grace, not the result, in whole or in part, of human works or goodness. God offers salvation to people on the basis of Jesus’ death on the cross in payment for sin. Jesus triumphed over death in His resurrection and now occupies His position of exaltation at God’s right hand. To obtain salvation a person must repent of sin, trust in Jesus alone as Savior, and acknowledge the risen Christ as Lord of his or her life (Romans 10:9-10; John 1:12; 3:16). This expresses the core of the Christian faith: what is called the Gospel (Good News). Belief in the Gospel is required for a person to be a Christian.
Church
The Church is a spiritual fellowship, created by the Spirit and the Word of God, with the risen Christ as its Lord. There is one true universal Church comprised of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The Scripture commands believers to gather together to devote themselves to worship, prayer, teaching of the Word, observance of baptism and communion as the ordinances established by Jesus Christ, fellowship, service to the body through the development and use of talents and gifts, and outreach to the world. Wherever God’s people meet regularly in obedience to this command, there is the local expression of the universal church. Its members are to work together in love and unity, intent on the one ultimate purpose of glorifying God. The church is the corporate dwelling of God’s Spirit, and the continuing witness of God to the world.
Final Destination
Physical death begins each person’s everlasting destiny. All people will experience a resurrection of the body and God’s judgment that will determine the fate of each individual. Unbelievers will be separated from God unto everlasting condemnation for their own rejection of God. Believers will be received into everlasting communion with God and will be rewarded for works done in this life.