Articles of Faith
The Articles of Faith* are the basis for this church’s unity of belief. They allow us to maintain a standard of Biblical truth, oneness of spirit, and unity in purpose as we seek to do His will through different church activities.
Section I. The Holy Scriptures We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed, and therefore are the final authority for faith and life. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man. (II Tim 3:16-17; II Pet 1:20-21; Rev 22: 18-19)
Section II. Godhead We believe the Scriptures teach there is one and only one living and Triune God who is a spirit; that He is greater than the sum total of all that which He has created; is worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; and that He exists in three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit in the divine relationship which is the Godhead: equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. (Ps 145:3; 104:4; 8:3; 83:18; John 4:24;1:1-14; Mark 12:30; Jer 10:10; Gen 1:1; Col 2:9; Luke 3:22; II Cor 13:14)
Section III. God the Father We believe the Father is God and is called Father because of His relationship to the Son Jesus Christ and that we may call Him Father because of the finished work of Christ at Calvary making it possible for sinners to be adopted into the family of God. (John 1:12; 8:18; 5:18; Rom 1:7; 8:14-17; Gal 4:7)
Section IV. God the Son We believe the Son, Jesus Christ, though having always existed, was begotten of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, is true God, true man, and is the one and all sufficient Savior of man, sitting at the right hand of the Father, mediating for the believer. (I Tim 2:5; I John 2:1; Heb 1:8; 7:25; Matt 27:54)
Section V. God the Holy Spirit We believe in the person of the Holy Spirit who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He regenerates, sanctifies, and comforts those who believe in Jesus Christ. He also empowers believers to carry out the great commission. Believers receive the Holy Spirit upon their acceptance of Christ as Savior and Lord, and are sealed by the Holy Spirit until the day of Christ. (John 16:7-11; Matt 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; Eph 1:13) We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing. (I Cor 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22)
Section VI. The Sin Nature of Man We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and, that man is totally sinful and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Gen 1:26-27; Rom 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph 2:1-3; Eph 4:17-19)
Section VII. Christ’s Redemptive Work We believe in the substitutionary death of the Lord Jesus Christ for our sins; the resurrection of His body; His ascension into heaven; and His personal, visible return to earth. (Rom 5:8; Acts 1:9-11; I Cor 15:20)
Section VIII. Salvation We believe that salvation is the gift of God and is received and experienced only by personal faith in Jesus Christ. We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever through the testimony of God’s Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion for fulfilling our fleshly sins that are repulsive to God. (Eph 2:8-9; Acts 2:38; 8:36-39; John 20:31;10:27-30;6:37-40; Rom 8:1,38-39; 10:13; 13:13-14; I Cor 1:4-8; I Pet 1:4-5; Gal 5:13)
Section IX. Satan We believe that Satan is the great tempter of men, the enemy of God, the accuser of the saints, and that he will eventually be defeated by Christ and sentenced to the Lake of Fire forever. (Matt 4:3; 13:39; Acts 13:10; Rev 12:9-10; 19:20; 20:10; I Pet 5:8; I John 4:3; II Cor 11:13-15; Job 1:6-7)
Section X. Christ’s Second Coming We believe in the rapture of the saints, the great Tribulation Period, the glorious return of Jesus Christ with the saints to rule and to reign for 1000 years with the judgment of the wicked to follow. (Matt 24:21; 24:29-30; 25:31-46; Rev 20:12-15; I Thes 4:14-18)
Section XI. The Purity of the Church We believe that followers of Christ are ever in a battle between good and evil because of our two natures. Therefore, if a member, or one who regularly fellowships with the church, blatantly practices unchristian-like behavior, it is the duty of the church to quickly restore purity to our church by counsel, discipline, and/or removal of such a person. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality*, lesbianism*, bisexuality*, bestiality*, incest*, fornication*, adultery*, and pornography* are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. This also includes uncontrolled hatred, brutality, envy, murder, rape, idolatry, and any other behavior that would seriously shame our Lord and His church. Any teachings that contradict our Articles of Faith would also violate the purity of this church. (Gen 2:24; 19:5; 26:8-9; Lev 18:1-30; Rom 1:26-32; I Cor 5:1-5; 6:9-10; I Thes 4:1-8; Heb 13:4; Gal 5:19-21)
Section XII. Position of the Local Church We believe that each local church has the right to be independent and autonomous and must be free from interference by any ecclesiastical* or political authority. We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: 1) the home, 2) the church, 3) the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. (Acts 6:2-3; 4:18-20; Rom 13:1-7; Eph 5:22-24; II Cor 8:18-19; Heb 13:17; I Pet 2:13-14)
Section XIII. Baptism We believe that Christian Baptism is the immersion of a believer of Christ in water, in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Baptism is always after salvation and it symbolizes Christ death, burial and resurrection. To a believer it shows your allegiance and dedication to Christ. (Matt 3:13-17; 28:19; Acts 2:38; 8:36-39)
Section XIV. Authority of the Articles of Faith The Articles of Faith do not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing Articles of Faith accurately represent the teaching of the Bible, and therefore, are binding upon all members.