Why We Believe The Nature of Jesus:  He alone is the Son of God (Phil. 2:5-11); the fullness of deity is found in Him (Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:2-3).  He was sent by God, the Father, to be the only sacrifice worthy and acceptable to remove the sins of every one who believes (John 3:16; Acts 4:10-12). He is holy. He is God. Sin and Salvation: Sin is the universal human condition separating man from the Creator (Rom. 3:10-20). All people are subject to spiritual death because of the nature of sin (Rom. 6:23). Salvation comes only by faith in Jesus Christ which brings justification leading to sanctification and, finally, to glorification. The Nature of Faith: Faith is a person’s response to God’s initiative revealed in His written word and in His saving Word. Therefore, faith is dependent upon what we believe (I Tim. 3:9) and in Whom we believe (I Tim. 3:13). The Experience of Baptism: Baptism is given by Jesus as a divine command (Matt. 28:18-20). Believers are immersed as an act of obedience in response to faith in Jesus Christ for the remission of sin and the gift of the Holy Spirit (I Peter 3:21; Acts 2:38). The Authority of Scripture: All authority ultimately rests with God (I Cor. 15:24-25). God has chosen to impart some of His knowledge and wisdom through inspired revelation (I Tim. 3:16). We accept the truth and trustworthiness of the Scriptures as absolute authority. The Nature of the Church: The Church is the holy Building of God (Eph. 2:20-22), the Bride of the Lamb (Eph. 5:22ff; Rev. 19:5ff), and the Body of Christ (I Cor. 12:12-13) bought with His blood (Acts 20:28) to encourage the believers and win the lost for Christ. The Nature and Purpose of Spiritual Gifts: Special gifts are given by God to every believer for the good of the Church (Eph. 4:11-13). It is the responsibility of the believer and the Church to discover, develop, and deploy these gifts to be effectual in the purpose of building up the Church and performing the work of the ministry (I Tim. 4:14-16). Click <here> to read "Beliefs: What We Believe." Click <here> to return to the Home page.