Our Doctrine:
Our Statement of Faith is contained in the Westminster Standards (The Westminster Confession of Faith, the Larger Catechism, and the Shorter Catechism).
Summary:
We accept the Scriptures as our only authority in matters of faith and practice. Our doctrine may be summarized as follows:
1. We believe in the scriptures of both the Old & New Testament as being verbally and plenarily inspired by God and are inerrant and infallible in the original writings, and that they are of supreme and final authority in matters of faith and practice (Mat. 5:17-18; Prov. 30:5-6; 2 Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21; John 10:35; Luke 16:17)
2. We believe God is a Spirit, in and of himself infinite in being, glory, blessedness, and perfection; all-sufficient, eternal, unchangeable, incomprehensible, everywhere present, almighty, knowing all things, most wise, most holy, most just, most merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in goodness and truth. We believe in the Holy Trinity which means that there are three persons in the Godhead, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one true, eternal God, the same in substance, equal in power and glory; although distinguished by their personal properties. (Deut. 6:4; Is. 45:5-6; 14, 18, 21-22; Ps. 90;1-2; Gen. 1:1; Matt. 28:19; Eph. 4:4-6; John 12:26; 15:26; 16:15; 1 Pt.1: 2; Acts 2:32-36; John 6:27; Rom. 1:7; John 1:1; 20:28; Heb. 1:8; 1 John 5:19-27; Phil. 2:6; Acts 5:4,9
3. We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by God, conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary (John 1:1-14; Mat. 1:18; Luke 1:26-38; Mat. 1:18-25; Is. 7:14; Luke 1:27).
4. We believe in the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, the Lord and giver of life, who convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment. He empowers the preaching and teaching of the Gospel and applies the benefits of Christ’s saving work in the life of believers (John 14:16; Mat. 28:19; John 16:7-11; John 3:5-8; 1 Cor. 12:13; Titus 3:5: Eph. 1:13; 4:30; 1 Cor. 6:19; Rom 8:9,11; 2 Cor. 1:21,22; Eph. 3:16; John 16:13; Rom. 8:4, 14, 26-27; Eph. 5:18; Gal. 5:16; John 5:15-21; Gal. 5:22-25).
5. We believe that mankind was created in the image of God, both male and female, in a state of righteousness, knowledge, and holiness yet mutably so. They sinned, through their own free will and the temptation of Satan, and thereby incurred not only physical death, but spiritual death, which is alienation from, and enmity with God, and that human beings are born with a sinful nature which renders them incapable of saving themselves (Gen. 1:27; 5:1; 1 Cor. 11:7; Rom. 6:23; 3:10; 8:7: Gal. 3:22).
6. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who believe in Him are justified through faith alone, apart from works, on the basis of His shed blood and perfect righteousness (2 Cor. 5:14-21; 1 Cor. 15:22; Heb. 4:15-16; 1 John 3:5; 1 Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:21; Rom. 5:8; Rom. 1:13; 1 John 2:2; Gal. 2:16; 3:11; Deut. 25:1; Prov. 17:15; Rom. 3:23-26; 4:5-8, 25; 5:18f; 8:33).
7. We believe in the bodily resurrection of our crucified Lord on the third day, His appearances to His disciples, His ascension into heaven and His present life there as High Priest and Advocate for us, having been given all authority in heaven and on earth (Luke 24:23-40; Rom. 10:9, 19; 1 Cor. 15:12-23, 35-37; Acts 1:1-11; 1 Pt. 3:22; John 14:18; Heb. 4:14; 5:1-10; 13:5; 7:25; 8:1,2; 9:11-15).
8. We believe in the blessed hope and the personal, visible return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ at the end of the age (Titus 2:13; Rom. 8:18-25; 1 Pt. 1:7,13; 4:13; 2 Thess. 1:7: 1 Cor. 1:7; Acts 1:11; Mark 13:33-37; Mat. 24:22,24,29-51; Luke 21:34; 2 Pt. 3:11; Mat. 24:42-51).
9. We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ have been born again by the Holy Spirit, have been forgiven of their sins and are adopted by God and made heirs of eternal life (Rom. 10:14,17; Eph. 2:9; Rom. 3:20; Titus 3:5; Eph. 2:10; Mat. 5:16; James 2:17-26; John 3:7; John 1:13; 3:6; John 3:8; John 3:5; 2 Pt. 1:4; Ez. 11:19; 36:26; 2 Cor. 5:17; John 1:1-12; Rom. 8:9, 14-17; Rom. 8:19-23; 1 John 3:2).
10. We believe in the bodily resurrection of the just and the unjust at the return of Christ, the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost in hell and the fellowship of the saved in heaven (1 Thess. 4:13-18; 1 Cor. 15:51-58; Rev. 3:5; 13:8; 20:11-15; 21:8, 27; Mat. 25:31-46; Luke 10:20; Phil. 4:3; Acts 13:48; Luke 16:19-31; Mat. 25:30; 24:51; Heb. 12:23; 2 Cor. 5:6-9; Phil. 1:23; Rev. 6:9; 20:4; John 14:1-6; Heb. 1:10-16; Rev. 20:15; Mat. 13:36-43).
11. We believe in the existence of a personal devil, who is still working in the world to destroy the souls of men and that he and all his angels and all who do not receive Christ as their personal Savior will eternally perish in the lake of fire (Isa. 14:12-15; Rev. 20:10, 14, 15, 19:20)
12. We believe in the Church, whose mission it is to preach the Scriptures to all the world, all of its endeavors being guided by a parity/plurality of elders and supported by the wise stewardship of God’s people (Eph. 5:23-32; Col. 1:18; Mat. 18:20; Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 2:19; 3:15; Mat. 28:18-20; Rom. 15:6; Eph. 1:15-23; Eph. 3:8-10; 4:15,16; Col. 1:10-28; Mat. 20:25-28; 23:2-3, 8-12; Gal. 2:11-16; Acts 21:18-26; 1 Cor. 16:12; Prov. 15:22; Deut. 17:9; 19:12, 17-19; Acts 14:23; 20:28-31; Mat. 20:8; Gal. 4:2; Luke 16:2,3; 1 Cor. 4:1,2; Titus 1:7; 1 Pt. 4:10; 1 Cor. 9:17; Eph. 3:2; Col. 1:25; Lev. 27:30-33; Num. 18:21-29; Deut. 12:5-7, 17-18; Luke 11:42; Mat. 23:23f; Heb. 7:1f; 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 8:24-9:15)
13. We believe that the sacraments of the Church, given by the Lord, are Baptism and the Lord’s Table (Communion) (Rom. 6:3,4; Acts 18:8; 1 Pt. 3:21; Mat. 28;19,20; 16:16; Acts 2:38-41; 8:12, 13, 36, 38; Mat. 26:26-30; 1 Cor. 10:16; 11:23-30; 2 Pt. 2:13)