Praise tills the fallow ground of our Hearts and
prepares it for the word!
Statement of Faith
God
the Father, Jesus His Son and the Holy Spirit
It is the testimony
of both Testaments and of the Christian Church that God is both One and Triune.
The Biblical revelation testifies that there is only one God, and that He is
eternally existent in Three Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
A. God the Father
God the Father is the
Creator and sustainer of all things, who created the universe in love to respond
to
Himself. He created man in His own image for fellowship, and calls man back
to Himself through Christ after
the rebellion and fall of man.
B. The Son
Jesus Christ is eternally God. He was together with the Father and
the Holy Spirit from the beginning,
and through Him all things were made. For
man’s redemption He left heaven and became incarnate by
the Holy Spirit of the
Virgin Mary and henceforth He is forever one Christ with two natures, God and
Man, in one Person.
C. The Holy Spirit
The Holy
Spirit is God, the Lord and giver of life, who was active in the Old Testament,
and given to the
Church in fullness at Pentecost. He empowers the saints for
service and witness, cleanses man from the old
nature, and conforms us to the
image of Christ. The baptism of the Holy Spirit, subsequent to conversion,
releases the fullness of the Spirit and is evidenced by tongues, joy, praise and
other inward and outward
manifestations and gifts.
The Scripture
We affirm that the
Bible containing the Old and New Testaments is alone the only infallible
inspired Word of God, and that its authority is ultimate and final and eternal.
It cannot be added to, subtracted from, or superseded in any regard. The Bible
is the source of all doctrine, instruction, correction and reproof. It contains
all that is needed for guidance in godliness and practical Christian conduct.
The
Atonement
Christ’s vicarious
death on the cross paid the penalty for the sins of the whole world, but its
benefits are only applicable to those who receive Jesus as Lord and personal
Savior. Healing, body, soul and spirit, is provided for in the atonement, as
well as, all of God’s provision for His saints, but these must be appropriated.
Salvation
The Word of God
declares clearly that salvation is a free gift of God, based on the merits of
the death of His Son Jesus, and is appropriated by faith. Salvation is affected
by personal repentance, belief on the Lord Jesus (justification), and personal
acceptance of Him into one’s life as Lord and Savior (regeneration). The new
life in Christ includes the privileges of adoption and inheritance in the
Kingdom of God’s beloved Son. Salvation is an act of free will in response to
God’s personal love for mankind. It is secure in the eternal unchanging
commitment of God, who does not lie and is forever the same. However, the
security of His nature does not remove the individual’s freewill, to renounce
the love, and the grace he has received. Salvation is not a one time event that
frees us from hell, but an active lifestyle of loving obedience, and service to
Jesus Christ our savior.
The Christian
Life
We believe that the
Scriptures portray the life of the saint in this world to be one of balance
between what is imputed to us as Christians and what is imparted to us according
to our faith and maturity. Hence God’s provision for His children is total and
the promises are final and are forever. The shortcomings of the individual and
of the Church are because of the still progressing sanctification of the
saints. The Christian life is filled with trials, tests, and warfare against a
real and purposeful spiritual enemy. For those abiding in Christ until their
death or His return, the promises of eternal blessing in the presence of God are
assured. To remain faithful through all circumstances of life, it requires
dependence upon the Holy Spirit, and a willingness to die to personal desires
and passions.
The Church
A. The goal of
the Church is to make disciples of all nations and to present the saints
complete in Christ.
B. The Church
is governed by the five fold ministry of
Ephesians 4,
the offices of Elder and Deacon, as well as other offices mentioned in
Scripture.
C. Church
policy is a balance between congregation and Eldership authority, emphasizing
the final authority of the church leadership.
D. It is
essential to the life of the Church that scriptural patterns of discipline be
practiced and that oversight for Church discipline, individual and corporate, be
exercised by the leadership of the Church.
Baptism and the
Lord’s Supper
The Word of God
enjoins on the Church two perpetual ordinances of the Lord Jesus Christ. The
first, baptism, is the outward sign of what God has already done in the
individual’s life, and is a testimony to all that the person belongs now to
Jesus. It is an identification with Jesus and is effected in the name of the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Lord’s Supper is a commemoration of
the death of the Lord and is done in remembrance of Him until He comes again,
and is a sign of our participation in Him. Both institutions are restricted to
those who are believers.
Eschatology
We affirm the bodily,
personal, second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, the resurrection of the
Saints, the Millennium, and the final judgment. The final judgment will
determine the eternal status of both the saints and the unbelievers, determined
by their relationship to Jesus Christ. We affirm with the Bible the final state
of the New Heavens and New Earth.
