What We Believe

DECLARATION OF FAITH

The Bible

We believe the 66 books of the Bible (Scripture), comprised of the 39 books of the Old Testament (Genesis – Malachi) and the 27 books of the New Testament (Matthew - Revelation) are the complete Word of God and without error or contradiction in the original writings.1 The Bible was written by men under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and it has supreme authority and is sufficient in everything it teaches, which is not limited to spiritual matters, but to all areas of life.2 The Bible reveals what we need to know about God’s glory and the standards by which He will judge the world.3 The Bible teaches the need for all people to be saved from God’s wrath, and it is the basis of Christian faith, life and fellowship.4 Therefore the Bible is to be received as the Word of God and no divine revelation is to be added to or subtracted from Scripture at any time.5

[*We also affirm the Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy]

• Hebrews 1:1-4, Luke 24:44, 2 Timothy 3:16, Psalms 12:6, Numbers 23:16, Psalm 12:6
• 1 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Peter 1:20-21
• 2 Peter 1:3-4
• John 20:31, Ecclesiastes 12:13, Joshua 1:8, Micah 6:8
• Revelation 22:18-19, Proverbs 30:5-6

The Trinity

We believe in one Triune God1, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-equal and infinite in being, divine nature, perfection, power and glory.2 We believe these three persons of the Trinity providentially carry out different roles in harmony with each other in the work of creation and redemption.3 This is all done according to the counsel of their own unchanging and most righteous will.4

• Deuteronomy 6:4-5, 2 Corinthians 13:14
• Matthew 28:19, 2 Corinthians 2:13-14, John 4:24, Romans 1:20
• Genesis 1:26, John 3:16, Revelation 4:11, Acts 4:24-28, Hebrews 11:3
• Ephesians 1:11

The Father

We believe God the Father is an infinite1, personal Spirit2, perfect in holiness3, wisdom4, power5, love6, justice7 and wrath8. We believe He knows, orders and sustains all things according to His own sovereign, wise, and good purposes.9 We believe He concerns Himself mercifully in the affairs of mankind10, He hears and answers prayer11, and saves from sin and death all who come to Him by believing and confessing Jesus Christ as Lord12.

• Psalm 145:3, 147:5, Jeremiah 23:24 
• John 4:24
• Revelation 4:8
• Romans 11:33-34
• Psalm 62:11, Jeremiah 32:17
• 1 John 4:7-21 
• Isaiah 30:18, 61:8, Deuteronomy 32:4
• Romans 1:18, 2:5, Psalm 2:12, John 3:36, Ephesians 5:6, 
• Ephesians 1:11, Job 42:2, Psalm 33:11, Isaiah 14:24, Acts 2:23, Romans 11:36, Isaiah 46:10, Proverbs 16:33
• Proverbs 16:9, Jeremiah 23:23
• 1 John 5:15, Jeremiah 29:12-13
• John 3:16, John 5:24, Romans 6:23, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Acts 4:12, 16:31, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5:8

The Son

We believe in Jesus Christ, God the eternal Son1, conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of a virgin2, thus uniting human nature and divine nature in one person forever and being truly God and truly man.3 We believe in His sinless life, miracles, and teachings.4 We believe He took the place of sinners and paid for their sins by dying on the cross, and that He rose again in His body after three days and ascended into heaven.5 We believe that now, as the only Mediator between man and God6, He represents and intercedes for those believers.7 We believe He will one day personally and visibly return to this earth to righteously judge the living and the dead.8

• Hebrews 1:2, Colossians 1:13-16
• Luke 1:34-35, Galatians 4:4
• Philippians 2:6-7
• 1 Peter 2:22, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15, 1 John 3:5
• 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, Romans 3:24, 1 Peter 2:24, Ephesians 1:7, 1 Peter 1:3-5
• 1 Timothy 2:5
• Hebrews 7:25, Romans 8:34
• Acts 1:11, Mark 13:26, Revelation 1:7, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

The Holy Spirit

We believe the Holy Spirit is God1 and He inspired men to write the Scriptures.2 We believe He convicts individuals of their sinfulness and of the righteousness of Christ.3 We believe He makes those who are dead in their sins spiritually alive4, seals forever those who are born again5, and ensures each believer is made more and more like Christ6. We believe all Christians receive the Holy Spirit at conversion7 and that He gives spiritual gifts to them which they exercise by His power, for His glory and the good of the church8.

• Acts 5:3-4
• 2 Peter 1:21
• John 16:8
• John 3:5, Romans 8:11
• Ephesians 1:13, 2 Corinthians 1:22
• 2 Corinthians 3:18
• Romans 8:9, Ephesians 1:13, 1 Corinthians 12:13, 2 Corinthians 1:22
• Romans 12:6-8, 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, Ephesians 4:11

Man, Sin, and Salvation

We believe mankind was created in the image and likeness of God1, but that through Adam’s sin the entire human race inherited a sinful nature which is corrupt to the core and has separated us spiritually from God2. We believe human beings are utterly unable to rescue themselves because of their sinful nature and sinful choices, and that they are spiritually dead and unaware of their need for salvation3.

We believe salvation is the gift of God freely offered to mankind by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ4.  We believe Christ willingly gave up His life by dying on the cross as a substitutionary payment for the forgiveness of our infinite sin debt5. 

We believe those who repent and believe in Christ, turn away from their sin, confess Christ with their mouth, and trust in Jesus Christ alone as Savior, have been made spiritually alive by the Holy Spirit6, and have been delivered from condemnation and are given eternal life7.

• Genesis 1:27
• Genesis 3:6, Romans 5:12-21, 1 Corinthians 15:22
• Ephesians 2:1-4, Romans 5:6, Romans 8:3
• Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 6:23
• Hebrews 9:22, 1 Peter 3:18, Romans 5:9 
• Ephesians 2:4-5, Romans 10:9
• Colossians 1:13, John 10:27-28

Assurance and Christian Conduct 

We believe all Christians are kept by God’s power and are secure in Christ forever, through the work of the Holy Spirit.1 We believe Christians, by God’s grace2 and the power of His indwelling Spirit, will progressively become more like Christ3. Christians are to please and glorify God in every aspect of their lives especially through personal and corporate devotion.4

• Jude 1, 1 Peter 1:5
• 2 Thessalonians 2:13, Philippians 2:13
• Ephesians 4:24, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 4:23-24, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, Philippians 1:6, 2 Peter 1:10
• 2 Corinthians 7:1, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Romans 12:1-3, Hebrews 12:1-2, John 14:23-24, Colossians 1:9-10

Marriage and Family

We believe God created humanity as male and female and instituted marriage as a lifelong, covenantal relationship exclusively between one natural man and one natural woman1. 

We believe marriage displays the relationship between Christ and His Bride, the church, which consists of all who Christ gave His life for and whose names are written in the Lamb’s Book of Life2. We believe He instituted the family as the basic unit of society and He seeks to preserve the family’s integrity and stability, through the guidance of Scripture for the good of mankind and glory of His name4.

[*We also affirm the Danvers Statement on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood and the Nashville Statement on Biblical Marriage and Sexuality].

• Genesis 1:27, Matthew 19:4, Mark 10:6
• Ephesians 5:25-27, 2 Corinthians 11:2, Revelation 19:7-9, 21:1-2, 9-10, 27
• Deuteronomy 6:6-9, Malachi 2:15,
• 2 Timothy 3:15

The Church

We believe the church is made up of all born-again1 persons, submitted to Christ who is its Head2. The church’s mission is to make followers of Jesus by teaching them to observe all that He has commanded them3. We believe each local church is to accomplish this by regularly gathering4 to exalt God, instruct5 and prepare believers for service6 and evangelism7, and observe the Christ-ordained practices of baptism[*] and communion.8 We believe that each local church is responsible to God alone in all matters of faith and practice9.

• John 3:3, 1 Peter 1:3
• Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:25-27,2 Corinthians 11:2, Revelation 19:7-9, 21:1-2
• Matthew 28:20
• Hebrews 10:25
• 1 Timothy 4:13, Acts 2:42
• 2 Timothy 3:17, Ephesians 4:12
• Romans 10:13-14, Acts 1:8, 1 Peter 3:15 
• Acts 2:38-41, 8:12, Matthew 28:19, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Matthew 26:26-28
• Acts 13:1-4; 20:28, 1 Corinthians 5:4-7, 13, 1 Peter 5:1-4

The Future

We believe in the sudden, bodily, visible, and glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ to earth1. We believe that Jesus will both restore creation and judge the living and the dead2. We believe everyone who has not received God’s gift of salvation will receive a just, conscious, eternal, and inescapable punishment in the Lake of Fire under the full wrathful judgment of God and be totally separated from Him forever.3 We believe in the hope of the new heaven and the new earth4 when the curse of sin will be removed forever5 and where followers of Jesus will spend eternity with Him in His kingdom6.

• Acts 1:11, Mark 13:26, Revelation 1:7, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, Revelation 22:20
• 2 Timothy 4:1, 1 Peter 4:5 
• Matthew 18:6-9, 25:41, Mark 9:42-48, Jude 7, 13, Revelation 20:10, 20:14-15 
• 2 Peter 3:10-13, Isaiah 65:17-19
• Revelation 21:4, 21:27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10
• 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

Satan

We believe that Satan (the Devil) is a created but fallen angelic being1, evil in personality2, the arch-enemy of God3, and the great deceiver of mankind4. We believe he especially hates all who have trusted in Christ and is determined to crush them5. We believe that Satan is also a defeated foe through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ6 and that he will one day be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire7.

• Genesis 1:31, Genesis 3:14-15, Luke 10:18, Ezekiel 28:13-15
• 1 Peter 5:8
• Job 1-2, Revelation 12:7
• Genesis 3:13, John 8:43-45, Revelation 12:9
• 1 Thessalonians 2:18, Revelation 12:10, Ephesians 6:11-13
• Hebrews 2:14, Colossians 1:13
• Revelation 20:10

In addition to this Declaration of Faith, as a distinctive, we also hold to the
1689 Baptist Confession of Faith