Our Doctrine

The Doctrine of the Holy Scriptures

We teach that the Bible is the written revelation of God and that both the Old and New Testament are given through plenary (whole) and verbal (down to it’s very choice of words) inspiration by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:7-14; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

We teach that the Bible is inerrant (without error or liable to be proven wrong or to have mistakes) in the original autographs as it was given by God who is not able to lie or deceive anyone (Numbers 23:19, Titus 1:2, Hebrews 6:18).

We teach that the Bible constitutes the only infallible rule of faith and practice of God’s will for the salvation of men and the divine and final authority for Christian faith and life. Because it lacks in nothing and takes into account every facet of the human existence, the Bible is sufficient to be the sole guide for life and conduct (Matthew 5:18, 24:35; John 10:35, 16:12-13, 17:17; 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21, 3:15-16).

The Doctrine of God

We teach that there is only one living and true God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:5-7), who is an infinite and intelligent Spirit (John 4:24), perfect in all His attributes, one in essence but eternally existing in three persons- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Psalm 139:8; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14) each equally deserving the same worship and obedience (Acts 17:24-29; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 19:10).

God the Father

We teach that God the Father, the first Person of the Trinity, orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace (Psalm 145:8,9; 1 Corinthians 8:6). He is the creator of all things (Genesis 1:1-31) and as the absolute and highest ruler in the universe; He is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption (Job 1:6; Psalm 103:9; Romans 11:33).

We teach that He has decreed for His own glory all things that come to pass, and continually upholds, directs, and governs all creatures and events (1 Chronicles 29:11). This does not make Him the author of sin (John 8:38-44) nor does it abridge the accountability of moral, intelligent human beings (1 Peter 1:17).

We teach that He has graciously chosen from all eternity those whom He would have as His own (Ephesians 1:3-6); and that He saves from sin all those who come to Him through Jesus Christ, relating Himself to His own as their Father (John 1:12, 18; Ephesians 1:3-6, 2:1-10; Hebrews 12:5-9).

We teach that throughout the Bible various attributes (qualities or characteristics) of God are described which include but are not limited to: Holiness (Exodus 15:11; Psalm 99:9), Righteousness and Justice (Psalm 89:14, 119:137), Sovereignty (Isaiah 45:23, 46:9-10), Eternality (Isaiah 43:13, 44:6), Immutability (Malachi 3:6, Hebrews 6:17-18), Omniscience (Job 34:21; Psalm 139:1-6), Omnipresence (Psalm 139:7-12; Proverbs 15:3), Omnipotence (Jeremiah 32:17, Revelation 19:6), Love (John 3:16, Romans 5:8), Truth (Psalm 31:5, 117:2), and Mercy (Psalm 130:3-4, 145:8-9).

God the Son

We teach that Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity, is true God (100%) and true man (100%) being co-equal and co-eternal with the Father (John 10:27-30, 14:9). We teach that in the incarnation Jesus Christ surrendered only the prerogatives of deity but nothing of the divine essence or attributes, in either degree or kind. In His incarnation, Christ’s divine nature was combined with a human nature in an eternal union, and so He became the God-Man (Philippians 2:5-8) with a fusion of humanity and deity into an indivisible oneness (Micah 5:2; John 14:9-10; Colossians 2:9; 1 John 5:20; Jude 25).

We teach that the Lord Jesus Christ was virgin born (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:25; Luke 1:26-35) as God incarnate (John 1:1,3,14,18; 1 John 1:3) for the purpose of revealing God to men, redeeming men, and ruling over God’s kingdom (Psalm 2:7-9; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:29; Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 1:19, 2:22; Hebrews 1:2-3).

We teach that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through his death on the cross, and that His death was voluntary, vicarious, substitutionary, propitiatory, and redemptive (Romans 3:25, 5:8; 1 Peter 2:24). On the basis of His death, the believing sinner is freed from the punishment, the penalty, the power, and one day the very presence of sin and that he is declared righteous, given eternal life, and admitted to the family of God (John 10:15; Romans 3:25, 5:8; 2 Corinthians 5:14-15; 1 Peter 2:24, 3:18). It is by faith alone in Jesus Christ alone that salvation can be received by men and that there is no other way (works, etc.) nor is there any other name (Mohammed, etc.) under heaven that provides salvation (John 14:6, Acts 4:12).

We teach that Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead, which confirms His deity and the acceptance of His atoning work on the cross, while at the same time guaranteeing that all believers in Christ will one day be bodily resurrected. He presently is at the right hand of the Father where He is ministering as our Advocate and High Priest (Matthew 28:6; Luke 24:38-39; John 5:28-29, 14:19; Acts 2:30-31; Romans 1:4, 4:25’ 6:5-10; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, 20,23).

We teach that throughout the Bible various attributes of Jesus Christ are described which include but are not limited to: Holiness (Acts 3:14-15), Righteousness and Justice (Acts 3:14), Sovereignty (Matthew 28:18), Eternality (1 John 1:1-2), Immutability (Hebrews 13:8), Omniscience (Colossians 2:2b-3), Perfection/Sinless (2 Corinthians 5:21), Love (1 John 3:16), Truth (John 14:6), and Mercy (Matthew 15:32).

God the Holy Spirit

We teach that God the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Trinity, is a divine Person [possessing emotions (Ephesians 4:30), intellect (1 Corinthians 2:10-13), and a will (1 Corinthians 12:11)] eternal, underived, possessing all the divine excellencies, and that in these He is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Son [Acts 5:3-4 (Compare Jeremiah 31:31-34 with Hebrews 10:15-17)].

We teach that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to execute the divine will with relation to the world of men. We recognize His sovereign activity in creation (Genesis 1:2), the incarnation (Matthew 1:18), the writing of the Bible (2 Peter 1:20-21) and the work of salvation (John 3:5-7).

We teach that He began His work in this age at the time of Pentecost when He came from the Father, as promised by Christ (John 14:16-17, 15:26), to initiate and complete the building of the Body of Christ, which is His church (1 Corinthians 12:13). The broad scope of His divine activity includes convicting the world of sin, righteousness and judgement, and glorifying the Lord Jesus Christ by transforming believers into Christlikeness (John 16:7-9; Acts 1:5, 2:4; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 2:22).

We teach that the Holy Spirit is the supernatural and sovereign agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12:13) and indwelling, sanctifying, instructing, and empowering them for service, and sealing them until the day of redemption (John 16:18; Romans 8:9; 2 Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13).

We teach that the Holy Spirit alone administers spiritual gifts to the Church for the purpose of glorifying God and implementing His work of redeeming the lost and building up believers in the faith (John 16:13-14; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-11; 2 Corinthians 3:18).

We teach that throughout the Bible various attributes of the Holy Spirit are described which include but are not limited to: Holiness (Acts 5:3-4), Eternality (Hebrews 9:14), Omniscience (Isaiah 40:13-14), Omnipresence (Psalm 139:7), and Truth (John 16:13, 5:7).

The Doctrine of Man

We teach that man was directly and immediately created by God; in His image and likeness. Man was free of sin with a rational nature, intelligence, volition, self-determination, and moral responsibility (Genesis 2:25-25; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; James 3:9). The purpose of man’s creation was the divine intention that he should glorify God, enjoy God’s fellowship, live his life in the will of God, and by this accomplish God’s purpose for man in the world (Isaiah 43:7; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11).

We teach that in Adam’s sin of disobedience to the revealed will and Word of God, man lost his innocence; incurring the penalty of spiritual and physical death; became subject to the wrath of God; and became inherently corrupt and utterly incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable and pleasing to God (Genesis 2:16-17; John 3:36; Romans 3:23, 6:23).

We teach that Adam was a representative of all men, and that the consequence of that sin has been imputed (transmitted) to all men of all ages, with Jesus Christ being the only exception. Thus all men are sinners by divine declaration, by nature, and by choice (Psalm 14:1-3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:9-18, 23, 5:10-12; 1 Timothy 2:13-14; James 2:10; 1 John 1:8).

We teach that, apart from Christ’s redemptive work, man is under the judgment of God and hopelessly and totally separated from God, spiritually dead in his own sin, hostile to God, blinded by Satan and held captive to do his will, powerless to overcome sin’s hold on his life, unable to understand the things of God, unable to please God, unable to walk in God’s way, and incapable of living a spiritually fruitful and meaningful life (Isaiah 55:8-9; John 8:34, 15:4-6; Romans 1:28-32; 3:9-12, 23, 5:12, 6:16, 23, 8:7-8; 1 Corinthians 2:14; 2 Corinthians 4:3-4; Galatians 2:16, 5:19-21; Ephesians 2:1-3, 5, 11-12; Colossians 1:21, 2:13; 2 Timothy 1:9, 2:24-26; Titus 3:5-7; Hebrews 11:6; 2 Peter 2:19).

The Doctrine of Salvation

We teach that salvation from the curse of sin and the judgement of God is wholly by the grace of God, through the redemption provided by the shed blood of Jesus Christ; not on the basis of human merit, works or by any other name under heaven (John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Ephesians 1:7, 2:8-10; 1Peter 1:18-19).

Election – We teach that election is the act of God by which, before the foundation of the world, He chose in Christ those whom He graciously regenerates, saves, and sanctifies (Mark 13:27, Romans 8:28-33; Ephesians 1:4-11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy 2:10; 1 Peter 1:1-2).

Justification – We teach that justification before God is an act of God by which He declares righteous those who believe in Christ (Romans 8:33). This righteousness is apart from any virtue or work of man (Romans 3:20), and involves the imputation of our sins to Christ (Colossians 2:14; 1 Peter 3:18) and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to us (Romans 4:6, 1 Corinthians 1:30). By this means God is enabled to “be just, and the justifier of the one who has faith in Christ” (Romans 3:26, 4:3-5).

Sanctification – We teach that every believer is sanctified (set apart) to God by the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Every believer is therefore declared to be holy and identified as a saint (Acts 20:32; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 30, 6:11). By the work of the Holy Spirit an experiential sanctification takes place, by which the state of the believer is progressively brought closer to the standing the believer enjoys through justification. By obedience to the Word of God and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, the believer is able to live a life of increasing holiness in conformity to the will of God, becoming more and more like the Lord Jesus as the Holy Spirit provides victory over sin (John 17:17,19; Romans 6:1-22; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 5:26; Galatians 5:16-25; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, 5:23).

Security – We teach that all the redeemed once saved are kept by God’s power and thus are secure in Christ forever (John 5:24, 6:37-50, 10:27-30, 17:15-20; Romans 5:9-10, 8:1, 31-39; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8; Ephesians 4:30; Hebrews 7:24, 13:5; 1 Peter 1:5; Jude 24). However, believers must never take advantage of their salvation by using Christian liberty as an occasion for sinful living (Romans 6:15-22, 13:13-14; Galatians 5:13, 25-26; Titus 2:11-15.

Perseverance – We teach that all of those truly redeemed by God, through Christ, will persevere in their faith and good works until death or the return of Christ (Luke 8:15). While works are not able to save, they do reveal the reality of salvation as believers are commanded to bear fruit in keeping with their salvation (Matthew 3:8; John 15:1-11; James 2:17-26).

The Doctrine of the Church

We teach that all who place their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately baptized by the Holy Spirit into one united spiritual body, the Church (1 Corinthians 12:12-13), of which Christ is the Head (Ephesians 1:22, 4:15; Colossians 1:18). The formation of this body began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21, 38-47) and will be completed at the Rapture (1 Corinthians 15:15-47; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).

We teach that the Church is a unique spiritual organism designed by Christ (Matthew 16:18), which is made up of born-again believers in this present age, also called the Church age (Ephesians 2:11-3:6). The Church is distinct from Israel (1 Corinthians 10:32), a mystery not revealed until this age (Ephesians 3:1-6, 5:32.

We teach that the establishment and continuity of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:23, 27, 20:17,28; Galatians 1:2; Philippines 1:1, 1 Thessalonians 1:1, 2 Thessalonians 1:1), and that the members of this one spiritual body are directed to associate together in local assemblies (1 Corinthians 11:18-20; Hebrews 10:25).

We teach that the purpose of the Church is to glorify God (Ephesians 3:21) by building itself up in the faith (Ephesians 4:13-16), by the teaching of God’s Word (2 Timothy 2:2, 15, 3:16-17), by fellowship (Acts 2:42; 1 John 1:3), by keeping the ordinances of water baptism and communion (Luke 22:19; Acts 2:38-42), and by advancing and communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the entire world (Matthew 28:19; Acts 1:8, 2:42).

We teach that the one supreme authority for the Church is Christ (1 Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians1:22; Colossians 1:18). The biblically designated officers serving under Christ and over the assembly are elders, also called bishops, pastors, and pastor-teachers (Acts 20:28; Ephesians 4:11), and deacons, both of whom must fit biblical qualifications (1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-5). These leaders lead or rule as servants of Christ (1 Timothy 5:17-22) and have His authority in directing the church as the congregation submits to their leadership (Hebrews 13:7,17).

We teach the autonomy of the local church, free from any external authority or control, with the right of self-government and freedom from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations (Titus 1:5). It is scriptural for true churches (those of like faith and doctrine) to cooperate with each other for the presentation and propagation of the faith. However, each local Church, through it’s elders and their interpretation and application of Scripture, is the sole judge of the measure and method of it’s cooperation as well as on all matters of membership, policy, discipline, benevolence, and government (Acts 15:19-31, 20:28; 1 Corinthians 5:4-7, 13; 1 Peter 5:1-4).

We teach that the New Testament emphasizes the importance of the “body” of Christ ministering to one another through the spiritual gifts that have been given to each believer by the Holy Spirit. He gave gifted men for the purpose of equipping the saints for the work of the ministry (Ephesians 4:7-12), and He also gives unique and special spiritual abilities to each member of the body of Christ (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 12:4-31; 1 Peter4:10-11). These gifts are sovereignly bestowed and cannot be sought (1 Corinthians 12:11). It is essential that every believer discovers, develops, and employs his spiritual gift or gifts for the edification of the Church and the accomplishment of the work of Christ in the World (Romans 12:3-8; 2 Peter 4:10-11).

We teach that there were two kinds of gifts: temporary confirming gifts and permanent edifying gifts. With the New Testament revelation complete, the confirming gifts are no longer a necessary criteria (1 Corinthians 13:8b-12) for evaluating the validity of a man and his message since they can be counterfeited by Satan so as to deceive even believers (1 Corinthians 13:13-14:12; Colossians 2:18; Revelation 13:13-14). Thus we teach that the temporary confirming gifts – healing, speaking in tongues (unlearned languages), interpretation, and the working of sign miracles – gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established (Compare 1 Corinthians 13:8-10; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Hebrews 2:3-4; and Acts 19:11-12 with 1 Corinthians 12:1-31). We teach that no one individual possesses the gift of healing today, but that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith on the part of every believer, and will answer in accordance with His own perfect will for the sick, suffering, and afflicted (Luke 18:1-6; John 5:7-9; 2 Corinthians 12:6-10; James 513-16; 1 John 5:14-15).

We teach that water baptism and the Lord’s Supper (communion) are ordinances to be observed in the present age. Christian baptism (by immersion) is the testimony of a believer symbolically showing his faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, and his union with Him in death to sin, and resurrection to a new life (Romans 6:1-11; Acts 8:36-39). Baptism is also a sign of fellowship and identification with the visible body of Christ (Acts 2:41-42). The Lord’s Supper is the commemoration and proclamation of his death until He comes, and should always be preceded by solemn self-examination (1 Corinthians11:28-32). The bread and cup of the Lord’s supper is symbolic of the giving of His body and the shedding of His blood and is not the actual body and blood of Christ (1 Corinthians 10:16). No where does Scripture teach how often one is supposed to partake of these ordinances so baptisms are performed as often as they are needed and the Lord’s Supper is taken once a month.

The Doctrine of Last Things

Death – We teach that physical death involves no loss of our immaterial consciousness (Matthew 10:28; Revelation 6:9-11), that the soul of the redeemed passes immediately into the presence of Christ (Luke 23:43; Philippians 1:23), that there is a separation of soul and body (Philippians 1:21-24), and that such separation will continue until the first resurrection (Revelation 20:4-6), when spirit, soul, and body will be reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Philippians 3:21; 1Corinthians 15: 35-44, 50-54; 1Thessalonians 4:16-17). Until that time, the souls of the redeemed in Christ remain in joyful fellowship with the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:8). We teach the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life (Romans 8:10-11, 19-23; 2 Corinthians 4:14), and the unsaved to judgement and everlasting punishment (Daniel 12:2; John 5:29; Revelation 20:6, 13-15).

The Rapture of the Church – We teach the personal, bodily return of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 4:16; Titus 2:11-13) to receive His Church from this earth (John 14:1-3; 1 Corinthians 15:51-53; 1 Thessalonians 4:15-5:11), and to reward believers according to their works (1 Corinthians 3:11-15; 2 Corinthians 5:10).

Eternity – We teach that the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God; that the elements of this earth are to be “dissolved” (2 Peter 3:10) and replace with a new earth where only righteousness dwells (Ephesians 5:5; Revelation 20:15, 21-22); and that the heavenly city that comes down out of heaven (Revelation 21:2) is to be the dwelling place of the saints, where they will enjoy fellowship with God and with one another forever (John 17:3; Ephesians 2:11-16; Revelation 21 and 22).

We teach that the unsaved descend into Hades (Job 3:11-19), where they are kept under punishment until the second resurrection (Luke 16:19-26; Revelation 20:1-15), when the soul and resurrected body are united (John 5:28-29). They shall then appear at the Great White Throne judgement (Revelation 20:11-15) and shall be cast into the lake of fire (Matthew 25:41-46), cut off from the life of God forever (Daniel 12:2; Matthew 25:41-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).