Bible

The 66 books of the Bible are the inerrant, infallible Word of God, our authoritative rule of faith and practice. The Bible is instrumental in bringing lost souls to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ. The Bible is verbally and plenarily inspired, and it has been preserved through the ages. We preach and teach from the King James Version in the English-speaking world. The Received Text has been used by persecuted separatist churches through history and the Critical Text is associated with apostasy. We believe in verbal plenary inspiration, not “thought” inspiration. The Critical Text and its translations have eroded major doctrines. We interpret the Bible literally in its grammatical and historical context. Psalm 12:6-7; 119:89; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 5:18; 24:35; Mark 7:13; Romans 10:13-17; 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:23-25; 2 Peter 1:19-21; 3:15-16; Revelation 22:19

God

There is only one true God, the Creator of all things, Who manifests Himself in three equally divine persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. God is eternal, sovereign, personal, omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, perfect, holy, glorious, righteous, gracious, merciful, loving, kind, longsuffering, just. Exodus 34:5-7; Deuteronomy 6:4; Daniel 4:34-35; Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-3; 8:58; 14:26; Romans 1:1-4; 11:33-36; 1 Corinthians 8:6; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 2:4-8; 4:4-6; 1 Timothy 1:17; James 1:17

Jesus Christ

Jesus Christ is the eternal God, the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, the only Savior of mankind. Without ceasing to be God, He became man and offered Himself as a substitutionary sacrifice for man’s sin. As a man He was virgin-born, sinless, perfect, the only one capable of satisfying God as a sacrifice for sin. On the cross, He bore man’s sin in His body, suffered the wrath of God against sin, shed His blood to purchase man’s redemption and died to pay the penalty of sin. He rose bodily from the grave and ascended to the right hand of the Father in heaven to make intercession for believing sinners. He will return to the earth as the King of Israel and the ruler of all nations. Psalm 2:7-9; Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; 59:20-60:16; Micah 5:2; Zechariah 14; Matthew 1:2- 25; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:1-14, 36; Romans 3:24-26; 5:6-11; 2 Corinthians 5:19-21; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 1:14-18; 2:9-10; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Timothy 1:15; 2:5; Hebrews 4:15; 7:24-26; 9:11-12, 28

Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is a divine person who possesses all the attributes of deity. He executes the plan of God for man’s conviction and salvation. He convicts the lost world of sin, righteousness and judgment. He regenerates, seals, indwells and fills believers. He bestows gifts upon believers for service. He teaches believers and sets them apart for holy living. John 3:5-6; 14:16-17; 16:7-15; Acts 1:5, 8; 11:15; Romans 8:9, 14-27; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19-20; 12:13; Ephesians 1:12-14

Sin and Salvation

Being in Adam, all men sinned when Adam sinned. As descendents of Adam, all men are born with an inherited sinful nature. In accord with that nature, all men individually choose to sin. Therefore, all men are personally guilty before God, without excuse, sentenced to death, separated from God, under the righteous judgment and wrath of God, condemned to eternal torment in hell. No man is able through his own efforts to keep God’s law or save himself from sin or reconcile himself to God. But God provided salvation from sin through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He offers salvation as a gift to all who will repent and believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Man cannot achieve salvation by his own works, but must receive it as the gift of God through faith in Jesus Christ. Salvation is eternal, and believers are secure in Christ. Isaiah 53:6; John 1:12; 3:16, 36; 5:24; 6:37-40; 10:27-29; Acts 4:12; 16:31; Romans 3:10-23; 5:6-19; 6:23; 8:1, 31-34, 38-39; 10:9-13; Ephesians 2:1-3, 8-9; Titus 3:5-6; Hebrews 2:10; James 2:10; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 1 John 2:1-2

Heaven and Hell

The spirits of believers at death go immediately to be with Christ in heaven. Their bodies will be resurrected at the Rapture when Christ returns to take believers out of the world. Then believers will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ to receive or lose rewards based on their works. They will continue in God’s presence throughout eternity. The spirits of unbelievers at death descend immediately to hell where they are kept under punishment until the Great White Throne Judgment. At that time, their bodies will be raised from the grave, and they will be judged and cast into the Lake of Fire, the place of final and everlasting punishment. Matthew 25:46; Luke 16:23-25; John 5:28-29; 14:2-3; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15; 15:51-58; 2 Corinthians 5:8-10; Philippians 1:23; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; Hebrews 9:27; 2 Peter 2:9; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8

New Testament Church

The church is an organized body of baptized believers voluntarily joined together to practice New Testament principles, believe its doctrines and carry out the Great Commission for the glory of God. The church is local, autonomous and self-supporting. The church administers two ordinances: Baptism and the Lord’s Supper. The two church offices are filled by the pastor (also called bishop and elder) and the deacons. Matthew 16:16-18; 28:19-20; Acts 1:15; 2:41-42; 6:2-6; 11:15; 20:28; Romans 16:1, 4; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:11-13; 5:25-30; 1 Timothy 3:1-15

Baptism

Baptism is a picture and public proclamation of salvation and new life in Jesus Christ. It has no saving power, but it is commanded in the Bible as the first step after salvation. It is administered through the local church as immersion in water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38-42; 8:37-39; Romans 6:3-4

Separation

Believers are called to live holy lives separated unto the Lord from sin, the world, apostasy and false teaching. We believe in personal and ecclesiastical separation from the world and anything contrary to Biblical doctrine. We must guard our Christian testimony and glorify the Lord in all things. Romans 12:1-2; 14:13; 16:17; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1; Ephesians 5:11; 1 Thessalonians 5:22; 1 Timothy 6:2-5; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 John 9-11

Last Days

The last days are characterized by man’s apostasy, iniquity and rebellion against God and by God’s judgment upon the world of sin. The Lord Jesus will return to take believers from the world before the seven-year time of judgment known as the Tribulation. After the Tribulation, He will come again as Israel’s King to rule the earth for one thousand years. The one thousand year reign of Christ will be followed by the Great White Throne judgment and then the New Heaven and the New Earth. Genesis 17:3-8; 2 Samuel 7:10-16; Isaiah 9:7; 11:6-12; 59:20-60:16; Psalm 89:3-4; Daniel 9:24-27; Zechariah 14; Matthew 24:27-30; Luke 1:31-33; John 14:2-3; Acts 15:15-17; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58; 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 4:13-18; 5:1-8; 1 Timothy 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 3:10; 19-22