|
(A) The Holy
Scriptures
We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally
and plenary inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible
and God-breathed, and therefore are the final authority for faith and life.
The sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and divine
revelation of God to Man. The Scriptures shall be interpreted according to
the normal grammatical-historical meaning. The King James
Version of the Bible shall be the official and only translation used by the
corporation (2Tim. 3:16-17; 2 Pet. 1:20-21).
(B) The
Godhead
We believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons -- Father,
Son, Holy Spirit -- each co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal
in power and glory, and having the same attributes and perfections ( Deut.
6:4; Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; John 14:10,26).
(a) The Person and Work of God the Father
(1)We believe God the Father is supreme in His person, eternal in His being,
absolute in his attributes, glorious in His perfection, and worthy of all
possible faith, honor, confidence, and love. ( Eph.20:2,3 ;I Cor.8:6)
(2) We believe that God the Father is the creator and sustainer of all things.
These creative acts were accomplished by His spoken word, and all creation
was thus formed out of nothing. (Gen. 1:1-31, 2:1-25; Col.1:16,17)
(3) We believe that God the Father is righteous and just, that he hates sin
and judges the wicked. As much as God the Father hates sin he also is a rewarder
of those who diligently seek him and practice good works.. (Heb. 6:10; II
Tim.4:8; Psa.11:4-7)
(4) We believe that God the Father loved his fallen creation so much that
He sent his only begotten son to die on the cross, shed his blood and become
the redeemer of all mankind.(John 3:16; Rom. 3:25; 5:8; 6:23)
(b)The Person and Work of Christ
(1) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ. the eternal Son of God, became
man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem
sinful men (Isa.7:14; 9:6; Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2,14; 2 Cor. 5:19-21; Gal.
4:4-5: Phil. 2:5-8).
(2) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through
his death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice;
and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection
from the dead (Acts 2:18-36; Rom. 3:24-25; 1 Peter 2:24; Eph. 1:7; 1 Peter
1:3-5).
(3) We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now
exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills
the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Heb.
9:24; 7:25; Rom. 8:34; 1 John 2:1-2).
(c) The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
(1) We believe that the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of
sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and, that He is the Supernatural
Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ,
indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption ( John 16:8-11; Rom.
8:9; 1 Cor.12:12-14; 2Cor. 3:6; Eph. 1:13-14).
(2) We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who assists believers to understand
and appropriate the Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all
the saved to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 1:17-18; 5:18; 1 John 2:20,
27).
(3) We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowal of spiritual gifts to
every believer. God uniquely uses evangelists, pastors, and teachers to equip
believers in order that they can do the work of the ministry. (Rom. 12:3-8;
1 Cor. 12:4-11, 28; Eph. 4:7-12).
(4) We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as speaking in
tongues and the gift of healing, were temporary. We believe that speaking
in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or filling
of the Holy Spirit and that ultimate deliverance of the body from sickness
or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection, though
God frequently chooses to answer the prayers of believers for physical healing
(1Cor. 1:22; 13:8; 14:21-22)
(D)
The Total Depravity of Man
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that
in Adam's sin the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became
alienated from God; and, that man is totally depraved, and, of himself, utterly
unable to remedy his lost condition (Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23: 5:12; 6:23;
Eph. 2:1-3; 4:17-19).
(E)
Salvation
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and
received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Whose precious blood
was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins (John 1:12; Eph. 1:7;2:8-10;
1Pet. 1:18-19; Rom. 6:23; 5:8; 3:23-25).
(F)
The Eternal Security and Assurance of Believers
(1) We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God's power
and are thus secure in Christ forever (John 6:37-40; 10:27-30; Rom. 8:1,
38-39; 1 Cor. 1:4-8; 1 Pet. 1:4-5).
(2) We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance
of their salvation through the testimony of God's Word, which, however, clearly
forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh (Rom. 13:13-14;
Gal. 5:13 ; Titus 2:11-15).
(G)
The Church
(1) We believe that the local church, which is the body and the espoused
bride of Christ, is solely made up of born-again persons (1Cor. 12:12-14;
2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22-23; 5:25-27).
(2) We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is
clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27;
20:17,28-32; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11).
(3) We believe in the autonomy of the local church free of any external authority
or control (Acts 13:1-4; 15:19-31; 20:28; Rom. 16:1, 4; 1 Cor. 3:9, 16;5:4-7,
13; 1 Peter 5:1-40).
(4) We recognize water baptism by immersion and the Lord's Supper as the
Scriptural ordinances of obedience for the church in this age. ( Matt. 28:19-20;
Acts 2:41-42; 18:18; 1 Cor. 1:23-26)
(H)
Separation
(1) Ecclesiastical--We believe the Bible commands separation from
all apostate or heretical organizations, groups, and individuals. We further
believe that separation from all those who would further the cause of apostasy
by their continued organizational or co-operative alignment with apostates
is commanded in scripture. (I Tim.5:22; II Thess.3:14,15; Rom.16:17,18; Eph.5:11;
2 John 9-11 ).
(2) Personal--We believe that all the saved should live in such a
manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that separation
from all worldly an sinful pleasures, practices and association is commanded
of God. ( Rom. 12:1-2; 14:13; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; 2 Tim. 3:1-5; 1 John 2:15-17;
2 John 9-11)
(I)
The Second Advent of Christ
We believe in that "blessed hope," the personal, imminent return of Christ
Who will rapture His Church prior to the seven-year tribulation period. At
the end of the Tribulation, Christ will personally and visibly return with
His saints, to establish His earthly Messianic Kingdom which was promised
to the nation of Israel (Ps. 89:3-4; Dan.2:31-45; Zech. 14:4-11; 1 Thess.
1:10; 4:13-18; Titus 2:13; Rev. 3:10; 19:11-16; 20:1-6).
(J)
The Eternal State
(1) We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal
life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matt. 25:46;
John 5:28,29; 11:25-26; Rev. 20;5-6,12-13).
(2) We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from
the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the
first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified
forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; 1 Thess.
4:16-17; Rev. 20:4-6).
(3) We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious
punishment and torment until the second resurrection, when with soul and
body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall
be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting
conscious punishment and torment (Matt. 25:41-46; Mark 9:43-48; Luke 16:19-26;
2 Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6-7; Rev. 20:11-15).
(K)
The Personality of Satan
We believe that Satan is a real ,active being, the author of sin and the
cause of the Fall of Man; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and
man; and, that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire (Job 1:6-7;
Isa.14:12-17; Matt. 4:2-11; 25:41; Rev. 20:10).
(L)
Creation
We believe that God is the author and agent of all creation, and that he
created everything out of nothing. We reject Evolution, Theistic Evolution,
and all like theories, as unscriptural explanations of origin (Genesis 1-2;
Ex.20:11).
(M)
Civil Government
We believe that God has ordained and created all authority consisting of
three basic institutions: 1) the home; 2) the church; and 3)
the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all
(including the authorities themselves) are answerable to God and governed
by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding
that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the
church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically
assigned spheres of responsibility under God (Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24;
Heb. 13:17; 1 Pet. 2:13-14; Heb.13:17).
(N)
Human Sexuality
We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged
in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman. We believe that any form
of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest,
fornication, adultery or pornography are sinful perversions of God's gift
of sex (Gen. 2:24; 19:5,13; Gen. 26:8-9; Lev. 18:1-30; Rom 1:26-29; 1Cor
5:1; 6:9; 1 Thess. 4:1-8; Heb. 13:4).
(O)
Divorce and Remarriage
We believe that God hates divorce and intends marriage to last until one
of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery except
on the grounds of fornication. Although divorced and remarried persons or
divorced persons may hold positions of service in the church and be greatly
used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the offices
of pastor or deacon in the local church. (Mal. 2:14-17; Matt. 19:3-12; Rom.
7:1-3; I Tim. 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6).
(P)
Abortion
We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child
is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused
taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that
abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection,
birth or population control, or the
mental well-being of the mother are acceptable (Job 3:16; Psalm 51:5; 139:14-16;
Isaiah 44:24; 49:1,5; Jer. 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44).
(Q) Missions
We believe that God has given the church a great commission to proclaim the
Gospel to all nations so that there might be a great multitude from every
nation, tribe, ethnic group, and language group who believe on the LordJesus
Christ. As ambassadors of Christ we must use all available means to go to
the foreign nations and not wait
for them to come to us (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:46-48; John 20:21;
Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:20).
(R)
Giving
We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God's wealth
entrusted to him, is obligated to support his local church financially. We
feel that the scripture is clear that the tithe belongs in the storehouse
of local church. We believe that God has established the tithe as a basis
for giving, but that every Christian should
also give other offerings (as encouraged by the local church), sacrificially
and cheerfully to the support of church programs and ministries, the relief
of those in need, and the spread of the Gospel. We believe that a Christian
relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the tithe or offering once the
gift has been made (Gen. 14:20; Prov.3:9-10; Acts 4:34-37; I Cor. 16:2; 2 Cor. 9:6-7; Gal. 6:6; Eph 4:28; I Tim.
5:17-18; I John 3:17).
AUTHORITY
OF STATEMENTS OF FAITH
The statement of faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible
itself is the sole and final source of all that we believe. We do believe,
however, that the foregoing statement of faith accurately represents the
teaching of the Bible, and therefore, is binding upon all who would serve
with and in this corporation. |
