Doctrinal Principles

Bible

We believe that the Old and New Testaments (consisting of 66 books) are the verbally inspired (God-breathed) Word of God. They are infallible, inerrant, and plenary as originally given in the autograph copy, and are the only authority for faith and practice. (Ex. 24:4; 2 Sam. 23:1-2; Isa. 1:2,10; John 17:17; 2 Pet. 1:21; 2 Tim. 3:16-17)

God—The Triunity

We believe that there is one true triune God who exists in three coequal and coeternal Persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each person within the Godhead possesses the same nature, attributes, perfection, and power; decreeing what shall be according to His sovereign will. (Gen. 1:1; Exod. 3:14; Deut. 6:4; Matt. 3:16-17, 28:19; John 1:1; Acts 5:3,4; Rom. 8:9; 2 Cor. 13:14)

Messiah (Christ)

We believe that Messiah Jesus (Yeshua) is the eternal Son of God, conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Miriam (Mary), possessing two natures in one person (Divine/human). The purpose for Messiah’s incarnation was to reveal God the Father to mankind and provide salvation by paying the redemptive price for man’s sin. (Isa. 7:14; John 1:1-2, 14; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal. 4:4-5; Phil. 2:5-8)

We believe that Messiah Jesus voluntarily paid the redemptive price for man’s sin through His death and shed blood on Calvary’s Tree as a vicarious and substitutionary sacrifice for man’s justification. (Isa. 52:13-53:12; Acts 2:22-36; Rom. 3:24-26; Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 2:24)

We believe in the bodily ascension of Messiah, who is seated in exaltation at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven. As the believer’s High Priest, He is Advocate, Intercessor, and the only Mediator between God and man. (Acts 1:9-10; 2:33; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 4:4, 7:25, 9:24; 1 John 2:1-2)

Holy Spirit

We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Godhead, coequal with God the Father and with Messiah Jesus the Son. His ministry is to convict the world of sin; and regenerate, indwell, seal, baptize, and fill the believer. The Holy Spirit sanctifies and sustains each believer, providing him with illumination through the Word of God, guidance for holy living, and empowerment for ministry. (Zech. 4:6; John 16:8; Rom. 8:14; 1 Cor. 3:16; Gal. 5:16-18; Eph. 1:13-17, 3:5; Titus 3:5)

We believe that every Christian, every true believer in Messiah, is given spiritual gifts at the time of his salvation to be exercised for edification in the local church to God’s glory. We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit ceased with the passing of the apostolic age and the completion of God’s scriptural revelation. We believe that speaking in tongues was never a sign of being baptized or being filled with the Holy Spirit, but it was a sign to unbelieving Israel. (Acts 2; I Cor. 12-14)

Man

We believe that God created man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul, created in the image of God’s likeness. We believe that, though man was originally created in the image of God’s likeness, he fell through sin and brought physical and spiritual death upon himself and mankind. This resulted in man’s spiritual separation from God in time and eternity. Mankind is born with a sin nature (totally depraved) and is unable to save himself out of his fallen state. Those who are not born again (born from above) through Yeshua remain eternally lost. (Gen. 1:26-27; Ps. 51:5; Isa. 59:2; Jer. 17:9; John 3:3; Rom. 3:10-23, 5:12; 1 Cor. 15:21-22; Rev. 20:11-15)

Salvation

We believe that salvation is solely the gift of God’s grace through faith in the death, blood, and resurrection of Messiah Jesus. All who personally receive Him as Savior are instantaneously regenerated by the Holy Spirit. As born-again children of God, each believer possesses the imputation of a new nature and guarantee of eternal life. (John 1:12, 3:1-7; 1 Cor. 15:1-4; 2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 2:8-9; Titus 3:5)

We believe in the eternal security of all born-again believers. (John 6:37-40, 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1, 38-39; 1 Pet. 1:4-5)

The Church

We believe that the true church is a called-out group of born-again believers (Jewish and Gentile) who have been placed into the body of Messiah through the baptizing ministry of the Holy Spirit. We believe that the local church is a living organism of unified true believers who are dependent upon one another in function. The local church exists for the purpose of teaching the Word of God, worship, fellowship, spiritual growth, service, administration of the ordinances of the Lord’s Supper and water baptism by immersion, and evangelism. We believe that the local church is an independent, autonomous, and self-governed body of believers directed by the Holy Spirit as set forth in God’s Word with Messiah as its Head. (Acts 1:8; 2:41-47, 20:28; 1 Cor. 10:32, 11:23-32; Eph. 1:22, 23; Col. 1:18)

Holiness

We believe that a Christian is commanded to be holy in body, soul, mind, and spirit. He is to be separated from apostasy, teachers of false doctrine, and disobedient brethren; he is not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. (Rom. 12:1,2, 16:17-18; 1 Cor. 5:11; 2 Cor. 6:14-18; 2 Thess. 3:6; 1 Tim. 6:3-5; 2 John 8-11)

Satan

We believe in the person of Satan, The Adversary, who was the highest of God’s created angelic beings. Satan was cast down after his rebellion against God and is presently the leader of a host of fallen angels (demons). Satan is the god of this world and the prince of the power of the air who functions in opposition to God and His church. Satan, along with the host of fallen angels, is destined for eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire. (Job 2:1,2; Isa. 14:12-17; Matt. 25:41; 2 Cor. 4:4; Eph. 2:2; 1 Pet. 5:8; 2 Pet. 2:4; Rev. 20:7-10)

Last Things

We believe in the imminent, pretribulational rapture of the church. We believe in the premillennial, physical, visible, bodily return of Messiah Jesus to earth in glory, known as the Second Coming, which will occur at the end of the Seventieth Week of Daniel (sometimes referred to as “The Tribulation”). We believe in the millennial reign of Messiah upon the earth after His Second Coming to rule and reign with all believers for one thousand years. (Dan. 9:24-27; Zech. 14:1-4; Matt. 24:15-46; Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:13-18; 5:1-6; Rev. 19-20)

We believe that, subsequent to the Millennial Kingdom, Satan, demons, and all unsaved people will be judged and cast alive into the Lake of Fire to suffer everlasting conscious punishment. We believe that all regenerated people from every generation will enjoy everlasting blessedness in the eternal state. (Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25:46; John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15; Rev. 20-21)