We believe that there is One True and Living God. He is holy, all-glorious, unchangeable, sovereign, eternal, immortal, invisible, and He is worthy of all worship. God is transcendent yet imminent, needing nothing outside of Himself yet delighting to reveal Himself and relate to His creation. We believe that God eternally exists in three Persons: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. These three are of one essence, yet each executes distinct offices as persons. All three Persons are equal in every divine perfection, and are all equally worthy of glory, majesty, and honor  (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10-11; Matthew 3:16-17, 28:19; Mark 12:29; John 1:1, 1:18, 15:26; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Corinthians 13:14, Colossians 2:9; 1 Timothy 1:17).

We believe that God the Father is the creator and sustainer of all creation. He exercises sovereign headship over all creation, providence, and redemption. By His mercy and grace, He decrees and sends forth the Son and the Spirit. He also hears and answers prayer, and has planned to save from eternal death all those who come to Him through faith in Jesus Christ, His Son. (Genesis 1:1; Exodus 3:14-15; Psalm 110:1; John 14:26; John 14:31; Psalm 145:8-9; Romans 11:33-36; 1 Corinthians 8:6, 15:24, 15:28; Hebrews 10:7).

We believe that Jesus Christ is divine; the eternal Son of God.  He is the Creator who also sustains creation by the word of His power.  He is the Messiah foretold by the prophets, who brings God’s Kingdom and reconciles sinners to God. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and lived a sinless life. He took upon Himself full human nature, uniting divine and human natures in one Person, both natures being whole, perfect, and distinct.  In the gospel message, we learn that He voluntarily suffered and died on the cross as a substitutionary, wrath-appeasing, atoning sacrifice for sin according to the will of the Father.  We believe in His bodily resurrection and ascension into heaven; where He is now our interceding High Priest, Mediator, Shepherd, and King. We believe in the personal, visible return of Jesus  (Isaiah 9:6; Matthew 1:18-25, 3:2; Luke 24:25-27; John 1:14, 12:15; Acts 1:9-11; Romans 5:9-11; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:15-18; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Hebrews 1:1-4, 4:14-15, 7:26-27; 1 Peter 2:24-25, 3:18; Revelation 19:16).

We believe that the Holy Spirit is divine. He is the Lord and Creator who was promised by Jesus to also be the Counselor and Comforter to all who follow Christ.  We believe that without the Holy Spirit people would not be able to glorify God. With the Spirit, we have immense power to obey and honor the Lord. He ministers to every believer by regenerating, indwelling, baptizing, sealing, convicting, sanctifying, and empowering for life and godliness.  He gives spiritual gifts to believers to glorify God and edify both the universal and local church (John 14:16-17, 15:26, 16:7-14; Acts 1:8, 5:3-4; Romans 12:3-13; 1 Corinthians 12:4-13; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 1:13-14, 2:22, 4:11-12; Titus 3:5).

We believe that the Bible, composed of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments, is the Word of God.  The original manuscripts were verbally inspired by God, as holy men were moved by the Spirit to record God’s special revelation to man.  Divine inspiration extended equally and fully to all parts of Scripture.  We also believe that the original manuscripts were free from error.  We believe that the Bible is the supreme, authoritative, and infallible rule of faith and conduct.  The Bible is the written Word testifying to the Living Word, Jesus Christ.  The Bible can be properly understood through careful study under the illumination of the Holy Spirit (Mark 13:31; John 5:39, 16:12-15, 20:31; Acts 20:32; 1 Corinthians 2:10-12; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12; 2 Peter 1:20-21).

We believe that a historical Adam and Eve were created good and originally lived in perfect communion with God.  However, Adam and Eve, by voluntary transgression, sinned. Because of Adam’s disobedience the entire race was alienated from God and all creation suffers from its effects. This results in not only physical, but spiritual death which is separation from God. All human beings, by physical birth, possess a sin nature and are therefore actual sinners in thought, word, and deed; and man, as such, is condemned to Hell and utterly unable to remedy his lost condition by himself.  Man’s only hope of redemption is by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ alone (Genesis 1:26-31, 3:1-8; Romans 3:23, 5:12-21, 6:23, 8:18-23).

Both Adam and Eve were created in God’s image, equal before God in their persons and distinct in their genders. Distinctions in masculine and feminine roles are ordained by God as part of the created order, and resonate in every human heart throughout all time.  Ultimately, distinctions in gender display the glory of God; and in marriage, the uniting of a man and woman reveals both the mystery of the relationship between Christ and the Church and also the glorious relationship of leadership, submission, and mutual love within the Godhead.

We believe sexual relationships are to be confined and celebrated solely within the marriage covenant between one man and one woman. The principle of a male headship, which includes a unique, sacrificial and loving leadership, exhibits the character of Jesus.  The principle of female submission, which comes from a desire to sacrificially love, exemplifies the church’s relationship to Christ.  These distinctions are intended to be applied in the family and in the church – revealing what is good, beautiful, and best for individuals and society at large (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:18, 21-24; 1 Corinthians 11:2-12; Galatians. 3:28; Ephesians 5:21-33; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Timothy 2:11-15).

We believe that from all eternity God determined in grace to save guilty sinners from every tribe and language and people and nation. We believe that God rescues those who by grace have faith in Jesus, and that He will one day glorify them. In love, God now commands and implores all people to repent and believe on Jesus (John 3:16, 6:35-40; Romans 8:29-30; Ephesians 1:5, 1:11, 2:8-9; 1 Peter 1:1-2; Revelation 5:9).

We believe that the gospel is the good news of Jesus and it is the power of God that leads people to salvation. We believe the gospel is not proclaimed if Jesus is not proclaimed, and we believe that the authentic Jesus has not been proclaimed if His substitutionary death and resurrection are not central to the message. For the gospel to be accurate, it must be in accordance with the Scriptures, pointing people to the historical and eternal Jesus Christ who is also the Lord who reconciles sinners to God (Deuteronomy 21:23; John 20:30-31; Acts 5:30, 10:39, 13:29; Romans 1:16; 1 Corinthians 15:3-6; Galatians 3:13).

Jesus perfectly obeyed his heavenly Father, lived a sinless life, and performed miraculous signs. We believe that by his incarnation, life, death, resurrection, and ascension, Jesus Christ acted as our representative and substitute. He did this so that in him we might become the righteousness of God: on the cross he canceled sin, propitiated God, and, by bearing the full penalty of our sins, reconciles to God all those who believe. By his resurrection Christ Jesus was vindicated by his Father, broke the power of death, defeated Satan, and brings everlasting life to all his people; by his ascension he has been forever exalted as Lord and has prepared a place for us to be with him. We believe that salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved (Genesis 3:15; Matthew 27:2; John 14:2-3; Acts 1:11, 4:12; Romans 3:21-22, 5:17; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31; 1 Corinthians 15:55-57; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:5-11; 1 Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 2:1, 3:8).

We believe that salvation is found in no one else and nothing other than Jesus Christ. By the sovereign grace and mercy of God, Christ purchased people on the cross. When a person comes to repentant faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, apart from any work or merit, he or she receives all the promised saving benefits of God, including forgiveness of sins and eternal life. We therefore affirm that believers cannot boast in their salvation, but instead boast in Jesus Christ who has become their wisdom, righteousness, holiness, and redemption (John 1:12; Acts 4:12; Romans 10:9-15; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 2:8-10; 2 Timothy 3:15; Titus 2:11, 3:5-7).

When someone trusts Jesus for salvation, that person is pardoned of all their sins and declared righteous in God’s sight forever. This forgiveness and righteousness comes to us not on the basis of our righteous works, because we had none. Instead, this pardon and righteousness comes because Jesus, at the cross, took the wrath of God in the place of sinners and imputed to the believer His own righteousness. Therefore, a believer is “in Christ” instead of “in Adam,” being a part of a new and redeemed race (Romans 3:21-26, 4:5-8, 5:12-21; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21).

We believe that anyone who is justified is also adopted into God’s family and now possesses the rights and privileges of a child of God. Being a part of God’s family ensures that a believer is included in God’s kingdom, causing us to eagerly await the finalization of our adoption. We believe the doctrine of adoption reminds us that those in God’s family are loved, cherished, and delighted in by God Himself (Ephesians 4:1-5; Galatians 4:4-5; Romans 8:23).

We believe that God’s salvation sets a believer free to worship God in every aspect of their lives. We also believe that God promises to cause a believer to persevere in their pursuit of God’s glory in their daily life. The doctrine of sanctification teaches us that the believer is completely sanctified in this life in that he is positionally set apart unto God as a “slave of righteousness” instead of as a “slave to sin.” This doctrine also teaches us that the believer will be progressively sanctified in this life as he grows in grace and is transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit (John 17:17; Romans 6:20-23, 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 3:18; Ephesians 4:24; Philippians 1:6, 2:12-13; 1 Thessalonians 5:23; Hebrews 10:14; 2 Peter 3:18).