What We Believe
1. The scriptures are the Word of God
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God" (John 1:1). The Bible is the Word of God. It is a message from God by the Holy Spirit to man. The Holy Spirit is the author of the entire Bible. The Bible is one book, having one subject, one author, many writers. "All scripture is given by the inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for instruction in righteousness" (II Timothy 3:16). The Word of God is eternal and will stand forever (I Peter 1:24-25), Matthew 5:18, 24:35).
2. In one God
"The Lord our God is One Lord" (Mark 12:29). "For there are three that bare record in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Ghost: and these are one" (I John 5:7).
a. God, the Father
We believe the Father is the first person of the Godhead. His revelation comes in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ whom He makes known through the scriptures (Matthew 16:17). He is the Father of Jesus and the Father of humanity, our Father (Matthew 6:9). He is the One who loved the world so; He gave His only Son (John 3:16).
b. God, the Son – Jesus Christ
We believe that Jesus Christ is the second person of the Godhead. He is the Son of God. He is the revelation and manifestation of the Word made flesh, co-equal and co-existent, with the Father, and the Holy Ghost. We believe He was manifested in the flesh, and incarnated by the power of the Holy Ghost (Luke 1:34-35), in the womb of the Virgin Mary (John 1:1-4). Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures. He was buried; rose again the third day (I Cor.15:3-4). "Who is gone into heaven and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject to him." (I Peter 3:22).
c.God, the Holy Spirit
We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third Person in the Triune Godhead, and that He is ever present and active in the church; convicting (John 14:16, 16:18) and regenerating those who believe in Jesus Christ; dwelling in, sanctifying and comforting believers and guiding them into all truths as in Christ Jesus (John 16:13). The Holy Spirit is a person, not an influence, or emanation. Here our Lord speaks of the Spirit as "another Comforter," and applies to Him the same personal pronouns, which He uses of the Father. "I will pray the Father, and He shall give you another comforter, that He may abide with you forever."
3. Man is a 3-part being
"The very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ"
(I Thessalonians 5:23).
4. Original Sin
We believe that original sin is the corruption of the nature of all off-springs of Adam by which they are separated from original righteousness and made sinners by nature (Romans 3:9-34, 5:12-21, 6:20), and that it is referred to in the scriptures as the carnal mind, the flesh, sin that dwelled in me and other similar terms (Romans 7:17, 8:6-8).
We believe that original sin renders man unfit to enter the presence of God (Genesis 3:22-24); incapacitates man for the service of God (Romans 8:7-8); and prevents man from keeping God's holy law (Romans 7:12-18, 8:6-7).
We believe that original sin brings every man under the penalty of death (Romans 5:12), and makes man by nature a child of wrath (Ephesians 2: 1-3), and that only Christ can deliver from the penalty of death and restore man to divine favor and give everlasting life (John 3:16-19, I John 5: 10-12).
5. Repentance
Repentance is change done by the Holy Spirit resulting in being born of the Spirit. We are truly and Godly sorry for our sins. We are convicted with a personal sense of guilt. We are freed from the penalty of the law. We are changed by being turned to righteousness. We are pardoned by the Spirit of God. (Acts 2:37-38; 26:18, 3-19; Romans 10:9-10).
6. Justification
We believe that justification is God's judicial work done for man, whereby full pardon is granted to all who repent, believe and receive Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord, exonerating man from the guilt of sin. (Acts 10:43; Romans 3:24-26, 5:1-2, 16-18).
7. Regeneration
We believe that regeneration is a spiritual transformation wrought in the heart of the penitent by the Holy Spirit through the instrumentality of the Word of God, renewing him in the spirit of his mind (Ephesians 4:23). In addition, that no accountable person may enter the kingdom of God without having this experience (John 3:3-7; Romans 12:2; Ephesians 4:22-24, James 1:18; I Peter 1:23).
8. Sanctification
We believe that sanctification is the act of God, through the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer, bringing the believer's will under the control of God's will and in line with God's purpose for his/her life. To be sanctified is to be set apart. Sanctification is a a personal experience in which the believer plays a great part (Romans 6). Thus, the sanctified believer is totally surrendered to the will of God. We believe that a man must first be justified before he can be sanctified. We also believe that sanctification is progressive and continuous. As the believer grows in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, he continues to surrender more areas of his life to the refining process of the Holy Ghost.
9. The gift of the Holy Spirit
We believe that every true believer is heir to the Holy Spirit. (Galatians 4:6-7). We believe that He is the gift of God in Christ Jesus to the children of God, sanctifying, quickening, guiding into all truth, and given power to obey and witness God's word. (John 14:16-26; Acts 1:8)
We believe that the receiving of the Holy Spirit is subsequent to conversion. We believe that the gift of the Holy Spirit is the ratification of man's acceptance with God, and the earnestness of man's eternal inheritance of Christ. (II Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13, 14).
10. The Church is the Body of Christ
"Now ye are the Body of Christ, and members in particular." (I Corinthians 12:28) "For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another." (Romans 12:4-5) "And he Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-12)
11. Christ will return and resurrect the dead
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will return to earth to judge the quick and the dead, and that at His coming those who are sleep in Christ Jesus will precede those who are alive and will be 'caught up' together in the clouds.
We believe in the resurrection of the dead; that Christ arose from the dead, ascended into heaven and is now sitting at the right hand of the Father making intercession for us. (Acts 1:9, 7:56; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 1:3, 7:25). The greatest incentive for righteous living is the anticipation of the coming of Jesus Christ. It is comforting to the believer and it is the church's hope.
12. Final Judgement
We believe that "we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that which he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (II Corinthians 5:10).
