This is What We Believe…
Holy Bible
The Holy Bible, and the only Bible, is the authoritative Word of God. It alone is the final authority in determining all doctrinal truths. In its original writing, it is inspired, infallible and inerrant (II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21).
Trinity
There is one God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. These three are co-equal and co-eternal (Genesis 1:26; Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 28:19, Luke 1:35, Hebrews 3:7-1; I John 5:7).
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity. On earth, Jesus was fully God and fully man. He was born of a virgin, the only man ever to have lived a sinless life, performed miracles, died on the cross for mankind and thus, atoned for our sins through the shedding of His blood. He rose from the dead on the third day according to the Scriptures, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will return again in power and glory (Isaiah 9:6; John 1:1,14; John 20:28; Philippians 2:5-6; I Timothy 2:5, 3:16).
Virgin Birth
Jesus Christ was conceived by God the Father, through the Holy Spirit (the third person of the Trinity) in the virgin Mary’s womb; therefore, He is the Son of God (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18; Luke 1:27-35).
Redemption
Man was created good and upright, but by voluntary transgression he fell; his only hope of redemption is in Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Genesis 1:26-31; Genesis 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21).
Regeneration
For anyone to know God, regeneration (rebirth) by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential (John 1:12-13; John 3:3; Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13).
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 (John 1:12; John 3:16-17; John 6:47; Acts 4:12; Romans 6:23; Romans 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:8-9; II Timothy 1:9-10; Titus 2:11-14).
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 (Isaiah 30:15; Matthew 4:17; Mark 6:12; Acts 2:38; Acts 3:19; 1 John 1:9).
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 enable to live a Godly life (Romans 12:1-2; II Corinthians 3:18; II Corinthians 6:14-18; I Thessalonians 4:3; I Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 2:11).
Jesus’ Blood
The Blood of Jesus Christ shed on the Cross of Calvary was sinless and is 100% sufficient to cleans 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 (John 1:29; Romans 3:10-12, 23, 5:9; Colossians 1:20; I John 1:7; Revelation 1:5, 5:9).
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).
Baptism in the Holy Spirit with the Evidence of Speaking in Tongues
All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the baptism in the Holy Spirit and fire, according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church. With it comes the endowment of power for life and service, the bestowing of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4, 8; 1 Corinthians 12:1-31).
This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth. (Acts 8:12-17; Acts 10:44-46; Acts 11:14-16; Acts 15:7-9) With the baptism of the Holy Spirit comes such experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (John 7:37-39; Acts 4:8), a deepened reverence for God (Acts 2:43; Hebrews 12:28), an intensified consecration to God and dedication to His work (Acts 2:42), and a more active love for Christ, for His Word, and for the lost (Mark 16:20).
The Baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance (Acts 2:4; Acts 8:14-17; Acts 10:44-48; Acts 19:1-7; Acts 2:36-39). The speaking in tongues in this instance is the same in essence as the gift of tongues (1 Cor. 12:4-10, 28), but different in purpose and use.
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 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 (Romans 1:11; Romans 12:4-8; I Corinthians 12:1-31; I Corinthians 14:1-40; Ephesians 4:16; I Timothy 4:14; II Timothy 1:6-7; Hebrews 2:4; I Peter 4:10).
The Church
The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of Jesus’ Great Commission. Every person who is born of the Spirit is an integral part of the church as a member of the body of believers. There is a spiritual unity of all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ (John 17:11, 20-23; Ephesians 1:22; Ephesians 2:19-22; Hebrews 12:23).
The Ordinances of the Church
- Water Baptism: Following faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the new convert is commanded by the Word of God to baptized in water in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38; Acts 8:12; Acts 10:47-48).
- The Lord’s Supper: A unique time of communion in the presence of God when the elements of bread and grape juice (representing the Body and Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ are taken in remembrance of Jesus’ sacrifice on the Cross (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-24; Luke 22:19-20; I Corinthians 10:16; I Corinthians 11:23-25).
The Fivefold Ministry
The fivefold office of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Pastor and Teacher remain active and valid offices in the Christian church today ( I Corinthians 12:28; Ephesians 4:11-16).
Healing and Deliverance
Healing of the sick and deliverance of the oppressed is illustrated in the life and ministry of Jesus and included in the commission of Jesus to His disciples. It is given as a sign, which is to follow believers. It is also a part of Jesus’ work on the Cross and one of the gifts of the Spirit. (Psalm 103:2-3; Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 8:16-17; Mark 16:17-18; Acts 8:6-7; I Corinthians 12:9, 28; James 5:14-16).
God’s Will for Provision
It is the Father’s will for believers to become whole, healthy and successful in all areas of life. But because of the fall, many may not receive the full benefits of God’s will while on Earth. That fact, though, should never prevent all believers from seeking the full benefits of Christ’s provision in order to better serve others.
· Spiritual – John 3:3-11; II Corinthians 5:17-21; Romans 10:9-10
· Mental and Emotional – II Timothy 1:7, 2:11; Philippians 4:7-8; Romans 12:2; Isaiah 26:3
· Physical – Isaiah 53:4,5; Matthew 8:17; I Peter 2:24
· Financial – Joshua 1:8, Malachi 3:10-11; Luke 6:38; II Corinthians 9:6-10; Deuteronomy 28:1-14; Psalm 34:10, 84:11; Philippians 4:19
Resurrection
Jesus Christ was physically resurrected from the dead in a glorified body three days after His death on the cross. In addition, both the saved and the lost will be resurrected; they that are saved to the resurrection of life and they that are lost to the resurrection of eternal damnation (Luke 24:16, 36,39; John 2:19-21, 20:26-28, 21:4; Acts 24:15; I Corinthians 15:42;44; Philippians 1:21-23, 3:21).
Heaven and Hell
We believe that there is a literal heaven and a literal hell. The way into heaven is through Jesus Christ alone. Since the Scriptures declare that is God’s desire that all men get to spend eternity with Him, we believe that those who reject Christ assign themselves to spend the rest of eternity in hell. We therefore purpose to share the Gospel with as many people as we can (John 3:16-18; John 14:6; II Peter 3:9; Mark 9:43-48; II Thessalonians 1:9; Revelations 20:10-15)
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)