TenEts of Faith
The Bible
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We believe the Bible to be the inspired Word of God, written by God through man, and is the complete revelation of His will for the salvation of men.
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WE believe the Bible to be the final authority for all Christian faith and life and conduct.
We believe the Bible to be the literal, infallible, and inerrant word of God.
(2 Timothy 3:16-17)
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God
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We believe in one God, creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
( Matthew 3:16-17, Matthew 28:19)
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God the Father
We believe the Father is the first person of the Trinity. He is fully God being without beginning or end, all knowing, infinitely powerful and everywhere present. He is the author of creation and salvation, working through His Son Jesus Christ, whom He sent to accomplish His divine will through the power of the Holy Spirit.
(John 12:49-50, John 17:3)
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God the Son
We believe that Jesus Christ, being the second person of the Trinity, is true God from all eternity, being without beginning and without end. The Son is of the same essence and nature as the Father. He became a true flesh and blood man, being conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He died on the cross as the atoning sacrifice for our sins as prophesied in the Old Testament. He arose from the dead, ascended into heaven, where, he now sits at the right hand of the Father as our High Priest and Advocate.
(John 1:1-3, 14, Philippians 2:6-11, Ephesians 1:7)
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God the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit, being fully God, is the third person of the Trinity. The Holy Spirit was sent to glorify Jesus Christ. He is also the One who convicts of sin and regenerates those who have come to a true saving faith in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit applies the atoning and life transforming work of Christ on the cross to the hearts, minds and lives of all true believers. By the indwelling of the Holy Spirit the repentant sinner is born again unto new life in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit guides, instructs, and empowers all believers and enables them to live holy and sanctified lives of faith and service to God.
(John 16:13, 1Corinthians 2:13, Acts 1:8)
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Mankind
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We believe that man was created to love, fellowship with, worship and glorify God. Adam’s sin resulted in a broken relationship, resulting in both physical and spiritual death. As a result of this “fall”, all of mankind is lost (separated from God and incapable of pleasing him). Only by faith in the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ can man receive forgiveness of sins and be brought to salvation, (a spiritual rebirth and renewing of the relationship between God and man). (Romans 5:18-19, Ephesians 2:8-9, 2nd Peter 1:3-4)
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The Church and Its Ordinances
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Salvation
We believe salvation (also redemption, born again, saved, brought to life) is the process by which a spiritually dead person is made whole and alive to God. Man's fallen condition required a perfect sacrifice for his sin. God sent his son in the person in Jesus Christ who willingly lived a perfect life and died a sinners death, so that the penalty of sin would be paid for those that believe. The scripture tells us that salvation cannot be obtained through works but is a gift from God to mankind. This salvation comes only through faith in the payment of Jesus Christ for our sins.
The Church
We believe the true Church is all those who by faith have been redeemed unto God the Father by the blood of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and having been redeemed, are born again through the indwelling Holy Spirit. We believe the Church is the symbolic body and bride of Christ and that Jesus is the Lord, Head and Husband of the Church.
(John 3:3, Matthew 16:18, Colossians 1:18)
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Water Baptism
We believe that water baptism was commanded by Jesus Christ Himself. Since salvation is by grace through faith in Christ, and is not of works, we do not believe that baptism provides salvation. However, baptism is an important step of obedience, though it does not accomplish salvation it should accompany salvation.
(Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:16)
The Lord’s Supper (Communion)
The Lord's Supper is to be observed by all believers. The Communion supper is symbolic only and is observed as a remembrance that Jesus suffered and died in His body. He allowed His holy blood to be spilled that we might receive the remission of our sins.
(Luke 22:19-20, 1st Corinthians 11:26)
Church Relationship
We believe that every born-again child of God should identify himself with the church of Jesus Christ. Believers should labor diligently, and give of their time, talent and treasure toward the spreading of the gospel here on earth. We believe that offerings should be given to the work of the Lord, which is the local church for the support and work of the church. Scripture tells the church will be known by it's love for each other (the brethren). The true church cannot function properly without this Love for each other. This Love is required by scripture and a fruit of the spirit.
(Hebrews 10:24-25, 1st Corinthians 9:13-14, Hebrews 13:16)
Leadership Structure
We believe that the local church must govern its affairs according to the pattern revealed in scripture, found
primarily in the book of Acts and the various epistles penned by the Apostles.
We recognize that both men and women are created in the image of God, and are equals with respect to the love, grace and mercy of God. Both men and women are of equal value before God and both are heirs of the same gift of salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. We do not distinguish between the intelligence, worth or dignity of men or women. We do, however, recognize that God has specially equipped each gender with unique roles and responsibilities.
We believe that, according to scripture, the offices of Elder (the pastor being an elder) and Deacon are to held by men. Paul described positions of authority and the structure of the leadership in the church very clearly, he went on in the same scriptures give us the qualifications for those positions.
(1st Timothy 2:11-13, 1st Timothy 3:1-12, Titus 2:1-5)
(note) The prohibition, which applies to positions of authority within the church, does not apply to all positions of authority or teaching. Women have been charged with ministering to the other women of the church regarding God’s standards for their lives, as well as teaching and ministering to children.
Gifts and Baptism of the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit enables us to accomplish the will of God. Each believer is equipped with individual gifts, so as to be part of a larger ministry. No ministry can be effective without the gifts of the collective body.
(1 Corinthians 12:4-11)
We believe that divine healing is the power of God to heal the sick and afflicted in answer to believing prayer, and is provided for in the atonement. We believe that God is willing to, and does, heal the sick today.
(Isaiah 52:4-5, James 5:14-16)
We believe the baptism of the Holy Spirit is a definite experience, separate from salvation. The baptism of the Holy Spirit is given to empower the believer to live a life of holiness and to equip him or her with boldness in their obedience to the Great Commission of Christ, which is to preach the Gospel and teach His commandments!
(Acts 1:8)
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Return of Christ
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We believe in the personal coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and this "Blessed Hope" is critical to the personal life and service of believers.
(Hebrews 9:28, 1st Thessalonians 4:15-17)
We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead; of the believer to everlasting life and joy with the Lord, of the unbeliever to judgment and everlasting punishment.
(1st Corinthians 15:51-53, Matthew 25: 31- 34 & 41)
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Final Judgment
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We believe in the final judgment of the wicked at the great white throne, when the dead, both small and great, shall be resurrected to stand before God to receive the reward of their deeds done in the flesh.
(Matt. 13:41-43, Rev. 20:11-15)
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Heaven and Hell
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We believe hell is a literal place of outer darkness, bitter sorrow, remorse, and woe, prepared by God for the devil and his angels and that there, into a lake that burns with fire and brimstone, shall God cast the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, and those who have rejected the love of Jesus Christ, whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of life.
(Rev. 21:8, Matt. 25:41,.Mark 9:43-48 )
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We believe that heaven is the habitation of the living God, where Christ has gone to prepare a place for all His children, where they shall dwell eternally in happiness and security with Him.
(1st Cor. 2:9, Rev 21,.John 14:2)
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Evangelism/Missions
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We believe that conditions indicate that the coming of Jesus Christ is near, therefore all of his redeemed children, are commanded to share the gospel with every kindred, tribe, and tongue. Reaching the lost with the word of God is one of the primary missions of the church upon the earth.
(Mk 16:15, Mt 28:18)
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Human Sexuality
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We believe that God has commanded that sexual activity is reserved for those in a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex.
We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman. We believe that a man is man who was born a man, and a woman is a woman who was born a woman.
(Ro 1:26, 1Co 6:9, Heb 13:4, Gen 2:22.)
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Abortion
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We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking of unborn human life. We reject any teaching that abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defect, gender selection, birth or population control or the mental well being of the mother are acceptable.
(Ex 20:13, Ps 139:14)
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Giving/Stewardship
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We believe that every Christian, is obligated to support his local church financially. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis for giving, but every Christian should also give other offerings sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church, the relief of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
(Pr 3:9, Lk 6:38, 2Co 9:6)
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Civil Government
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We believe that government is ordained of God and all Christians should be subject to the laws of the land, except those contrary to the word of God. We pledge allegiance, moral, and spiritual support to the United States of America. In times of war the individual’s participation in actual combat and taking of life shall be governed by his own conscience.
(Romans 13:1-6)
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Authority of the Tenets of Faith
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The Tenets of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing Tenets of Faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible and therefore, is binding upon all members.