What We Believe

The Scriptures, both the Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct. (2 Tim 3:15-17, 1 Thes 2:13, 2 Peter 1:21).

The one true God has revealed Himself as the eternally self-existent "I AM". The creator of heaven and earth and the Redeemer of mankind. He has further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Ex 3:14, Deut 6:4, Isa 43:10, 11, Matt 28:19, Luke 3:22).

The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. (John 1:1,2, John 8:58, John 17:5, Revelation 22:13) The scriptures declare:

• His virgin birth (Matt 1:23, Luke 1:31, 35, 1 Tim 3:16, 1 John 1:1,2).

• His sinless life (Heb 4:15, Heb 7:26, I Peter 2:22).

• His miracles (Matt 11:3-6, Luke 4:18, Acts 2:22, 10:38).

• His substitutionary work on the cross (I Cor 15:3, II Cor 5:21, 1 Jn 2:2).

• His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matt 28:6, Luke 24:39, I Cor 15:4).

• His exaltation to the right hand of God (Acts 1:9, 11, Acts 2:33, Phil 2:9-11, Heb 1- 3).

• His intercession for the saints (John 17, Rom 8:34, Heb 7:25)

Man was created good and upright; for God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness". However, man by voluntary transgression, fell and thereby incurred not only physical death but also spiritual death, which is separation from God (Gen 1:26, 27, 2:17, 3:6, Rom 1:18-32, Rom 5:12-19, 1 Cor 15:22, Eph 2:1-5).

Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. By the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God according to the hope of eternal life (John 3:3, Acts 20:21, Rom 3:24, Rom 5:9-11, Rom 10:9,13-15, Eph 2:8, Titus 2:11, 3:5-7).

The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit (Rom 8:16). The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness (Eph 4:24, Titus 2:12,14).

All believers are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the Father, the Baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire, according to the command of the Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian Church.

With it comes the endowment of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry (Luke 24:49, Acts 1:4, 8, I Cor 12:1-31). This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth (Acts 8:12-21, 10:44-46, 11:14-16, 15:7-9).

With the baptism of the Holy Spirit comes reverence for God (Acts 2:43, Heb 12:28), and intensified consecration to God and dedication to His work (Acts 2:42), and a more active love for Christ, for His word and for the lost (Mark 16:20).

The baptism of believers in the Holy Spirit is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance (Acts 2:4). The speaking in tongues in this instance is the same in essence as the gift of tongues (I Cor 12:4-10) but different in purpose and use (Mark 16:17, Acts 9:17, 10:45-48, 11:15-17, 19:1-6, Jude 1:20).

We also recognize the power to be witnesses (Acts 1:8), the manifestation of healing, signs and wonders (Acts 2:30) and joy in adversity (Acts 13:52) as manifestations of the fulness of the Spirit. Those baptized in the Holy Spirit should evidence the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-25).

Sanctification is separation from that which is evil, and dedication unto God (Rom 12:1, I Thess 5:23, Heb 13:12). The Scriptures teach a life of "holiness without which no man shall see the Lord" (Heb 12:14). By the power of the Holy Spirit we are able to obey the command: "Be ye holy, for I am holy" (I Pet 1:15, 16). Sanctification is the will of God (I Thess 4:1-4).

Sanctification is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by faith reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Spirit (Rom 6:1-14, Rom 8:1, 2, 13, Gal 2:20, Phil 2:12, 13, I Peter 1:5).

The church is the Body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with a divine appointment for the fulfillment of her great commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the General Assembly and Church of the First-born, which are written in heaven (I Cor 12:1-31, Eph 1:22, 23, 2:22, Heb 12:23).

A divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord and placed in the church for a two-fold purpose (Mark 16:15-20, Rom 12:4-8, Eph 4:11-13): the edification and purification of the Body of Christ and the proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom to the world.

Divine Healing is an integral part of the gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the redemptive work of Christ, and is the privilege of all believers (Exo 15:26, Ps 103:3, Pro 4:20-22, Isa 53:4, 5, Matt 8:16, 17, James 5:14-16).

The Blessed Hope
The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ, and their translation together with those who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, is the imminent and blessed hope of the Church (I Thes 4:13-18, Rom 8:23, Titus 2:13, I Cor 15:51, 55).

The Millennial Reign of Christ
The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope, followed by seven years of tribulation, after which there will be the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on the earth for one thousand years (Dan 9:24-27, Zech 14:3-5, Matt 24, 2 Thes 2:1-12, Rev 1:7, 19:11-15, 20:1-6). The millennial reign will bring salvation to the remnant of national Israel (Eze 37:21, 22; Isa 11:6-9, Ps 72:3-8. Micah 4:3,4, Rom 9:27).

The New Heavens and the New Earth
"We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness" (II Peter 3:13, Rev 21:10-27).

The Final Judgement
There will be a judgment of the righteous (1 Cor 3:11-15, 2 Cor 5:9-11). There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Matt 25:46, Mark 9:43-48, Rev 19:20, 20:11-15, 21:8).Item description