Doctrinal Statement of Faith The Bible: We believe the Bible is our supreme authority for faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17). All 39 books of the Old Testament and 27 books of the New Testament are inspired (not the men, but the words) by the Holy Spirit in that they are at the very same time the words of God and the words of men. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21). Moreover, we believe that the original manuscripts are without error in all that they affirm to be true (John 10:35, 17:17). Although we do not possess the original manuscripts, we do have the originals preserved in the manuscript copies! Therefore, our modern translations are trustworthy and reliable. Because the Bible was written long ago in a different culture, we must use proper means of interpreting Scripture by employing the Grammatical-Historical-Cultural-Contextual interpretation. God: We believe that Scripture testifies to a Trinitarian God composed of God the Father (John 6:27; 1 Peter 1:2), God the Son (John 1:1-3; 20:28), and God the Holy Spirit (Acts 5:3-4; John 3:5-8). God exists eternally as three persons and each person is fully and equally God, yet there is one God. Because God is Spirit and He does not possess a physical body, He is immaterial and incorporeal yet He exists and is not limited by space (John 4:24). He is infinite, meaning that he is not subject to any human limitations. He is greater than anything else that exists. God does not change or grow in His being (Malachi 3:6; James 1:17). He is completely perfect and as a result His plans are perfect and do not change. God knows all there is to know because His knowledge is perfect and complete (John 21:17; Acts 15:18; Romans 11:33). God is sovereign and all powerful. He is only limited by His attributes because God cannot act contrary to His nature. Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity. God the Son existed “eternally” before His incarnate state (John 3:13). Jesus humbled Himself and took on a human nature without detracting from His divine nature (Hebrews 2:14-15; Philippians 2:5-8). In his incarnate state He displayed the attributes of God and even claimed to be God (John 8:58). Not only is Jesus perfectly God, But He is perfectly man. He had a human birth (Isaiah 7:14; Luke 2:7). He grew as a child (Luke 2:40). He displayed physical human needs: He was physically exhausted and tired (Matthew 8:24). He ate and drank (Matthew 26:26-30). He even experienced human suffering and death (Luke 23; Mark 15; Matthew 27). Jesus was clearly both God and man (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:23). Jesus was born sinless and lived as sinless life (Isaiah 7:14). He never did anything to violate or transgress the Mosaic Law or anything that would displease the Father (John 15:10). On the contrary, everything Jesus did was to please the Father (John 8:29). He was tempted in all things, yet in Christ there is no sin and there was no one who was ever able to accuse Him of sin (Matthew 4:1-11; 1 John 3:5, 8:46).  Jesus was crucified under Pontius Pilate, died, was buried, and on the third day he rose again in bodily form (Luke 24:6-8). The resurrection of Christ is a fact that Christ Himself prophesied before His arrest and crucifixion (Matthew 20:19). As a result, the resurrection authenticates Christ’s claim as both Lord and God. Many witnesses testify to the fact of the resurrection: Mary Magdalene and the other women (Matthew 28:8-10), Peter (Luke 24:34), the disciples on the road to Emmaus (Mark 16:12), all the disciples except Thomas, in the upper room (Luke 24:36-43), Thomas (Mark 16:14), the Apostles and more than five hundred and James the half brother of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:6-7). The Holy Spirit: We believe the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. Because He is a person he should be referred to as such. Concerning His deity, He is directly identified and referred to as God (Acts 5:3). The divine attributes that He possesses and displays testify to His divinity. He is all knowing (1 Corinthians 2:10-12), all powerful (Job 33:4), ever-present (Psalm 139:7-10), and eternal (Hebrews 9:14). It is the Holy Spirit who regenerates, transforms and indwells those who have placed their trust in Christ (Ezekiel 36:25-27). Upon regeneration the Holy Spirit distributes individual gifts to each and every believer for the building up of the body (1 Corinthians 12). The miraculous/apostolic gifts were given temporarily to authenticate the message (1 Corinthians 13:8; Ephesians 2:20). Some of the works of the Spirit are: creation (Genesis 1:2), the conception of Christ’s humanity (Matthew 1:20), the inspiration of Scripture (2 Peter 1:20-21), illumination of Scripture (John 16:13), convicting of sin (John 16:8-9), intercession (Romans 8:26), sanctification (2 Thessalonians 2:13), and helping those who have been born again (John 14:16). Humanity: Mankind did not evolve, but is a result of God’s direct immediate creation (Genesis 1:26-27). Before the fall, mankind was sinless and his ultimate purpose is to glorify God (Isaiah 43:7). But through man’s voluntary act of disobedience sin entered into the world (Romans 5:12). Through this one act of disobedience all of mankind has become tainted with sin and are deserving of the wrath of God (Psalm 14:2-3; Romans 1:18-20, 3:23). The penalty for disobedience is both physical and spiritual death (Genesis 2:16-17). Salvation: We believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures (2 Corinthians 5:21). Salvation is a complete work of God, a gift of His grace to those whom He chose before the foundation of the world (John 6:44; Ephesians 1:4-11). There is nothing that man can do that will or can contribute to his salvation (Ephesians 2:8-9). Salvation is received only through the repentance of sins and placing trust in Christ as Lord (Acts 20:21; Romans 10:9-13). At the very moment of regeneration the Holy Spirit indwells the believer and places him into the body of Christ. therefore there is no need for a second baptism of the Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13). After a conversion experience has taken place, each and every believer has become a new person and will display acts in accordance with their transformation (2 Corinthians 5:17, Matthew 7:17-23). The Church: The universal Church is composed of each and every regenerated believer from the time of Pentecost up to the rapture and is called the body of Christ, with Christ as the head (Acts 2; Ephesians 5:22-23; Matthew 16:18; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11). The Universal Church gathers in the form of local churches where believers participate in the divine prescribed ordinances of Baptism by immersion and the Lord’s Supper (Matthew 28:18-20; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26). The primary commission of the Church is to make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20).The structure of the church should follow the example Paul gave to Timothy for the local church at Ephesus, with Elders and Deacons serving the body (1Timothy 3). The members of the church are to work together in unity for the building up of the body (Ephesians 4:16). The church will exercise discipline according to Scripture to pursue purity within the body of Christ, the Church (Matthew 18:15-20; 1 Peter 2:5). The Future: We believe that all people will be physically resurrected (Acts 24:14-15; 1 Corinthians 15:22-23). Those who have place their trust in Christ as their personal Lord and Savior will enter into eternal life with God (John 6:39-40). Those who have not been saved will face retribution and eternal punishment (Matthew 8:12, 13:41-42, 25:41-43). Jesus Christ’s return for His church is eminent (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). After the rapture of the Church, there will be a time of terrible tribulation (Isaiah 24:20-21; Jeremiah 25:32-33; Revelation 4, 19). Then Christ will establish His earthly Davidic Kingdom (Revelation 20:1-9). Finally, God will create a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21:1-22:5).