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Our Statement of Faith
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About the Bible
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About the One True God
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About the Son of God
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About Human Beings
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About Salvation
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About
Holiness
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About
Eternity
PREFACE …
In essential beliefs — we have UNITY.
“We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all been
called to the same glorious future. There is only one Lord, one
faith, one baptism, and there is only one God and Father, who is
over us all and in us all and living through us all.” (Ephesians
4:4-6)
In non-essential beliefs — we have LIBERTY.
“Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on
disputable matters ... Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?
To his own master he stands or falls ... So then each of us will
give an account of himself to God ... So whatever you believe about
these things keep between yourself and God.” (Romans 14:1-22)
In all our beliefs — we show CHARITY.
“... If I hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but also the
very secrets of God, and if I have the faith that can move mountains
— but have no love, I amount to nothing at all.” (1 Corinthians
13:2)
THE ESSENTIALS WE BELIEVE …
About the Bible
We believe the Bible to be inspired of God, the infallible Word of
God. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is
profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for
instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)
The Bible is the only God-given authority which man possesses;
therefore, all doctrine, faith, hope, and all instruction for the
church must be based upon, and harmonize with, the Bible. It is
given to be read and studied, and can only be clearly understood by
those who are anointed by the Holy Spirit. (1 John 2:27) “No
prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the
prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of
God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost.” (2 Peter 1:20-21)
About the
One True God
We believe in the one ever-living, eternal God; infinite in power,
holy in nature, attributes and purpose; and possessing absolute,
indivisible deity. This one true God has revealed Himself as the
Father, in creation; through His Son, in redemption; and as the Holy
Spirit, by emanation. (1 Corinthians 8:6, 2 Corinthians 5:19, Joel
2:28, Ephesians 4:6)
“The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our
God is one Lord.” (Mark 12:29, Deuteronomy 6:4) “One God and Father
of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.”
(Ephesians 4:6)
Before the incarnation, this one true God manifested Himself in
various ways. In the incarnation, He manifested Himself in the Son,
who walked among men. As He works in the lives of believers, He
manifests Himself as the Holy Spirit.
About the
Son of God
We believe the one true God, Jehovah of the Old Testament, took upon
Himself the form of man, and as the Son of man was born of the
virgin Mary. “And without controversy great is the mystery of
godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit,
seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the
world, received up into glory.” (2 Timothy 3:16) “He came unto his
own, and his own received him not.” (John 1:11) This one true God
was manifest in the flesh, that is, in His Son Jesus Christ. “God
was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing
their trespasses unto them.” (2 Corinthians 5:19)
We believe that “in [Jesus] dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead
bodily.” (Colossians 2:9) “For it pleased the Father that in him
should all fullness dwell.” (Colossians 1:19) Therefore, Jesus in
His humanity was man; in His deity He was and is God. His flesh was
the lamb, or the sacrifice of God for our sins. He is the only
mediator between God and man. “For there is one God, and one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5)
Jesus on His Father’s side was divine, and on His mother’s side was
human. Thus, He was known as the Son of God and also the Son of man,
or the God-man. “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given …
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God,
the everlasting Father, the prince of peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
About Human
Beings
In the beginning God created man innocent, pure and holy; but
through the sin of disobedience Adam and Eve, the first of the human
race, fell from their holy state, and God was forced to banish them
from their paradise in the Garden of Eden. Thus, by mankind’s
disobedience, sin entered into the world and the human family.
(Genesis 1:27, Romans 3:23, 5:12) Although every human being has
tremendous potential for good, each of us is marred by our inborn
sinful nature and its actions, separating us from God and causing
many problems in our lives. All men are eternally lost outside of
the redemptive work of Christ. (Ephesians 2:12, Galatians 2:15-16,
5:6, Romans 3:23-26, 6:23, Mark 16:16)
About Salvation
We receive salvation not by our own merit, but by grace through
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are made partakers of this
salvation through obeying the Gospel in repentance from sins,
baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of
sins, and by receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the
initial sign of speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives
utterance. We are baptized by this one Spirit into the Body of
Christ. (Romans 5:1, 6:1-6, 6:17, Ephesians 2:8, Acts 2:38, 1
Corinthians 12:13) There is no salvation outside of obedience to the
Gospel of Jesus Christ. “Neither is there salvation in any other:
for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby
we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
About Holiness
Godly living must characterize the life of every child of the Lord,
and we must live according to the pattern and example given in the
Word of God. “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath
appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and
worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in
this present world.” (Titus 2:11-12)
Issues of holiness are not salvation issues in and of themselves;
rather, they are Christian maturity (“sanctification”) issues.
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall
see the Lord.” (Hebrews 12:14) However, if we choose not to obey God
in these areas, our willful disobedience will eventually become a
salvation issue. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 2 Corinthians 6:17 - 7:1)
About Eternity
We believe in the personal and imminent return of our Lord Jesus
Christ to “catch away” His church (the Rapture), and in a subsequent
period of intense distress for those who remain on the earth (the
Tribulation), which will be followed by the Lord’s personal return
to earth with His saints to rule for one thousand years (the
Millennial Reign). Thus, the people of God should earnestly and
hopefully look forward to the Second Coming of Christ. (1
Thessalonians 4:13-17, Acts 1:11, 3:19-21, 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 1
Corinthians 11:26, 15:51-54, Philippians 3:20-21, Revelation 22:20,
Titus 2:13-14, Matthew 24) In the end, all the dead will be summoned
before the Great White Throne for their final judgment, and all
whose names are not found written in the Book of Life will be cast
into the Lake of Fire. (Matthew 25:41, Revelation 20:15, 21:8) The
redeemed will live for all eternity in the presence of God.
(Revelation 21:2-4, 21:23-27, 22:3-5, 22:14) Heaven and Hell are
real places of eternal existence.
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