We Believe
The Bible
We believe in the verbal, plenary inspiration of both the Old and New Testaments. We believe that holy men of God were “moved by the Holy Spirit” to write the very words of Scripture and that this divine inspiration extends equally to all parts of Scripture. The Scriptures are infallible and inerrant only in their original autographs and are the final authority in all matters of faith and practice.
2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:19–21
The Doctrine of God
We believe that there is one God, eternally existing in three persons; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. (Deuteronomy 6:4; 1 Timothy 1:17; 2:5)
God is self-existent, eternal, and immaterial. He is perfect in holiness and is also merciful and gracious towards His creatures. God is personal, He has revealed Himself to mankind, and He can be known. (Psalm 86:5, 15; 103:8; Revelation 22:17)
The Person and Work of Christ
Great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh in the person of Jesus Christ who is just as truly God as the Father and the Holy Spirit are God; and is just as truly man as we are men. (1 Timothy 3:16; John 1:14)
We believe in the Virgin birth, in His sinless life, in the literalness of His miracles, and in His vicarious death and bodily resurrection. (Matthew 1:21, 23; John 3:2; 1 John 3:5; 1 Corinthians 15:3, 4)
We believe that the voluntary, sinless, substitutionary sacrifice of Jesus as the spotless Lamb of God was sufficient to atone for the sins of the whole world. (John 1:29; 1 John 2:2)
We believe that Jesus has ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God the Father and, as our Great High Priest, is acting as our Advocate and Intercessor. (Acts 1:9–11; Hebrews 4:14–16)
We believe that Jesus will come again to Rapture His bride (the church) out of the world and that after the 7-year tribulation will return to Earth to establish His Millennial Kingdom. (1 Thessalonians 4:14–18; Revelation 20:1–6)
Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Godhead and that He possesses the same nature and attributes as the other members of the Trinity. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 5:3–4; 2 Corinthians 13:14)
We believe that God the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment and that He points men to Jesus Christ. At salvation, He regenerates, indwells, baptizes all believers into the body of Christ, and seals them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8–11; 12–14; Titus 3:5; 1 Corinthians 6:19–20; 12:13; Ephesians 4:30)
After salvation, The Holy Spirit aids the believer’s sanctification through His continuing ministry of filling, guiding, granting assurance, illuminating and instructing, and empowering the believer. (Ephesians 5:18; Romans 8:14; 15–16; 1 Corinthians 2:10–13; Acts 1:8)
Salvation
When one accepts Christ as their Savior, one changes their status from condemned headed to hell, to saved headed to Glory. This occurs when one repents and puts faith in Christ. This repentance is a change in mind regarding sin and one’s attitude toward it. What once they did with no questions, thoughts, or concerns, they now carry with grief or sorrow (2 Corinthians 7:10), leading them to a changed life (Matthew 3:8) Through conversion, one puts their complete faith in Christ. One realizes there is nothing in themselves that can do this (Ephesians 2:8, 9) Although man is making an active decision to follow Christ, this conversion is wholly through repentance and faith; works have no role in this (Titus 3:5; Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:25; Ephesians 2:8, 9) At MBC we believe the true test of conversion is the desire to put oneself submissively, and obediently under the Lordship of Christ (1 John 2:3–5)
We believe that divine love prompted God to send His only begotten Son into the world to bear the penalty for mankind’s sins by the shedding of His blood on the cross of Calvary for the sins of the world.
(John 3:16; Romans 3:24–25; Ephesians 1:7; 1 John 2:2)
We believe that salvation is the gift of God, offered freely by grace and is received by men through personal faith in Jesus Christ apart from any human merit.
(Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8–9; Titus 3:5)
We believe once a person puts their faith and trust in Christ, they begin a life set apart for Christ (Santificaton) Sanctification is a battle the believer goes through where they continually cast-off sin and grow in holiness through the power of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:21–24) We believe there are three aspects to sanctification. First, sanctification is positional. At the instance of salvation, the believer is positionally and objectively made holy. Second, sanctification is progressive. Sanctification is not a one-time event, rather it is an ongoing progression of being set-apart. Progressive sanctification begins with the yielding of one’s entire being to God (Romans 12:1, 2) As one presents themselves a living sacrifice through sanctification, they begin seeing changes both outwardly (2 Corinthians 3:18), and inwardly (2 Corinthians 4:16) Although the believer has died to their sin and has been freed from sins’ power and dominion, there is still a struggle with indwelling sin. Third, ultimate sanctification. This is when the believer has been made completely holy through the process of glorification (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
The Church
We believe that the church is an organized, self-governing assembly of saved believers who gather together for the purpose of worshiping God and receiving instruction from His Word. We incorporate New Testament officers, Pastor, and Deacon. We practice New Testament ordinances, Baptism by immersion, and communion. And we engage ourselves in the business of carrying out the New Testament Commission.
We believe that the Bible is its sole authority and the only rule of faith and practice. (2 Timothy 3:15–4:2)
We believe that the church exists for the purpose of …
- Worshiping God and glorifying Him on the earth (Acts 2:46, 47; Ephesians 1:4–6; 3:20–21)
- Evangelizing the lost (Matthew 28:19–20)
- Instructing the believer (Matthew 28:19, 20; Ephesians 4:11–15; 2 Timothy 3:16–17; 4:2)
- Administering the ordinances (Matthew 28:19–20; 1 Corinthians 11:23–31)
- Fellowship and encouragement among believers (Ephesians 4:11, 12; Hebrews 10:24, 25)
We believe that Baptism is for believers only and that its mode is by immersion. We also believe that the Lord’s Supper symbolically commemorates the Lord’s death. (Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 11:26)
Creation
We believe in the biblical account of creation, that the heavens and the earth were created by God in six literal, twenty-four-hour days. (Genesis 1:31; Exodus 20:11)
Future Events
We believe in and anticipate the imminent return of Christ for His Church; when this happens, believers will be raptured out of this world and taken with Christ to heaven. (Acts 1:11; 1 Corinthians 15:51, 52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18; Titus 2:12–13)
We believe that after the rapture, a 7-year period of great tribulation will be poured out upon the Christ-rejecting inhabitants of the earth. At the end of this great tribulation, Jesus Christ will return with His saints to establish His earthly kingdom where He will rule and reign in righteousness for one thousand years on the throne of David. (1 Thessalonians 5:9–10; Romans 8:1; Revelation 6:15–17; 12:9, 12–14; Revelation 20:1–7)
After the Millennial reign of Christ, we believe Satan will be cast into the lake of fire where he will remain forever tormented; we believe further that all unbelievers will be resurrected and judged at the Great White Throne judgment which will result in their eternal punishment in the lake of fire. We believe that the saved of all generations will live forever in eternal glory with God in a new heaven and a new earth. (Revelation 20:10–15; 21:1–7; 22:1–5)
The Eternal State
We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to everlasting life, and the unsaved to everlasting punishment. (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28–29; 11:25–26; Revelation 20:5–6, 12–15)
We believe that, at death, the souls of believers go immediately to heaven to be with the Lord; there they await the first resurrection when they will be united, body, soul, and spirit with the Lord. (2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:21, 23; 1 Thessalonians 4:16–17)
We believe that, at death, the souls of unbelievers go immediately to hell, where they remain in conscious misery until the second resurrection. At the second resurrection, their soul and body will be reunited to stand in judgment before the Great White Throne. All unbelievers will be cast forever into the lake of fire where they will suffer everlasting punishment. (Matthew 25:41, 46; Mark 9:43–48; Luke 16:22–26; John 3:36; 2 Thessalonians 1:7–9; Jude 1:7; Revelation 20:11–15; 21:8)
