Our Faith - What We Believe
The Scriptures. The Holy Bible is the plenary, verbally inspired Word of God, without error in the original. It is the complete and only authority for all our beliefs, doctrine, conduct and opinions. The Apocrypha is not a part of the Holy Scriptures. (Psa. 119:105; Isa. 8:20; II Tim. 3:16,17; Heb. 1:1; II Pet. 1:19-21; Rev. 22:18,19)
God. There is only one true, livi
ng and eternal God. He is an infinite Spirit, the Creator and sovereign Ruler of all things. He is inexpressibly glorious, holy and merciful. He deserves all our honor, confidence and love. God has revealed Himself in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Each of there three is eternally God in every way and exercising specific functions in perfect unity with the other two. (Duet. 32:4; Neh. 9:6; Psa. 90:2; Isa. 44:8; Hab. 1:13; Matt 28:19; John 4:24; II Cor. 13:14; Rev. 4:11)
God the Father
(1) God the Father sent His Son to be the only Savior from sin. He hears and answers prayers. He justifies and saves all who come to Him through His Son, Jesus Christ. (John 3:1, 7; 16:23; Rom. 8:30)
God the Son
(1) Jesus Christ is the only-begotten Son of God. He was born of Mary, a virgin, being conceived by the Holy Spirit (coming upon her). Thus, He was made in the likeness of man, but without sin. By His sacrificial death, He made full and vicarious atonement for the sins of the saved and became propitiation for the sins of the whole world. He rose bodily from the dead and ascended into the presence of the Father in heaven, where he serves as our High Priest, Advocator and only Mediator. He is the Head of His body, the Church. (Mark 16:6, 19; Luke 1: 26-35; John 1:14, 3:16; 1 Cor. 15:20; II Cor. 5:21; Eph. 5:23; Phil. 2:7; 1 Tim. 2:5; Heb. 4:15; 1 John 2: 1,2)
God the Holy Spirit
(1) The Holy Spirit is a divine person, equal with the Father and the Son. He was sent from the Father to convict the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. He regenerates all those who come to Christ by faith. He is their seal unto the day of redemption. He sanctifies, teaches and comforts the believer. He indwells all believers, guides and gives them power to please God. (John 3:5, 14:26, 16:8-13; Acts 1:8, 5:32; Rom. 8:9,26; 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph 1:13,14; II Thess. 2:13; Heb. 9:14)
Creation. Man and all things, both visible and invisible, were originally created by the direct act of God. We reject all theories of evolution, including theistic. God still governs and maintains all things by His power and will. (Gen. 1,2 8:21; Psa. 65; Jer. 10:10-13; Col. 1:16,17; Heb. 11:3)
Man. Man is a special creation of God, created in the image of God. (Gen. 1:27, 2:7, 21)
The Fall. Man was created in innocence, but by willful disobedience fell from this sinless state. Consequently, all mankind is sinful by nature and choice. Therefore, they are under just condemnation. (Gen. 3:1-19, Rom. 3:10-23, 5:12)
Salvation. Salvation is wholly by grace, and is not dependent upon any human merit. The only condition of salvation is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. All persons saved by God are justified in His eyes on the basis of the blood of Christ shed on the cross. They are regenerated (born again) by the Holy Spirit, and made partakers of the divine nature. They receive eternal life, and are saved from eternal damnation. They are kept by the power of God for the Lord Jesus Christ, and upon death pass immediately into His presence. (John 5:24; Acts 4:12; Rom. 5:1,9; II Cor. 5:8,17; Eph. 2:8,9; Phil. 1:6; II Tim. 1:9; Tit. 2:5-7; II Pet. 1:4)
Repentance. Repentance is a change of heart and mind away from sin and toward God. True repentance is characterized by godly sorrow, with the determination to forsake sin. It is brought about by the Holy Spirit, and is inseparably bound to true faith. (Isa. 55:7; Jn. 16:7-11; Acts 2:37,38, 8:22, 20:21; II Cor. 7:10; Heb. 3:7-11)
Sanctification. All born-again believers, being baptized into the Body of Christ immediately upon salvation, are set apart to God (sanctified) by the Holy Spirit. Further, practical sanctification is progressive, as the believer submits to God. The evidence of true sanctification is holy living, characterized by the fruit of the Spirit, and not by "tongues" or other charismatic experiences. (Rom. 6:13; 1 Cor. 12:13, 13:8-10; Gal. 5:22, 23; Titus 2:14; 1 John 3: 1-3)
The Righteous and the Wicked. There is a radical and essential difference between the righteous and the wicked. Only those who are justified by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ are truly righteous in God's esteem. All unbelievers, however virtuous they may appear, are wicked in God's sight. This distinction is valid both before and after death. The righteous shall spend eternity in the presence of the Lord while the wicked shall suffer consciously forever in the Lake of Fire. (Psa. 11: 5-7; Prov. 14: 32, Mal. 3:18; Matt. 25:34-41, 46; Luke 16:19-26; Rom. 6:21-23; II Cor. 5:6-8; Rev 20:14,15)
The Church. The universal Church, which is the Body of Christ, is composed of all born-again believers from Pentecost to the Rapture. A local New Testament church is a body of believers who have been baptized on the basis of a credible confession of faith in Jesus Christ. It has two offices, Pastor and Deacon. It is a self-governing body, subject only to its head, Jesus Christ. The local church is the only divinely appointed organization for the purpose of fulfillment of the Great Commission. We reject the social gospel. (Matt. 16:18, 28:19,20; Acts 2:40, 41, 47; I Cor. 11:23-32; Eph. 4:11-16, 5:23, 24; Col 1:18; I Tim. 3:15; Heb 12:23)
The Ordinances. There are two scriptural ordinances for the local church. There is no saving merit in the observation of these ordinances. They are acts of obedience. Baptism
Baptism is the immersion of the believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. It shows, in a solemn and beautiful emblem, faith in the crucified, buried and raised Savior and death to sin. Therefore, to maintain the integrity of this ordinance, baptism should not be repeated. Baptism is commanded by God for all believers and is prerequisite for church membership. (Matt 28:19,20; Acts 2:41, 8:36,37; Rom. 6:3-5; I Peter 3:21) The Lord's Supper
The Lord's Supper is a commemoration of the Lord's death, to be observed by believers until the end of this age. The elements are merely symbols of the single atoning sacrifice Christ made for sin. Participation in the Lord's supper should always be preceded by careful self-examination. (Matt. 26:26-30; I Cor. 11:23-28)
Separation
The bible commands us to separate entirely from worldliness and ecclesiastical apostasy unto God. (Rom. 16:17; II Cor. 6:14-7:1; II Thess. 3:11-15; I Tim. 6:3-5; Titus 2:11-15; I John 2:15-17; II John 7-11)
Conscience and Civil Government
God has established civil government for the sake of order and decency in the world. He expects us to pray for the authorities, and obey them in all things not contrary to His Word. In matters of conscience, God has the final authority. Every individual should be allowed to worship God according to the dictates of his own conscience, and not be restricted by the state. Church and state should be kept separate and financially separated. (Matt. 22:21; I Peter 2:13-19)
Eschatology
Christ's bodily return at the end of this age is imminent. At that time, the dead in Christ shall be raised with glorified bodies. Living believers will be given glorified bodies without experiencing death. All these will then ascend to be forever with the Lord. After this event, referred to as the "Rapture", there will be a seven year period of tribulation on the earth. During this period, Antichrist will set himself up as God. At the end of the Tribulation, Christ will come with His church to destroy Antichrist, judge the living nations and set up His millennial kingdom. After the millennium, the wicked of all ages shall appear before God for final judgment. Death, hell, Satan and all unbelievers shall be cast into the Lake of Fire. New heavens and a new earth shall be created as the eternal home of the righteous. (Isa. 65:17, 66:22; Matt. 24:29,30, 25:31-46; John 14: 1-3; Acts 1:11; I Cor. 15:51-57; I Thess. 4:13-17; II Thess. 2: 3-10; Jude 14,15; Rev. 19:20, 20:1-4, 11-15, 21:1, 27)
