Our Belief Statement

This We Believe...

We believe God to be our loving Father, who wants to minister to us in grace, compassion and blessing. He is our creator and sustainer. We believe Jesus to be the only begotten Son of God, who is the atonement for our sins. We come to God through faith in Christ, our Savior and Redeemer.

We believe the Holy Spirit to be God’s presence in us. The Holy Spirit is our guide, counselor, teacher, encourager and comforter. The Holy Spirit reveals to us God's Holiness and the impurities of our heart; of our need for forgiveness through the atoning death of Christ, and the hope of a new life as we share in the resurrection of Jesus (see 1 Peter 1:3-9). The Holy Spirit enables us to live our life in humble obedience to God's commands, and empowers us with all spiritual gifts to carry out His will in our lives.

We believe the Church is the body of Christ, comprised of all who have been called to live apart from the ways of the world and into a new life in Christ. Church is a holy people, not a holy place. Christ is the head of the Church and Lord of our life. Christianity is not a human institution, organization or religion. We believe it is as Paul stated in his first letter to the church in Corinth;

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us. This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.

The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual man makes judgments about all things, but he himself is not subject to any man’s judgment:

"For who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him?"

But we have the mind of Christ.

--1 Corinthians 2:10-16 (NIV)

We are of one accord with all who proclaim the unadulterated Gospel of Christ.

We believe everything it says in the 66 books of the Bible, as handed down to us from those whom God chose to record and preserve the workings of His mighty hand. In particular, we hold to what Peter wrote:

"Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."

-- 2 Peter 1:20-21 (NIV)

We believe that it is incumbent upon the heart of all who have given their life to Christ, to immerse themselves into a new way of living and thinking - in accordance to God's will for us - as we seek direction from God's Spirit and Holy Word. We believe that if we continue to live and think as we did before hearing the Gospel of Christ, we deny the Truth of God -- which is the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit within us. This is blasphemy against the Spirit of God, and is the unpardonable sin that is spoken of in Matthew 12:31-32, Mark 3:29, Luke 12:10, Hebrews 6:4-6 and 10:26, as well as 1st John 5:16-24 . Anyone who is a friend of the world is an enemy of God (see James 4:4). Therefore, when we gather together, be it two or twenty, our purpose is to glorify God, and to encourage one another and build one another up.

A Call to Persevere
But you must remember, beloved, the predictions of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ. They said to you, "In the last time there will be scoffers, following their own ungodly passions." It is these who cause divisions, worldly people, devoid of the Spirit. But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the Holy Spirit; keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. And have mercy on those who doubt; save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh.

Doxology
Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

--Jude 17-25 (ESV)