WHAT WE BELIEVE ABOUT THE SCRIPTURES We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men supernaturally inspired, that it has truth without any ad-mixture of error for its matter; and therefore is, and shall remain to the end of the age, the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man; the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried. OF THE TRUE GOD We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God and infinite, intelligent Spirit, the maker and supreme ruler of heaven and earth; inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption. OF THE HOLY SPIRIT That the Holy Spirit is a divine person; equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was active in the creation; that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the Evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin of judgment and of righteousness; that He bears witness to the Truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the New Birth, that He seals, endures, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies and helps the believer. OF THE DEVIL, OR SATAN We believe that Satan was once holy and enjoyed heavenly honors; but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, he fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the malignant prince of the power of the air and the unholy god of this world. We hold him to be man’s great tempter, the enemy of God and His Christ, the accuser of the saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power back of the present apostasy; the lord of the anti-Christ, and the author of all the powers of darkness; that he is destined to final defeat at the hands of God’s own Son, and to the judgment of an eternal justice in hell—a place pre-pared for him and his angels. OF CREATION We believe in the Genesis account of creation; that it is to be accepted literally, and not allegorically of figuratively; that man was created directly in God’s image and after His own likeness; that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species, or development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animals and vegetable life were made directly, and that God’s established law was that they should bring forth only “after their kind.” OF THE FALL OF MAN We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker; that he, by voluntary transgression, fell from his sinless and happy state, in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners—not by constraint, but of choice; and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse. OF THE VIRGIN BIRTH We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Ghost, in a miraculous manner; born of woman, and that He is both the Son of God, and God the Son. OF THE CHURCH We believe that the true Church, the body of Christ, of which He is the head, is composed of regenerated believers. We believe that the basis for membership in the local Church is the individual’s personal acceptance of Jesus Christ by faith, and his baptism by immersion. We believe that the local Church is the organized working force of Christ, united for worship, work and fellowship. We believe that to the visible church were committed for administration and perpetual observance the ordinance of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, as well as the task of winning the lost for Christ. OF THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST We believe in the individual’s competency to commune with God and that the only meditation is Jesus Christ. We believe in the visible, personal and pre-millennial return of Jesus Christ. OF MAN’S ETERNAL DESTINY We believe in the everlasting conscious blessedness of the saved and the everlasting conscious punishment of the lost. Of the resurrection, we believe that Christ rose bodily and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, “That this same Jesus which is taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven” – bodily, personally and visible; that the “dead in Christ shall rise first” that the living saints “shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump”, that the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His Father “David”, and that Christ shall reign a thousand years in righteousness until He has put all enemies under his feet.