By this time, you know that my wife and I grew up in two very different Christian environments.  Actually, it’s hard to believe there could be two churches that were any further apart in how they worship.  However, both churches were New Testament believing, agreed that Jesus Christ was the only begotten son of God and he came to this earth as man to be an example for us and to die for us on the cross at Calvary only to be raised on the third day and he now is very much alive sitting at the right hand of God…

There are differences such as the Church of Christ believing you have to be baptized to be saved and the Church of God believing in speaking in tongues, but back when we were young and accepted Jesus the only thing important to us was that we were sinners and going to Hell.  We also believed the only way to be saved was to pray to God for forgiveness of our sin and to ask him into our lives.  Yes, I know, you can make the argument that the Church of Christ puts additional criteria on being saved, but I have to be honest with you, at the time I was just under the assumption that it was part of God’s plan that we were to be baptized, not that it was part of salvation.

As time went on, we did learn more about the beliefs of each church and I will again admit that at times, we actually believed some of the things these churches taught.  It wasn’t until after we started with the Southern Baptist that we started to see some of these differences as being incorrect and as we grew, we started to form even stronger beliefs based on what the Bible really had to say. 

Now that’s not to say that the Southern Baptist agreed among themselves on all issues.  I remember at one time when our Pastor presented his theory on how the universe was really formed by God and how it more than likely was million of years as many scientist now say instead of the literal 6 days that God says it took.  When you hear some of this stuff you really start to think that it might be so.  It just goes to show you how easily we can be deceived when the devil is at work.

I know that most individuals who call themselves Christians will argue that the basic beliefs that we have are all the same.  But is it?  The more you study the Bible’s history and that of the church, you find that there are substantial differences many of which were influenced by the Catholic church.  Now you may not agree with us, but the Catholic church is way off the mark.  They have put man on the same level as Christ, tell you that you cannot possibly understand the Bible and that they must interpret it for you instead of the Holy Spirit, and many, many additional things that the Bible never has taught.

So what do you believe?  Well, I’m glad you asked.  We base our beliefs on what we learn from God’s word and God’s word alone. 

To start off with, you have to believe that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God. The scriptures are inerrant, infallible and God-breathed and, therefore, are the final authority for faith and life. The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine revelation of God to Man.  The Scriptures should be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning and the King James Version of the Bible is the true interpretation (I know many of you will take exception to this but feel free to contact us with your questions) of the original scriptures.  (II Tim. 3:16-17; II Pet. 1:20-21)

Based on the above;

We believe in one triune God, eternally existing in three persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deut. 6:4; Matt..28:19; II Cor. 13:14; John 14:10, 26)

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Isa. 7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14; II Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8)

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. (Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; I Pet. 2:24; Eph. 1:7; I Pet. 1:3-5)

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:9-10; Heb. 9:24; 7:25; Rom. 8:34; I John 2:1-2)

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the supernatural agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; Rom. 8:9; I Cor. 12:12-14; Eph. 1:13-14)

We believe that He is the divine Teacher who assists believers in understanding and appropriating the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; I John 2:20, 27)

We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowing of spiritual gifts to every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip believers in the church in order that they can do the work of the ministry. (Rom. 12:3-8; I Cor. 12:4-11, 28; Eph. 4:7-12) 

We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in tongues and the gift of healing were temporary. Speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit, and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing. (I Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22) 

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God; but that in Adam’s sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God. We believe that sin is anything that does not conform to the character and nature of God (I Johna_ 3:4). Man is totally depraved and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23; 5:12; 6:23; Eph. 2:1-3, _4:17-19)    

We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. We believe that salvation involves three things for the believer: deliverance from the penalty of sin at the moment of regeneration, victory over the power of sin during the Christian life, and deliverance from the presence of sin at the return of Christ. (John 1:12; Eph. 1:7; 2:8-10; I Pet. 1:18-19; I John 1:9)

We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1; 38-39;  I Cor. 1:4-8; I Pet. 1:4-5)

We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word. (I John 5:11-13)

We believe that we are called with a holy calling, separated unto the Lord and from the world, to walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit, and to live in the power of the indwelling Spirit so that we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh. And the flesh, which is our old sinful nature, which in this life is never eradicated, needs to be constantly reckoned dead, and our new life yielded to the control of the Holy Spirit (II Cor. 6:14-17; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 2:1-10, 3:1-17; I Pet. 1:14-16; I John 2:15-16; Rom. 6:6-13).

We believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is solely made up of saved persons. (I Cor. 12:12-14;  II Cor. 11:2;  Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27)

We believe that the establishment of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. (Acts 14:27;  20:17, 28-32;  I Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)

We believe in the autonomy of the local church of which Jesus Christ is the head. It is free of any external authority or control. (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom. 16:1, 4; I Cor. 5:4-7, 13; I Pet. 5:1-4)

We believe water baptism and the Lord’s Supper as the Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age. (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; I Cor. 11:23-26)

We also believe in that blessed hope, the personal, imminent return of Christ Who will rapture His church prior to the seven-year tribulation period. We also recognize there are other studied eschatological positions which believe in the literal, bodily, pre-millennial return of Christ. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with His saints, to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom which was promised to the nation of Israel. (Ps. 89:3-4; Dan. 2:31-45; Zech. 14:4-11; I Thess. 1:10; I Thess. 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6)

In other words, we believe the Bible and all that it has for us.  We don’t need someone else’s interpretation, their added points of view or additions for clarification or any other such nonsense.  You take the pure Word of God and study it.  You read what other like believers have had to say regarding His word and you pray for Wisdom and Understanding.  And you trust in the Holy Spirit to guide you in all facets of your life, it’s that simple…