Our Articles of Faith

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  1. We believe the scriptures of the Old and New Testament are the infallibly inspired word of God, a thorough furnisher for every good work, and the only rule of faith and practice.1
    1.) II Timothy 3:16; Acts 8:35.
  2. We believe there is one true and living God2 who is eternal,3 immutable,4 the creator of all things, visible and invisible,5 who governs all things in righteousness, according to the counsel of His own will.6  He has revealed Himself in the Scriptures as Father, Word, and Holy Ghost.7  The Word is Jesus Christ the Son of God who, while dwelling on earth in the flesh, made sacrificial atonement on the cross for God’s elect by suffering death for their sins. He is God incarnate,8 the fullness of the Godhead manifest bodily.9
    2.) Isaiah 43:11.  3.) Deuteronomy 33:27.  4.) Malachi 3:6.  5.) John 1:1-4.  6.) Daniel 4:35; Ephesians 1:11.  7.)I John 5:7.  8.) John 1:14-17.  9.) Colossians 2:9.
  3. We believe in total depravity: God created Adam good and upright;10 but by Adam’s disobedience he became dead in trespasses and sin.11  As the fountainhead of humanity, Adam passed his depraved nature to every human being,12 so that none are righteous, making them unwilling and unable to change their own hearts and be saved from eternal condemnation.13
    10.) Genesis 1:26-28.  11.) Genesis 2:16-17, 3:17-19.  12.) Romans 5:12-19.  13.) Romans 3:11-18.
  4. We believe in election:14 God, before the foundation of the world,15 chose by His own sovereign will, and not by foreseen merit in any who were chosen, a definite number of persons in Christ Jesus to salvation16 while passing by others, leaving them in their reprobate condition.17  He thereby demonstrated His sovereignty and power for the purpose of His own glory18 by having mercy on whom He will have mercy.19
    14.) Romans 9:11.  15.)Ephesians 1:4.  16.) Romans 8:33; John 10:27-29.  17.) Matthew 7:21-23; Jeremiah 18:4; Romans 9:21.  18.) II Timothy 2:10; I Peter 5:10-11.  19.) Romans 9:15-16.
  5. We believe in regeneration:  All elect persons in all ages are born again in the same manner by the operation of God’s Spirit, which is a direct, immediate, and irresistible work of the Holy Ghost,20 void of intermediate means or instrumentalities.21  Regeneration changes the heart and creates a new spirit in Christ Jesus in all who are born again22 so that, as God’s workmanship, they can and should do good works as God before ordained.23All who are thus quickened are preserved in Christ and shall never fall from grace.24
    20.) John 3:5-7; Colossians 2:10-15.  21.) Matthew 27:44; Luke 23:40-43; Acts 9:3-4.  22.) John 3:6; II Corinthians 5:17-21.  23.) Ephesians 2:10.  24.) John 10:27-28.
  6. We believe that justification, the declaration of righteousness,25 is grounded entirely upon the imputed righteousness of Christ Jesus26 through faith.27
    25.) Romans 3:24-28.  26.) Romans 4:24-25, 5:1; I Corinthians 6:11; Titus 3:5-7.  27.) Romans 4:2-16; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 3:23-28; Galatians 2:16.
  7. We believe the gospel is the principle means by which the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith.28  It is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes,29 in that it calls on regenerates to repent and be converted.30  The gospel is an instrument of evangelism,31 and evangelism is a principle expression of conversion.32
    28.) Romans 1:16-17; Philippians 1:7.  29.) Romans 1:16; Acts 13:48.  30.) Acts 3:19.  31.) II Timothy 4:2-5; Mark 16:9-10.  32.) Psalms 51:10-13; Galatians 1:16-17.
  8. We believe the visible Church of Christ is a local assembly composed of a body of baptized believers33 with Christ as the head,34 who have obtained fellowship by submitting themselves to each other and the Lord in regularly assembling and worshiping together35 and keeping a godly discipline according to the word of God alone.36  The church receives all its authority from and is wholly accountable to Christ alone in all matters of faith and practice.37
    33.) Acts 2:44-47, 8:1, 14:27, 15:6-35; I Corinthians 12:18-27.  34.) Ephesians 1:22, 5:23-24.  35.) Acts 2:46-47; Hebrews 10:24-25.  36.) I Timothy 5:20; I Corinthians 5:4-8; II Corinthians 2:6-8; II Thessalonians 3:6.  37.) Revelations 2:1-5.
  9. We believe Baptism38 and the Lord’s Supper39 are ordinances in the Church that are administered by appropriately ordained ministers of the gospel; and washing the saints’ feet is a duty incumbent on those who are properly baptized and thereby privileged to partake of the Lord’s Supper.40
    38.) Acts 2:41-47; I Corinthians 1:16.  39.) Luke 22:15-20; I Corinthians 10:15-17, 11:23-26.  40.) John 13:14; I Timothy 5:9-10.
  10. We believe those who are born again, profess faith in Christ, and make it known by their fruits of good works are fit subjects for baptism41 in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.42
    41.) Acts 8:36-38, 8:12-13; Matthew 3:7-11.  42.) Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:38, 8:12, 10:47-48.
  11. We believe the proper mode of baptism is immersion.43  The proper administrator is one called of God to preach the gospel who has come under the hands of the presbytery.44
    43.) John 3:23; Romans 6:3-4; Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:37.  44.) Acts 19:1-6; Matthew 28:19; Acts 13:2-3; I Timothy 4:14.
  12. We believe in a general, bodily resurrection of the dead, including both the just and unjust, at the Second Coming of Christ when God shall declare His judgment toward all.45 The wicked shall be raised to receive an eternal punishment of fiery torment in hell46 for the things they have done.  The righteous, by virtue of the shed blood of Christ, shall be raised in immortal, incorruptible bodies47 and shall forever reside with God and thereby receive eternal blessing.48
    45.) Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:28-29; II Thessalonians 1:6-9.  46.) Revelations 20:12-14; Romans 9:22-24.  47.) Philippians 3:19-21; II Thessalonians 1:10; I Corinthians 15:51-57.  48.) I Thessalonians 4:16-17.