What We Believe

What is the Bible?

We believe the Bible is Holy Scripture, God’s revelation of himself. The Holy Spirit inspired the

biblical authors to write the Bible; therefore, it is the word of God and completely inerrant. Holy

Scripture is the only all sufficient source for faith and practice.

Who is God?

 

We believe in one God in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We believe

God is holy, self-existent, Jealous, immutable, love, and spirit. As God is spirit, we believe God

is all knowing, all powerful, and all present.

 

Who is the Trinity?

We believe the three persons of God (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) are individual persons based on

their eternal relation to one another. God is properly called Father because he alone begat the

Son. The Son is properly called the Son because he was begotten by the Father. The Holy Spirit

is sent out by the Father and Son.

We also believe that through Jesus, the Son of God, we can know the Father. As God

himself said, “this is my Son, my Chosen One, listen to him.” If we know the Son, we know the

Father (John 14:7). If we listen to the Son, then we worship the Father through the Son.

 

Who is Mankind?

Man is made in the image of God. The image of God refers to mankind being the

embodiment of God’s image on earth. All mankind shares equally in the image of God. No

other authorized image of God exists. Genesis 1:26–27 teaches the imago Dei relies on two

factors: mankind’s dominion and relationship to God. Mankind was created with both body

and soul. God’s image exists as only two genders: male and female. The Bible recognizes a

fundamental difference in the creation of male and female (Gen 2:21–22), their roles in

marriage (Gen 2:24), and their roles within the home (Eph 5:22–31, 1 Pet 3:1–7). Outside of

marriage, absolute chastity is the only biblical norm; singleness, in this respect, is approved

by God (1 Cor 7:25–35). Genesis 1:26–27 affirms the full image of God in both male and

female separately; which means neither masculinity nor femininity are perfect

representations of the imago Dei on their own. Marriage is defined by God as a man leaving

his father and mother and cleaving to his wife (Gen 2:24–25). The complementary nature of

marriage is meant to reflect the Trinity (Eph 5:22–33), raise children in the nurture and

admonition of the Lord (Deut 6:7), and sanctify those within the marriage (Eph 5:31–32).

 

What is Sin?

Sin is rebellion, “missing the mark,” and corruption. against God. The result of sin

is inability to distinguish between what is ethical and unethical. Sin also corrupts creation (Ezek

36:17). The result of this corruption is starvation (Gen 3:17), the flourishing of evil (1 Kgs 14:9,

Isa 5:20), and ultimately death (Gen 3:19, Rom 6:23). Sin is universal. “We all like sheep have

gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way” (Isa 53:6, Rom 3:23). Sin is universal,

because “sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death

came to all people, because all sinned” (Rom 5:12).

 

What is Salvation?

God redeems mankind. Redemption carries with it the definition of purchase. The Bible

illustrates the payment for mankind’s sins by calling the payment a ransom (1 Pet 1:18, 1 Tim

2:6). The wages of sin is death (Rom 3:23) and therefore the payment for sin is death. God

paying the ransom for sin is properly called atonement. Atonement is the covering over and

removal of sins. Atonement for sins can only be made by providing a ransom for sin.

Who is Jesus?

Jesus is the only begotten Son of God who became flesh to redeem mankind from

sin. Jesus is fully God and fully human. We believe that Jesus was born of a virgin, suffered

under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, buried, and rose from the dead on the third day by the power

of the Holy Spirit according to the scriptures.

We believe that the scope Jesus’s atonement is unlimited—Jesus died for everyone. However

we also believe that the in order to be saved, one must personally believe that Jesus is the Son of

God who took away the sins of the world.

 

What is the Church?

The local church refers to “an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated

by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel” (Baptist Faith and Message, 2000). The

Local Church On Mission For Christ. The Great Commission of Matthew 28 sets the church

apart to the mission of God. The local church is to make disciples, baptize, and teach believers to

observe Jesus’s commandments (Matt 28:19, 20). The local church is given ordinances from the

Lord for the continuation of its mission. Since they are given directly from God, the church may

not redefine, add to, or take away from the ordinances. There are two ordinances given to the

local church:

1. Baptism.

 Baptism “is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the

Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believes faith in a

crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believers death to sin, the burial of the old life, and

the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus” (Baptist Faith and Message 2000).

2. The Lord’s supper.

The Lord’s Supper was instituted by Jesus himself (Luke 22:19–20),

handed down by the apostles (1 Cor 11:23–29), and must be taken with reverence (1 Cor

11:27). It involves two elements: bread (symbolic of his body) and fruit of the vine (symbolic

of his blood). We reject Transubstantiation and Consubstantiation. The believer ought to

approach the Lord’s Supper reverently, understanding failure to treat it as holy is cause for

judgment and even spiritual “illness” (1 Cor 11:28–29).

The Local Church is a priesthood of believers. As a priesthood of royal believers, church

members are to offer spiritual sacrifices to God. These sacrifices include but are not limited to:

offering one’s entire life, engaging in good deeds, sharing material wealth, worshiping,

proclaiming God’s Word, seeing people believe and accepting martyrdom. Therefore, our church

is led congregationally. The congregation is responsible is for determining the theology,

covenant, and direction of the church. Our members work in a Spirit-led democratic process for

Christ’s evangelistic mission, by which one may only vote after having prayed, sought the will of

God, and set aside any personal agenda.

 

Who is Pastor of the Church?

The only head pastor of the local church is Jesus Christ. He is the promised shepherd of the Old Testament (Isa 40:11, Jer 31:10, Mic 5:2–4). Jesus calls under-shepherds (pastors) to set the example, lead, teach, and care for the local church (Matt 20:25–28, Acts 20:28, 1 Tim 3:1–7, Titus 1:5–9). The under-shepherd job entails equipping, building, unifying, and maturing church members (Eph 4:11–15) and exercising oversight in theological matters (1 Pet 5:1–3).

 

Who are the Deacons?

Deacon means servant. The true example of service in the church is

Jesus Christ. Deacons are to reflect Jesus and serve like him, as if it were for the Lord himself.

Deacons are not given the authority to define theology for the local church. Deacons ought to be

men of unblemished reputation, ardent piety, and good common sense.