STATEMENT OF FAITH

We hold to the truth that the Bible is the inspired Word of God, it is God-breathed.  The Canon of Scripture is God's revelation of Himself communicated to us through writers who used their own words yet those very words were those which God had determined from eternity past to write His truth.  We believe it to be incapable of error and that everything written in the Scriptures is true as well as sufficient and complete for all that we need to live in glory to God and good works to others as it is the authoritative word of the only true God and creator of all things.

(2 Tim. 3:16-17,  Ps. 19:7,  Prov. 30:5-6,  Rev. 1:3,  Heb. 4:12,  Jer. 1:4-9,  Luke 16:17,  Isa. 55:11)

We see in scripture the Triune nature of God, 1 in essence 3 in person, revealed as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, co-equal in all attributes, co-eternal and co-operative in everything.  The Bible explicitly teaches that God is one (Deut. 6:4), at the same time Scripture explicitly teaches that Jesus is God (John 1:1) as well as the Holy Spirit being the same God (Acts 5:3-4).  While this is a great mystery to us in full comprehension we see no contradiction in this teaching as Christ himself has spoken that He and the Father are one, we see a unity of God in one essence and distinction in three persons.  Essence refers to the being of God, while person is used as substance within the being of the Godhead.

(Deut. 4:39,  Isa. 43:10, 44:6-8,  Isa. 40:3,  Matt 9:5-8,  John 1:3,  Col. 1:16-17,  John 5:22,  Acts 10:42,  Is. 6:8-10,  Acts 28:25-27, Ps. 95:7-11,  Heb. 3:7-11)

In the garden Adam failed to uphold the command of God.  As federal head of man, all of his offspring are under the curse of sin from the time of our birth as a result of the fall.  Our condition is fallen and every part of our humanity in totality is radically affected by sin.  The mind, heart, will, and body are all corrupted by sin.  Total Depravity does not mean that man is as evil as possible, but rather the fall was so serious that it affects every aspect of our nature.  The mind has become darkened and weakened and our will is in bondage to our evil impulses and desires of our hearts.  In this state no one is able or willing to seek God for salvation.

(Gen 2:17, 6:5,  John 3:6, 3:19,  Rom. 5:12-14,  Rom. 8:7-8,  Jer. 17:9,  Ps. 51:5, 14:2-3,  Eph. 2:1-5,  Mark 7:21-23,  Matt. 7:17-18, 1 Cor. 2:14,  Col. 2:13,  Isa. 64:6-7)

The Atonement is Christ paying the debt of sin by his substitutionary death on the cross, to pay the penalty of sin which is death for all those who would believe in him.  All sin must be punished either by the death of the sinner or the substitutionary work of Christ on the Cross, the Pure Holiness and Righteousness of God demands it.  The only way we can be reconciled to God is by the atoning death of Christ, where our sin is imputed to Jesus, his righteousness is imputed to us, and our sin is paid for by His death.  This atonement is also limited to the elect of our sovereign God.  We know this because there are people that go to hell, so the atonement must be limited for the reason that all people are not saved.  The Atonement was actual, not potential, it was an actual payment for the sins of those who God chose before the foundation of the world, who would be regenerated by the Spirit, believe in Christ, and repent of their sins.

(Gal. 3:13,  Is. 53:5-12,  1 Pet. 2:24,  Matt. 1:21,  Matt. 26:28,  Mark 10:45,  2 Cor. 5:21,  Rev. 5:9,  John 17:9,  Acts 13:48,  Titus 2:14)

The Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a single unrepeatable act by God in which God regenerates a person and unites them with Christ.

(1 Cor. 12:13,  Rom. 6:4-6,  Gal. 3:27,  John 3:5-8,  Titus 3:5)

Justification is the act of God declaring man to be righteous by the putting to death of Jesus Christ for the sins of the world, through a double imputation of Christ's righteousness to our account and our sin to Christ.  This was done to satisfy the righteous wrath of God for the transgressions committed against him.  God can not negotiate sin, but he punishes sin completely in the death of Christ.  Christ is our justification and our righteousness.  This justification is a gift of God by faith alone, in Christ alone.

(Rom. 3:19-31,  2 Cor. 5:21,  Gal. 3:13,  Rom. 5:9-18,  Gal. 2:16,)

Sanctification is the process of spiritual growth in a Christian.  It is our life in Christ and IS a part of every genuine believer's life.  It is God's transforming work in your life.  This is the continual progressive work of God in our lives, changing our hearts and minds, through his power, to lay aside the sins we have previously been enslaved to, being set apart to God for his glory.  Sanctification, unlike justification that is monergistic, is a synergistic work, meaning that it is cooperative in a believer’s life.  Without justification, you have no sanctifying work of God.

(2 Cor. 7:1,  Rom. 6:12-18,  John 14:15,  1 Thess. 4:3-8,  1 Thess. 5:23-24)

Our view on Premillennialism is that Christ will return to gather his elect from the four corners of the earth and judge the unrepentant unrighteous from the earth and establish His eternal reign.  This reign will start with a 1000 year reign here on earth before the Great White Throne Judgement, after which a new heaven and new earth will come down from God in which He will continue to reign forever.  This view comes from a literal interpretation of Rev. 19-21.

(1 Thess. 4:16-18,  1 Cor. 15:51-58,  Acts 3:19-21)

We believe that before the Great Tribulation, the Church will be raptured (taken), caught up to be with Christ in the air to be with the Lord until the time of the Millennial kingdom when we return with Christ to reign with Him.  We see proof of this view in the book of Revelation, as it is a chronological book we see the church mentioned 19 times in the first 3 chapters then we do not see the church mentioned again until chapter 19.  We believe this to be the next event on the prophetic calendar.

(1 Thess. 4:13-18,  Rev. 3:10,  John. 14:1-3,  1 Cor. 15:51-53)