Our Doctrinal Statement

1.      The Doctrine of the Bible

a)      It is pure: Inspiration - given by God.  II Timothy 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:"  Any time the word Bible, Word of God, scripture or any other word referring to the Bible it is specifically referring to the King James Version of the Bible.  The King James Version is the only one we recognize at our church.  We do not endorse any revisions or other versions in the English language.

b)      It is preserved: Indestructible - guaranteed by God.  Psalms 12:6-7 (6) The words of the LORD are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. (7) Thou shalt keep them, O LORD, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever."  God has promised to preserve his word and he always keeps his promises.

c)      It is perfect: Infinite - grace of God. Psalms 19:7 "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple."  The bible is the sole and final authority in all church matters.  The Bible should correct man and man should never correct the Bible.  By conviction we only use the King James Version of the Bible.

2.      The Doctrine of the Trinity   

We believe in one God manifested in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.  I John 5:7 "For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one."  John 1:1-14 make it clear that the "Word" referred in I John 5:7 is Jesus.  

3.      The Doctrine of Jesus

a)      The Creator: Jesus created all things and people.  Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."   Jesus is God.  John 10:30 "I and my Father are one." Since he is God he is the great creator.   

b)     The Conception: Jesus was born of a virgin and it was prophesized 700 hundred years before it happened by the prophet Isaiah. (Isaiah 7:14)  It was fulfilled in Matthew 1:18-25 when Jesus was born of a virgin.

c)      The Christ: Jesus is the Messiah, the long awaited anointed one.  John 1:41 "He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ."

d)     The Chief: The head and the founder of the church.  Colossians 1:18 "And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence."

e)      The Coequal: Jesus is completely equal with God (Philippians 2:5-8) because Jesus is God.  John 10:30 "I and my Father are one." (John 10:27-30)

f)       The Cleanliness: Jesus lived a pure and spotless life.  Jesus was totally free from any sin.  1 John 3:5 "And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin."  Jesus was our perfect substitute to pay for our sin debt. (II Cor. 5:14-21)

g)      The Crucifixion: Jesus died on the cross for our sins. (I Corinthians. 15:1-4)

h)     The Conquering: He rose again from the dead (I Corinthians 15:3-4) on the 3rd day.   This was the greatest event in human history and without it we would have no hope. I Corinthians 15:14 "And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain."

i)        The Cleansing: Without the shedding of the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ there is no forgiveness of sin.  Colossians 1:14 "In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins:"  (1 John 1:7)

4.      The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit

a)      The Person: Third person of the trinity, equal with the Father and the Son. (I John 5:7)

b)     The Plan: Anoints yielded Christians and teaches spiritual truth.  (John 14:26)

c)      The Purging: Convicts people of sin and regenerates all believers.  (John 16:8)

d)     The Protection: He indwells and seals all believers.  (John 7:37-39, Ephesians 4:30)

5.      The Doctrine of the Sinful Nature of Mankind

a)      The Creation: Man was directly created by God, made in his image.  (Gen. 1:1, 26-28)

b)     The Choice: Man by choice disobeyed and became a sinner. (Romans 3:23, 5:12)

c)      The Condition: Man has no hope in himself, but he needs a savior. (John 3:16)

6.      The Doctrine of Salvation

a)      It’s a Present: Salvation is a free gift of God, and is received by personal faith in Jesus.  Ephesians 2:8-9 (8) "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast."

b)     It’s Permanent: It is eternal and can never be lost.  John 3:36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."

c)      It’s Private: There is no other way of eternal salvation outside of faith in Jesus and it is impossible to work your way to heaven.  (Acts 4:12)  Baptism cannot save or wash away sins it is an act of obedience after we get saved.  1 Peter 3:21 "The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:"

d)     It’s Personal: Man must exercise his free will to accept or reject Jesus.  (Rom. 10:13, John 3:16).  God started the process by seeking mankind to be reconciled back to Himself.  God never forces His will upon man and punishes and rewards accordingly to our actions.  We reject the false teachings of Calvinism (the TULIP outline) and Arminianism and uphold the doctrine of salvation as it is taught in the Bible.

7.      The Doctrine of Good Works and Rewards

a)      Testimony: Good works don’t save, they show we are saved. (Eph 2:8-10)

b)      Truth: All Christians shall stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  (II Cor. 5:10).  Christians will be rewarded here for their service for Christ or suffer loss of reward at the judgment seat.  1 Corinthians 3:15 "If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire.  Our motives as well as our actions shall be judged by God."

8.      The Doctrine of the Existence of Satan  (Isaiah 14:12-14)

a)      His Perfection: He was originally created in perfection.     

b)      His Pride: He rebelled against God.

c)      His Power: He is the god of this world. (II Corinthians. 4:3-4)

d)     His Problem: He is limited by God (Job 1-2)

e)      His Prowling: He seeks to destroy people. (I Peter 5:8)           

f)       His Punishment: Hell forever in the lake of fire.  His final doom is certain.  (Revelation 20:10).  All who reject Jesus as their savior will have the same destiny.

9.      The Second Coming of Christ  (Revelation)

a)      The Promise: Jesus will return bodily and visibly to earth (Acts 1:11). 

b)      The Pre-tribulation rapture: It comes before the seven year tribulation and the millennial kingdom.  (I Thessalonians 4:13-18, Revelation 19:1-6)

c)      The Preparation: To be saved before the rapture and warn everyone you can before it is too late.  We need to give out the gospel earnestly.

10.  The Doctrine of  Eternity

a)      The Saved: Will spend eternity in Heaven.  (John 3:16, 3:36)

b)      The Sinner: Will spend eternity in Hell for rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ as their savior.  (Revelation 20:14-15)

11.  The Doctrine of the Priesthood of All Believers

a)      Access: All Christians have direct access to God.  There is no need for a human priest to go to God for us.  I Timothy 2:5 "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;"

b)      Accountability: Each believer is accountable to God and His Word.  (Luke 12:48)  Each believer needs to study the Bible and rightly interpret and apply the Bible to their own life.  It is a great privilege and responsibility to have a copy of  the Bible to be able to study and we need the help of the Holy Spirit.  (II Timothy 2:15, Luke 12:48)

12.  The Doctrine of the Church  (Matthew 16:16-18, Ephesians 4:11-12)

a)      The Object: Evangelize the lost and edify the saints.  (Matt. 28:18-20, Eph. 4:11-12)

b)      The Ordinances: Baptism and The Lord’s Supper.  Baptism is by immersion only and the person must be saved first.  The Lord's Supper is done with unleavened bread and grape juice as picture of our Lord's death and the blood he shed for us.

c)      The Operation: There should never be any outside control of the church.  It is a local visible body under the control of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Colossians 1:18).  We totally reject the Catholic and Protestant theory of the invisible church.

·         Our Authority: The Bible and the Lord Jesus. (Matthew. 4:4, Matthew 28:18)

·         Our Autonomy: This church is free to govern itself. (Col. 1:18, Mat. 16:18).  No ecclesiastical or government body has authority over the local church and its sovereignty must never be surrendered.  A local church is free to cooperate with another church of like faith and practice in any areas they think are helpful, but must reject any outside group trying to gain authority over our local assembly.

13.  The Doctrine of Creation (Genesis 1-2, John 1:1-14, Colossians 1:16-18)

a)      The Power of Creation: God created the Heaven and the Earth.  Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."  He has created all life and we take creation account in Genesis to be literal and without error.  We totally reject evolution.  It is not a valid scientific theory and it contradicts the Bible.  It is a dangerous teaching that promotes all kinds of sin in our society.  We believe God created the earth in six literal days and the earth is approximately 6,000 years old.  (Col 1:16-18, John 1:1-14, Genesis 1-11)  Life cannot form from non-life and only God can create something out of nothing.

b)      The Purpose of Creation: To glorify God.  Revelation 4:11 "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created."

14.  The Doctrine of Separation (James 4:4, I John 2:15-17, II Corinthians 6:14-17)

a)      A Pure Life: We are to glorify God and flee from sin and from worldly carnal living.  (I John 2:15)  We must abstain from all appearance of evil (I Thessalonians 5:22).  Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 6:19-20) and that we must not partake of the sinful things of this present world.

b)      A Powerful Life: Victorious Christian living by yielding ourselves to God.  (Romans 12:1-3)  Victory comes through the Spirit of God, not our own strength.  (Zech. 4:6)

c)      A Prosperous Life: Through obedience to the Bible.  (Joshua 1:8)

15.  Statement on Marriage and Sexuality

a)      The definition: The term “marriage” has only one meaning and that is marriage sanctioned by God which joins one naturally-born man and one naturally-born woman in a single, exclusive union, as taught in Scripture. Genesis 2:24 "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh."

b)      The design: We believe that God intends sexual intimacy to only occur between a naturally-born man and a naturally-born woman who are married to each other. We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of a marriage. Hebrews 13:4 "Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge."

c)      The disgrace: We believe that any form of sexual immorality, such as adultery, fornication, homosexuality, bisexual conduct, bestiality, incest, pornography or any attempt to change one’s sex, or disagreement with one’s biological sex, is sinful and offensive to God. Leviticus 18:22 "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination." (Psalm 139:14, Romans 1:27, Matthew 5:28)

d)     The defense: We believe that in order to preserve the function and integrity of the church as the local Body of Christ, and to provide a biblical role model to the church members and the community, it is imperative that all persons employed by the church in any capacity, or who serve as volunteers, should abide by and agree to this Statement on Marriage and Sexuality and conduct themselves accordingly.  Anyone who engages in any sexual activity outside the marital union cannot be employed by the church or serve in any volunteer capacity.  They will be immediately removed from their position and their membership as well.  Any member who is not employed by the church who engages in this type of activity will removed immediately from their volunteer position and dismissed form membership in the church.

e)      The desire: We believe that God offers redemption and restoration to all who confess and forsake their sin, seeking His mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.  It is our desire to see every person saved and know Jesus as their savior.  We believe each person should be treated with kindness, respect, and dignity.  We will not change our doctrine to fit modern cultural trends but hold fast to the truth in the Word of God.

16.  Statement of Biblical Authority

The statement of faith does not exhaust all our doctrine.  The Bible itself which is without error is the final authority concerning truth, morality, and the proper conduct of mankind, and all we believe.  For purposes of church doctrine, practice, policy, and discipline, our pastor is the church’s final interpretive authority on the Bible’s meaning and application.

17.  The Doctrine of Music

a)      The content: All lyrics in the song must be doctrinally sound and show honor unto God.  Psalm 30:4 "Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness."  You cannot exalt him in music if it follows the sensual patterns of music that the world uses and has shallow words. 

b)      The combination: All music should glorify God in both the lyrics and the music.  If both are not godly the song is not Christian.  Psalm 147:7 "Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:"  The right kind of music is very soothing to the soul.  1 Samuel 16:23 "And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him."  We totally reject the contemporary trend to mix worldly music (rock, rap, etc.) with so called Christian lyrics.  “When the standard of music is lowered, then the standard of dress is also lowered. When the standard of dress is lowered, then the standard of conduct is also lowered. When the standard of conduct is lowered, then the sense of value in God’s truth is lowered.”  Gordon Sears

c)      The commitment: To have a godly music program where scriptural standards are set by the pastor and are performed to honor God by all those involved in the music ministry of the church.  1 Corinthians 10:31 "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God."

18.  Family Relationships

a)      We believe that men and women are spiritually equal in position before God but that God has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the home and the church.  The husband is to be the leader of the home, and men are to be the leaders (pastors and deacons) of the church.  Accordingly, only men are eligible for licensure and ordination by the church. (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:18; 1 Tim. 2:8-15; 3:4-5, 12)

b)      We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society.  The husband is to love his wife as Christ loves the church.  The wife is to submit herself to the Scriptural leadership of her husband as the church submits to the headship of Christ.  Children are an heritage from the Lord.  Parents are responsible for teaching their children spiritual and moral values through consistent lifestyle example and appropriate discipline, including Scriptural corporal correction.  (Gen. 1:26-28; Ex. 20:12; Deut. 6:4-9; Ps. 127:3-5; Prov. 19:18; 22:15; 23:13-14; Mk. 10:6-12; 1 Cor. 7:1-16; Eph. 5:21-33; 6:1-4, Col. 3:18-21; Heb. 13:4; 1 Pet. 3:1-7)

c)      Divorce and Remarriage: We believe that God disapproves of and forbids divorce and intends marriage to last until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication. Although divorced and remarried persons or divorced persons may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices of pastor or deacon.  (Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom. 7:1-3; 1 Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6)

19. Authority of Doctrinal Statement

  The doctrinal statement does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The bible itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe.  We do believe however that the foregoing doctrinal statement accurately represents the teachings of the bible and, therefore, is binding upon all members.  All literature, whether print or electronic, used in the church shall be in complete agreement with the doctrinal statement.

Where the Bible is the Final Authority!