Doctrinal Statement

The Scriptures

The Bible is God’s written revelation to man, authored by the Holy Spirit, and
recorded in sixty-six books. It was penned by human authors who, using their
individual personalities and styles of writing, composed God’s Word without
error. The Bible is inerrant in its original documents, infallible in what it
teaches, authoritative over every life, sufficient for salvation and spiritual
growth, clear in essential matters, and immutable for time and eternity.

The Trinity

We teach that there is but one living and

true God, who eternally exists in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—who are
co-equal and co-eternal, one in essence and one in will. Each Person of the
Trinity shares the same divine attributes, each deserving worship and
obedience. The triune God is holy, infinite, eternal, omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent, wise, immutable, wrathful, truthful, merciful, loving, grace-giving,
and righteous.

God the Father

God the Father has decreed from eternity past all things that come to pass for
His own glory. He is the Creator of all things out of nothing, the sovereign
Administrator of history, providence, and salvation, including all events and
destinies. Nevertheless, He is not the author of sin, nor does He relieve man
of his personal responsibility. Before time began, God chose those who would
be His people and gave them to His Son to be His chosen bride. Within time,
He sent His Son into the world to be the Savior of sinners.

God the Son

Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of the living God, the Agent of creation, who
upholds all He has made. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of a
virgin without a sin nature, becoming the God-Man, truly God and truly Man.
He lived in perfect obedience to the Law, securing perfect righteousness for
sinners. He suffered a vicarious death upon the cross, bearing the sins of
many, becoming a curse, shedding His blood, satisfying God’s wrath,
redeeming, and freeing sinners from sin. After three days, He was raised from
the dead, ascended back to heaven, was enthroned at the right hand of God,
given all authority, and made the only Mediator between God and man.

God the Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Trinity, co-equal and co-eternal with
the Father and the Son, possessing holiness, omnipresence, omniscience,
omnipotence, and truth. The Spirit convicts of sin, draws to Christ,
regenerates sinners, grants repentance and faith, indwells believers, places
them in Christ, and seals them forever in Him. He sanctifies all believers,
empowers them to follow Christ, conforms them to His image and gives them
spiritual gifts to serve Him.

Angels

Angels are created beings, designed to worship God in heaven and serve Him
on the earth. Satan is a created angel, who exalted himself in heaven and led
a vast number of angels to join in his rebellion. He was cast down to the earth,
along with fallen angels, who are demon spirits. Satan is the ruler of the evil
world system, who corrupts the truth, authors false doctrine, blinds
unbelievers, sows unbelievers to the church, persecutes the church, and
opposes God’s work.

Man

Man was created by God in His image in a state of innocence, and was
intended to enjoy and glorify Him forever. The first man, Adam, sinned
against God, causing the entire human race to be subjected to both physical
and spiritual death. Man is born inherently corrupt, his mind darkened, his
heart defiled, and his will bound by sin, rendering him hopelessly lost. He is
plagued with moral inability, incapable of choosing or doing what is pleasing to
God. He is separated from God, living under the sentence of eternal
condemnation.

Sin

Sin is disobedience to God, any breaking of His Law, or any lack of conformity
to His holiness, which falls short of His glory. It results in human guilt and
divine condemnation that leads to judgment and eternal death. This corruption
renders him incapable of keeping God’s Law or believing His gospel.
Therefore, He is bound to His sin nature, predisposed to follow his selfish
desires.

Salvation

We teach that salvation is wholly of God and is the divine rescue of sinners.

Salvation is the divine rescue of sinners from God’s wrath, delivering them
from the penalty, power, and ultimately the presence of sin. This divine
intervention involves the sovereign act of regeneration, which produces
repentance and faith. This leads to justification, by which God declares the
believer to be righteous because of the saving work of Christ. Once applied by
faith alone, salvation is irrevocable, whereby a believer will never perish, nor
ever revert to being an unbeliever. Justification will always be evidenced in
sanctification, as the Christian lives in faithful obedience to the Word of God and progress in Christlikeness.

The Church

The universal church is sovereignly built by Jesus Christ and is composed of all true believers. In its local form, the church is filled with both believers and unbelievers. The local church is identified by the preaching of the word, the practice of baptism and communion, and the exercise of church discipline. It is to be led by elders and pastors and served by deacons. The church exists to evangelize the world, make disciples, and teach the full counsel of God.

Last Things

At the end of time, Christ will return in glory and establish His kingdom on the earth, a reign marked by harmony, justice, and peace. After the resurrection of the dead, He will preside in judgment over every person, rendering rewards to
believers and everlasting punishment to unbelievers. Satan and all unbelievers will be thrown into the lake of fire to suffer eternal wrath. As eternity unfolds, God will create a new heaven, new earth, and a new Jerusalem, in which the saints will live forever.