Faith Statement

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We believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God and is the ultimate authority in all matters of faith and practice. We believe in having a faith statement grounded in the word of God that explains what we believe especially in today’s world where the majority is following anything that intrigues their sinful desires.

The Scriptures:    

• We affirm that the Bible containing the Old and New Testaments is alone the only infallible inspired Word of God, and that its authority is ultimate and final and eternal. It cannot be added to, subtracted from, or superseded in any regard. The Bible is the source of all doctrine, instruction, correction, and reproof. It contains all that is needed for guidance in godliness and practical Christian conduct.  (2 Timothy 3: 16, 2 Peter 1:20-21, 2 Peter 3:15-16, 1 Corinthians 2:13, 2 Peter 3:2). 

Origins:   

• We believe that God is the direct and active Creator of the universe and of all life in it (Genesis chapter 1 through chapter 2:9, John 1:1-3, Psalm 90:2, Isaiah 44:24 

God:   

• We believe in one God as the scriptures speaks of. The scriptures only give the reader one number which is the number 1 to describe God. (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 44:24, Mark 12:29, Romans 3:30, Galatians 3:20, 1 Timothy 2:5, Zechariah 14:9, 1 Corinthians 8:4, James 2:19, Ephesians 4:6,1 Corinthians 8:6, Isaiah 43:11, Isaiah 43:10, Jude 1:25, Isaiah 44:8, Isaiah 45:18, Isaiah 46:9, Deuteronomy 4:35, 1 Kings 8:60, Hosea 13:4, Psalm 86:10, Malachi 2:10, Isaiah 45:5, Joel 2:27, and to conclude with the statement of Jesus Christ: John 17:3 

Nature:  

• Omnipotent: Revelation 19:6, Daniel 4:35, Isaiah 43:13, Isaiah 14:27, Matthew 19:26 
• Omniscient: I John 3:20, Psalm 147:5 
• Omnipresent: Psalm 139:7-10, Jeremiah 23:24, Proverbs 15:3, 1 Kings 8:27 

Jesus Christ: 

• We believe God wrapped himself in flesh called Jesus Christ (Yeshua) (John 1, Isaiah 9:6, 1 Timothy 3:16, 2 Corinthians 5:19).  
• We believe Jesus is the only begotten son of the Father (John 1:18, John 3:16, John 3:18, Acts 13:33) 
• We believe that Jesus is the perfect reflection of God’s heart, character, beauty, and love. (Hebrews 1:1-3). 
• We believe that Jesus is the image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15) and where his name is lifted-up, he draws all humanity to himself (John 14:6).  
• We affirm that salvation comes by God’s grace to sin-filled people, through faith in Jesus Christ (Acts 4:12, John 3:16, 1 John 5:5, John 3:18, Galatians 2:16, John 6:47, Romans 10:9-10, John 8:24). 

The Person and Work of The Holy Spirit: 

• We believe that the Holy Spirit is God (Acts 5:3‐4).  
• We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration and sanctification, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling equally and permanently all believers, and sealing them unto the day of redemption, (Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 1:2, Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 6:11, 1 Corinthians 12:12-¬‐14; Ephesians 1:13‐14).  
• We believe that every un-regenerated person, the moment he exercises faith in Christ as Savior, immediately possesses the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19, Galatians 4:6, 1 Thessalonians 4:8).  
• We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth; that He sovereignty bestows one or more spiritual gifts upon each believer; and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled (controlled) with the Holy Spirit (John 16:13, 1 Corinthians 12:4‐7; Ephesians 5:18). 

Salvation: 

• We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to sinful man by grace through faith. Salvation is affected by personal repentance, belief on the Lord Jesus Christ who accomplished complete redemption by His substitutionary death and shedding of His precious blood, salvation is not deposited by human effort or deeds. (Romans 4, 2 Corinthians 7:10, Romans 10:9-10, John. 3:18, Galatians 2:16; Ephesians 1:7, Ephesians 2:8¬9; Titus 3:5, 1 Peter 1:18¬19, Luke 13:5, Acts 17:30, Matthew 3:2). 
• We are saved now, we have been sealed with the Holy Spirit, justified, so that we do not see destruction, and we hold fast to the word that says absent from the body we will be present with the Lord- Ephesians 2:8- For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God…. 1 John 5:13- These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life….. 2 Corinthians 5:8- but we are of good courage and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord….Romans 5:1- Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 
• We are being saved. One day we will be saved from this body of destruction and put on a new body. 1 Corinthians 1:18- For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God…… 1 Corinthians 15:53-54- For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable puts on the imperishable, and this mortal puts on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. 

Satan: 

• We believe that Satan, the devil, is the prince of demons and the declared adversary of God. However, when the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross, He limited the power of the devil and guaranteed the ultimate triumph of God (Ephesians 2:2; I Peter 5:8; Revelation 20:10; Colossians 2:13-15). 
• Father of lies: John 8:44 
• Pride: Isaiah 14:12-17 
• He comes to steal, kill, and destroy: John 10:10
• Cast down to the Earth: Revelation 12:7-11 

The Sinfulness of Man and the penalty: 

• We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God but through Adam’s sin the whole race fell, became alienated from God, possesses no spark of divine life, and of itself is utterly helpless to remedy its lost condition apart from the grace of God (Genesis 1:25-27, Genesis 3, Romans 3:22-23, Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-2, Ephesians 2:12). 
• Hell is an actual place for those who make a choice not to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and savior:  
• Revelation 21:8, Matthew 25:41-46, 2 Thessalonians 1:9, Mark 9:43, Revelation 20:12-15, Revelation 2:11, Luke 16:19-31 

Sanctification:

•  We believe that sanctification is a setting-‐apart unto God (John 17:17, John 17:19) and that it involves three dimensions in the believer’s life:  
• Positional: Every believer that is in Christ Jesus and partaking of all He is, has a complete standing before God and is reborn and made righteous before God, (Philippians 3:7-11, Ephesians 4:24, 1 Corinthians 1:2, 2 Corinthians 5:17, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 10:10, Hebrews 10:14, 1 John 4:17, 1 John 3:9, John 3:5-6). 
• Progressive: Yet every believer, lives in a present state that is imperfect to the extent that he fails to appropriate the power of the Holy Spirit by which to live the Christian life, and therefore, he needs a progressive sanctification by growing in grace unto spiritual maturity (2 Corinthians 3:18, 2 Corinthians 7:1, Ephesians 4:24, Hebrews 12:10-14, 1 Peter 1:15-16, Romans 12:1, Romans 13:14, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24, 1 John 2:6).  
• Ultimate: Every believer will be fully and completely sanctified (1 John 3:2, Colossians 3:4, Philippians 3:20-21, Romans 8:29). 

The Church: 

• We believe that all born again persons make up the universal Church, which is a spiritual organism (Ephesians 1:22-23, 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, Romans 12:5, Romans 16:16-18, Acts 2:42-47).  
• We believe the establishment and the continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament (Hebrews 10:25, Acts 14:23, Acts 14:27, Romans 16:5, Philemon 1:2, Acts 20:17, Acts 20:28-32, 1 Timothy 3:1-13, Titus 1:5-11, Revelation 1:4, Revelation 2, 1 Corinthians 16:19, Colossians 4:15, Acts 6). 

The Ordinances: 

• We believe our Lord commanded us several observances to follow:  
• Water baptism by immersion is an outward physical symbol of an inner personal transaction with the Lord and obedience to the command of Christ (Romans 6, Matthew 28, Acts 2:41, Mark 16:16, Acts 8:35-38). 
• Communion: The Lord’s Supper is to commemorate the Lord’s death on our behalf, and to remind believers of His soon return (Luke 22:19-20, 1 Corinthians 11:23-28). 

MARRIAGE 

• We believe God who instituted marriage and defines marriage in this fashion: the unity of one man and one woman in a single, as proven in the Scripture.  We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to be between a man and a woman only. The man and the women also must be married. We believe that any form of sexual immorality, fornication, adultery, bestiality, homosexual behavior, bisexual conduct, incest, and use of pornography are sinful and an abomination to God.  
• Genesis 2:18:1, Genesis 2:24, 1 Corinthians 6:18, 1 Corinthians 7:2-5, Hebrews 13:4, Matthew 5:27-28, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Romans 1:26-27, Matthew 19:8-9 

DIVINE PROVIDENCE 

• Divine providence is the governance of God by which He, with wisdom and love, cares for and directs all things in the universe. The doctrine of divine providence asserts that God is in complete control of all things. He is sovereign over the universe (Psalm 103:19), the physical world (Matthew 5:45), the affairs of nations (Psalm 66:7), human destiny (Galatians 1:15), human successes and failures (Luke 1:52), and the protection of His people (Psalm 4:8). This doctrine stands in direct opposition to the idea that the universe is governed by chance or fate. 
• If God is not in control of all things, then He is not sovereign, and if He is not sovereign, then He is not God. So, the price of maintaining contingencies outside of God’s control results in a belief that God is not really God. And if our free will can trump divine providence, then who ultimately is God? We are. That conclusion is unacceptable to anyone with a biblical worldview. Divine providence does not destroy our freedom. Rather, divine providence takes our freedom into account and, in the infinite wisdom of God, sets a course to fulfill God’s will.