What We Believe

 

 

A.  THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men and supernaturally inspired; that it is truth without any mixture of error for its matter; therefore it is and shall remain to the end of the age the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man; the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried. By “The Holy Bible” we mean that collection of sixty-six books from Genesis to Revelation, which does not only contain and convey the Word of God but IS the very Word of God. By “inspiration” we mean that the books of the Bible were written by holy men of old as they were supernaturally and verbally inspired (II Timothy 3:16, I Peter 1:21). We also believe that the King James version of the Bible is the divinely preserved Word of God. (Psalm 12:6,7) and that it has enjoyed a miraculous manifestation of God’s approval all during its history and use.

B.  THE TRUE GOD

We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God and infinite, intelligent Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of Heaven and Earth (Genesis 1:1; Psalm 90); that He is inexpressibly glorious in holiness and worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love. We believe that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption and in the accomplishment of His eternal plan and purpose (I John 5:6-12).

C.  THE SON

We believe that Jesus Christ, eternal with the Father, was begotten of the Holy Ghost and in miraculous manner; that He was born of Mary, a virgin, as no other person was ever born of a woman, and that He is both the Son of God and God the Son (1 John 1:1,2). He is both true man, one person with two natures, tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin (Isaiah 7:14; Hebrews 4:14-17).

D.  THE HOLY SPIRIT

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person; eternal and equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same essence (1 John 5:7); that He was active in the creation (Genesis 1:2); that in the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of judgment and of righteousness; that He bears witness of the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the new birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, bears witness with, sanctifies, and helps the believer (John 14:7; Romans 8:14-27). Using Acts 1:8 as our criteria for evaluation, we believe that the evidence of the fullness of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is boldness to witness for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

E.  SATAN OR THE DEVIL

We believe that Satan was once holy and enjoyed heavenly honors; but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, he fell and drew after him a host of angels and is now the malignant prince of the power of the air and the unholy god of this world (Ezekiel 28:12-17; Isaiah 14:12-25). We hold him to be man’s great tempter, the enemy of God and Jesus Christ, the accuser of the brethren, the author of all false religions, the chief source of the present apostasy, the lord of Antichrist, and the author of all of the powers of darkness (I Peter 5:8,9); destined, however, to final defeat at the hands of God’s Son and the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire, a place prepared for him and for his angels, as well as all of the unbelievers of the ages (Rev 20:10).

F.  THE CREATION

We believe the Genesis account of creation is to be accepted literally and not allegorically or figuratively (Genesis 1); that the creation was accomplished in six (6), twenty-four (24) hour days (Genesis 1:5,8,13,19,23,31; 2:2; Exodus 20:11); that man was created directly in God’s own image and after His own likeness (Genesis 1:26,27); that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species or development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animal and vegetable life were made directly by God and God’s established law was that they should bring forth only “after their kind.” We deny any form of atheistic or theistic evolution (Romans 1:19,20).

G.  THE FALL OF MAN

We believe that man was created in innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression, he fell from his sinless and happy state of perfection (Genesis 3), in consequence of which, all mankind are now sinners and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse and are guilty before God (Romans 5:12; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3).

H.  THE ATONEMENT FOR SIN

We believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through the mediatory offices of the Son of God who by the appointment of the Father freely took upon Himself our nature, yet without sin and honored the divine law by His personal obedience and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins: that His atonement was not merely an example but was the voluntary substitution enthroned in Heaven and is uniting in His wonderful person the most tender sympathies with divine perfection. He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, compassionate, and an all-sufficient Savior (Hebrews 2:9; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Heb. 10:4-14).

I.  THE NEW BIRTH

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the new birth is the new creation in Jesus Christ (John 3:3,5); that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of the divine nature and receives eternal life, the free gift of God (Ephesians 2:8,9); that the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, nor by the will of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel (John 1:13; Titus 3:5); that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith in newness of life (Galatians 5:22-25).

J.  JUSTIFICATION

We believe that the great Gospel which Christ secures to such as believe in Him provides justification; that justification declares the sinner righteous through the merits of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21-26) and this divine pardon is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood, and that His righteousness is imputed unto us; that through justification we have peace with God (Romans 5:1,9).

K.  REPENTANCE AND FAITH

We believe that repentance and faith are solemn obligations and also inseparable graces wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of God; thereby, being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger and helplessness, and being convinced of the way of salvation through Jesus Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confessions, and supplication for mercy; at the same time, we heartily receive the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confess Him as our only and all-sufficient Savior (Jeremiah 8:6; Acts 17:30; 26:30).

L.  THE CHURCH

We believe that a New Testament church is a congregation of believers associated by a covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel observing the ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, and exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; that its officers of ordination are pastors or elders and deacons, whose qualifications, claims and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures (I Tim 3:1-13; Titus 1:6-9); we believe the true mission of the church is found in the “Great Commission” which instructs us first, to make individual disciples (Matt 28:19,20); second, to baptize the converts; and third, to teach and instruct as He commanded. We do not believe in the reversal of this order.

We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self government, free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations: and that Christ is the Head of the church and superintends over the work of the local church through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:19-23); that it is scriptural for the true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel (Jude 3); that every church is the sole and only judge of the measure and method of its cooperation on all matters of membership, of policy, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, and that the will of the local Church is final (Matt 18:15-20; Acts 5:29; I Corinthians 6:1-8).

M.  BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER

We believe that New Testament baptism is the immersion in water of a born-again believer in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, with the authority and approval of the local church to show forth in a solemn and beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, as it pictures our death to sin and resurrection to a new life (Mat. 28:19,20); that it is pre-requisite to the privileges of church membership and to the observing of the Lord’s Supper.

We believe the Lord’s Supper should always be preceded by solemn self-examination and that the sacred use of unleavened bread and the fruit of the vine are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ until He returns (Matt 26:26-29; I Corinthians 11:30). The prerequisites to participation in the Lord’s Supper are those laid down by Christ and his apostles as church ordinance that include (1) Salvation (I Corinthians 11:27-29), (2) Baptism (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41,46), (3) Church membership (Acts 2:46-47; I Corinthians 11:18,22), and (4) an orderly walk (I Corinthians 11:27-29).

N.  MISSIONS AND MISSIONARIES

We are commanded to go and preach the Gospel to the world. This is clear and unmistakable and this commission was given to the churches. Following New Testament precedent and example, we believe that all missionary endeavors should be under the ultimate sponsorship of the local congregation and that no mission board should ever misconstrue its purpose to attempt to hold, or to assign authority to itself (Mark 28:19,20; Acts 13).

O.  THE GRACE OF GIVING

We believe that God’s method of financing His earthly work of spreading the Gospel to all nations, the care of the churches and the support of the ministry, is by the tithes and offerings of God’s people. We believe that they are to be given to the Lord through His church or storehouse and are to be distributed as directed by the leadership of the Holy Spirit as the need arises. We believe that the time to tithe is upon the first day of the week. We also believe that everyone is accountable to the Lord for a minimum standard of giving of one tenth of his income and that offerings are to be given above the tithe as God has prospered the individual (Mal 3:8-10; I Corinthians 16:2).