Overview

Here at MVBC, we believe that our worship can only go as high as our doctrine is deep. Additionally, we believe that the church's doctrine should not be based on creeds, confessions, or councils, but solely on the Word of God. The church does not require its members to adhere to each doctrinal point. It does require, however, that each member be willing to  humbly submit to the doctrinal teachings of the pastors and elders of MVBC.

​

​

Below You will find our full doctrinal statement.

​

​

The Bible

We believe that the Scriptures, the 66 books which make up the Old and New Testaments, are the inspired, infallible, inerrant Word of God given to us by the Holy Spirit through human authors.

1 Cor 2:10–13; 2 Peter 1:21 

 

We believe that there is only one true interpretation of Scripture given by God, and there may be many applications of that one true interpretation.

2 Peter 1:20; 2 Timothy 3:16

 

We believe that the Scriptures are authoritative, and are the only infallible truth for faith and conduct, and must be understood in its God-given format, being a literal, grammatical, and historical interpretation.

2 Peter 1:3; 2 Timothy 3:15–17 

 

God

We believe in one God, who exists eternally in 3 distinct persons, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and they are co-equal and co-eternal.

Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 2 Corinthians 13:14

 

We believe that God the Father, the first person of the Trinity, is the sovereign creator of all things, and sovereignly accomplishes His will for His glory.

Isaiah 45:5–7; Psalm 24:1; Romans 8:28;

 

We believe that God the Son, the second person of the Trinity, is coequal, consubstantial, and coeternal with God the Father.

John 10:30; 14:9–10

 

We believe that God the Son came to earth as God and sinless man through a virgin birth, and accomplished redemption for His people through His full obedience to the law, His sacrificial death on the cross, and His resurrection from the grave and ascension into heaven.

Galatians 4:4–5; Romans 3:24–25; 5:8; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Corinthians 15:3–4; Acts 1:9–11

 

We believe that God the Son now sits at the right hand of God the Father as the mediator for His people, and that He will one day judge those who do not put their faith and trust in Him.

Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25; 1 John 2:1

​

We believe that God the Holy Spirit is co-equal and consubstantial with God the Father and God the Son, and that He was sent by God the Father to convict the world of sin, righteousness, and judgement, as well as dwell within believers for sanctification and instruction.

1 Corinthians 2:10–13; Hebrews 10:15–17; John 16:8–11, 13

 

Man

We believe that God created man for the purpose of glorifying God, enjoying fellowship with God, and fulfilling the will of God on earth.

Isaiah 43:7; Colossians 1:16; Revelation 4:11

 

We believe that man, that is, the distinction of male and female, is created by God in the image and likeness of God, and that all mankind was created free of sin in the beginning.

Genesis 1:27; 2:7; 2:25

 

We believe that man sinned against the perfect will of God, and as a result he incurred the penalty of physical and spiritual death, as well as becoming inherently corrupt and utterly unable to do what is acceptable to God apart from divine grace.

Psalm 14:1–3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3:10, 23; 6:23; John 3:36

 

We believe that man, having come from Adam, has been corrupted by Adam’s sin, and sin has been transmitted to all men of all ages, God the Son being the exception to sin.

Romans 5:12–14; 1 Corinthians 15:22; 1 John 3:5

 

Salvation

We believe that salvation, that is, the saving of sinful man from eternal hell to eternal life with God, is wholly of God by grace on the basis of the redemption through Jesus Christ, and is not at all based on human merit or works.

John 5:24; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8–9; 1 Peter 1:18–19

 

We believe that regeneration is an instantaneous, complete, and supernatural work of the Holy Spirit, whereby the sinner is justified before the Father by faith in Christ, that is, he is declared righteous before God, and as such, he has been sanctified, and will continue to be sanctified by the Holy Spirit into the image of Christ until glorification.

John 5:24; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Romans 3:22, 28; Titus 3:5; Philippians 2:12b

 

We believe that before the foundation of the world, God sovereignly chose those whom He graciously regenerates, saves, and sanctifies. This election by God does not contradict or negate the responsibility of man to repent and trust Christ as Lord and Savior. 

Ephesians 1:4–6; Romans 8:28–30; Ezekiel 33:11; Romans 9:22–23; Acts 17:30

 

We believe that believers are kept by the power of God and secure in their salvation forever, and as such, the eternal inheritance given by God cannot be revoked or lost.

John 6:37–40; 10:27–30; Hebrews 13:5

 

The Church

We believe that the church is the universal, united, spiritual body of believers in Jesus Christ, made up of local assemblies with Christ being the head, for the purpose of glorifying God by building itself up in faith through the instruction of the Word.

1 Corinthians 12:12–13; Ephesians 1:22; 3:21; Acts 6:3–4

 

We believe that the church was formed on the day of Pentecost, and will be completed at the rapture, when Christ takes His own to be with Him. 

Acts 2:1–21; 1 Corinthians 15:51–52; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

 

We believe that the church’s supreme authority is Christ, with the church being His bride. The leadership, organization, giftedness, and discipline of the church are sovereignly appointed by God as found in His Scriptures, and are subject to the biblical qualifications therein.

Colossians 1:18; Ephesians 4:7–12; 1 Peter 4:10–11; Matthew 18:15–20

 

We believe that there were two distinctions of gifts within the early church: miraculous gifts for the purpose of divine revelation, healing, and confirmation of apostolic authority, and ministering gifts for the purpose of equipping and edifying the saints. The miraculous gifts have since ceased with the end of the apostolic era and the close of the canon of Scripture.

Romans 12:6–8; 1 Corinthians 13:8–12; 2 Corinthians 12:12; Jude 3

 

​

Ordinances

We believe that the ordinances, that is, the Lord’s Supper and believer’s baptism, have been instituted by God for the local church in remembrance of Christ’s sacrificial death on the cross, and as a symbol of a believer’s new life in Christ, respectively.

1 Corinthians 11:28–32; 10:16; Romans 6:1–11; Acts 8:36–39;

 

We believe that the ordinances are not a requirement for salvation, but are symbols of spiritual truths and they are observed out of obedience to God’s Word.

Acts 2:38–42

​

​

Angels

We believe that angels are spirit-beings, created by God to serve Him and to do His will in the affairs of men, but they are not to be worshiped.

Hebrews 1:6–7, 1:14; Revelation 19:10, 22:9

 

We believe that Satan was a created angel who rebelled against God, taking approximately one third of all angels with him in his rebellion, and they are now opposing the work of God, being the ultimate source of all false doctrine.

Isaiah 14:12–17; Ezekiel 28:11–19; Matthew 4:1–11

 

We believe that Satan and his demons will be ultimately and eternally punished in the Lake of Fire.

Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:10

 

Last Things

We believe that the human soul is eternal, in that the physical death results in the human soul passing into the presence of Christ for the redeemed, and into judgement for the unredeemed. Yet, neither of these are the final state of the soul.

2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; Matthew 25:41; Romans 11:25–29

 

We believe that in a future time unknown to all except the Father, Christ will personally gather the true, universal church to Himself from out of the earth. After such time, God will pour out righteous judgements on those who remain on the earth for 7 years.

Matthew 24:36; 24:15–21; 1 Thessalonians 4:16; Daniel 12:2–3

 

We believe that after the 7-year tribulation, Christ will physically return to earth, and will overthrow the Antichrist and the False Prophet, and bind Satan for a thousand years, and thus Christ will reign over the earth for a thousand years.

Matthew 25:31; Revelation 20:1–7

 

We believe that following the release of Satan to deceive the nations after the thousand-year reign of Christ, Christ will cast Satan into the eternal Lake of Fire. Then all who are dead will be resurrected to a final judgement before the Great White Throne and the True Judge, Jesus Christ. Those who are unsaved will be committed to eternal, conscious punishment in the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:7–15; Matthew 25:41; John 5:22

 

We believe that after the Great White Throne Judgement, there will come a new heaven and a new earth, and the saved will enter into an eternal, conscious state of glory with Christ.  

Revelation 21:1–27; 1 Corinthians 15:24–28