OUR BELIEFS

The Gospel is the good news that while we were once separated from God by our sin, God has provided a way of salvation through the gift of his son Jesus Christ. He suffered as a sacrifice for sin, conquered death through his physical resurrection, and offers salvation to all who will accept it. The Gospel is unconditional acceptance given to an undeserving person by an unobligated giver.

The basis of our beliefs is the Bible, which we believe to be God’s written Word, the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe that it was fully inspired by the Holy Spirit and that it was written without error in the original manuscripts. It is the final authority in all matters on which it speaks. Jesus quoted scripture at every point in his life, including his words on the cross from Psalm 22. Since we trust Jesus to be who he said he was, we also follow his lead in trusting the authority of the scriptures and use it to guide our lives.

There is one true God, eternally existing in three persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – each of whom possesses equally all the attributes of Deity and personality.

Jesus Christ is God, the living Word, who became flesh through His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. Hence, He is perfect Deity and true humanity united in one person. He lived a sinless life and voluntarily atoned for the sins of men by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him alone. He rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, where He, the only mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for His own.

Man was originally created in the image of God. He sinned by disobeying God and was alienated from his Creator. The salvation of man is wholly a work of God’s free grace and is not the result of human works, goodness or religious ceremony. God imputes His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, and thereby justifies them.

The Holy Spirit has come into the world to reveal and glorify Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to men. He convicts and draws sinners to Christ, imparts new life to them, continually indwells them from the moment of spiritual birth and seals them until the day of redemption. We believe a true understanding and acceptance of the gospel will lead us to live devoted lives modeled after Jesus.

The Sacraments of Communion and Baptism (by immersion) are a regular part of the life of the church. We further affirm the traditional Christian Confessions of the Nicene and Apostles Creeds:

Nicene Creed

I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible. And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Father before all worlds; God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God; begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made.

Who, for us men for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary, and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate; He suffered and was buried; and the third day He rose again, according to the Scriptures; and ascended into heaven, and sits on the right hand of the Father; and He shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead; whose kingdom shall have no end.

I believe in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of Life; who proceedeth from the Father and the Son; who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; who spoke by the prophets.I believe in one holy catholic and apostolic Church.

I acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; and I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.