What We Believe - Church Covenant

​About the Bible - II Timothy 3:16; 1 Peter 1:20-21; John 17:17; 1 Peter 1:23; Psalm 119:105, 160

• God has revealed Himself and His plan to us in the Bible.
  
• God's Holy Spirit supernaturally guided the human writers as they composed the original manuscripts so that the finished product was without any mixture of error.
  
• The Bible is absolutely trustworthy and the supreme authority that governs what we believe and how we live.

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About God - Genesis 1:1, 26-27; Exodus 20:2-3; Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Matthew 28:19

• God is the Creator and Ruler of the universe.
  
• God has eternally existed in three Persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.  These three are co-equal and are one God.
  

About Jesus Christ - John 1:1-5; Matthew 1:22-23; Isaiah 9:6; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 1:3-4; Acts 1:9-11; Titus 2:13

• Jesus is the eternal Son of God and God the Son.
  
• Jesus is co-equal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit.
  
• Jesus was supernaturally born of the Virgin Mary.
  
• Jesus lived a sinless human life and offered Himself as the perfect sacrifice for the sins of all men by dying on the cross.
  
• Jesus physically arose from the dead on the third day to demonstrate His power over sin and death.
  
• Jesus ascended to Heaven's glory where He now ministers as our Great High Priest, and will return again to reign as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
  

About the Holy Spirit - Matthew 29:19; 1 Corinthians 12:13; 2 Corinthians 3:17; John 14:16-17, 15:26; John 16:7-14; Titus 3:5; Acts 1:8; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16; Ephesians 1:13-14; Galatians 5:16-25

• The Holy Spirit is a Divine Person.
  
• The Holy Spirit is co-eternal and co-equal with the Father and the Son.
  
• The Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment.
  
• The Holy Spirit imparts spiritual life to those who believe in Jesus.
  
• The Holy Spirit lives within every believer from the moment of salvation.
  
• The Holy Spirit provides the Christian with power for living, understanding of spiritual truth, and guidance in doing what is right.  As Christians, we seek to live under His control each day.​
  

About Angels

Holy Angels - Luke 2:9-14; Hebrews 1:6-7, 14, 2:6-7; Revelation 5:11-14, 19:10, 22:9

• Angels are created beings and are not to be worshiped.
  
• Angels are a higher order of creation than man but are created to serve God and worship Him.

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​Fallen Angels - Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 12:1-14; Genesis 3:1-5; Matthew 4:1-11; Romans 16:20; Revelation 20:10

• Satan is a created angel and is the author of sin.
  
• Satan brought God's judgment upon himself by rebelling against his Creator.
  
• Satan took many angels with him when he rebelled.  They are called demons.
  
• Satan introduced sin into the human race when he tempted Eve.
  
• Satan is the open and declared enemy of God and man.
  
• Satan is the prince of this world, who has been defeated through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and shall be eternally punished in the lake of fire.
  
  

About Man - Genesis 1-2; John 1:3; Colossians 1:16-17; Genesis 3:1-6; Romans 5:10-19; Romans 1:18, 32

• We accept the Genesis account of creation and believe that man came by direct creation of God, in His own image.
  
• Man was created in innocence under the law of his maker, but fell from his sinless condition when he chose to sin against God.  As a result, all mankind are now sinners, not only by constraint, but of choice; and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse.
  
• Man was created to exist forever.  He will either consciously exist separated eternally from God in a place called hell because of his sin, or forever in heaven with God through forgiveness and salvation.
  

About Salvation - 2 Corinthians 5:21; Romans 5:1; Ephesians 2:8-10; Acts 4:12; John 14-6; John 5:12; Romans 8:28-39; James 2:14-26; 1 John 1:6-7, 2:3-6, 29, 3:7-10

• Jesus Christ shed His blood and died on the cross as God's sinless substitute for our sins.  His sacrifice completely satisfied all of God's righteous demands upon those who trust Jesus to save them.
  
• Salvation is a gift from God to man.  Man can never make up for his sin by self-improvement or good works.  Only by trusting in Jesus Christ as God's offer of forgiveness can man be saved from sin's penalty.
  
• Eternal life begins the moment one receives Jesus Christ into his life by faith.
  
• Because God gives man eternal life through Jesus Christ, His grace secures the believer's salvation for eternity.
  
• True salvation does not consist of merely claiming to have made decision for Christ but is evidenced by increasing Christ-likeness in the believer's life.
  

About the Church - Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 2:41-42; 1 Corinthians 11:2; Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 5:23-24; 1 Peter 5:1-4

• The true mission of the Church is the faithful witnessing of Christ to all as we have opportunity.
  
• A local church should be a congregation of immersed believers.
  
• A local church's standard of faith and practice is the Word of God alone.
  
• A local church has the sold right of self-government; and that in all matters of membership, policy, government, discipline and benevolence, the will of the local church is final.

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​About the Civil Government - Exodus 18:21-22; Acts 23:5; Matthew 22:21; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13-14, 17; Acts 5:29, 4:19-20; Daniel 3:1-18

• God has ordained civil government for the interests and good order of human society.
  
• God wants us to pray for and respect government leaders.  We are to obey them except only in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, the only Lord of the conscience, and the coming ruler over all of earth's rulers.
  

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About the Future - John 14:1-6; Acts 1:11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Hebrews 9:28; James 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:42-44, 51-53; Philippians 3:20-21; Isaiah 9:6-7; Luke 1:32; Acts 2:29-30; Revelation 20:1-21:5

• We eagerly expect Jesus to return at any moment for His church.
  
• When Jesus returns for His church, the righteous dead of this age will be resurrected.  Those who are alive at the time will be caught up together with them to meet Him in the air and be with Him forever.
  
• When Jesus returns to earth, He will reign upon the throne of David for a thousand years.  After this, God will make His dwelling with man forever.
  

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What We Believe

Having been led, as we believe by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our 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 one body in 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 prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly of the ministry, the expenses of the church, 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; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, excessive anger; to abstain from the sale of, and the use of intoxicating drinks as a beverage; to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Savior.

We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aide on 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.

We moreover engage that when we move from this place we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God's Word.

Code 4361-03