What We Believe

The statements listed here are intended as a basis of fellowship. The phraseology employed in these statements is not inspired or contended for but is based on the foundation of the inspired Word of God and is held to be essential to a full-gospel ministry. No claim is made that these contain all biblical truth, only that they cover our need for fundamental doctrines.

  1. The Scriptures Inspired
    The scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are inspired by God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct.
    (2 Timothy 3:15-17, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Peter 1:21).

    a. Reconciliation of the Old and New Testaments. The Old Testament is not contrary to the New; for in both the Old and New Testament everlasting life is offered to mankind by Christ, who is the only Mediator between God and man, being both God and man.

    b. The Sufficiency of the Holy Scriptures for Salvation. The Holy Scriptures contain all things necessary to salvation; so that whatsoever is not read therein, nor may be proved thereby is not to be required of any man, that it should be believed as an article of faith, or be thought requisite or necessary to salvation.

  2. The One True God
    There is but one living and true God, who has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent “I AM”, the Creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. In the unity of this Godhead, there are three persons of one substance, power, and eternity - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4, Isaiah 43:10-11, Matthew 28:19, Luke 3:22).

    a. Trinity. The terms trinity and persons, as related to the Godhead, while not found in the Scriptures, are words in harmony with Scripture, whereby we may convey to others our immediate understanding or the doctrine of Christ respecting the being of God, as distinguished from “gods may, and lords may.” We, therefore, may speak with propriety of the Lord our God, who is One Lord, as a Trinity or as one Being of three personas, and still be absolutely scriptural ( Matthew 28:19, 2Corinthians 13:14, John 14:16,17).

    b. Unity of the One Being of Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Accordingly, therefore, there is that, in the Son which constitutes Him the Son and not the Father; and there is that, in the Holy Spirit which constitutes Him the Holy Spirit and not either the Father or the Son. Wherein the Father is the begetter, the Son the begotten, and the Holy Spirit is the One proceeding from the Father and the Son. Therefore, because these three Persons in the Godhead are in a state of unity, there is but one Lord God Almighty, and His Name one (John 1:18, 15:26,17:11,21, Zechariah 14:9).

    c. Identity and Cooperation in the Godhead. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are never identical as to person; nor confused as to relation, not divided in respect to the Godhead, not opposed as to cooperation. The Son is with the Father and the Father is with the Son, as to fellowship. The Father is not from the Son, but the Son is from the Father, as to authority. The Holy Spirit is from the Father and the Son proceeding, as to nature, relationship, cooperation, and authority. Hence no person in the Godhead either exists or works separately or independently of the others (John 5:17-30,32,37, 8:17,18).
    d. The Title, Lord Jesus Christ. The title Lord Jesus Christ is a proper name. It is never applied in the New Testament either to the Father or the Holy Spirit. It therefore belongs exclusively to the Son of God (Romans 1:1-3,7, 2 John 3).
    e. The Lord Jesus Christ, God with Us. The Lord Jesus Christ, as to His divine and eternal nature, is the proper and only Begotten of the Father, but as to His human nature, He is the proper Son of Man. He is, therefore, acknowledged to be both God and man; who because He is God and man, is “Immanuel,” God with us (Matthew 1:23, 1 John 4:2,10,14, Revelation 1:13,17).
    f. The Title, Son of God. Since the name Immanuel embraces both God and man, in the one person, our Lord Jesus Christ, it follows that the title Son of God describes His proper deity, and the title Son of Man, His proper humanity. Therefore, the title Son of God belongs to the order of eternity, and the title Son of Man to the order of time (Matthew 1:21-23, 2 John 3, 1 John 3:8, Hebrews 7:3, 1:1-13).

  3. The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ.
    The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Scriptures declare:
    a. His virgin birth (Matthew 1:23, Luke 1:31,35)
    b. His sinless life (Hebrews 7:26, 1Peter 2:22)
    c. His miracles (Acts 2:22, 10:38)
    d. His substitutionary work on the cross (1 Corinthians 15:3, 2 Corinthians 5:21)
    e. His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matthew 28:6, Luke 24:39, 1 Corinthians 15:4)
    f. His exaltation to the right hand of God (Acts 1:9,11, 2:23, Philippians 2:9-11, Hebrews 1:3)

  4. The Fall of Man
    Man was created good and upright, for God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.” However, man fell by voluntary transgression and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God (Genesis 1:26,27, 2:17, 3:6, Romans 5:12-19).

  5. The Salvation of Man
    Man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
    a. Conditions to Salvation. Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God according to the hope of eternal life (Luke 24:47, John 3:3, Romans 10: 13-15, Ephesians 2:8, Titus 2:11, 3:5-7).
    b. The Evidences of Salvation. The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit (Romans 8:16). The outward evidence to all man is a life of righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24, Titus 2:13).