What We Believe

Statement of Faith  

Clarifying  Christianity is based on the Bible alone. We believe that the Bible is  God’s “word” (communication to us) written by men, but directed and  inspired by God through the Holy Spirit (also called the Holy Ghost). It  contains no errors, and is the complete, final, and only authority in  all matters of faith and conduct. (See 2 Timothy 3:16,17; 1  Thessalonians 2:13; and 2 Peter 1:20,21.)

The Bible  

We  believe that the Bible, consisting of the 66 books of the Old and New  Testaments, is the revelation of God to mankind, is verbally and fully  inspired by Him, is sufficient for the knowledge of God and His will  that is necessary for the eternal welfare of mankind, is infallible and  inerrant in its original manuscripts, and is the supreme and final  authority for all Christian faith and conduct.  (See 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2  Peter 1:21; 1 Corinthians 2:13; Deuteronomy 29:29; 2 Timothy 3:15; John  10:35)

God  

We believe that there is but one God, whose  essential nature is that of a living, personal Spirit. He is infinitely  perfect in all of His attributes, He is the creator and sustainer of all  things, and He exists in three persons—Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (1  Corinthians 8:4; John 4:24; 5:26; Genesis 1:1; Colossians 1:16-17;  Matthew 28:19)

Jesus Christ  

We believe that Jesus Christ  is true God and true man; that is, He is fully divine and also fully  human. He preexisted eternally with the Father, was conceived by the  Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, lived a perfect life and died  for the sins of mankind. We believe that He arose bodily from the grave,  that He ascended to heaven, where He is presently High Priest and  Advocate for His people, and that He will return personally and bodily  to the earth at the close of this age. He is the world's only Savior and  is the Lord of all. (Philippians 2:5-11; John 1:1; Matthew 1:23-25; 1  Peter 2:22; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 1 Timothy 2:6; 1 Corinthians 15:20;  Hebrews 4:14-16; John 14:3; Acts 4:12)

The Holy Spirit  

We  believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, the third Person of the  Trinity. We believe that He was sent from the Father by the Son to  convict the world, to regenerate and indwell those who trust in Christ,  to baptize them into the Body of Christ, to seal them for the final day  of redemption, to guide them into truth, to fill them for a life of  holiness and victory and to empower them for witness and service. We  believe that He gives spiritual gifts to believers for the proper  functioning of the Body of Christ, which is the Church. (Acts 5:3,4;  John 16:7-14; 3:5-8; 1 Corinthians 2:9-12; 3:16; 12:3-13,28-31;  Ephesians 1:13-14; Acts 1:8)

Man  

We believe that man was  originally created by a definite act of God in His own image and is  dependent upon and accountable to his Creator. Through disobedience, the  first man sinned and fell from his original state of moral perfection.  As a consequence, he brought upon himself and upon the whole human race  the penalty for sin, which is spiritual and physical death. Since Adam,  every person is born with an inherently sinful nature and becomes a  sinner in thought, word and deed. Every person, therefore, stands under  the just condemnation of God and is unable to save himself or to present  deeds worthy of merit before God. (Genesis 1:26-27; 2:7; Romans 2:6-16;  5:12-21; 6:23 ; Matthew 5:20-48; John 3:36)

Salvation  

We  believe that a person is saved by God's grace alone, made possible  through the shed blood of Christ, whereby He died a substitutionary  death for mankind, and through the Resurrection of Christ. Salvation  becomes effective when a person, by an act of faith, acknowledges Jesus  Christ as his personal Savior and Lord. The benefits of this salvation  include the forgiveness of sins and a new standing before God, the  impartation of new life and all the privileges that accompany a new  family relationship with God. The assurance of salvation as a present  possession is the privilege of every believer in Christ. (Ephesians  2:8,9; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Acts 16:31; Romans 10:9; Acts 3:19; Romans  3:28; John 3:16; John 1:12; 10:28; Philippians 1:6)

The Christian Life  

We  believe that God expects every believer to live a life of obedience, in  which every area of his life is brought under the lordship of Jesus  Christ and the fruit of the Spirit becomes increasingly evident in his  life. The goal of the Christian life is to be conformed to the image of  Christ. This life is characterized supremely by self-giving love for God  and for others. The life and character of Christ, which grows through  the Holy Spirit, is noticeably distinct from the life of the world. A  believer who resists the gracious working of the Holy Spirit and fails  to grow in obedience is chastened in infinite love by his Heavenly  Father so he may learn obedience. (John 14:21; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5;  Galatians 5:22-23; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Matthew 22:37-40; 1 John 2:15-17;  Hebrews 12:5-14)

The Church  

We believe that the Church of  Jesus Christ is the universal company of God's redeemed people, His  Body, of which He is the head, His Bride, whom He loves infinitely, and  His temple, in which He dwells. This universal Body of Christ is visibly  expressed in local assemblies, whose purpose is to glorify God through  worship, fellowship, instruction in God’s Word, observing the ordinances  and training in service to the world. The supreme task in the mission  of the Church is to make disciples for Christ in all the nations through  the proclamation and teaching of the Gospel. The Church is also to  demonstrate the love and compassion of Christ, through word and deed, in  an alienated world. (1 Peter 2:9,10; Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:25-27;  2:19-22; 1 Thessalonians 2:14; Ephesians 3:6-10; Acts 2:42; Ephesians  4:11-13; Hebrews 10:25; Matthew 28:18-20; 26:26-29; 1 John 4:17) 

The Future Life  

We  believe in the imminent, premillennial return of Christ to take His  people to be with Him and to judge and rule the earth in righteousness.  We believe in the resurrection of the body for both believers and  unbelievers. We believe that the believer goes to be with Christ in  conscious blessedness immediately after death, having escaped the  condemnation of his sins through the death of Christ. He will, however,  stand before God to receive rewards for works approved by God or to  suffer loss for works disapproved. The believer will live eternally in  the immediate presence of God, while the unbeliever must face the  eternal and holy Judge, who will sentence him for his sins. He will  experience the punishment of eternal separation in hell from the  presence of God. (John 14:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 11:15; 1  Corinthians 15:20-23; Philippians 1:23; Romans 8:1; 2 Corinthians 5:10;  Revelation 20:11-21:5; Romans 2:11)  

Satan  

We believe in  the personality and depraved character of Satan, who is the great enemy  of God and man. We believe that he, along with the company of demonic  beings serving him, works out his evil plans through the ungodly world  system, limited only by the sovereign rule of God. We believe that he  was judged by Christ at the cross and will ultimately meet his doom in  the lake of fire, where he will remain eternally. (Matthew 4:3-11;  Genesis 3:1; John 8:44; Revelation 12:9-10; 2 Corinthians 4:4; 1 John  5:19; Job 1:6-12; 1 John 3:8; Revelation 20:10)