Section 1 -- Concerning the SCRIPTURES:
| | We believe in the inspiration and infallibility of the Bible; that it is inerrant in its original writing, including both the Old and New Testaments. The Bible is the final rule of faith and practice for the Christian. Each individual has the privilege of reading and studying the Bible for himself while following the biblical admonition that "no Scripture is of any private interpretation" (II Peter 1:20).
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| Section 2 -- Concerning GOD:
| | We believe the Scriptures reveal God as the Eternally Existent One, Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent; that He is the Only God; One in essence and power, yet manifesting Himself in three Persons -Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
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| Section 3 -- Concerning CHRIST:
| | We believe in the Deity of our Lord Jesus Christ; His virgin birth; His sinless life; His substitutionary death on the Cross for our sins; His burial; His physical resurrection from the grave; His ascension to glory at the right hand of God where He ever lives to make intercession for believers; His return for the church, known as the Rapture of the Church; and His personal, visible, bodily return to the earth at the end of the tribulation to set up His millennial reign.
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| Section 4 -- Concerning the HOLY SPIRIT:
| | We believe in the Deity of the Holy Spirit. He is a person possessing all the distinctive and divine attributes of God. He is at work in the world: convincing men of their sin, revealing divine truth, as well as guiding and instructing believers in matters of Scripture interpretation. He continues to restrain evil "until he be taken out of the way" (II Thessalonians 2:7).
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| Section 5 -- Concerning MAN:
| | We believe God created man in His own image from the dust of the ground and that the humanistic theory of Evolution is false. The Scriptures record that the fall of man came through disobedience to the word of God and that by nature man is "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1), and that man is totally lost and eternally separated from God apart from salvation in Christ.
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| Section 6 -- Concerning SALVATION:
| | We believe that salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone and not of good works. It is the believer's responsibility to manifest his salvation by bearing the fruits of the Spirit, by staying faithful to the Lord and His Word, and by defending the Word and the church. It is God's responsibility to purify and sanctify the redeemed. We further believe that the believer's "hope" is to spend eternity with the Lord in Heaven.
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| Section 7 -- Concerning HEAVEN and HELL:
| | We believe that Heaven is the dwelling place of God and the future eternal dwelling place of the believer. Hell is the literal place of torment and separation from God and it is prepared for the Devil, his angels and all men who reject Jesus Christ and His salvation.
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| Section 8 -- Concerning the LOCAL CHURCH:
| | We believe a local church is a voluntary assembly or association of baptized believers, equal in rank and privilege, subject to the Word of God. It is independent of any external ecclesiastical control whatsoever. Christ alone is the Supreme Head and Authority of the Church thus directing His work through the local body of believers.
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| Section 9 -- Concerning CHURCH ORDINANCES:
| | We believe Christ gave two direct ordinances to the church: Believer's Baptism and the Lord's Supper.
| | | A. We believe God's Word commands every believer (and only believers) to be baptized by immersion in water. We do not believe there is any saving virtue in water baptism.
| | | B. We believe the ordinance of the Lord's Supper should be observed according to the teaching of the Gospels, and of I Corinthians 11:23-26 “in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.” We do not believe there is any saving virtue in partaking of Communion.
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| Section 10 -- Concerning the SIGN GIFTS:
| | We believe that the sign gifts of healing, speaking in tongues, prophecies, and knowledge were for the transition between the Law of Moses and the grace of the Church. They ceased to be used when the Word of God was completed since their purpose was to vindicate the message and messenger of the Lord.
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| Section 11 -- Concerning EVANGELISM:
| | We believe it is the solemn obligation of every believer to be a personal witness and to do his utmost to carry out the Savior’s command to give the Gospel to the whole world.
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| Section 12 -- Concerning CHURCH & STATE:
| | We believe in the separation of the Church and State, and that the Church be allowed to function under the constitutional rights of religious freedom. We also recognize from Scripture that Civil Government is of Divine appointment for the interest and good order of human society; that rulers are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored, and obeyed except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 13:7, Matthew 22:21, Acts. 4:19, 20; Acts 5:20)
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| Section 13 -- Concerning MARRIAGE:
| | We believe that marriage is the God-established union of one man and one woman (Genesis 2:18-24; Matthew 19:3-9).
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