Core Beliefs
We believe the Five Solas to be the essentials of Christianity. They affirm that Scripture alone is our highest authority and that salvation is in Christ alone, by grace alone, through faith alone, to the glory of God alone.
1. Sola Scriptura — Scripture alone
All Scripture is God-breathed and is therefore our highest authority. Every topic addressed in Scripture is to be used as the final word on that topic. Anything we learn from other sources must be compared with Scripture, and if it contradicts or is in any way not aligned with Scripture, then we are to reject it. (2 Timothy 3:16)
2. Sola Christus — Christ alone
Christ Jesus is the only means of salvation, the only mediator between God and man, and the only human revelation of God.
(John 14:6; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 2:5)
(John 14:6; Colossians 1:15; 1 Timothy 2:5)
3. Sola Gratia — Grace alone
We are saved from our sins and eternal damnation by the unmerited grace of God alone, apart from any of our works. Grace is the completely undeserved favor of God that He bestows upon us. Entirely motivated out of His own character, the grace of God is His kind intention and merciful action upon those He chooses to be gracious to. Thus, we are saved from His righteous judgment by His unearned favor, and nothing we do or have done can move God to be gracious to us. (Ephesians 2:8)
4. Sola Fide — Faith alone
We are saved from our sins by faith alone in Christ alone, not by faith plus anything we do, whether baptism, church membership, good works, or anything else. God is the proper object of faith. (Romans 5:1)
5. Soli Deo Gloria — Glory to God alone
God is the only one who is worthy to receive glory. He alone is the Author and Finisher of our salvation. We are to live for Him and give all glory to Him alone. (1 Corinthians 10:31)
Doctrinal Statement
The following distinctions do not exhaust the extent of our faith.
The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe and teach.
The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe and teach.
The Holy Scriptures
We believe the Old and New Testament Scriptures comprise the verbal, plenary, and inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible, and God-breathed and are, therefore, the final authority for faith and life. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are the complete and divine revelation of God to man. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning, and all issues of interpretation and meaning shall be determined by the senior pastor with counsel from the elders and deacons (hereinafter known as the leadership team). (2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21)
Dispensationalism
We believe that the Scriptures interpreted in their natural, literal sense reveal divinely determined dispensations or rules of life that define man's responsibilities in successive ages. These dispensations are not ways of salvation, but rather are divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to His purpose. Three of these dispensations—the law, the church, and the kingdom—are the subjects of detailed revelation in Scripture. (Gen. 1:28; 1 Cor. 9:17; 2 Cor. 3:9-18; Gal. 3:13-25; Eph. 1:10; 3:2-10; Col. 1:24-25, 27: Rev. 20:2-10)
The Godhead
We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deut. 6:4; Matt 28:19; John 14:10, 26: 2 Cor. 13:14)
The Father, the first member of the Godhead
- We believe that God the Father, the first Person of the Trinity, orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace. Hence, He is the Creator of all things. He is the only absolute and omnipotent Ruler in the universe, sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption. (Gen. 1:1- 31; Ps. 103:19; 145:8-9; 1 Cor. 8:6; Rom. 11:36; Eph. 3:9)
- We believe that His fatherhood involves both His designation within the Trinity and His relationship with mankind. As Creator, He is Father to all men, but He is spiritual Father only to believers. (Rom. 8:14; 2 Cor. 6:18; Eph. 4:6)
- We believe that He has decreed for His own glory all things that come to pass. Thus, He continually upholds, directs, and governs all creatures and events. In His sovereignty He is neither author nor approver of sin, nor does He abridge the accountability of moral, intelligent creatures. (1 Chron. 29:11; Hab. 1:13; John 8:38-47; Eph. 1:11; 1 Peter 1:17)
- We believe that He has graciously chosen from eternity past those whom He would have as His own; He saves from sin all who come to Him through Jesus Christ; He adopts as His own all those who come to Him; and He becomes, upon adoption, Father to His own. (John 1:12; Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:4-6; Heb. 12:5-9)
Christ, second member of the Godhead
- We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8)
- We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice, and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Peter 1:3-5)
- We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:9-10; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2)
Holy Spirit, third member of the Godhead
- We believe that the Holy Spirit, convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14)
- We believe that the Spirit is the divine Teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit. (Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27)
- We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the church to do the work of the ministry. (Rom. 12:3-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-11, 28; Eph. 4:7-12)
- We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit. Ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, although God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing. (1 Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22)
The Total Depravity of Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God; but that in Adam's sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. Man is totally depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19)
Election
We believe that election is the act of God by which, before the foundation of the world, He chose in Christ those whom He graciously regenerates, saves, and sanctifies. We believe that sovereign election does not contradict nor negate the responsibility of man to repent and trust Christ as Savior and Lord.
Salvation
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. We believe that all sins, except blasphemy of the Holy Spirit, are forgivable. (Matt. 12:31-32; John 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; 1 Pet. 1:18-19)
The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers
- We believe that once a person is saved, he is kept by God's power and remains secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Pet. 1:4-5)
- We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. (Rom. 13:13-14; Gal. 5:13; Titus 2:11-15)
The Church
- We believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of born-again believers. (John 3:3-5; 1 Cor. 12:12-14; 2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27)
- We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament. (Acts 14:27; 20:17; 28-32; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)
- We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority or controls, and any affiliations, societies, organizations, associations, or agencies this church affiliates with to further the objectives stated in the Purpose Statement are not authoritative in matters of church practice or belief. (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom. 16:1, 4; 1 Cor. 3:9, 16; 5:4-7, 13; 1 Pet. 5:1-4)
- We recognize water baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper as the scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age. (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; 8:36-38; 1 Cor. 11:23-26)
Separation
We believe that believers should maintain a godly testimony and live in such a way that their lives do not bring reproach upon their Savior. God commands His people to separate from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices, and associations, and to refrain from all immodest and immoderate appearances. We stand against any and all worldly philosophies that seek to destroy or undermine the truth of biblical Christianity. (Lev. 19:28; Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; 1 Cor. 6:19-2; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11)
The Second Coming of Christ
We believe in that blessed hope—the personal, imminent return of Christ, who will rapture His church prior to the seven-year Tribulation period. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with His saints to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom, which was promised to the nation of Israel, and He will reign for 1000 years. (Ps. 89:3-4; Dan. 2:31-45; Zech. 14:4-11; 1 Thess. 1:10; 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6)
The Eternal State
- We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28-29; 11:25-26; Rev. 20:5-6, 12-13)
- We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; 1 Thess. 4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6)
- We believe that the soul of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment and torment. (Matt. 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15)
The Personality of Satan
We believe that Satan is a fallen angel, the author of sin and the avenue through which mankind fell into sin; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. (Job 1:6-7; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev. 20:10)
Creation
We believe that the Genesis account of creation is neither allegory nor myth, but a literal, historical account of God's creation of the universe in six literal, 24-hour days. We reject evolution, the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin. (Gen. 1-2; Ex. 20:11)
Civil Government
We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home, 2) the church, and 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. We believe that we must obey the state unless it requires us to act contrary to our faith, at which time we must obey God rather than the state. (Matt. 22:15-22; Acts 5:29; Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Titus 3:1-2; Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 2:13-14)
Family Relationships
- We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God, but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church. The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be the leaders (pastors, elders, and deacons) of the church. Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church. (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; 1 Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12)
- We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church. The wife is to submit herself to her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ. Children are a heritage from the Lord. Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including scriptural corporal correction. (Gen. 1:26-28; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Ps. 127:3-5; Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mk. 10:6-12; 1 Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Col. 3:18-21; Heb. 13:4; 1 Pet. 3:1-7)
Love
We believe that we should demonstrate love for others, not only toward fellow believers, but also toward those who are not believers, those who oppose us, and those who engage in sinful actions. We are to deal with those who oppose us graciously, gently, patiently, and humbly. God forbids the stirring up of strife, the taking of revenge, or the threat or use of violence as a means of resolving personal conflict or obtaining personal justice. Although God commands us to abhor sinful actions, we are to love and pray for any person who engages in such sinful actions. (Lev. 19:18; Matt. 5:44-48; Luke 6:31; John 13:34-35; Rom. 12:9-10; 17-21; 13:8-10; Phil. 2:2-4; 2 Tim. 2:24-26; Titus 3:2; 1 John 3:17-18)
Lawsuits Between Believers
We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians or the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian's insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander. (Matt. 18:15-17; 1 Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32)
Missions
We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. As ambassadors of Christ, it is our task to spread the Gospel to our community and the world at large and not wait for them to come to us. (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:9; 2 Cor. 5:20)
Giving
We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God's wealth entrusted to him, is obligated to financially support his local church. We believe that every Christian should give offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of his/her offering once the gift has been made and is not entitled to be refunded his/her giving if he/she should leave the church. (Gen. 14:20; Prov. 3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph. 4:28; 1 Tim. 5:17-18; 1 John 3:17)
Preaching Convictions
Conversion to Christ should never be attributed to a human “decision for Christ.” It is a supernatural work of God that transforms a sinner into a saint, creating a new creature in Christ. A true conversion to Christ does not occur through altar calls or invitations. Furthermore, water baptism, which should follow one’s profession of faith in Christ, does not save. What is more, true Gospel preaching does not call men to repeat a prayer or to ask Jesus to “come into their hearts.” Rather it sets forth the saving work of Christ and pleads with men to believe and trust in the person of Jesus Christ, bowing to Him as Lord. Those who profess Christ are warned to prove the validity of their calling and election by bringing forth fruit as evidence of true conversion.
The primary means through which God brings unbelievers to salvation in Christ is through biblical preaching. The kingdom of God is not being put together through man-made tactics to grow churches, entertaining music, or slick rhetoric. God’s people recognize Christ as their Savior through the preaching of the Bible. Accompanied with diligent prayer, preaching is the means through which God brings His elect to His Son Jesus Christ for salvation.
Preaching God’s word should be expositional (verse-by-verse, paragraph-by-paragraph, chapter-by-chapter, book by book). If God’s people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge (Hosea 4:6), then preaching the knowledge of Christ is certainly the means of saving them. Though preachers sharing their experiences, using emotional ploys to bring their hearers to attention, or exciting them with funny anecdotes and flowery illustrations, are often honored as great rhetoric, this is not at all what the prophets and apostles did, nor is it what Jesus did. The timeless doctrines found in the Bible taught with conviction in their historical and grammatical context applied to men’s lives through the power of the Holy Spirit is the answer to all of mankind’s problems.
The preached message of God should not be reduced to one passage of Scripture out of its context. Christians and non-Christians alike need preaching that confronts them with their sinful depravity and hostility toward God. The catalysts for good preaching are proclaiming Christ’s resurrection and the hope of eternal life He grants, calling all to repentance and faith, warning those who profess faith in Christ to prove the genuineness of their calling and election through their growth in personal piety and the practice thereof. (2 Peter 1:10)
A good preacher is not a pep rally leader. He is a chosen vessel, a shepherd, who feeds Christ’s sheep. The Word that he preaches has the power to revive the soul and bring a sinner’s rebellious will into subjection to the lordship of Jesus Christ. Annual “revival” meetings are a misnomer, for a true revival is the action of God alone, unscheduled and unplanned by a preacher. Therefore, it is the sovereign grace of God at work when people are compelled to receive Christ or be rededicated to His service. And it comes about through faithful, biblical preaching.