Statement of belief
What we believe
We promote and adhere to the historic Pauline doctrine which characterized the early Church. In general terms, these are the fundamentals of what we believe.
01
God the Father
We believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of Heaven and Earth. He is holy, unchanging, all-knowing, all-seeing, and all-present. He is active in His creation, accomplishing His will according to His predetermined plan and good pleasure. His will supersedes the will and desire of every man.
02
The Trinity
God is three persons — Father, Son, and Holy Spirit — one in purpose and character, and equally God.
03
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, the only-begotten Son of God, in whom dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
04
Salvation by grace
Salvation is by grace through faith alone. No work of the flesh can induce or obligate God to save. Of His own accord and for His own purposes, God elected some people to eternal life and wrote their names in the Lamb’s Book of Life before the foundation of the world.
05
The atonement
Christ’s vicarious atonement is all-sufficient. He paid the ransom, satisfied the wrath of God, perfected us forever, and rose again for our justification — guaranteeing the eternal destiny of every elect individual.
06
The Holy Spirit
The Spirit indwells God’s chosen people, drawing them to the Father, convicting of sin, producing repentance and faith, and sealing them for eternity. Spirituality is the Spirit expressing Himself through His people. We do not promote ecstatic utterances or manifestations such as those found in many Pentecostal and Charismatic churches.
07
The Doctrines of Grace
Men are fallen and cannot save themselves. God unconditionally elects some sinners as an act of grace. Christ’s death satisfies judgment against the elect. The Spirit irresistibly draws them. The elect will persevere in faith unto glorification.
08
Baptism
We are historically Baptistic. Water baptism is by immersion, as commanded by the Lord.
09
Last things
We are premillennial. We look for the imminent catching away of the Church before the Great Tribulation, the restoration of national Israel, and Christ’s physical return to reign for a thousand years.
10
Heaven, Hell, and the devil
Heaven and Hell are real. Lucifer fell and is the author of evil, yet remains under God’s authority and will be defeated and destroyed.
11
Scripture
The Old and New Testaments are the inspired, infallible, final authority. We read them in a literal fashion, not by spiritualized or allegorical methods of interpretation.
12
The Church
The Church is a people, not a building — God’s out-called, Spirit-indwelt body of Christ. Sinners are welcome to hear the Word.
For a fuller treatment of the Doctrines of Grace, see Pastor Jim’s book By Grace Alone.