SALVATION

We believe that God created man in His own image and that man sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is conscious and eternal separation from God.  We believe that all men are born with a sin nature, evidenced by sinful acts; that man is totally depraved; and that if he is not born again, he is eternally lost (Gen. 1:26-27; Ps. 51:5; Jer. 17:9; Luke 16:23; Rev. 21:8; Rom. 3:10-23; Rom. 5:12; 1 Cor. 15:21-22; Rev. 20:11-15). 

We believe that a person is saved when he repents of his sin and exercises faith by accepting Jesus Christ as his personal Savior.  The basis of our salvation is the precious blood of Christ according to 1 Peter 1:18-19, which states that we are redeemed “…with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.”

We believe that God has provided a way of salvation (Jn. 14:6) from the consequences of sin (Rom. 6:23) through Christ’s shed blood on the cross (1 Pet. 1:18-19).  This salvation was given because of the love of God (Jn. 3:16) and is available to all mankind with no limitations whatsoever (1 Jn. 2:2).  The sinner can believe this provision of salvation only after hearing of the gospel (Rom. 1:17; Mt. 28:19) and the convicting work of the Holy Spirit (Jn. 16:8).

We believe that the obtaining of salvation is impossible apart from a personal choice of the sinner (Jn. 3:16) based upon a complete reliance upon God’s way of salvation (Eph. 2:8-9).  At the moment a sinner repents from sin and trusts Christ as his Savior, the sinner is united to Christ (2 Cor. 5:17) by the Holy Spirit (Tit. 3:5).  This turning from sin (Ps. 51:3-4) to Christ as Savior and Lord (Rom. 10:9-10) is called conversion.  At conversion, God declares the sinner righteous (justified) because of the merit of Christ, which merit removes the eternal penalty of sin (Rom. 8:1).  Consequently, the sinner is made alive spiritually (Jn. 3:36) and is reconciled to God’s favor (Rom. 5:1-2, 10) thereby becoming holy.  The sinner is thus made a saint (Jn. 3:3-6; 2 Cor 5:17; 1 Pet. 1:23; Tit. 3:5).

We believe that the attitude of reconciliation or enmity toward God is eternally fixed at death.  We further believe that there is an appointed day for the judgment of the wicked when they will be cast into the Lake of Fire, there to remain in everlasting conscious punishment and torment (Jn. 1:12; 5:24; Rom. 6:23; 2 Cor. 5:21; Eph. 2:8-9; 1 Jn. 3:2; 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Heb. 9:27; 2 Pet. 2:9; Rev. 20:12-15; Rev. 21:8).