Our Beliefs
GOD
We believe that there is only one true God who is the eternal King, Creator, and Redeemer of all that is. He is totally loving and completely holy. He is just, truthful, always present, all-powerful, all-knowing, unchanging, and full of mercy and grace. He has revealed Himself to be eternally self-existent – one God in three persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4. Genesis 1:26-27, Isaiah 44:6-8, Isaiah 45:5, Luke 9:35, 2 Corinthians 13:14, Matthew 28:19, John 10:30, I John 5:7)
THE WORD
The Bible is the supernaturally given revelation from God Himself, concerning Himself, His being, nature, character, and will. We believe all 66 books of the Bible are fully and equally inspired; and that every single word of Scripture was produced under the control of the Holy Spirit. The Bible in its entirety is inerrant and infallible. For this reason, the Bible is our final authority in all matters of doctrine, faith, and practice. (II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21; Proverbs 30:5; Romans 16:25-26).
JESUS
We believe that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ (Messiah), the Son of God; that He is God incarnate, fully God and fully man; that He was eternally preexistent with the Father and the Holy Spirit; and that He was conceived and born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and offered Himself as a substitutionary sacrifice for sinners. By His blood shed at the cross, He obtained for us eternal redemption, the forgiveness of sins and life everlasting. He was raised bodily on the third day and ascended to the right hand of the Father, there to make intercession for the saints forever. He will return to earth again to reign in righteousness (2 Corinthians 13:14; Matthew 28:19; Luke 3:22; Luke 9:35; Matthew 28:19).
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We experience the life and presence of God in our relationship with the Holy Spirit, who reveals sin, points us to Christ, applies Christ’s work to our lives, and compels us to be more like Him. The Spirit gives spiritual gifts and power to the church. He is the One who creates biblical community within the church, revealing truth and guiding our lives individually and corporately. We also believe that signs and wonders, as well as all the gifts of the Spirit described in the New Testament, are operative today and are designed to testify to the presence of the kingdom and to empower and edify the Church to fulfill its calling and mission. We believe the church should operate in the fullness of the Spirit as the first century church did in the book of Acts. (John 16:8–11; 2 Cor. 3:6; 1 Cor.12:12–14; Rom. 8:9; Rom 12:3–8, Eph. 5:18; Acts 1:8; 2, 4, 8, 10, 19; 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 16:7-13; John 14:16-17; Galatians 5:25; 1 Corinthians 2:12-13; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 1:13-14, 5:18)
BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT
Given at Pentecost, it is the promise of the Father, sent by Jesus after His Ascension, to empower the Church to preach the Gospel throughout the whole earth (Joel 2:28-29; Matthew 3:11; Mark 16:17; Acts 1:5,2:1-4, 17, 38-39, 8:14-17, 10:38, 44-47, 11:15-17, 19:1-6).
JESUS CHRIST INDWELLS ALL BELIEVERS
Christians are people who have invited the Lord Jesus Christ to come and live inside them by His Holy Spirit. They relinquish the authority of their lives over to him thus making Jesus the Lord of their life as well as Savior. They put their trust in what Jesus accomplished for them when He died, was buried, and rose again from the dead (John 1:12; John 14:17, 23; John 15:4; Romans 8:11; Revelations 3:20).
JESUS’ BLOOD
The Blood that Jesus Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary was sinless and is 100% sufficient to cleanse mankind of all sin. Jesus allowed Himself to be punished for both our sinfulness and our sins, enabling all those who believe to be free from the penalty of sin, which is death (I John 1:7; Revelation 1:5, 5:9; Colossians 1:20; Romans 3:10-12, 23, 5:9; John 1:29).
SANCTIFICATION
Sanctification is the ongoing process of yielding to God’s Word and His Spirit in order to complete the development of Christ’s character in us. It is through the present ministry of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God that the Christian is enabled to live a godly life (I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; II Corinthians 3:18, 6:14-18, II Thessalonians 2:1-3, Romans 8:29, 12:1-2, Hebrews 2:11).
SALVATION
We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ; His death, burial, and resurrection. Salvation is a gift from God, not a result of our good works or of any human efforts (Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16, 3:8; Titus 3:5; Romans 10:9-10; Acts 16:31; Hebrews 9:22).
REPENTANCE
Repentance is the commitment to turn away from sin in every area of our lives and to follow Christ, which allows us to receive His redemption and to be regenerated by the Holy Spirit. Thus, through repentance we receive forgiveness of sins and appropriate salvation (Acts 2:21, 3:19; I John 1:9).
DIVINE HEALING
We believe divine healing is an integral part of the gospel is active in the lives of people today through Jesus, who is the Healer. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement (Christ’s sacrifice for sin), by the power of God through the prayer of faith, the laying on of hands, and through the Gifts of the Spirit. Healing includes physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional restoration. It is the privilege of all believers and is included in the redemption of man as “the children’s bread” (Isaiah 53:4,5; Matthew 8:16,17; Matthew 9:35; Mark 16:18; James 5:14-16, Acts 10:38; Luke 9:11; Matthew 10:1).
THE GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is manifested through a variety of spiritual gifts to build and sanctify the church, demonstrate the validity of the resurrection, and confirm the power of the Gospel. The Bible’s lists of these gifts are not necessarily exhaustive, and the gifts may occur in various combinations. All believers are commanded to earnestly desire the manifestation of the gifts in their lives. These gifts always operate in harmony with the Scriptures and should never be used in violation of Biblical parameters. (Hebrews 2:4; Romans 1:11, 12 :4-8; Ephesians 4:16; I Timothy 4:14; II Timothy 1:6-7; I Corinthians 12:1-31, 14:1-40; I Peter 4:10).
THE CHURCH
We believe that the Church is God’s primary instrument, through which He is fulfilling His redemptive purposes on the earth. To equip the saints for the work of ministry, God has given the Church apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers. We also affirm the priesthood of all believers and the importance of every Christian being joined with and actively involved in a local community of the saints. We believe that women, no less than men, are called and gifted to proclaim the gospel and do all the works of the kingdom. (Mt. 16:17–19; Acts 2:17–18, 42; Eph. 3:14–21; 4:11–16; 1 Tim. 2:11–15; Heb. 10:23–25; 1 Pet. 2:4–5, 9–10)
TWO SACRAMENTS:
• The Lord’s Supper (Communion) A unique time of communion in the presence of God when the elements of bread and grape juice (the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ) are taken in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 16:16; Acts 8:12, 36-38; 10:47-48; I Corinthians 10:16, 11:23-25).
MARRIAGE
Biblical marriage consists only of a faithful, heterosexual union between one genetic male and one genetic female, and biblical marriage is the only legitimate and acceptable context for a sexual relationship. We believe God wonderfully and immutably creates each person as male or female. These two distinct, complementary genders together reflect the image and nature of God. Rejection of one’s biological sex is a rejection of the image of God within that person. (Gen. 1:26-27, 2:24; Matt. 19:4-6; Rom. 12:1, 2, 26 and 27; I Cor. 6:9-10; Eph. 5:3; Heb. 13:4-7).
ISRAEL
We believe in the physical and spiritual restoration of Israel, as taught in the Scriptures, and God’s end-time plan for the nation of Israel (Gen. 28:13). The greatest miracle of our day has been the re-establishment or rebirth of the State of Israel according to prophecy. In God’s sovereign will, Israel serves as a channel of His blessing to the entire world (Gen. 12:3) for His glory (Isa. 43:7), and His witness to the nations (Isa. 43:10). God’s election of Israel for this unique relationship is irrevocable. We believe Israel is distinct from the church and central to God’s plan, past, present, and future. The unfulfilled prophecies given to Israel in the Old Testament will find their literal fulfillment in Israel at a future time (Ps. 105:6-10; Ro. 11:28-29; Ezek. 34:11-31; 36-39; Hos. 3; Amos 9:11-15; Zech. 12-14; Isa. 11; 43; 54; 60-62; 66; Rom. 11:1-34).
THE SECOND COMING
Jesus Christ will physically and visibly return to earth for the second time to establish His Kingdom. This will occur at a date undisclosed by the Scriptures (Matthew 24:30, 26:63-64; Acts 1:9-11; I Thessalonians 4:15-17; II Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 1:7)
ETERNAL LIFE AND JUDGEMENT
Heaven and hell are real places. Death is a beginning, not the end. We believe that when Christians die, they pass immediately into the blessed presence of Christ, there to enjoy conscious fellowship with the Savior until the day of the resurrection and the glorious transformation of their bodies. The saved will receive eternal rewards and forever dwell in blissful fellowship with their great triune God. We also believe that there will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to the everlasting punishment in the lake which burns with fire, which is the second death. (Dan. 12:2; Mt. 25:46; Lk. 16:19–31; Jn. 5:25–29; 1 Cor. 15:35–58; 2 Cor. 5:1–10; Phil. 1:19–26, 3:20–21; 2 Thes. 1:5–10; Rev. 20:11–15; 21:1–22:15)