Articles of Faith

1. THE SCRIPTURES

We believe that the Holy Bible as originally written was verbally inspired and product of Spirit-controlled men, as well is Divinely preserved in the same fashion, and therefore, has truth without any mixture of error for its matter. We believe the Bible to be the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions, shall be tried. 2 Timothy 3:16,17; 2 Peter 1:19-21; John 17:17; Matthew 4:4; 24:35; Psalms 12:6,7.

2. THE TRUE GOD

We believe there is one and only one living and true God, an infinite Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressible glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in the unit of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinctly harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. Exodus 20:2,3; 1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11; 1 John 5:7.

3. JESUS CHRIST, GOD THE SON

We believe that Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God who added a fully human nature to his divine nature thus becoming the God–man, was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, died on the cross as the substitute for sinners, paying the penalty of God’s wrath against sin, rose from the dead, and will come again to establish his kingdom. John 1:1, 14; Hebrews 4:15; 1 John 2:2; 4:10; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; Revelation 11:15.

4. THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person, with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and judgment; that He bears witness to the Truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony. John 14:16,17; Matthew 28:19; Hebrews 2:2,3; 9:14; John 14:26; Luke 1:35; Genesis 1:1-3; John 16:8-11; Acts 5:30-32; John 3:5,6; Ephesians 1:13,14; Mark 1:8; John 1:33; Acts 11:16; Luke 24:49; Romans 8:14; Romans 8:16,26,27.

5. THE DEVIL, OR SATAN

We believe in the personality of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age, and the author of all the powers of darkness, and is destined to the judgement of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. Matthew 4:1-3; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10.

6. CREATION

We accept the Genesis account of creation in six literal days and believe that man came by direct creation of God and not by evolution. Genesis 1:2; Colossians 1:16,17; John 1:3.

7. THE FALL OF MAN

We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of His Maker, but by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not only by constraint, but of choice; and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse. Genesis 3:1-6, 24; Romans 5:10-19; 1:18; 1:32.

8. THE VIRGIN BIRTH

We believe that Jesus was begotten of the Holy Ghost in a miraculous born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was born or can ever be born of woman, and that He is both the Son of God and God, the Son. Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:4.

9. THE MEANS OF SALVATION FROM SIN

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace; through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was a voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner’s place, the Just dying for the unjust; Christ, the Lord, bearing our sin in His body on the tree; that having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in Heaven, and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection, He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and an all-sufficient Savior. Ephesians 2:8; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24,25; John 3:16; Matthew 18:11; Hebrews 2:14; Isaiah 53:4-7; 1 John 4:10; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21.

10. GRACE IN THE NEW CREATION

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus, that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gifts of God; that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel, that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life. John 3:3,6-8; 2 Corinthians 5:17,19; 1 John 5: 1; Acts 16:30-33; 2 Peter 1:4; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1; Colossians 2:13.

11. JUSTIFICATION

We teach that justification before God is an act of God (Romans 8:33) by which He declares righteous those who believe in Jesus Christ and repent of their sins (Acts 2:38; 3:19; 13:39; Romans 3:24-25; 5:1). This righteousness is apart from any virtue or work of man (Romans 3:20; 4:6) and involves the imputation of our sins to Christ (Colossians 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24) and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to us (1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21). By this means God is enabled to “be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.” (Romans 3:26).

 12. HUMAN APPROPRIATION OF SALVATION

We believe that someone appropriates (or receives) salvation through faith alone in Christ, which includes repentance of his sins (Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38; 3:19; 11:18; Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:10; Isaiah 55:6-7) and his confession of Jesus Christ as Lord (Romans 10:9-10; 2 Corinthians 4:5; Philippians 2:11).

13. THE CHURCH

We believe that the church is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; and exercising the gifts, rights and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers are Pastors, and Deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties, are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe the true mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity. We hold that the church has the absolute right of self-government free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations: and that the one and only superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit: that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel. 

Acts 2:41,42; 15:13-18; 20:17-28; 1 Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22; 4:11; 5:23,24; 1 Timothy 3:17; Colossians 1:18.