What We Believe

We believe that there is one true and living God, creator of heaven and earth, maker of all things visible and invisible, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:10–11; Matthew 28:19; 1 John 5:7–8; John 1:1–3, 14; 15:26).

We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ is God incarnate. He is the eternal Son of God who was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. He lived a sinless life, was crucified, arose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father as our High Priest and Advocate. We believe in His miracles, in His atoning death on our behalf, in the power of His resurrection, and in His personal return in power and glory. (Matthew 1:23; Luke 1:31, 35; Hebrews 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22; Acts 10:38; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Acts 1:9, 11; 2:32–33; Philippians 2:9–11; Hebrews 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17; Titus 2:11–13).

We believe in the sovereignty and Lordship of Jesus Christ over all creation. We believe in His Lordship over the individual believer and over the church, and in our submission to Him (Colossians 1:12–20; Philippians 2:5–11; Ephesians 1:18–23).

We believe that man is created in the image of God but, through disobedience, fell from perfection and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is separation from God. (Genesis 1:26–27; 2:16–17; 3:6, 23; Romans 5:12–14).

We believe that we receive salvation when we come to God through faith in the atoning work of Jesus Christ on the cross and His resurrection from the dead. There are no works we can do to attain salvation; it is God’s gift to us. (Ephesians 2:8–9; Romans 5:8; 6:23; 3:21–24; 5:1–2; 10:8–10; John 3:14–18; 1 John 1:9).

We believe that the Holy Spirit is God’s abiding presence with us and in us on the earth. He glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ, convicts of sin, and transforms sinners. He teaches us all things, guides us into all truth, and empowers us to be Christ’s witnesses. Through the Holy Spirit we, as believers, are baptized into Christ and adopted as heirs in the family of God (Ezekiel 36:27; John 14:16–17, 26; Luke 11:13; Acts 1:8; Galatians 5:16, 25; Titus 3:5–6).

We believe that the Holy Spirit’s infilling follows the same pattern that is described in the New Testament, and that all believers are entitled to and should earnestly seek this experience. (John 14:16–17; 16:7; Acts 1:5; 2:1–4; 8:17; 10:44–48).

We believe that the Holy Spirit bestows supernatural gifts upon believers, and that believers may be personally taught, led, directed, given revelation of the future, and daily enriched and empowered by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:1, 4–11; John 16:13–15; Acts 1:8).

We believe that the Holy Spirit produces godly fruit in our lives and that spiritual fruit is evidence of a Spirit-filled life. (Galatians 5:22–23).

The Bible teaches that without holiness no one can see the Lord. We believe that the Holy Spirit empowers us to live a life of holiness, separated from the world of sin. We believe that it is the will of God for believers to walk in an ever-deepening relationship with Him, resulting in expanding sanctification, with the goal of entire sanctification. (Galatians 5:16, 25; Philippians 3:10–14; 1 Thessalonians 4:3; 5:23; 1 Corinthians 3:16–17; 2 Corinthians 6:14–7:1; Romans 6; Hebrews 6:1; 12:14).

We believe that Jesus Christ suffered and died in our stead and redeemed us from both sin and sickness. We believe that divine healing and health are provided by the atonement of Christ and are the privilege of all believers. (Isaiah 53:4–12; Matthew 8:16–17; Mark 16:15–18; James 5:14–16).

The Church is the Body of Christ, the household of the living God, purchased with Christ’s blood and created by the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. The Scriptures tell us that, as the Head, Christ places each member in the Body as it pleases Him. Each member has a unique endowment and empowering from the Holy Spirit that is needed by all the other members for the Body to come to maturity. The Church is to manifest Christ’s victory and bring God’s Kingdom to the earth. (Matthew 6:9–10; 16:18; Acts 2:41; 20:28; Romans 12: 4–8; 16:20; 1 Corinthians 12:4–31 (v. 18, v. 27); Ephesians 3:10–12; 4:14–16; Colossians 1:18–20; 1 Timothy 3:15).

We believe that water baptism, following our conversion to Christ, is an outward sign of an inward cleansing. It is a direct commandment of our Lord and is an experience of the believer’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. (Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:3–14; Colossians 2:12; Acts 8:36–39).

The Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ on the night of His betrayal. It is to be observed frequently by believers until Christ returns. The elements consist of bread, which is Christ’s body broken for us, and the fruit of the vine, which is His blood shed for us. Communion is one of the greatest avenues of change available to us. When we partake of the body and blood of Christ, we are partaking of His divine nature. We remember his suffering and death, and we anticipate His return. (1 Corinthians 11:23–26).

We believe that a believer may receive spiritual gifts by impartation or by the laying on of hands from other qualified and anointed believers. (Romans 1:11; 2 Timothy 1:6–7; 1 Timothy 4:14–15).

We believe in the evangelism of the whole world. (Mark 16:15–16; Acts 1:8; Ezekiel 3:17–18; John 4:35–38).

We believe in the living Word of Christ: divine truth as revealed by the Holy Spirit and spoken prophetically by individuals as oracles of God. We believe in prophetic utterance in our services. (1 Corinthians 2:1–5, 9–13; 14:1; 1 Peter 4:10–11).

We believe in the restoration of the Church and that the Kingdom of God will ultimately prevail over all the kingdoms of this world. (Isaiah 58:12; 61:4; Joel 2:23–28; Matthew 6:9–10; Revelation 11:15; 20:1–6).

We believe that the Jewish people remain the chosen people of God. We also believe that we, as Christians, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them, and have become partakers with them of the rich root of the olive tree. We believe that God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1–3 is an everlasting and irrevocable covenant. (Romans 11:17–18; Genesis 12:1–3).

We believe that in these last days Christ Jesus will manifest Himself in a spiritual visitation to His elect, will be revealed in His many-membered Body, and will personally return to this earth as He went away. (Hosea 6:1–3; Joel 2:23–32; 2 Thessalonians 1:10; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17; Titus 2:12–13; Matthew 24:36, 42, 44).

We believe that after this life there is a place prepared for those who are saved, and a place of punishment for the lost. (Matthew 25:46; John 14:1–3; Revelation 7:15–17; 21:4; 22:5).

The Church has been, and continues today, in a process of restoration that began with Martin Luther. We believe that there are truths hidden in the Scriptures that are yet to be revealed by the Holy Spirit as Christ prepares the full restoration of the church for His Kingdom. The path of the righteous shines brighter and brighter until the full day. (Proverbs 4:18; Ephesians 1:17–23).