What We Believe in Depth

God the Father

We believe God as Father reigns with providential care over His universe, His creatures, and the flow of the stream of human history according to the purposes of His grace. (Matthew 6:26Matthew 6:26Consider the birds of the sky: They don’t sow or reap or gather into barns, yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you worth more than they?) 

• God is Father in truth to those who become children of God through faith in Jesus Christ. (Galatians 3:25-26Galatians 3:25-26But since that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian for through faith you are all sons of God in Christ Jesus.)

God the Son

We believe Christ is the eternal Son of God. (1 John 4:151 John 4:15Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God--God remains in him and he in God.)

• In His incarnation as Jesus Christ, He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. (Luke 1:30-31, 34Luke 1:30-31, 34Then the angel told her: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. “Now listen: You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus…)
• He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and in His substitutionary death on the cross, He made provision for the redemption of men from sin. (Hebrews 4:15Hebrews 4:15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.), (1 Corinthians 15:31 Corinthians 15:3For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.)

God the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God, fully divine. (1 Corinthians 1:101 Corinthians 1:10Now I urge you, brothers and sisters, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree in what you say, that there be no divisions among you, and that you be united with the same understanding and the same conviction.)

• He exalts Christ. (John 16:14John 16:14He (the Holy Spirit) will glorify me, because he will take from what is mine and declare it to you.)
• He convicts men of sin, of righteousness and of judgment. (John 16:8-11John 16:8-11When he (the Holy Spirit) comes, he will convict the world about sin, righteousness, and judgment: About sin, because they do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father and you will no longer see me; and about judgment, because the ruler of this world has been judged.)
• He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service. (John 16:13John 16:13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. For he will not speak on his own, but he will speak whatever he hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.)

Man

We believe man is the special creation of God, in His own image. (Genesis 1:26Genesis 1:26Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, the whole earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”) 

• God created them male and female as the crowning work of His creation. (Genesis 1:27Genesis 1:27So God created man in his own image; he created him in the image of God; he created them male and female.)
• By his free choice, man sinned against God and brought sin into the human race. (Romans 3:23Romans 3:23For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God)
• The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created man in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore, every person of every race possesses dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love. (Romans 5:8Romans 5:8But God proves his own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.)

Salvation

We believe salvation involves the redemption of the whole man, and is offered freely to all who accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His own blood obtained eternal redemption for the believer. (Ephesians 2:8-9Ephesians 2:8-9For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift - not from works, so that no one can boast., Ephesians 1:7Ephesians 1:7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.)

• In its broadest sense salvation includes regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. (1 Corinthians 1:301 Corinthians 1:30It is from him that you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom from God for us – our righteousness, sanctification, and redemption.)
• Regeneration happens when the Holy Spirit makes us a new creation. He rescues us from being dead in our sin and makes us alive in Christ. (John 1:12-13John 1:12-13But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor the will of the flesh nor the will of man, but of God.)
• Justification is when God pronounces a sinner to be righteous because of their faith in Christ and His sacrifice. We are justified, or declared righteous, at the moment of our salvation. (Romans 10:9Romans 10:9because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.)
• Sanctification is the process where God sets Christians apart from the rest of the world and makes them holy. It is the process of believers growing in the Lord. (2 Peter 3:182 Peter 3:18But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.)
• Glorification is the transformation God has promised after this life, when believers will be like Christ in perfected bodies with the corruption of sin removed. (Romans 8:18Romans 8:18For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.)

God’s Purpose of Grace

We believe election is the gracious purpose of God, according to which He regenerates, justifies, sanctifies, and glorifies sinners. (Ephesians 1:4, 7-8Ephesians 1:4, 7-8For he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and blameless in love before him… In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he richly poured out on us with all wisdom and understanding., 1 Thessalonians 1:4–51 Thessalonians 1:4-5For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you.)

• All true believers endure to the end. Those whom God has accepted in Christ, and sanctified by His Spirit will never fall away from the state of grace, but shall persevere to the end. (James 1:12James 1:12Blessed is the one who endures trials, because when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.)

The Church

We believe a New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers.

• It is associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel, observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. 
• Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. In such a congregation, each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. 
• Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.

Baptism and the Lord’s Supper

We believe Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water. (Matthew 28:19-20Matthew 28:19-20Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.) 

• It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior, the believer’s death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. (Romans 6:3-5Romans 6:3-5Or are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? Therefore, we were buried with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so we too may walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection.)

We believe the Lord’s Supper is a symbolic act of obedience whereby members memorialize the death of the Redeemer and anticipate His second coming. (Luke 22:19-20Luke 22:19-22And he took bread, gave thanks, broke it, gave it to them, and said, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way he also took the cup after supper and said, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.)

Evangelism and Missions

We believe it is the duty and privilege of every follower of Christ and every church of the Lord Jesus Christ to endeavor to make disciples of all nations. We are to seek constantly to win the lost to Christ by verbal witness undergirded by a Christian lifestyle, and by other methods in harmony with the gospel of Christ. (Matthew 28:19-20Matthew 29:19-20Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.')

The Lord’s Day

We believe the first day of the week is the Lord’s Day. It commemorates the resurrection of Christ from the dead and should be employed in exercises of worship and spiritual devotion. (Hebrews 10:24-25Hebrews 10:24-25And let us watch out for one another to provoke love and good works, not neglecting to gather together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging each other, and all the more as you see the day approaching.)

Last Things

We believe God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its appropriate end. (Matthew 24:36Matthew 24:36Now concerning that day and hour no one knows — neither the angels of heaven nor the Son — except the Father alone.)

• Jesus Christ will return personally and visibly, and the dead will be raised. (Matthew 24:42, 44Matthew 24:42, 44Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day your Lord is coming… This is why you are also to be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.)
• Christ will judge all men in righteousness. (2 Corinthians 5:102 Corinthians 5:10For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each may be repaid for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.)
• Those who have not accepted Christ’s sacrifice and been covered by His atonement will be consigned to Hell. Those who have accepted Christ’s sacrifice and made Him their Lord and Savior will receive their reward and will dwell forever in Heaven with the Lord. (Matthew 25:46Matthew 25:46And they (the unrighteous) will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.)

Stewardship

We believe God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to Him. (James 1:17James 1:17Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows., Ephesians 1:3Ephesians 1:3Blessed is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavens in Christ.)

• Christians have a spiritual responsibility to the whole world, a holy trusteeship in the gospel, and a binding stewardship in their possessions. They are therefore under obligation to serve Him with their time, talents, and material possessions. (1 Corinthians 6:19b-201 Corinthians 6:19b-20You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. So, glorify God with your body.)

Cooperation

We believe Christ’s people should organize such associations and conventions as may best secure cooperation for the great objects of the Kingdom of God. 

• Such organizations have no authority over one another or over the churches. 
• Cooperation is desirable between the various Christian denominations.

The Christian and the Social Order

We believe all Christians are under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in our own lives and in our interaction with human society. (1 Chronicles 22:19a1 Chronicles 22:19aNow determine in your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God…)

• In the spirit of Christ, Christians should call everyone to turn from sin, which includes (though is not limited to) racism, every form of greed, selfishness, and vice, and all forms of sexual immorality, including adultery, homosexuality, and pornography. (Ephesians 4:1b-2Ephesians 4:1b-2Live worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace., Ephesians 4:31-32Ephesians 4:31-21Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice. And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.)
• We should work to provide for the orphaned, the needy, the abused, the aged, the helpless, and the sick. (Galatians 6:2Galatians 6:2Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ., Hebrews 6:10Hebrews 6:10For God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you demonstrated for his name by serving the saints — and by continuing to serve them.)
• We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death. (Psalm 127:3Psalm 127:3Sons (children) are indeed a heritage from the LORD, offspring, a reward., Job 31:15Job 31:15Did not the one who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same God form us both in the womb?)
• Christians are called to mercifully and lovingly seek the restoration of those who fall to sin without ever compromising God’s Word by accepting the sin. (Jude 1:22-23Jude 1:22-23And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.)

Religious Liberty

We believe the church and state should be separate. 

• The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. 
• A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal.

Family

We believe God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society.

• It is composed of persons related to one another by marriage, blood or adoption.
• Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime.
• The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both are created in God’s image.
• A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to lead his family in seeking and following the Lord and to do his utmost toward providing for and protecting it.
• A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing and providing for the household and nurturing the next generation. 
• Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate God’s pattern for marriage to their children.

Scripture quotations have been taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.