Statement of Faith
Following are some highlights of our Doctrinal Confession
For the full version, please click here
We believe there is one and only one true God, the Maker of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Exodus 20:2-3; I Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11; I John 5:7.
We believe in the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ: His virgin birth, His sinless life, His substitutionary death on the cross for our sins, His bodily resurrection from the grave, His ascension to the right hand of God the Father where he ever liveth to make intercession for the believers. Acts 1:11; I Thess 4:16-17; John 3:16; John 1:13; Hebrews 1:18; Colossians 1:15-19; Acts 4:12; Matthew 1:18
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 convicts of sin; that he bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies and helps the believer. John 14:16,17; Matt 28:19 ; Hebrews 9:14; John 14:26; Luke 1:35; 1:13, 14 ; Mark 1:8 ; John 1:33; Acts 11:16; Luke 24:49; Romans 8:14,16,26,27.
We believe that charismatic sign-gifts attested the authority of the apostles and prophets as revealers of truth; and that all such gifts have ceased for the remainder of the church age. 2 Cor 12:12; Heb 2:3,4 Rom 15:19.
We believe the Bible to be the verbally inspired word of God in whole and part, and as such is the sufficient and final authority in all matters for the believer. 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-21.
We believe Christians should and must grow in their obedience to and knowledge of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Eph 4:17-24; 2 Peter 3:18; Philippians 3:12-15.
We believe each member should serve their church in some active regular way.1 Cor 12:12-20; Eph 4:4-7, 16.
We believe in water baptism by immersion as a symbol of union with Jesus Christ and his church. Acts 2:38-41; 8:12, 36-38; 9:18; 10:47; 16:15; 18:8; 19;5.
We are pre-millinnial, pre-tribulational in our doctrine of last things. Pre-millennial, Daniel 2:31-45, Psalm 2, Pre-tribulational, 1 Thess 1:10; 5:9.
We believe in the historic Fundamentals of the Faith.
Today, the word “fundamentalist” has negative overtones. We see on the TV news about some “fundamentalists” and the usual connotation is that they are some wild-eyed, extremely radical and militant rebels. There are all sorts of Muslim Fundamentalists, Jihad Fundamentalists and so on. When we speak of being “fundamentalists” we mean that we subscribe to the 1895 Niagara Conference Fundamentals.
What are the historic Fundamentals of the Faith?
Doctrine of the virgin birth of Christ
Jesus Christ is totally God and yet totally man
Literal physical resurrection Jesus Christ
He really did die, he really was raised from the dead physically His death on the cross was a substitutionary atonement.
Inerrancy of scriptures.
Creation of the universe according to the Genesis account.
Miracles
Substitutionary Atonement
Depravity of man, need for redemption
Salvation by grace through faith
Literal physical Second Coming of Christ.
He will receive and reward his saints.
He will punish those who have rejected him with eternal torments in a place called hell.
We are Baptists.
In affirming that we are Baptists, we are not suggesting that we are the only ones who love Jesus Christ; that we are the only ones who hold to the inerrancy of the Scriptures or to the above fundamentals of the faith. In no way do we intend to suggest that we are superior, that our way is the only way to interpret certain doctrines of Scripture in order to remain true to the fundamentals of the faith above. We do however, affirm a commitment to the following distinctives:
B, biblical authority, sufficiency and inerrancy, 2 Tim 3:16,17.
A, autonomy of the local church, 1 Tim 3:15; 1 Cor 5:13; Acts 6:1-6; Matt 18:17
No other church or outside orgainzation can exercise ecclesiastical or doctrinal control over the local church
P, priesthood of all believers, Heb 4:14-16; Eph 2:18 Rev 1:5,6; 1 Pet 2:9.
T, two ordinances, baptism and communion, Acts 2:41,42
I, individual soul liberty, Rom 14:5.
S, saved, water-immersed membership, Acts 2:41,47.
T, two officers, pastor(elder/overseer) and deacon, Phil 1:1.
S, separation of church and state, Matt 22:21.
Section 1. Declaration of Faith
A. The New Hampshire Confession of Faith with the Pre-Millennial Revision shall be the Declaration of Faith of this Church.
B. The church may, when desirable, approve other Declarations of Faith, provided they are in harmony with the New Hampshire Confession, with Pre-Millennial Revision.
Section 2. Articles of Faith
A. Of the Scriptures
We believe that the Holy Bible as originally written was verbally inspired and the product of Spirit controlled men, and therefore, has truth without any admixture of error. 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. II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:19-21
B. Of The True God
We believe there is one and only one true God, and infinite Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. Exodus 20:2-3; I Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11; I John 5:7
C. Of Jesus Christ
We believe in the Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ: His virgin birth, His sinless life, His substitutionary death on the cross for our sins, His bodily resurrection from the grave, His ascension to the right hand of God the Father where he ever liveth to make intercession for the believers, His personal, visible, imminent and pre-millennial return for his own. We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and God the Son, that he is Very God of Very God, for whom all things were created. Acts 1:11; I Thess. 4:16-17; John 3:16; John 1:13; Hebrews 1:18; Colossians 1:15-19; Acts 4:12; Matthew 1:18
D. Of 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 His relationship to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God's purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; that he bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies and helps the believer. John 14:16,17; Matt 28:19 ; Hebrews 9:14; John 14:26; Luke 1:35; 1:13, 14 ; Mark 1:8 ; John 1:33; Acts 11:16; Luke 24:49; Romans 8:14,16,26,27
E. Of 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 judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. Matt 4:1-3; II Corinthians 4:4; Revelation 20:10
F. Of Creation
We accept the Genesis account of creation and believe that man came by direct creation of God and not by evolution. Genesis chapters 1 and 2; Colossians 1:16; John 1:3
G. Of 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 1:18, 32; 5:10-19
H. Of the Virgin Birth
We believe that Jesus was begotten of the Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner, born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever 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
I. Of the Atonement for 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 a 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 own 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; John 3:16 Matthew 18:11; Philippians 2:7; Hebrews 2:14; Isaiah 53:4-7; Romans 3:25; I John 4:10; I Corinthians 15:3; II Corinthians 5:21
J. Of Grace in the New Creation
We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that 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 sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift 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 it's proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life. John 3:3; II Corinthians 5:17; I John 5:1; John 3:6,7 ; Acts 16:30-33; II Peter 1:4; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:1; II Corinthians 5:19; Colossians 2:13; John 3:8
K. Of Justification
We believe that the great Gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is Justification;
- That Justification includes the pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life, on principles of righteousness.
- That it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemers blood, His righteousness is imputed to us.
Acts 13:39; Isaiah 53:11; Zechariah 13:1; Romans 8:1; Romans 5:1,9
L. Of Faith and Salvation
We believe that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the only condition of salvation. Acts 16:31
M. Of the Local Church
We believe that a local church is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by a 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 it's officers are Pastors, and Deacons, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures. We believe that the true Mission of the church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity. We hold that the local 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; that each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of it's cooperation; on all matters of membership, of policy, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, of the will of the local church is final. Acts 2:41,42; I Corinthians 11:2; Ephesians 1:22,23; Ephesians 4:11; Acts 20:17-28; I Timothy 3:17; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23,24; Acts 15:13-18
N. Of Baptism and the Lord's Supper
We believe that Christian Baptism is the immersion of a believer in water to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior, with it's effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life, that it is prerequisite to the privileges of a church revelation. We believe that the Lord's Supper is the commemoration of His death until He come, and should be proceeded always by solemn self-examination. Acts 8:26-39; John 3:23; Romans 6:3-5; Matthew 3:6; Colossians 2:12; I Corinthians 11:23-28
O. Of the Security of the Saints
We believe that all who are truly born again are kept by God the Father or Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6; John 10:28,29; Romans 8:35-39; Jude 1 (R.V.)
P. Of the Righteousness and the Wicked
We believe that there is a radical and essential difference between the righteousness and the wicked; that such only through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit of God, are truly righteousness in His esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse, and this distinction holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost. Malachi 3:18; Genesis 18:23; Romans 6:17-18; Romans 7:6; Romans 6:23; I John 5:19; Proverbs 14:32; Luke 6:25; Matthew 25:34-41; John 8:21
Q. Of Civil Government
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interests and good order of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed; except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the only Lord of conscience, and the coming Prince of the Kings of the earth. Romans 13:1-7; II Samuel 23:3; Exodus 18:21,22: Acts 23:5: Matthew 22:21; Acts 5:20; Acts 4:19,20; Daniel 3:17, 18
R. Of the Resurrection, Personal, Visible, Pre-Millennial Return of Christ, and Related Events.
- We believe in the bodily resurrection. Matt.28:6,7; Luke 24:39; John 20:27; I Cor.15:4; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:2-6
- The Ascension- Acts 1:9-11; Luke 24:51; Mark 16:19; Rev.3:21; Hebrews 12:2
- The High Priesthood- Hebrews 8:6; I Tim. 2:5; I John 2:1; Hebrews 2:17; Hebrews 5:9,10
- The Second Coming- John 14:3; Acts 1:11; I Thess. 4:16; James 5:8; Hebrews 9:28
- The Resurrection of the Righteous Dead- I Thess. 4:13-18; I Cor. 15:42-44; I Cor. 15:52
- The Change of the Living in Christ- I Cor. 15:51-53; I Thess. 4:13-18; Philippians 3:20,21
- The Throne of David- Luke 1:32; Isaiah 9:6,7; Acts 2:29,30
- The Millennial Reign- I Cor. 15:25; Isaiah 32:1; Isaiah 11:4,5; Psalm 72:8; Rev. 20:14; Rev. 20:6
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