Statement of Faith

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God: We believe there is one and only God. He is Creator of all things, holy and infinitely perfect and true. He eternally exists as a spiritual and personal being in a loving unity of three equally divine Persons in the Trinity, revealing Himself as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. With infinite wisdom, sovereign power, and perfection in truth, God has graciously purposed from eternity to redeem a people for Himself and to make all things new for His own glory.

The Bible: We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures and continue to be profitable for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness. Both the Old and New Testaments were inspired by the Holy Spirit and written down without error in the original writings. It is the ultimate authority by which God's standards are communicated to humanity, with the goal of directing us towards salvation in Christ. All human conduct, creeds, and religious opinions should be submitted to Scripture's revealed and trustworthy truth.

Humanity: Man and woman are the special creations of God, the crowning work of His creation. Made in His image, Adam and Eve sinned when tempted by Satan. By choice sin was brought into the human race. We, as Adam and Eve's descendents, are sinners by nature and by choice, and therefore are separated from a holy God. Only by the grace of God did He make a way through Jesus Christ to rescue, reconcile, and renew us to Him. The sacredness of human personality is evident in that God created mankind in His own image, and in that Christ died for man; therefore, every person of every race possesses full dignity and is worthy of respect and Christian love.

Jesus Christ: We believe that Jesus Christ is God incarnate, fully God and fully man-- one Person with two natures. As the Son of God and Israel's promised Messiah, He was concieved of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. Perfectly modeling obedience, He lived a sinless life, was crucified and died to take the punishment we rightfully deserved, then He defeated death, rising from the dead in a glorified body on the third day. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest. There, He is a final Mediator between God and mankind. He will return one day in power and glory to judge the world and complete His mission to claim those who love Him. 

Holy Spirit: We believe the Holy Spirit is the fully divine, Spirit of God. His mission is to exalt Christ by convicting mankind of their sin and by enabling mankind to understand truth. He regenerates sinners and in Him they are baptized into union with Christ. He cultivates Christian character, comforts believers, and bestows the spiritual gifts by which they serve God through His church. He indwells, illuminates, guides, equips, and empowers believers for Christ-like living and service. 

Salvation: Salvation is the redemption of the whole person, offered freely to all who profess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, who by His own blood purchased eternal redemption for them. Those who accept Christ as Savior acknowledge regeneration, justification, sanctification, and glorification. Regeneration is a second birth where we become new creatures in Christ Jesus, paired with repentence (turning from sin towards God) and faith (trust in the truth of Christ and commitment of the whole being towards Him as Lord). Justification is the legal standing, where God pardons the debt of sin of the believer and brings them into a relationship of peace and favor with God. Sanctification is a continual process throughout a believer's life, now enabled through the Holy Spirit to progress towards moral and spiritual maturity. Lastly, glorification is the final stage of salvation (for those who die or have the privledge of witnessing Christ's return) where the believer is fully reconciled to God, fully away from the stain of sin, and able to perfectly enjoy and worship God in eternity.

Christ's Return: We believe in the personal, bodily, and glorious return of our Lord Jesus Christ. Until that time, we believe in regular, committed participation in a local church body. With God's Word, the Spirit's power, and fervent prayer in Christ's name, we make disciples of all peoples, bearing witness to the good news of Christ Jesus in word and deed. With constant expectancy, we await the coming of Christ, at a time known only to God.

Last Things: We believe that God commands everyone everywhere to believe the gospel by turning to Him in repentance and receiving the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe that God will raise the dead bodily and judge the world, assigning the unbeliever to condemnation and eternal conscious punishment and the believer to eternal blessedness and joy with the Lord in the new heaven and the new earth, to glorify and enjoy Him forever.