The Holy Scriptures, including the Old and New Testaments, are God's verbally and plenary-inspired Word. They are inerrant, infallible, originated, and in-breathed by God alone, and therefore, they are the final authority for faith and life. Holy men of old penned the Holy Bible as they were moved upon and inspired by the Holy Spirit. The necessary starting point of all apologetics is that the entire Bible is cohesive and coherent, and it has absolute integrity.

The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are God's complete and divine revelation to man, expressing the ultimate intention and Eternal Purpose of God. The Scriptures are the true center of the Christian faith and the supreme standard in which human behavior, beliefs, and opinions are to be judged (2 Tim 3:15-17; 1 Pet 1:23-25; 2 Pet 1:19-21; 1 Thes 2:13; Deu 4:1-2; Prov 30:5-6; Isa 8:20).

There is one and only one living and true God (Deu 6:4). He is the eternally existent Creator of all things (Gen 1:1; John 1:3). God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution as unscriptural theories of origin (Gen chs. 1–2; Exo 20:11).

God is Triune in nature, meaning He is manifested in three Persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) — coequal in all divine perfection, power, glory, and deity; co-eternal in their being; co-identical in their nature and attributes. Together, they created all things. They execute different but harmonious purposes in the great work of redemption and restoration of man (Gen 1:26; Jer 10:10; Mat 28:18-20).

The Father is One of the three co-equal, co-eternal, and co-identical Persons of the Godhead. God is Love (1 John 4:8), Sustainer (Heb 1:3; 2 Tim 4:18), Judge of His universe (Heb 12:23), glorious in holiness (Exo 15:11), and worthy of all honor and praise (Rev 4:11). God the Father “so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16) to provide the only means for the full redemption and restoration of man. At the end of time and the beginning of eternity, the resurrected Jesus Christ is He who “delivers the Kingdom to God the Father,” the “Ancient of Days,” and puts “all things under Him [the Father], that God may be all in all” (1 Cor 15:24-28).

Jesus Christ is One of the three coequal, co-eternal, and co-identical Persons of the Godhead. His deity as the Christ and the only begotten Son of God is declared in Scripture (John 3:16, 18; Rom 1:4). Jesus Christ is the eternal Word of God through whom all things were made (John 1:1-3). His birth was supernatural — He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary (Mat 1:23; 1 Tim 2:5), which was foretold by the Old Testament prophets (Gen 3:15; Isa 7:14; Mic 5:2; Gal 4:4-5).

The Lord Jesus willingly chose obedience to God, His Father, Who sent His only Son to be incarnated, i.e., born supernaturally of a virgin and partaking of “flesh and blood” (Heb 2:14; Heb 5:5-9). He was “in all points tempted as we are,” yet He lived an absolutely sinless life (Heb 2:17-18; Heb 4:15). For this reason, He was able to proclaim from the Cross, “It is finished!” He achieved our full and complete redemption through His death on the Cross as a representative, vicarious, and substitutionary sacrifice. His shed Blood alone secures our full atonement. Our justification is secured by His literal, bodily resurrection from the dead (Acts 2:18-36; Rom 1:4; Rom 3:24-25; Eph 1:7; Col 2:13-15; 1 Pet 1:3-5; 1 Pet 2:24; 1 Peter 3:18).

Jesus Christ ascended to heaven and is now exalted at the Father's right hand as King of kings and our Great High Priest. It is through faith in His Name alone that mankind can find the assurance of salvation (2 Pet 1:3-4; Acts 4:12; Acts 20:28). Jesus Christ is Lord of all, and He possesses all authority in heaven and on earth (Mat 28:18; Phil 2:5-11).

The Holy Spirit is one of the three coequal, co-eternal, and co-identical Persons of the Godhead. He is the Person who convicts the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment (John 16:7-11). He is also the supernatural agent at the New Birth (Titus 3:5), who gives witness and assurance of salvation (Rom 8:16; 1 John 5:10). 

On the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit, also referred to as the “Promise of the Father,” was “poured out” upon the 120 believers who, at Jesus’ command, were waiting for the experience called the Baptism with the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:29; Acts 1:4-8; Acts 2:1-4; Acts 2:33; Acts 3:37-39). [See “Baptism with the Holy Spirit” below.]

From the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4) until Jesus returns, the Holy Spirit has been charged with the responsibility of organizing and directing all of the affairs of the Church that Christ purchased with His own Blood (Acts 13:1-2; Acts 15:28; Acts 20:28). The Holy Spirit is also responsible for preparing the Church, as a glorious Bride without spot or wrinkle, for marriage with the Lamb, Jesus Christ (Eph 5:26-27; Rev 19:7-8; Rev 21:2,9-11; Rev 22:17).

[#7 of the 7 Foundational Doctrines]

Satan is a fallen angel previously known as Lucifer (Isa 14:12-17; Eze 28:14-17). He is the author of sin and pride, the “father of lies” (John 8:44) whose sole inclination is “to steal, and to kill, and to destroy” (John 10:10).

Satan is the cause of the Fall of Man (Gen 3:1-7; 2 Cor 11: 3-4; 1 Tim 2:14). He is the open and declared enemy of God and the “accuser of the brethren” (Rev 12:10; Job 1:6-12; Job 2:1-7). Demons, evil spirits, and other fallen angels who participated in Satan’s rebellion (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 1:6) constitute what the Bible refers to as “principalities…powers…rulers of the darkness of this age…spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places” (Eph 6:12; Eph 2:2; Col 2:15).

Jesus Christ overcame all of Satan’s many temptations (Mat 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13; John 14:30). Through Christ’s death and resurrection, He “disarmed principalities and powers,” and triumphed over Satan (Col 2:14-15; Heb 2:14-15; 1 John 3:8). By the Blood of Christ, the Name of Jesus, and the Sword of the Word, Christians must “take up the whole armor of God,” “withstand,” “wrestle against,” “resist,” “bind,” “overcome,” and “execute on them the written judgment” (Eph 6:10-18; Jam 4:7; 1 Pet 5:8-9; Psalm 149:8-9; Rev 12:11).

As Eternal Judgment begins, Christians, together with Christ, will “judge angels” (1 Cor 6:3), i.e., Satan and his host of darkness who shall ultimately be punished in the “everlasting fires prepared the devil and his angels” where “they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Mat 25:41; Rev 20:10).

[#1 & #2 of the 7 Foundational Doctrines]

We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, before whom he walked in holiness and purity. However, by voluntary disobedience and transgression, man fell from the purity and innocence of Eden into sin and depravity. Consequently, all mankind are sinners, not by constraint but by choice.

Therefore, man is wholly inclined to evil, guilty and without excuse, and deserving of the condemnation of a holy God. Through disobedience, Adam’s sin caused him and the entire human race to fall from God’s eternal purpose. Man has thus inherited a sinful nature (also referred to as the “Adamic Nature”), bringing the curse of death on all mankind. Because of this original sin, man is “dead in sin,” separated from God, depraved, and, of himself, utterly incapable of remedying his lost condition  (Gen 1:26-27; Isa 59:1-2; Rom 3:22-23; Rom 5:12; Rom 6:23; Eph 2:1-3; Eph 4:17-19).

[#1 & #2 of the 7 Foundational Doctrines]

God, in His absolute sovereignty, divine wisdom, and love, created man with Free Will. Love cannot exist without a Will that is absolutely free from any coercion other than man’s own ability to reason. Consequently, man is totally free to choose life or death at any time and by any means.

The New Birth requires a response out of man’s Free Will. It is available to all who choose to receive Jesus Christ. This miraculous regeneration (New Birth) is absolutely essential for the salvation of lost and sinful man.

When a sinner chooses to repent from sin, he can receive Christ by confessing with his mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing with his heart in the resurrection of Christ from the dead (Rom 10:9-10).

By the Holy Spirit’s supernatural work of regeneration (Titus 3:4-7), this person is then instantly “passed from death into life” (John 5:24). He is saved, forgiven, washed in the Blood, and redeemed. He is “turned from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18). He is born again as a child in God’s “family,” and his eyes are opened to “see the Kingdom” (John 1:12-13; John 3:3; Eph 3:14-15). He is delivered “from the domain of darkness” and is “transferred…to the Kingdom of His Beloved Son” (Col 1:12-14). He immediately becomes a recipient of the free gift of eternal life (Rom 6:23; Eph 2:4-9).

The born-again child of God is “kept by the power of God through faith” (1 Pet 1:5) and thus absolutely secure in Christ forever as long as a believer in his Free Will chooses to “hear” Jesus the Good Shepherd’s voice and “follow” (John 10:27-29) by walking in faith and with “obedience of faith” (Acts 6:7; Rom 1:5; Rom 16:26) according to the guidance of character as outlined all throughout the Holy Scriptures. (John 6:37-40; John 10:27-30; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 8:37-39; 1 Cor 1:8-9; 1 Cor 9:27; 1 Cor 10:12-13; Gal 5:16-26; Eph 4:17-24; Col 3:1-17; Heb 6:4-9; Heb 10:26-31; 2 John 1:8; Rev chs. 2-3).

The believer’s “obedience of faith” is not for earning God’s favor but rather a response to the “abundance of grace” available in Christ (John 1:16; Rom 5;17; 1 Cor 15:10; Eph 2:10). God ordained the Christian life to be “by grace…through faith…not of works” from here to glory (Eph 2:8-9; Rom 4:3-5; Rom 11:6).

[#3 of the 7 Foundational Doctrines]

Water Baptism is a New Testament Church “ordinance,” meaning that it meets three criteria: (1) it is an act instituted by Christ while He was here on earth; (2) it was taught and “commanded” by the apostles (Acts 10:48); and (3) it was also observed by the Early Church. Beyond being an ordinance, Water Baptism is also a vital part of the Great Commission (Mat 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-17). For this reason, Water Baptism is considered the first step of the obedience of faith.

In Water Baptism, our Adamic nature, the inherited sin nature (Eph 2:1-3) or “old man,” is buried. Through this death and burial with Christ in Water Baptism, the believer is “legally” free from the nature of sin (Rom 7:1-6). At baptism, the believer is then raised up to “walk in newness of life” (Rom 6:1-14).

[#4 & #5 of the 7 Foundational Doctrines]

Since the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4), the Holy Spirit indwells the believer who has experienced the Baptism in the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17, 26; John 15:26; John 16:7-14; 1 Cor 12:13; Eph 4:30).

Acts is the God-given account of the formation and function of the early church and is totally relative to the church down through history, unto our day, and until Christ returns for His glorious Bride, the Church. Acts describes the Baptism with the Holy Spirit as being a *separate and distinct* experience from the experience of the New Birth (Acts 1:5; 8:12-17; 10:44-46; 11:14-16; 15:7-9).

[*Note: Some teach that this phrase – “being sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise” – refers to the Holy Spirit assuring the believer of their salvation experience. This is merely an interpretation of Eph 1:13, which may or may not be accurate. However, some people use this verse as proof positive that the Holy Spirit automatically begins dwelling within the believer at the very moment of new birth, making both experiences automatically received at New Birth. That overextended interpretation of Eph 1:13 cannot be correct. Consider to whom Paul is writing. When Paul first met believers in Ephesus, he acknowledged they were believers and then asked them a simple question: “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” Their answer was “no.” If receiving the Holy Spirit is experienced automatically at New Birth, then this question would not make any sense whatsoever. It was straightforward what to do. Paul first baptized them into Christ, then laid hands on them. The result? These born-again believers had a separate and distinct experience: “the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied” (Acts 19:1-6). That is how the Ephesus church began, and it is these believers whom Paul speaks to in Eph 1:13.]

Acts also reveals that the initial evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is speaking in other tongues as the divinely inspired, God-authored, and God-breathed book of Acts reiterates (Acts 2:1-4, 38-39; Acts 8:12-17; 10:44-46; Acts 11:15-17; Acts 15:7-9; Acts 19:1-6).

Since the Day of Pentecost, the baptism in the Holy Spirit is the “Promise of the Father” to His children – those who have believed on Jesus Christ (Acts 2:38-39). The Promised Holy Spirit also included in the “Blessing of Abraham” (Gal 3:3-14), is the primary focus of the New Covenant as prophesied in the Old Testament (Jer 31:31-34; Eze 37:26-27; Heb 8:10; Heb 10:15-16). As Jesus explained clearly: “…how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him” (Luke 11:13; Acts 5:32).

By the Baptism with the Holy Spirit, the believer is endued with “power from on high” (Luke 24:49). He experiences the fullness and indwelling of the Holy Spirit, and “from his innermost being will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:37-39 NASB).  The Christian is enabled to live a godly life and be Christ’s “witness” (Acts 1:8) and to be led by the Spirit’s ministry of enlightening, comforting, and energizing the believer in prayer, worship, and service (Eph 5:18-21; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 8:26-27; 1 Cor 14:2,4,14-18; Gal 5:16-25; Eph 6:17-18; Jude 1:20-21). The Holy Spirit is also directly involved in the sanctification and inner transformation of the believer “from glory to glory” to be like Christ (2 Cor 3:18; Rom 15:16; 1 Thess 5:23; 2 Thess 2:13; 1 Pet 1.2).

By the Holy Spirit’s indwelling, believers are enabled to express the nine spiritual gifts as the Spirit leads. The Holy Spirit is the Sovereign Giver of the spiritual gifts given to each believer “as He wills” (Rom 12:3-8; 1 Cor 12:4-11, 28). These gifts of the Holy Spirit are still available and manifested today. 

It is to be noted that the laying on of hands is often utilized in praying for people to receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:14-19; Acts 9:12,17; Acts 19:1-6) and also for praying for people to be healed (Mark 16:18; Luke 4:40; Mark 5:22; Mark 6:5).

[#5 of the 7 Foundational Doctrines]

The establishment and continuance of local churches are clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27, Acts 20:17-32; I Tim 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).

The government of the local church resides in the locally recognized pastors and elders. Christ gave the five-fold ministry gifts of grace, manifested as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers, to equip and prepare the saints for ministry and works of service (Eph 4:7-16; 1 Cor 12:28; Rom 12:3-8). The Scriptures show us that those called out to specific ministry to the church are often ordained with the laying on of hands by elders in church leadership (Acts 6:5-6; Acts 13:1-3; 1 Tim 4:14).

Jesus has entrusted the Church with the Great Commission to “GO into all the world and preach the Gospel” and “make disciples of all nations,” all ethnic groups, and all language groups. Christians are “ambassadors of Christ” and have the “ministry of reconciliation.” (Mat 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor 5:18-20).

[#6 & #7 of the 7 Foundational Doctrines]

When correctly interpreted, the Scriptures reveal God's plan from the world's creation and through different periods of human history. These time periods, called “dispensations,” are stages in a progressive revelation expressly adapted to the needs of a particular nation or period of time. Dispensations refer to a form, method, or system of God’s dealings with people during a specified time (Eph 1:10; Eph 3:9-11; Col 1:25-27; Heb 1:1-2).

Scriptures delineate the following 10 dispensations:

1. Dispensation of Angels (Gen 1:1; Job 38:4-7)
2. Dispensation of Innocence (Gen 1 – 2)
3. Dispensation of Conscience (Gen 3 – Exo 18; Rom 5:12-14; Rom 2:15)
4. Dispensation of Law (Exo 19 through Mal 4)
5. Dispensation of Transition (Mat 1 to Acts 1; Mat 11:10-13; Luke 7:27-30) 
6. Dispensation of Grace, also called the Church Age (Acts 2 – until Christ returns for His Church)
7. Dispensation of the First 3½ years of the 7-Year Great Tribulation (Rev 6-7; 8–11)
8. Dispensation of the Last 3½ years of the 7-Year Great Tribulation (Rev 8–11; 15–19)
9. Dispensation of the Millennium (Rev 20)
10. Dispensation of the Eternal Kingdom (Rev 21–22)

[#6 & #7 of the 7 Foundational Doctrines]

Scriptures conclude that there is bodily resurrection of all people—the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved for judgment and everlasting punishment (Mat 25:46; John 5:28-29; John 11:25-26; Rom 14:10; 1 Cor 15:12-58; 2 Cor 5:1-11; Heb 9:27; 2 Pet 2:9; Rev 20:5-6; Rev 20:11-15).

The “blessed hope” of the believer is the return of Jesus Christ for His Bride, the Church (Titus 2:13-14; Rev 19:7-9). This will happen in different stages. The Bride, the Church, will be raptured or “caught up” (1 Thess 4:16-18) before the Seven Year Great Tribulation begins. Midway through those seven years, He will resurrect the great multitude of tribulation martyrs. Then, at the end of the Great Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with His saints to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom, which was promised to the Nation of Israel (1 Thess 1:10; Rev 7:9-17; Rev 19:11-16; Rev 20:1-6).

God, in His own time and in His own way, will bring the world to its ultimate goal, in keeping with His promise to bring about the absolute fullness of the New Heavens, the New Earth and the New Jerusalem (Rev 21:1-5), the final defeat of Satan (Rev 20:10), the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor 15:51-52), and the final judgment (John 5:28-30; Rev 20:11-15). The final consummation will involve the destruction of death (1 Cor 15:25) when all things are brought under the feet of Christ, and He delivers the Kingdom to God the Father that God may be “all in all” (1 Cor 15:24-28).

This Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all we believe. However, the foregoing Statement of Faith accurately represents the central and most essential teachings of the Bible – God's wonderful Words of Life.