What I Believe
Bible:
I believe that the Bible in its original documents is the inspired Word of God, the written record of His supernatural revelation to man, absolute in its authority, complete in its revelation, final in its content, and without error in its statements. I believe that in the Bible, God has given to all individuals all they need to handle life in a manner that pleases Him. (Psalm 19:7-11; Psalms 89:34; Matthew 24:35; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:3-9; 1 Peter 1:24-25; 2 Peter 1:19-21)
God:
God the Father: I believe there is one and only one living and true God, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. (Exodus 20:2-3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11)
God the Son: The Lord Jesus Christ is God incarnate; conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin, completely God and completely man. He was sinless and perfect, and gave Himself as a substitutionary sacrifice by shedding His blood on the cross. He was bodily raised from the dead a victor over sin and the grave. Later He ascended into heaven and will return bodily to judge the earth. (Luke 1:26-38, 24:39; 1 Timothy 2:5; John 3:16, 36; 14:3,6; Acts 10:43; Revelation 1:7)
God the Holy Spirit: I believe the Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with God and of the same nature. The ministry of the Holy Spirit is to convict men of sin, to reveal Christ, to indwell, seal, sanctify, instruct, and empower each believer for worship and service. The Holy Spirit permanently indwells all believers beginning at the moment of salvation by making them part of the Body of Christ. (Genesis 1:1-3; Luke 11:13; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; Matthew 28:19; John 3:5; 14:16-17, 26; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:13-14; Hebrews 9:14)
Spiritual Gifts:
I believe that certain gifts of the Spirit were temporary, providing the foundation for the New Testament church and are therefore not active today. These gifts were revelatory in nature - word of knowledge, tongues and interpretation, which were critical for a church that was without the written New Testament. Other foundational gifts, such as healing and raising the dead, were used to confirm and validate the ministry of the Apostles as the founders of the church. (Hebrews 2:1-4; Acts 2:22; Mark 16:14-18; Matthew 10:8; 1 Corinthians 13:8)
The Nature of Mankind:
I believe that man; spirit, soul and body, was created in the image of God by a direct work of God and not from some previously existing form of life; and that all men are descended from the historical Adam and Eve. I believe that mankind sinned in Adam and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God; and that all human beings since the fall are born with a sin nature. For this reason we are not sinners merely in nature but sinners in thought, word and deed. (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:23; 5:12)
Creation
I believe that God spoke the heavens, the earth and all living things into existence in six days. God directly created the original kinds of plants and animals and ordered them to reproduce after their kind. In its original form, the creation was very good and untouched by sin. Man is unique, created in the image of God, and did not originate from any other living thing. (Genesis 1, 2; Exodus 20:11; Psalm 33:6-9; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17)
Satan
Satan is a person, the author of sin, and the open and declared enemy of God and man. He and his angels shall be eternally punished. (Ezekiel 28:15-17; Isaiah 14:12-15; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10)
Salvation
I believe that, in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespass and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God; that salvation is wholly of God by grace on the basis of the redemption of Jesus Christ, the merit of His shed blood, and not on the basis of human merit or works; that faith alone in Jesus Christ is the only condition for salvation. A believer then is adopted into the family of God and identified as a child of God. (John 1:12; 3:3-7; Acts 16:30-33; Romans 6:23; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 1:5, 7; 2:1, 5, 8-10; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 2 Peter 2:9-10; 1 John 5:1)
o Justification: I believe that justification occurs at new birth and is the judicial act of God, hereby He declares one to be righteous through faith in Christ Jesus; that justification includes the pardon of sin and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness; that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which one has done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer, Christ Jesus. (Isaiah 53:11; Zechariah 13:1; Acts 13:39; Romans 5:1,9; 8:1; 2 Corinthians 5:18-21)
o Repentance: I believe that repentance is a change of mind and purpose toward God prompted by the Holy Spirit and true repentance is inseparably related to true faith. One’s efforts before or after salvation, regardless of how good or well intended, do nothing to secure or guarantee salvation. (Luke 13:1-3, 15:7; Romans 2:4)
o Sanctification: I believe that sanctification is the divine setting apart of the believer unto God accomplished in a threefold manner: first, an eternal act of God, based upon redemption in Christ, establishing the believer in a position of holiness at the moment one trusts the Savior; second, a continuing process in the believer as the Holy Spirit applies the Word of God to the life; third, the final accomplishment of this process at the Lord’s return. (John 17:17; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 5:25-26; 1 Thessalonians 4:3)
o A child of God has two births, one of the flesh, the other of the Spirit, giving man a flesh nature and a Spirit nature. The flesh nature is neither good, nor righteous. The spiritual nature is totally righteous. This results in warfare between the Spirit and the flesh, which continues until physical death or the return of the Lord. The flesh nature does not change in any way with the new birth, but is controlled by yielding to the Spirit. (John 3:6; Romans 7:15-25; Romans 6:1-23; 8:8; Galatians 5:17; 1 John 1:8-9)
o Eternal Security: Every true child of God possesses eternal life and is, therefore, safe and secure for all eternity. Being justified by faith, sanctified by God and sealed by the Holy Spirit, one cannot lose their salvation. (Philippians 1:6; John 10:28-29)
Evangelism and Missions:
It is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations. It is the duty of every child of God to seek to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ. (Genesis 12:1-3; Matthew 28:18-20; Luke 24:46-53; Romans 10:13-15)
The Church
The Universal Church is the body and bride of Christ, which began with the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. It is made up of all true believers who have been placed into Christ’s body by the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:4-5; Acts 2:1-4; Acts 10:47; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 5:23-32)
The purpose of the local assembly is to bring honor and glory to its Head the Lord Jesus Christ by gathering for instruction, worship, fellowship, prayer and scattering for evangelism in our community and unto all the world. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-47; 1 Corinthians 11:18-26; Ephesians 4:11-16)
Ordinances
I believe that biblical baptism is the immersion of a believer in water, under the authority of the local church, that identifies the believer with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that water baptism is a prerequisite to the privilege of church membership.
I also believe that the Lord's Supper or Communion is the commemoration of Christ’s death until He comes and should always be preceded by solemn self-examination. The elements themselves represent the body and blood of the Savior in symbol only. There is no saving grace extended to the recipient of either of these ordinances. (Matthew 3:16, 28:19-20; John 3:23; Acts 2:41-47, 8:36, 38-39; Romans 6:3-6; 1 Corinthians 11:23-28;)
Future Events
I believe in the imminent, pre-tribulation, premillennial return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. His coming will occur before the seven year tribulation period to “catch away” His Bride, the Church. I believe that Christ will return to earth with His church at the close of the tribulation, to judge the living nations and to establish His millennial Kingdom. (Isaiah 26:21; John 14:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 4:13-5:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8; Revelation 3:10; 19:11-20:6)
I believe there will be a resurrection of the saved and the lost; of the saved unto eternal conscious life with God and of the lost unto eternal conscious punishment, which is eternal separation from God. (Daniel 12:2; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 20:5-15)
Gender and the Physical Nature of Man
I Believe that man was created by God just the way He intended. God does not make mistakes. God Created Man and Woman with the sole purpose to conquer and replenish the earth. Because of this God has ordained marriage between and man and woman. A sexual and romantic relationship between people of the same sex is an abomination in the eyes of God. (Genesis 19:5; Leviticus 18:22; 20:13, Romans 1:26-27; I Corinthians6:9)
Women in Ministry
I believe that God has called both men and women into the ministry but in very different roles. I believe that God has called men to lead the church as a whole and while it is possible for a woman to share from the pulpit, overall teaching must be left to Godly men who have been called by God Himself. Women can, however, teach other women and children. (I Corinthians 11:3; I Corinthians 14:34-35; I Timothy 2:11-15; I Timothy 3:2; Titus 2:3-5)