Statement of Faith

God clearly teaches each of the following facts in the Holy Bible:

    1. We believe the Bible, consisting of the 39 canonical books of the Old Testament and the 27 canonical books of the New Testament, is the inerrant-divinely inspired revelation of the Creator of the Universe given to mankind. The Bible is also the only infallible, supremely authoritative Word of God, sufficient in everything it teaches.
    2. We believe there is only one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
    3. We believe that forgiveness of sin, freedom from the penalty of, and power of sin are available to mankind exclusively through the sacrificial and atoning death and shed blood of Jesus Christ the Messiah, through His completed work on the cross. We believe that our redemption and salvation come exclusively from our faith and trust in that provided atonement of Jesus the Messiah, through His substitutionary death on the cross. We believe through His death on the cross, He paid the ransom for our sin debt, and our confession and belief (faith and trust) in that death and His bodily resurrection, where He conquered sin and death, ensure our salvation, justification, and sanctification. We believe each person must accept by faith, Jesus and His completed, atoning, finished sacrifice on the cross for their own sin and that Jesus was raised from the dead.
    4. Repentance is turning from sin. However, repentance necessary for salvation is another definition of the same word which is a changing of one’s mind. Repentance that leads to salvation is changing our incorrect beliefs about God and agreeing with what He says in His Word. turning from whatever we were previously depending on to be right with God and turning to Jesus and as the solution instead. We turn from a false way to agreement with God. We
    5. We believe in the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His substitutionary and atoning death through His shed blood on the cross, in His bodily resurrection on the third day, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father where He intercedes for us, in His present rule as head of the church, in His future personal and physical return in power and glory, and in His soon after judgment of the living and the dead. Jesus Is God The Son. Jesus Is The Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament. 
    6. We believe that all of mankind are lost sinners, inherently from Adam and individually by choice, who are all subject to God’s wrath and condemnation unless they have recognized their lostness, prayed to God for forgiveness, and accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior by faith, because of God’s grace and mercy.
    7. We believe that faith in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin is the only way of salvation and is necessary to receive regeneration by the Holy Spirit.
    8. We believe that salvation is a gift received by faith alone in Christ alone and is expressed in the individual’s recognition of their own sinfulness and lost condition, their recognition of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ as full payment for their sin debt, and acceptance of the risen Christ as their Savior, Lord, and God.
    9. We believe in the present ministry of the Holy Spirit, who enables sinners to feel what the Bible describes as godly sorrow and conviction for their sins. This sorrow and Godly grief lead the sinner to repent (change their mind and turn from whatever they previously trusted in) toward Jesus Christ and believe on Him for the forgiveness of sin by His sacrificial death on the cross. The Holy Spirit then indwells the believer and enables them to live God-honoring lives—not a life of sinless perfection, but a continual desire not to sin or grieve and dishonor God.
    10. Repenting of sin (turning from sin and toward God) should be the desire and practice of every Christian. However, the word repentance has several meanings and repentance for salvation cannot mean turning from sin as many well meaning Christians and teachers describe it to mean. It can’t mean a one time instance of turning your back to your sins and toward God, because even with a dual nature, we may not want sin to the same degree or at all, but at some point we all will sin again, and therefore, technically in the same manner, turn back toward sin at some point which would make the temporary turning from sin a meaningless lukewarm ceremonial religious work that deserves to be spewed out of God’s mouth. The sincere heart and Godly sorrow of repentance leading to salvation is realizing we fall short of God’s standard and as the sinful beings we are, we’ve grieved the Holly and righteous God who loves us and created us. Repentance for salvation is realizing we are wicked creatures in need of a Rescuer, Redeemer, and Savior. Repentance for salvation is recognition and confession of who He Is and what He has done for us on the cross of Calvary. Repentance for salvation is changing our minds and turning from our false views and agreeing with God about what He says about Himself as sinless God, our fallen state, our separation from Him, and our need of reconciliation, mercy, and grace. Unless the sins a teacher is telling the lost sinner they must turn from, are their wrong beliefs (which most aren’t referring to) about who they are (lost sinners deserving of God’s judgment and condemnation), who God is (a perfect and Holy God who must judge sin), how we can be right with God and go to Heaven, and what He did for us sinners so we don’t get what we deserve; Hell, (mercy only possible because of Jesus Christ and Him crucified), then they are wrong about the repentance that is necessary for salvation. If they aren’t wrong, their meaning is incomplete at the very least. The sins that many well meaning preachers and teachers are referencing one needing to turn from for salvation, are not what is needed for salvation or meant in that usage of the word repentance when God is speaking of salvation in the New Testament. Not only would that be a works salvation, but it would be trivial and playing games with God, because even if someone was forsaking all sin (which we can’t do on our own anyways) they will sin again very soon and they’d be starting off on their new Christian faith as a liar or at least a failure to do what they just told the God of the Universe they’d do. Those who say you must be willing to give up sin would be making a bit more sense, but would still be setting up a new believer as an immediate failure by having them say they are willing to forsake that sin  knowing they can’t and won’t for very long, no matter how hard they try or how genuine the desire is not to sin. You don’t have to stop sinning and clean yourself up in order to become a Christian. God helps you to grow and clean things up after you become a Christian. On this side of Heaven, a believer will not be sinless, but a believer “will sin less”, hopefully, much less. Turning from sin and toward God, forsaking our sin, mourning over our sinfulness, standing against sin, trying to avoid sin, and at times, running away from sin should all be a way of life and practice for a follower of Jesus Christ. But for salvation, repentance means changing your mind about what you previously thought about yourself, God, and how someone becomes a Christian.                                                                                                                                                                                1 John 1:9-10 KJV  (capitalization added by me)

      10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

    11. All human life is sacred and begins at conception (the moment of fertilization). Each unborn child is a unique, living human being, created in the image of God, and must be respected and protected both before and after birth. The abortion of an unborn child or the intentional taking of human life through euthanasia or assisted suicide constitutes a violation of the sanctity of human life and is a crime against God and man (Genesis 9:6; Psalm 139:13-14; Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 5:17; 1 Corinthians 15:49; James 2:11)
    12. There is only one race of mankind—the human race/Adam’s race. Adam and Eve were the first two humans. All people alive today are the descendants of Adam and Eve and subsequently Noah, his wife, their three sons, and their wives (Genesis 1:26–27, 3:20, 10:1, 10:32; 1 Corinthians 15:45–47; Luke 17:27; Hebrews 11:7; 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:5). (Scientists have also proven the Bible correct through studying the Human Genome.)
    13. Since all humans are made in the image of God, all humans have equal dignity and value regardless of age (including the preborn), intelligence, gender, physical ability, shade of skin tone, religion, ethnicity, or any other characteristic (Genesis 1:26–27, 3:20, 11:9; Acts 17:26–28).
    14. Satan is the personal spiritual adversary of both God and man.
    15. Our Lord Jesus Christ will personally and bodily return in glory as He has promised. At His appearing, Jesus will consummate His kingdom and judge the living and the dead (John 6:39–40, 12:48; Acts 1:9–11; 1 Peter 4:5).
    16. We believe in the resurrection of both the saved and the lost: the saved unto the resurrection of eternal life in the presence of our Lord and awesomeness beyond what anyone could imagine, and the lost unto the resurrection of damnation and everlasting punishment. Regardless of differing interpretations of verses Christians may have on unforgiven souls and how long they will be conscious in Hell, all agree that Hell is everlasting separation from God and that will not be enjoyable to say the least. Satan, the beast, and the false prophet are assigned everlasting conscious torment those who take the mark of the beast will too and all others who aren’t saved are later described as also cast into the Lake Of Fire. I wouldn’t want to bet on separate neighborhoods in The Lake Of Fire, or being eliminated just because it doesn’t explicitly say “everlasting conscious torment for every single Jesus rejecter” (those who chose not to seek God and forgiveness here) who will miss out on Heaven. It is a reasonable inference that conscious torment could be everlasting for all in Hell or differing lengths of time of consciousness, depending on the level of wickedness in ones deeds. We know Jesus had much to say about the saved and the lost. He spoke of Hell and judgment throughout the gospels. Every knee shall bow…either here now or in judgment later.
    17. Assurance of the believer. Jesus also speaks of false believers and hypocrites. Many who think they are at peace with God will be revealed as not knowing Jesus. Please don’t be one of them! We can know we are saved and God’s Spirit will help you to know if you are a genuine believer in Jesus.

 

Until Then:

  1. We believe in the spiritual unity of believers in our Lord Jesus Christ and that all true believers are members of His body, the Church.
  2. We believe that we should dedicate ourselves to prayer, to the service of our Lord, to His authority over our lives, and to the ministry of evangelism.