<p> Doctrinal Statement</p><p>The Bible: We believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God composed of the 66 books of the Old and New Testaments. We believe that the entire Bible is infallible and inerrant in the original manuscripts, and is our only rule of faith and practice. We believe that all the Scriptures center about the Lord Jesus Christ in His person and work in His first and second coming, and hence that no portion, of even the Old Testament, is properly read, or understood, until it leads to Him. </p><p>The Trinity: We believe in one God who exists eternally in three persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. These three are one in nature, attributes, and perfections, but distinct in person and function. They are omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. They are equally worthy of worship, confidence, and obedience. </p><p>God the Father: We believe that God the Father is the first person of the Trinity, and the source of all that God is or does. He orders all things after the council of His own will, and concerns Himself in the affairs of men. He is the designer of creation, the author of redemption, and the sovereign of history. </p><p>God the Son: We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the second person of the Trinity. He is God revealed in the flesh, without sin, and is fully God and fully man. He was conceived by the virgin Mary through a miracle of the Holy Spirit. He was sent by the Father for the purpose of being the perfect, sinless sacrifice for the sins of all mankind; He died in our place, was buried, and rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures, thereby gaining victory over death for us. He then ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father where He intercedes for believers. He is the object of our faith, the only way to the Father, and our great High Priest. He lives eternally as perfect God and perfect man. </p><p>God the Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third person of the Trinity. Though eternal, He came into the world in a special sense on the day of Pentecost, and now dwells in every believer. By His baptism He unites all believers to Christ in one body, and He is the source of all power and all acceptable worship and service. The Holy Spirit seals all believers until the day of redemption, verifying that their salvation is eternally secure. He guides, teaches, and helps believers. He gives spiritual gifts to each believer for the perfecting of the saints in the work of the ministry. He convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. Angels, Fallen and Unfallen: We believe that God created an innumerable company of sinless, spiritual beings, known as angels. The highest one in rank, “Lucifer, son of the morning,” sinned through pride, thereby becoming Satan. A great company of angels followed him in his moral fall, some of whom are active as Satan’s agents and associates in the carrying out of his unholy purposes, while others who fell are “reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day”. The unfallen angels are “ministering spirits” who kept their first estate and are therefore designated as the “holy angels”. </p><p>Satan: We believe that Satan is the originator of sin, and led Adam and Eve into sin. He is the enemy of both God and the people of God, opposing and exalting himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped. He appears as an angel of light, even counterfeiting the works of God. We believe that Satan was judged at the Cross, though not then executed, and that he, a usurper, now rules as “the god of this world”. His ultimate destiny is the lake of fire where he will be tormented day and night forever and ever. </p><p>Man: We believe that all of humanity was created in the image and likeness of God. However, the disobedience of Adam led to sin entering the world. This sin was passed on to all of humankind, destroying their relationship with God, and resulting in death. All humans are sinners by nature and choice, and are therefore under the just condemnation of a holy God. </p><p>Sin: We believe that sin is any lack of conformity to the will of God, including actions and thoughts. All people are sinners, and therefore are separated from God. The result of sin is always the same, death. However, there is forgiveness and cleansing from sin through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, whose death was sufficient to pay the penalty of sin once and for all. </p><p>Salvation: We believe that salvation is fully by grace and faith alone through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, and that whoever receives Him as Savior is regenerated by the Holy Spirit and becomes justified as a child of God. This is only possible because of the work of Jesus Christ, who became sin for the sake of the world, dying in our place. Nothing besides the sacrifice of Jesus leads to salvation, not even religious practices, or any other form of works. It is only by the grace of God that we can have faith and assurance of our salvation. Salvation comes through faith in Christ, and Christ alone. We believe that through the unhindered power of the Spirit the believer will grow in Christ, and will thus grow through the process of sanctification. This is a continuing process throughout the life of a believer, in which the believer grows and gradually transforms into the image of Christ. This process is a continuing, life long process that will not be completed until the believer joins Christ in Heaven, becoming glorified and perfected in holiness. We believe that since salvation is solely based on the grace of God and not the works of a believer, everyone who truly accepts Christ as their Lord and Savior is eternally secure in their salvation and is kept by the power of God. The Church: We believe the Church, comprised of all who have trusted in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, is the body of Christ. Christ Himself is the head of the church, and all believing saints, both visible and in heaven, make up the universal body of Christ, the Church.</p><p>The Local Church: We believe that the local church is an assembly of baptized believers, under the discipline of the Word of God, and under the leadership of Christ, organized to carry out the commission to evangelize, teach, and administer the two ordinances of baptism and communion. Local church leadership is comprised of pastors and deacons, and it is self-governing. It operates through the ministry of gifts given by the Holy Spirit to each believer. </p><p>End Times: We believe in the imminent, literal return of Christ for His Church. After the rapture of the Church to heaven, there will be a period of Great Tribulation lasting 7 years and the nations will be judged. This period is followed by the return of Christ with His bride, the Church, to set up His literal 1000-year millennial kingdom. Then the unsaved will be raised and judged according to their works and separated forever from God in Hell. The saved, having been raised, will live forever in heaven and in fellowship with God. </p>