Statement of Faith

GOD We believe there is only one true and living God, infinite in being and perfection, existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, each with distinct personal attributes, but without division of nature of being. He is the Creator, Redeemer, Preserver, and Ruler of the universe. To Him we owe the highest love, reverence, and obedience.

Genesis 1:1; 2:7;   Exodus 3; 14; 6:2-3; 15:11ff.;20:1ff.;   Leviticus 22:2;   Deuteronomy 6:4; 32:6;   I Chronicles 29:10;   Psalm 19:1-3;   Isaiah 43:3, 15; 64:8;   Jeremiah 10:10; 17; 13;   Matthew 6:9 ff.; 7; II; 23:9; 28; 19;   Mark 1:9-1 1;   John 4:24; 5:26; 14:6-13; 17:1-8;   Acts 1:7;   Romans 8:14-15;   I Corinthians 8:6;   Galatians 4:6;   Ephesians 4:6;   Colossians 1:15;   I Timothy 1:17;   Hebrews 11:6; 12:9;   I Peter 1:17;   I John 5:7

JESUS We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, and that He is God in flesh revealed. We believe that He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, lived a sinless life, and gave His life as an atonement for sin. We believe in His bodily resurrection from the grave, in His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and in His future personal return in power and great glory.

Genesis 18:1ff.;   Psalm 2:7 ff.; 110:1 ff.;   Isaiah 7:14, 53;   Matthew 1:18-23; 3:17; 8:29; 11:27; 14:33; 16:16, 27; 17:5; 27; 28:1-6, 19;   Mark 1:1; .1:1 1;   Luke 1:35; 4:41; 22:70; 24:46;   John 1:1-18,29; 10:30,38: 1 1:25-27; 12:44.50; 14:7-11; 16:15-16,28; 17:1-5, 21-22; 20:1-20, 28;   Acts 1:9; 2:22-24; 7:55-56; 9:4-5, 20;   Romans 1:3-4; 3:23-26; 5:6-21; 8:1-3, 34; 10:4;   1 Corinthians 1:30; 2:2; 8:6; 15:1-8, 24-28;   2 Corinthians 5:19- 21;   Galatians 4:4-5;   Ephesians l:20; 3:11; 4:7-10;   Philippians 2:5-1 1;   Colossians 1:13-22; 2:9;   I Thessalonians 4:14-18;   I Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16;   Titus 2:13-14;   Hebrews 1:1-3; 4:14-15; 7:14-28; 9:12-15, 24-28; 12:2; 13:8;   I Peter 2:21-25; 3:22;   I John 1:7-9; 3:2; 4:14-15; 5:9;   2 John 7-9;   Revelation 1:13-16:5:9-14; 12:10-11; 13:8; 19:16

HOLY SPIRIT We believe the Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Godhead. He is the Spirit of God, a divine Person, not just a mere influence or power. He enables man to understand truth. He exalts Christ, convicts of sin, calls men to the Savior, cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, bestows spiritual gifts, and enlightens, equips, and empowers for Christian service. His words and His works are considered to be the words and works of God.

Genesis 1:2;  Judges 14:6;   Job 26:13;   Psalm 51:11; 139:7 ff.;   Isaiah 61:1-3;   Joel 2:28-32;    Matthew 1; 18; 3:16; 4:1; 12:28-32; 28:19;   Mark 1:10, 12;   Luke 1:35; 4:1, 18-19; 11:13; 12:12; 24:49;   John 4:24; 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-14;    Acts 1:8; 2:1-4, 38; 4:31; 5:3; 6:3; 7:55; 8:17, 39; 10:44; 13:2; 15:28; 16:6; 19:1-6;   Romans 8:9-11, 14-16, 26-27;  

1 Corinthians 2:10- 14; 3:16; 12:3-11;  Galatians 4:6;   Ephesians 1:13-14; 4:30; 5:18;   I Thessalonians 5:19;   I Timothy 3:16; 4:1;   2 Timothy l:14; 3:16;   Hebrews 9:8, 14;   2 Peter 1:21;   I John 4:13; 5:6-7;   Revelation 1:10; 22:17

SCRIPTURES We believe that the Holy Bible (both the Old and New Testaments) is the inspired, infallible, and authoritative Word of God. It has God for its author, salvation of man for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter. We accept it as our sole authority on matters of faith and practice for the Christian life.

Exodus 24;4;   Deuteronomy 4; 1-2; 17:19;   Joshua 8:34;   Psalm 19:7-10; 119:11, 89, 105, 140;   Isaiah 34:16; 40:8;    Jeremiah 15:16; 36;   Matthew 5:17-18; 22:29;   Luke 21:33; 24:44-46;   John 5:39; 16:13-15; 17:17;   Acts 2:16 ff.; 17:11;   Romans 15:4; 16:25-26;   2 Timothy 3; 15-17;   Hebrews 1:1-2; 4; 12;   I Peter 1:25;   2 Peter 1:19-21

MAN We believe that man was created by a special act of God, in His image, and is the crowning work of His creation. In the beginning man was just and upright and free from all sin, but through the influence and temptation of Satan, man sinned by disobeying God and thus fell from his original state of innocence, bringing sin into the human race. Thus, man brought upon himself and all future generations a nature inclined to sin, wholly opposed to God and His Law, and as soon as they are capable of moral action, they become actual transgressors and are under the condemnation of God, and are in need of personal salvation.

Genesis 1:26-30; 2:5, 7, 18-22; 3; 9:6;   Psalm 1; 8;3-6; 32:1-5; 51:5;   Isaiah 6:5; Jeremiah 17:5;   Matthew 16:26; Acts 17:26- 31;   Romans 1:19-32; 3:10-18,23; 5:6, 12, 19; 6:6; 7:14-25; 8:14-18, 29;   I Corinthians 1:21-31:15:19, 21-22;  

Ephesians 2:1-22;   Colossians 1:21-22; 3:9-11

SALVATION We believe by virtue of the fulfillment of God's Holy Law by His Son, Jesus Christ, and the offering freely made by Christ of His own life as a sacrifice for sin, the way of salvation (also referred to as regeneration and the new birth) has been opened and is offered freely to all mankind. Salvation is a work of God's grace whereby believers become new creations in Jesus Christ. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin to which the sinner responds in repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

Genesis 3:15;   Exodus 3:14-17; 6:2-8;   Matthew 1:21; 4;17; 16:21-26; 27:22 to 28:6;   Luke 1:68-69; 2:28-32;   John 1:11-14, 29; 3:3-21, 36; 5:24; 10:9, 28-29; 15:1-16; 17:17;   Acts 2:21; 4:12; 15:11; 16:30-31; .17:30-31; 20:32;   Romans 1:16-18; 2:4; 3:23-25; 4:3 ff.; 5:8-10; 6:1-23; 8:1.18, 29-39; 10:9-10, 13; 13:11-14;   1 Corinthians 1:18, 30; 6:19-20; 15:10; 

2 Corinthians 5:17- 20;   Galatians 2;20; 3; 13; 5:22.25; 6:15;   Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-22; 4:11.16;   Philippians 2; 12-13;

Colossians 1:9-22; 3:1 ff.;  1 Thessalonians 5:23-24;   2 Timothy 1:12;   Titus 2:11-14;   Hebrews 2:1-3; 5:8-9; 9:24-28; 11:1-12:8, 14;   James 2:14-26;   1 Peter 1:2-23;   1 John 1:6 to 2: II;   Rev. 3:20; 21:1 to 22:5

REPENTANCE AND FAITH We believe that repentance and faith are inseparable experiences of grace. Repentance is a genuine turning from sin toward God. Faith is the acceptance of Jesus Christ and commitment of the entire person to Him as Saviour and Lord. We believe that God is faithful and just to forgive and redeem all who come to Him in genuine repentance and faith, and that they, regardless of creed or race, become the children of God. We further believe that without repentance toward God and faith in Jesus Christ no sinner can be saved.

Matthew 3:2;   Luke 13:2,3, 15:21, 18:13;   Acts 2:38, 3:19, 8;22, 17:30,26:20;   1 Chronicles 7:14;   Isaiah55;7;   Ezekiel 18:21, 18:31;   Hosea 14:2;   Romans 5:1,10:17, 14:23;   Hebrews 11:1,11:6;   James 2:17;   1 John 5:4;   Ephesians 6:16;

Galatians 3:6;   Philippians 3:9;   John 3:15,3:36,5:24, 11:25, 12:46,20:31;   Romans 10:9

ETERNAL SECURITY We believe that all people who have truly been born of God enters into the state of eternal security with God, which means that once a person is truly saved, he may through sin get out of fellowship with God) but he will never lose his salvation and his relationship as a child of God.

John 3; 14, 15, 3:36, 10:28,29, 11:25,26, 12:25, 17:3;   Matthew 19:16;   Mark 10:30;   Romans 5:21,6:23;   Galatians 6:8;   Philippians 1:21,   Luke 16:22;   1 Timothy 6:12;   Titus 1:2;   1 John 1:2,5:11,5:13, 5:20

CHURCH We believe that the Church, the Body of Christ, is universal in nature and includes all the redeemed of all the ages. We believe that the New Testament Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is a local body of baptized believers, with Christ as its Head and the Holy- Spirit as its Guide, who are committed to His teachings, who exercise His gifts, and who seek to extend the good news ofthe Gospel to the ends of the earth.

Matthew 16:15-19; 18:15-20;   Acts 2:41.42, 47; 5:11.14; 6:3-6; 13:1-3; 14:23, 27; 15:1.30; 16:5; 20.-28;   Romans 1:7;   

1 Corinthians 1:2; 3:16; 5:4.5; 7:17; 9:13.14; 12;   Ephesians 1:22.23; 2; 19.22; 3:8-1 1, 21; 5:22.32;   Philippians 1:1;

Colossians 1;18;   1 Timothy 3:1. 15; 4; 14;    1 Peter 5:1-4;   Revelation 2-3; 21:2.3

BAPTISM We believe that all who have received Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord should be baptized. We believe that baptism, according to the Scripture, is rightly administered only by the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience to Christ, and it symbolizes the believer's faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Lord, the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in the newness of life. It is an outward expression of an inward experience, and it is m no way a prerequisite to personal salvation.

Matthew 28:19;   Luke 3:21, 22:19;   1 Corinthians 11:23.26;   Mark 1:9, 16:16;   Acts 2:38, 2:41, 8:38, 9; 18, 10:48, 16:33, 18:8, 19:5,22:16;   Romans 6:3;  1 Corinthians 12:13;   Galatians 3:27;   Colossians 2:12;   1 Peter 3:21;    Matthew 3:13

THE LORD'S SUPPER We believe that the Lord's Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church, through partaking of the bread (symbolic of His body which was broken for us) and the fruit of the vine (symbolic of His blood which was shed for us) do memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His coming again.

Matthew 3:13-17; 26:26-30; 28:19.20;   Mark 1:9.11; 14:22.26;   Luke 3:21.22; 22:19-20;   John 3:23;   Acts 2:4142; 8:35. 39; 16:30.33; 20:7;   Romans 6:3-5;   1 Corinthians 10:16,21; 11:23-29;   Colossians 2:12.

THE LORD'S DAY We believe that the Lord's Day is the first day of the week, the day after the Sabbath. It commemorates the resurrection of Jesus, which took place on the first day of the week, and is a Christian institution for regular worship, and should be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and private.

Exodus 20:8.11;   Matthew 12:1-12; 28: Iff;   Mark 2:27-28; 16; 1-7;   Luke 24; 1-3,33-3 6;   John 4:21.24; 20:1, 19-28;

Acts 20:7;   1 Corinthians 16;l-2; Col. 2:16; 3:16;   Revelation 1:10

THE KINGDOM We believe that the Kingdom of God includes both His general sovereignty over the universe and His particular Kingship over men who willfully acknowledge Him as King. Particularly, the Kingdom is the realm of salvation into which men enter by trustful, childlike commitment to Jesus Christ. The full consummation of the Kingdom awaits the return of Jesus Christ and the end of the age.

Genesis 1:1;   Isaiah 9:6-7;   Jeremiah 23:5-6;   Matthew 3:2; 4:8-10,23; 12:25-28; 13:1-52; 25:31-46; 26:29;   Mark 1:14-15; 9:1;   Luke 4:43; 8;]; 9:2; 12:31-32; 17:20-21; 23:42;   John 3:3; 18:36;   Acts 1:6-7; 17:22-31;   Rom. 5:17; 8:19;  

1 Corinthians 15:24.28;   Colossians l:13;   Hebrews 11:10,16; 12:28;   1 Peter2:4-10; 4:13;   Revelation 1:6, 9; 5:10; 11:15; 21-22

LAST THINGS God in His own time and in His own way will bring the world to its appropriate end. According to His promise, Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly in power and great glory and will judge all men in righteousness. We believe the Bible teaches two resurrections separated by 1000 years, one for the just and one for the unjust. The just will be resurrected first to stand before Christ at the Judgement Seat of Christ to give an account of themselves to Him, after which they will dwell forever with the Lord. The unjust will be resurrected to stand before Christ at the Great White Throne of Judgement to hear those final words, "Depart from Me, I never knew you", to be consigned to Hell, the place of everlasting punishment.

Isaiah 2:4; 11:9;   Matthew 16:27; 18:8.9; 19:2S; 24:27, 30, 36,44; 25:31-46; 26:64;   Mark 8:38; 9:43-48;   Luke 12:40,48; 16:19-26; 17:22-37; 21:27-28;   John 14:1.3; Acts 1:11; 17:31;   Romans 14:10;   1 Corinthians 4;5; 15:24-28, 35-58;

2 Corinthians 5:10;   Philippians 3:20-21;   Colossians 1:5; 3:4;   1 Thessalonians 4:14-18; 5:1 ff.;   2 Thessalonians 2;  

1 Tim. 6:14;   2 Tim. 4:1, 8;   Titus 2:13;   Hebrews 9:27-28;   James 5:8;   2 Peter 3:7 ff.;   1 John2:2; 3:2;   Jude 14;  

Revelation 1:18; 3:11; 20:1 to 22:13

RELIGIOUS LIBERTY We believe in religious liberty for all men and in the separation of Church and State.

Genesis 1:27; 2:7;   Matthew 6:6-7, 24; 16:26; 22:21;   John 8:36;   Acts 4:19-20;   Romans 6; 1.2; 13; 1.7;   Galatians 5; 1, 13; Philippians 3:20;   1 Timothy 2:1.2;   James 4:12;   1 Peter 2:12-17; 3; 11-17; 4:12-19

FAMILY God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood or adoption. Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God's unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church, and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel for sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race.

The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God's image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation.

Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God's pattern for marriage. Parents are to teach their children spiritual and moral values and to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents.

Genesis 1:26-28; 2:18-25; 3:1-20;   Exodus 20:12;   Deuteronomy 6:4-9;   Joshua 24:15;   1 Samuel 1:26-28;   Psalm 78;1-S; 127; 128; 139:13- 16;   Proverbs 1;S; 5:15-20; 6:20-22; 12:4; 13:24; 14:1; 17:6; 18:22; 22:6,15; 23:13-14; 24:3; 29:15,17; 31:10-31;   Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 9:9;   Malachi 2:14-16;   Matthew 5:31-32; 18:2-5; 19:3-9;   Mark 10:6-12;   Romans 1:18-32;

1 Corinthians 7:1-16;   Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4;   Colossians 3:18-21;   1 Timothy 5:14;   2 Timothy 1:3-5;   Titus 2:3-5;

Hebrews 13:4;   1 Pet. 3:1-7.