      |
|
Statement of Faith:
The
Scriptures
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament
to be the verbally inspired word of God, the final authority for
faith and life, inerrant in the original writings, infallible
and God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16, 17; 2 Peter 1:20,21; Matthew
5:18; John 16:12,13).
The
Godhead
We believe that there is but one living and true God
(Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 44:6; 45:5-7; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6; 1
Timothy 2:5; Ephesians 4:6), an infinite, all-knowing Spirit
(John 4:24), perfect in all His attributes, one in essence,
eternally existing in three Persons—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
(Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14)—each equally deserving
worship and obedience.
The
Person and Work of God the Father
We believe that God the Father, the first Person of the
Trinity, did, by the most wise and holy counsel of His own free
will, freely and unchangeably ordain whatsoever comes to pass
according to His own purpose and grace (1 Corinthians 8:6). He
is the Creator of all things (Genesis 1:1-31; Ephesians 3:9). As
the only absolute and omnipotent Ruler in the universe, He is
sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption (Psalm 103:19;
Romans 11:36). In His sovereignty He is neither the author nor
approver of sin (Habakkuk 1:13; James 1:13; 1 John 2:16). He has
graciously chosen from eternity past those whom He would have as
His own (Deuteronomy 7:7-8; Ephesians 1:4-6; 2 Thessalonians
2:13; 2 Timothy 1:9) and was not determined by or conditioned
upon any act foreseen in man (Romans 9:11, 16, 18). He saves
from sin all who come to Him through Jesus Christ; He adopts as
His own all those who come to Him and therefore becomes, upon
adoption, Father to His own (John 1:12; Romans 8:14-17; 8:29-30;
Galatians 4:5-7; Hebrews 12:5-9; 1 John 3:1).
The
Person and Work of Jesus Christ
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the second Person of
the Trinity, 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 man (John 1:1,2,14; Luke 1:31-35. We believe that the
Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption as He was declared
righteous, given eternal life, and adopted into the family of
God 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
(Romans 3:24; 1 Peter 2:24; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5). We
believe Christ's redeeming work was intended to save the elect
only and actually secured salvation for them (John 10:14,15;
Ephesians 1:4; 2 Thessalonians 2:13). We believe that the Lord
Jesus Christ ascended into 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; Hebrews 7:25, Hebrews 9:24; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2). We
believe Jesus is coming again to judge the living and the dead
(1 Peter 4:5; Romans 14:9; 2 Timothy 4:1).
The
Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the
Trinity, is a person who convicts the world of sin, of
righteousness, and of judgment; 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; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14;
Ephesians1:13-14). Every believer possesses the indwelling
presence of the Holy Spirit from the moment of salvation, and it
is the duty of all those born of the Spirit to be filled with
(controlled by) the Spirit (John 16:13; Romans 8:9; Ephesians
5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27).
The
Total Depravity of Man
We believe that man was created free of sin in the image and
likeness of God. God’s intention in the creation of man was that
man should glorify God, enjoy God’s fellowship, live his life in
the will of God, and by this, accomplish God’s purpose for man
in the world (Isaiah 43:7; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11).
Through Adam’s sin man fell, inherited a sinful nature, and
became alienated from God. All men are thus sinners by nature,
by choice, and by divine declaration (Psalm 14:1-3; 51:5; 1
Kings 8:46; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:9-18, 23; 5:10-12).
Therefore, man is totally depraved and of himself utterly unable
to remedy his lost condition (John 6:44; Romans 3:22, 23; 5:12;
8:7-8; Ephesians 2:1-9, 12; Colossians 2:13; 1 John 1:8-10).
Salvation
We believe that salvation is the gift of God, wholly of His
grace and not on the basis of human merit or works but through
the redemptive work of our Lord Jesus Christ whose precious
blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (John
3:36; Romans 3:23-25; 6:23; 1 Corinthians 2:14; Ephesians 1:7;
2:1-3; 2:8-10; 1 John 1:8-9; 1 Peter 1:18-19). Additionally, we
believe man has the responsibility to repent and trust Christ as
Savior and Lord (Ezekiel 18:23, 32; 33:11; John 3:18-19, 36;
5:40; Romans 9:22-23; 2 Thessalonians 2:10-12; Revelation
22:17).
Justification
We believe that justification before God is an act of God
(Romans 8:33) by which He declares righteous those who, through
faith in Christ, repent of their sins (Luke 13:3; Acts 2:38;
3:19; 11:18; Romans 2:4; 2 Corinthians 7:10; Isaiah 55:6-7) and
confess Him as sovereign Lord (Romans 10:9-10; 1 Corinthians
12:3; 2 Corinthians 4:5; Philippians 2:11). This righteousness
is apart from any virtue or work of man (Romans 3:20; 4:6) and
involves the imputation of our sins to Christ (Colossians 2:14;
1 Peter 2:24) and the imputation of Christ’s righteousness to us
(1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
Sanctification
We believe that every believer is sanctified or set apart
unto God by justification and is, therefore, declared to be holy
and is, therefore, identified as a saint. This sanctification is
positional and instantaneous and should not be confused with
progressive sanctification. This sanctification has to do with
the believer’s standing, not his present walk or condition (Acts
20:32; 1 Corinthians 1:2, 30; 6:11; 2 Thessalonians 2:13;
Hebrews 2:11; 3:1; 10:10, 14; 13:12; 1 Peter 1:2). We believe
that there is also, by the work of the Holy Spirit, a
progressive sanctification by which the state of the believer is
brought closer to the standing the believer positionally enjoys
through justification. Through obedience to the Word of God and
the empowering of the Holy Spirit, the believer is able to live
a life of increasing holiness in conformity to the will of God
becoming more and more like our Lord Jesus Christ (John 17:17,
19; Romans 6:1-22; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4;
5:23; Hebrews 12:14).
Eternal
Security and Assurance of Believers
We believe that God will complete the work He has begun in
each believer. If someone is truly regenerate, then he will not
fall away from salvation (Romans 8:29-31). The basis for this is
God's faithfulness, not the faithfulness of the believer
(Ephesians 2:8-9). 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; Romans 8:1, 38-39; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8;
1 Peter 1:5). We believe that it is the privilege of believers
to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the
testimony of God’s Word, which clearly forbids the use of
Christian liberty as an occasion for the flesh (Romans 13:12-14;
Galatians 5:13; Titus 2:11-14).
Governments
We believe that God has ordained various governments among
men. The three basic governments are civil government (Romans
13:1-7), church government (Ephesians 2:19-22; Hebrews 13:7,17;
Matthew 18:15-17), and family government (Ephesians 5:22-6:4).
All of these governments are dependent on the grace of God
working in individuals to bring about self-government. We deny
that the authority of these governments should be set against
one another. God has ordained the realm of each and assigned to
them differing responsibilities within their separate
jurisdictions. We believe that Christian parents have the
responsibility before God to provide their children with a godly
understanding of the world in which they are growing up. To this
end, Christian education, however administered, is essential
(Deuteronomy 6:1-6). We deny that the civil government or the
church government has the duty or obligation to rear or educate
our children. That authority has been given to the parents, with
ultimate accountability having been assigned to the father
(Ephesians 6:4).
Additionally, we subscribe to:
-
The
Nicene Creed (~325 A.D.)
-
The
Apostle’s Creed (~390 A.D.)
-
The
Definition of Chalcedon (~451 A.D.)
-
Chapters I
and II of the Westminster Confession of Faith
As a matter
of firm policy, it is mandatory that all administration (i.e.,
board members, administrators, and teachers) personally agree to
the above statement of faith as their own by written statement. |
 |
