Preface
If you are truly born again, you should belong to a scriptural church, which means, one that is scripturally founded and scripturally sound in doctrine. Therefore you should give careful consideration to what each so-called church believes, and join the church of the Lord’s choice. We urge you to read carefully and prayerfully these articles of faith, for they are what we, as a church, believe to be the great teachings of the word of God. They were not written in order for somebody to merely memorize and give outward consent to, and thereby join the church, but that the saved, who are interested in bringing honor and glory unto the Lord, might study, and then, “search the scriptures daily whether these things are so.” Moreover, that the members of our church might be “rooted and grounded in the faith,” and not be “tossed about with every wind of doctrine.”
ARTICLES OF FAITH
1.THE SCRIPTURES
We believe the scriptures are the verbally inspired word of God, and are the perfect rule of faith and practice. They are not to be added to or taken from. They consist of the 66 books found in the King James Version and other authentic versions. We reject all other books as being the inspired word of God — II Tim. 3:16,17; II Peter 1:21; Rev. 22:18,19.
2. GOD
We believe there is one and only one true and living God who is a Spirit; infinite, eternal, unchangeable, all-knowing, all powerful, present everywhere, holy, and is perfect in every attribute. There are three distinct personalities in the Godhead which are: the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; co-eternal and co-equal in every divine perfection, executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption – John 4:24; Is. 40:25; Deut. 33:27; Rom. 11:33-36; James 1:17; Heb. 6:17,18; Ps. 139:7-9; Heb. 13:8; Is. 46:9,10; I Chron. 29:11, 12; Heb. 9:14; I John 5:7; Gen. 1:26; Eph. 1:4; Is. 53:5,6; John 3:5.
3. SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD
We believe the God of the Bible works all things after the counsel of His own will, both in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His hand Dan. 4:35, Eph. 1:11; Isa. 46:10; Psa. 115:3; Psa. 135:6
4. CREATION
We believe in the literal account of creation as given in the book of Genesis, therefore rejecting the theory of evolution — Gen. 1:1, 27; Gen. 2:2.
5. SATAN
We believe the devil, or Satan, is a personal evil spirit, formerly a holy angel, from which estate he by transgression fell, drawing a host of angels with him. He is the prince and power of the air, the tempter and accuser of the saved, author of all evil and false religions, but shall finally be cast into the lake of fire — Eph. 2:2; I Peter 5:8; Rev. 12:9,10; Rev. 3:9; II Cor. 11:13-15.
6. MAN
We believe man was created upright, and through the entrance of sin, died. That is, he was completely separated from God, having no fellowship or communion and was placed under condemnation, wrath, and a curse. That all men are born with the nature of Adam, and every faculty of his being is contaminated by sin, which is total depravity. That man, left to himself would perish in hell — Gen. 1:26,27; Gen. 2:17; Gen. 3:6,7; Eph. 2:1; John 3:18; Rom. 5:12; Titus 1:15; Jer. 17:9; John 3:19; Rom. 3:11.
7. GOD’S PURPOSE IN ELECTION
God chose from before the foundation of the world to call out a people for His name’s sake, and also the means to accomplish this. These people are designated the elect in God’s word. The choosing, calling, justifying, and glorifying of these is in and through Jesus Christ – Eph. 1:4; Acts 1 5:14; Acts 13:48; II Thess. 2:13,14; I Peter 1:2; Rom. 8:33; Rom. 8:29,30.
8. CHRIST AND HIS WORK
We believe Jesus Christ is God manifest in human flesh, apart from sin. He was born of a virgin, lived a perfect life under the law, was crucified and shed His blood for everyone who has or will believe, was buried and arose again, ascended back to heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God making intercession for His people — Matt. 1:23; Heb. 7:26; Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:20; Heb. 4:15; Matt. 1:21; Matt. 20:28; Heb. 9:12; Matt. 28:6; Acts 1:9; Rom. 8:34.
9. THE HOLY SPIRIT AND HIS WORK
The Holy Spirit is a divine personality, equal with the Father and Son, who inspired the scriptures, and using the written word, effectually calls, draws, quickens, convicts, and regenerates the lost sinner. He seals, indwells, and sanctifies every believer. He fills the yielded believer and leads into all truth — I John 5:7; II Peter 1:21; Eph. 6: 17; II Thess. 2:14; John 6:44; Eph. 2:1; John 16:8-11; John 3:5; Eph. 1:13; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 5:18; John 16:13.
10. WAY OF SALVATION
We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ. Grace provided everything that was necessary for our salvation, and faith receives it as a free gift. Therefore, it is not of works lest any man should boast — Eph. 2:8,9; Eph. 1:3; Rom. 6:23; John 1:12; Titus 3:5.
11. GOOD WORKS
We believe good works are the results of the new birth, and that they are to be done because we love the Lord — Eph. 2:10; John 14: 15; Titus 3:5-8.
12. THE NEW BIRTH
We believe the new birth is a divine necessity without which no man could see or enter the kingdom of God. It consists of being born again by the Spirit using the word, and is the partaking of the divine nature. It is beyond human comprehension — John 3:3-8; II Peter 1:4.
13. REPENTANCE AND FAITH
We believe repentance and faith are gifts of God and are wrought in the soul by the Holy Spirit, whereby the sinner is made to realize that God is right, and to realize his undone condition, his utter hopelessness and helplessness, and turns to the Lord Jesus Christ as His all sufficient Saviour – Acts 11:18; Rom. 10:17; Acts 9:5; Acts 20:20-21; Acts 16:31; Rom. 5:1.
14. THE GOSPEL
We believe the gospel is the good news of how Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, that He was buried and that He rose the third day according to the scriptures. It is to be preached unto every creature, and is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth. Through the belief of the gospel, we have forgiveness of sins and the imputed righteousness of Christ – I Cor. 15:1-4; Mark 16:15; Rom. 1:16; Rom. 4:3-8.
15. ETERNAL SECURITY
We believe all born again believers are eternally secure in Christ Jesus and will be presented faultless before the throne of grace — John 10:28-30; John 3:18; John 5:24; I John 5:4,5; Jude 24; Rom. 8:35-39.
16. CHASTISEMENT
We believe after a man is saved, God deals with him as with a son; therefore, when he sins, God brings chastisement upon him to correct him. Every saved man is chastened — Heb. 12:5-8.
17. THE CHURCH
We believe the church is a local body of scripturally baptized believers properly united together under Christ their Head, the Holy Spirit their guide, the word of God their rule of faith and practice. It was instituted by Christ during His earthly ministry and will exist until the close of this age – Acts 2:41, 47; Acts 8:1; I Cor. 16:19; Luke 6:12,13; Matt. 16:18; Eph. 1 :22; John 16:13; II Tim. 3:16,17.
18. THE ORDINANCES OF THE CHURCH
We believe that baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the only ordinances of the church and are to be diligently observed — Matt. 28:19; I Cor. 11:26; I Cor. 11:2.
19. BAPTISM
We believe that baptism is the immersion of a repentant believer in water by the authority of a New Testament church to show forth in a picture the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ and our dying to sin, and arising to walk in a new life. All other so-called baptisms are invalid and are to be rejected as unscriptural. Baptism is a pre-requisite to church membership and the Lord’s Supper – Matt. 3:7,8; Matt. 28:18-20; Acts 8:35-38; Rom. 6:3-5; Acts 2:41.
20. THE LORD’S SUPPER
We believe the Lord’s Supper is to be observed by each local church in church capacity, and is the partaking of unleavened bread and wine to picture the death of Christ, the broken body, and the shed blood, until He comes again — I Cor. 11 :23-34.
21. THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CHURCH
We believe the church is responsible to make disciples through the preaching of the gospel, to baptize disciples, and to teach disciples to observe all things commanded by God. – Matt. 28:18-20.
22. MISSIONARY ACTIVITIES
We believe all missionary work is to be done under the authority of a New Testament church – Acts 13:1-3; Acts 11:22; II Cor. 8:19.
23. CHURCH ATTENDANCE AND SUPPORT
We believe that each and every member is responsible to support the church with his presence, unless providentially hindered, and also the church is to be supported by tithes and freewill offerings. All other means are foreign to the word of God — Heb. 10:25; I Cor. 16:2; II Cor. 8:8, 9, 12.
24. CHURCH DISCIPLINE
We believe discipline is to be followed in accordance with the Word of God. The church has the responsibility to exclude members, as well as to receive them — I Cor. 5:4-7.
25. WOMAN’S PLACE IN THE CHURCH
We believe both men and women have the same standing before God as far as salvation is concerned, but that they have different responsibilities. In the public assembly, the woman is not to teach nor usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. She is to be in subjection to the male, and manifest this subjection by the wearing of a proper covering — Gal. 3:28; Eph. 5:22-33; I Tim. 2:8-14; Titus 2:3-5; I Cor. 14:34; I Cor. 11:3-16.
26. RESURRECTION
We believe there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both the saved and the lost, but at separate times — Acts 24:15; I Thess. 4:13-18; Luke 14:14; Rev. 20:5,6.
27. THE SECOND COMING
We believe Christ shall return in the air to catch up His saints before the millennium, or the 1000-year reign. Therefore, we are pre-millennial in our view. Then Christ shall return after the 1000 years in judgment on the earth — John 14:1-3; I Thess. 4:13-17; II Thess. 1:8-10.
28. THE MILLENNIUM
We believe the millennium will be the l000-year reign of Christ on the earth with His people after the seven-year tribulation period. – Rev. 20:1-6.
29. THE NEW HEAVEN AND EARTH
We believe after the final judgment of the wicked, the saints will enjoy the new heaven and earth. — Rev. 21:1.
30. HELL
We believe hell is the final abode of the wicked, where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched — Rev. 20:14,1 5.
31. THE LORD’S DAY
We believe the Lord’s Day is the first day of the week, and is to be observed to commemorate the resurrection and the finished work of Christ -Matt. 28:1; John 20:19,26.