Covenant & Statement of Faith

COVENANT

Having been led as we believe by the Spirit of God to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now in the presence of God and this assembly most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as members of the body of Christ.

We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its welfare and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, doctrines, and discipline; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, and the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.

We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world: to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; and to use our influence against those things which hinder the spiritual growth of the believer.

We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Savior to secure it without delay.

STATEMENT OF FAITH

A.   The Scriptures:

We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments as verbally inspired of God, and inerrant in the original writings and that they are the supreme and final authority in all matters of doctrine, faith, and conduct. Matthew 5:18; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21.

B.     God:

We believe in one God, eternally existing in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 13:14; Matthew 3:16-17; 28:19; 1 Peter 1:2; 1 John 4:15.

C.    Jesus:

1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. John 1:1-2, 14; Luke 1:35.
2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through the shedding of His blood and death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice and that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead. Romans 3:24-25; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 2:24.
3. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Intercessor and Advocate. Acts 1:9,10; Romans 8:34; Hebrews 9:24; 1 John 2:1, 2.
4. We believe in the “Blessed Hope”, the personal, imminent, pretribulational and premillennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones; and in the subsequent return to earth with His saints, to establish His Millennial Kingdom. 1 Thessalonians 1:10; 5:9; 4:13-18; Zechariah 14:4-1l; Revelation 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6.

D.    Holy Spirit:

We believe, the Holy Spirit, a Person of the Godhead, convicts the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgment; and that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers at conversion into the body of Christ; indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. 2 Peter 1:20-21; John 14:16-26; 16:7-11; 2 Corinthians 3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 5:18; 1 John 2:20, 27.

E.     Man:

We believe that man was created by God in His image and likeness.  In Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and we believe that man is totally depraved, a sinner in thought, word, and deed and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:23; 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3, 12.

F.     Salvation:

We believe that man’s salvation is the gift of God brought to him by God’s grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins; and that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are thus secure in Christ forever. Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10; John 1:12; 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 38-39; 1 Corinthians 1:4-8; 1 Peter 1:5, 18, 19.

G.    Church:

1. We believe that the church, which is the body of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all persons who have received Jesus Christ as personal Lord and Savior. Ephesians 1:22-23; 5:25-27; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; 2 Corinthians 11:2.
2. We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures. Acts 20:17; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11.
3. Believers, who desire to assemble for worship, praise, prayer, study of the Word, observance of the ordinances of Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper, fellowship, enjoy the leadership of pastors, teachers, deacons and evangelists constitute a local church. Matthew 16:16-18: Ephesians 1:22; 5:25-27; Colossians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13; Acts 2:42-47; Ephesians 4:11-18.