What We Believe

The Bible

The Bible is God’s message to all mankind. It tells us how we should live; how we came into being, why we are here, and where we are going. It is comprised of 66 books: 39 in the Old Testament, and 27 in the New Testament. God used man to record His revelation to mankind. It is inerrant (truthful) and infallible. It is to be interpreted literally and in light of all scripture.

God

The Father

God is the first Person of the Trinity. He is the Creator of all things. He is Sovereign, that is, He is the Supreme Ruler! He is Infinite and Eternal, that is, He has no beginning and no end. He is Unchangeable, All-Knowing, All-Powerful, and is everywhere. God is holy and God is love!

The Son

Jesus Christ is the second Person of the Trinity and is co-equal with the Father. In His incarnation, when He left Heaven and became man He did not stop being God. Christ was 100% God and 100% man; He was the God-man. While on earth He volunteered not to exercise some characteristics of His deity. He was born of a virgin and lived a sinless life in order to redeem sinful man with His death and shed blood on the cross. He arose from the dead on the third day and ascended to Heaven and sits on the right hand of God the Father where He mediates on our behalf before the Father.

The Holy Spirit

He is the third Person of the Trinity and is co-equal with the Father and the Son. He convicts the sinner of the truth of the gospel; He is active in the regeneration of the believer. And when a person comes to salvation, He indwells that believer bestowing on him or her one or more of the gifts of the Spirit.

Man

Man was created in the image of God, holy and sinless, to have fellowship with God and to glorify Him. When Adam disobeyed God, his sin brought physical and spiritual death to all mankind. Since Adam’s sin, mankind (throughout the ages) is born with a sin nature (all but Jesus Christ), and are slaves to that nature until that person receives God’s gift of salvation.

Salvation

Salvation is through God’s grace by faith in the redemptive work of Christ alone. It is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ that sins are forgiven and fellowship with God is restored.

Justification

Those who repent or turn away from their sin and invite Christ into their heart through faith are justified before God in heaven. This is the work of God.

Sanctification

Sanctification is our growing in Christ-likeness. While justification is the work of God, we participate in sanctification through the power of the Holy Spirit as we become less like the world and more like Jesus.

Last Things

Rapture of the Church

Before the seven-year Tribulation period begins, Christ will return in the clouds to gather the Church to heaven. With a trumpet blast, the dead in Christ will rise first, followed by those believers who are alive.

Seven-year Tribulation

Once the Church is taken to heaven, a seven-year covenant will be established between the Anti-Christ and the nation of Israel. This will begin the Tribulation period in which God will judge the world for their sin. The Tribulation ends with Christ returning to earth with His saints to establish His millennial kingdom. Also at this time the Old Testament saints and Tribulation saints will receive their glorified bodies as they are resurrected. Satan is chained and bound as Christ is crowned King.

Millennial Kingdom of Christ

When Christ returns, He will establish His rule and all resurrected believers will rule and reign with Him! His kingdom will be characterized by peace and harmony. He will judge swiftly and fairly.

Great White Throne Judgment

Satan is released for a little while to deceive the nations. He gathers his army to do battle with the saints when fire comes from heaven and destroys the army. Satan is cast into the Lake of Fire and the unbelieving dead are judged by Jesus Christ. They will all be found guilty and will spend eternity in the Lake of Fire.

Eternity

After the judgment of all the unbelievers, a new heaven and earth are created where all the believers will live with Jesus and God in utter perfection!