We believe . . .

The Bible   We believe that the entire Bible is inspired of God and is our complete, undisputed authority in all matters of faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16, 2 Peter 1:20-21).  God has providentially preserved His completed Word for us today (Psalms 12:6-7, Acts 12:24, Isaiah 40:8)  in what is commonly called the Textus Receptus (Received Text) and that the Authorized King James Version (KJV) 1611 is the only perfect English translation of the Received Text available today.

We stand fast in the principle God has set forth in the Scriptures to rightly divide the Bible dispensationally, according to II Timothy 2:15.  This results in a clear understanding of the differences in God’s dealings with mankind since the beginning, and plays a vital role in establishing the saint, as well as maintaining a distinct and clear gospel message for the Body of Christ today (Romans 16:25-27, I Thessalonians 2:4).

While we believe every word of the Bible is inspired, true and infallible, we recognize that Paul’s writings alone (Romans – Philemon) contain the revelation of the mystery that is God’s purpose during this dispensation of grace.

The Godhead   We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Deuteronomy 6:4, Matthew 28:19, 1 John 5:7)  The Lord Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true man.  He is not only the son of God but also God the son (Luke 1:35, Romans 1:3-4, Philippians 2:5-11).

We believe that Jesus Christ never sinned in word, thought, or deed and therefore was the perfect sacrificial Lamb of God (Hebrews 9:26).

Man’s Sinfulness/Eternal Punishment   We believe the scriptures teach that all men are by nature evil, inexcusable, under God’s wrath, and inescapably accountable to Him (Romans 2:1-3, and 14:12).  Man can do nothing in and of himself to satisfy God’s righteousness, and rejecting God’s free provision for salvation results in everlasting separation from God and conscious, suffering torment in Hell. (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, Revelation 21:8, Hebrews 9:27).   Nowhere do the scriptures teach the hope of eternal salvation to the unsaved dead.

Salvation   We believe that man is saved from eternal punishment and is justified freely by grace through faith in the sacrificially shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary (Romans 3:21-26, Ephesians 2:8-9, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4).  Salvation is an undeserved, free gift bestowed upon all who simply place their faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. During the dispensation of grace, every person who believes the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24) is eternally saved from God’s wrath.

Eternal Security   We believe that all saved people during the dispensation of grace are eternally saved and complete in Christ (Colossians 2:10). Salvation is the work of God and not of man.  Therefore, it is impossible for anyone who has trusted in Christ to ever be lost again.  We are sealed by the Holy Spirit and are not our own – we are bought with a price (Ephesians 1:13).

Believer's Walk   We believe that saints (i.e. saved people) are to live their lives under grace and not the law system (Romans 6:14). This means that the core operating principle in the saint’s relationship with God, others, and himself is grace. By reason of Christ's victory over sin and by His indwelling Spirit, all saved people may and should experience deliverance from the power of sin in their daily lives (Romans 6:11-14).  All saints still possess the old sin nature and the ability to sin.  We do not believe that the old sin nature is ever eradicated during this life (Galatians 5:16-25, Romans 7:15-25).

We believe in the practical sanctification of all members of the body of Christ (Romans 12:1-2) and that all saints should glorify God in all of their thoughts, words and deeds (1 Corinthians 10:31). Saints should separate from all forms of worldliness, humanism, and religious apostasy (Ephesians 5:3-12, Titus 2:11-12).  We saints should demonstrate their love and forgiveness to all men because Christ has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32).

We conclude that, as believers, we should follow Christ's example and be subject to the higher powers (i.e. governmental authorities) so that we may lead quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty (Romans 13:1-7, 1 Timothy 2:1-2). Saints are in this world, but we are not of this world.

The Church, The Body of Christ  We believe in this present dispensation of grace (Ephesians 3:2) there is only one true church, which is called the Body of Christ (I Corinthians 12:13, Ephesians 3:6). The Body of Christ, made up of saved Jews and Gentiles, are joint heirs with the Lord Jesus Christ.  It was never prophesied (Ephesians 3:5-8); it is separate and distinct from the prophesied earthly kingdom of Christ, which is yet future (Daniel 2:44, Acts 3:19-21).

We reject the notion that the Church is “spiritual Israel” and has replaced Israel in God's plans and purposes. (Romans 11).

We believe the Body of Christ did not begin in Acts 2, on the prophesied day of Pentecost, but rather after Acts 9, before Paul wrote his first epistle (I Timothy 1:15-16, I Corinthians 12:13) and prior to Acts 28.

Our Dispensational Position   We believe that this present dispensation of grace (Ephesians 3:2) was a mystery hid from ages and generations until the Lord Jesus Christ revealed it to the Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 2:7, Ephesians 3:2-9, Colossians 1:25-26). The church of this mystery dispensation, the Body of Christ, has a heavenly purpose that is distinct and separate from God痴 earthly purpose for the nation of Israel.

Rapture/Adoption   We believe that the church, the Body of Christ, will be caught up in the clouds by Jesus Christ Himself, when He descends from heaven at the end of the dispensation of grace (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).  This event was kept secret by God and is a distinctive part of the new and special revelation, the mystery, given to the apostle Paul for the Body of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:51).

This blessed hope (Titus 2:13) is found only in Paul's epistles and concerns only the Body of Christ. This event will take place before the prophesied 7 yr. Great Tribulation period begins (Romans 5:9, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-9), which precedes the second coming of Christ to set up His earthly millennial kingdom in which He will rule and reign with His chosen people, the nation of Israel.

You should not take anyone else's word for anything. The Bible is the authority. No man is your judge. Therefore, you need to be fully persuaded in your own mind. Acts 17:11, "These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."

We welcome your participation in our weekly online Bible studies as we grow together in the knowledge and admonition of the Lord.