OUR CORE BELIEFS

The Bible – We believe that all sixty-six books of the Bible (Old and New Testaments) are verbally inspired of God and are inerrant in the original writings. The Bible is the supreme and final authority for all matters of faith and life, and is completely accurate in all matters to which it speaks (2 Timothy 3:16-17, 2 Peter 1:19-21).

The Trinity – We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Further, we believe that our God is the one true God and is distinct from any other supposed god (Ex. 20:2-3, Deut. 6:4-5, 1 Cor. 8:6, Rev. 4:11).

Jesus Christ – We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, was born of the virgin Mary, and is both fully God and fully man. Further, we believe that Jesus Christ died for the sins of the whole world as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, was buried, rose again from the dead, and was seen afterwards by many people. All those who believe in Him are justified on the grounds of His shed blood. Currently, Jesus is in Heaven acting as our High Priest, Advocate, and Mediator (Gen. 3:15, Isa. 7:14 and 53:4-7, Matt. 1:18-25 and 28:6-7, Mark 16:6, Luke 1:35 and 19:10, John 3:16, Acts 1:9-11, Rom. 3:24-25, 1 Cor. 15:3-8 Eph. 2:8-9, Col. 1:19, 1 Tim. 2:5, 1 Peter 2:24, Heb. 7:25 and 8:6 and 12:2, 1 John 2:1).

The Holy Spirit – We believe in the divinity, personality, and power of the Holy Spirit. He was an active agent in the creation of the material universe, and is currently helping to maintain it. His current ministries include (but are not limited to): convicting of sin, righteousness, and judgment, regeneration, sealing and sanctifying believers, continually guiding believers into all truth, and keeping believers saved and safe to the very end (Gen. 1:1-3, John 10:28; 14:16-17 and 16:8-11, Acts 5:3-4, Rom. 8:14-27, Eph. 1:13-14, Heb. 9:14).

Angels and Demons – We believe in the existence of a spirit world, composed of both good and evil spirits. We understand that good spirits (or angels) are primarily messengers of God and exist as guardians of God’s holiness. We also affirm the existence of Satan, the Devil, who is the leader of evil spirits (or demons) and is the primary enemy of both God and man (Ps. 68:17, Matt. 4:1-11 and 12:27-28 and 25:31, Mark 13:32, 1 Cor. 10:20-21, 2 Cor. 4:4, Heb. 1:13-14, James 2:19, Rev. 20:10).

Man and Sin – We believe that all human beings are created in the image of God and are totally depraved because of Adam’s fall into sin. Adam’s sin plunged all of mankind into physical and spiritual death. Furthermore, we believe that life begins at conception and that all human beings are sinners at conception and sinners by choice in thought, word, and deed. We are unable to save ourselves. Thus, we need a Savior – someone to save us from our sins (Gen. 1:27 and 3:1-24, John 1:3, Rom. 1:18-23 and 3:10-12 and 5:12, 19).

The Gospel – We believe that Jesus Christ (second person of the trinity) left the splendors of Heaven to become the God-Man. He lived a perfectly sinless life and then died on a wooden cross for the sins of the whole world. We believe that He was buried, and after three days in the tomb, He arose victorious over death, sin, and the grave! We firmly believe that all who respond in faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ will be saved from their sins. Those who are saved by God’s grace, through their personal faith, will then become children of God and enjoy a personal relationship with God (John 3:3, 16, 2 Cor. 5:17, Eph. 2:1-10, Col. 2:13, 1 John 5:1).

The Local Church – We believe that the local church is a family of regenerated believers in Jesus Christ, who, on purpose, have united together, under leadership, for the following four purposes: 1) to glorify God by making disciples of Jesus Christ, 2) to engage in inspirational worship of Almighty God through the preaching, teaching, and singing of His Holy Word, 3) to observe and celebrate the two biblical ordinances of water baptism by immersion and communion, and 4) to endeavor to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (Is. 1:10-17, Matt. 18:15-17 and 28:18-20, John 4:24, Acts 2:41-47 and 11:26, 1 Cor. 11:17-34 and 14:26, Eph. 4:11-16, Col. 3:16, 1 Tim. 3:1-13, 2 Tim. 4:2, Titus 1:5-9, Heb. 10:24-25 and 13:17, 1 Pet. 5:1-3, 2 Pet. 3:18).

Last Things – We believe in the “Blessed Hope”: the personal, premillennial, and imminent return of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:42-44 and 51-54, 1 Thess. 4:13-18, Rev. 3:10).

Heaven and Hell – We firmly believe in the bodily resurrection of both believers and unbelievers. Believers will be ushered into everlasting blessedness in a literal Heaven because of their faith in Jesus Christ, and unbelievers will be ushered into everlasting, conscious punishment in a literal Hell because of their disbelief in the person and work of Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:42-54, 1 Thess. 4:13-18, Rev. 20:4-15).

The Miraculous Gifts – We believe that the miraculous gifts of the Early Church in the 1st Century are no longer commonplace for today. That is to say, we believe that the gifts of tongues, prophecy, and direct revelation from God are no longer commonplace for today because of the completion of the Bible. Further, we believe that divine healing is a part of God’s provision for believers today, but we reject divine healers and the belief that healing of the body is included in the atonement (1 Cor. 12:1-15:41, James 5:13-16).

Biblical Marriage – We unashamedly believe that marriage is between one man and one woman till death separates them. Further, we believe that marriage is a picture of Christ’s relationship with His Church. Thus, any other forms of marriage are perversions of God’s original design and corrupts His perfect plan (Gen. 1:1-3:24, Matt. 19:4-7, Eph. 5:22-33).

Creation vs. Evolution* – We believe the Biblical account of the creation of the physical universe, angels, and humanity; all were created in six literal 24-hour days; that this account is neither allegory nor myth, but a literal, historical account of the direct, immediate creative acts of God without any evolutionary process; that Adam and Eve were created by a direct work of God and not from previously existing forms of life; and that all people are descended from the historical Adam and Eve, first parents of the entire human race (Genesis 1; 2; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16, 17).

* Taken (in part) from the General Association of Regular Baptist Churches’ Statement of Faith.