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CONFESSION
OF FAITH
Paragraph I - Of the Scriptures
We
believe that the Holy Bible as originally written was verbally
inspired and the product of Spirit controlled men, and therefore
has truth without a mixture of error for its matter. We believe
that it is the true center of Christian union and the only infallible
rule for all human conduct, creeds, and opinions. II Timothy
3:16, 17;
II Peter 1:19-21.
Paragraph II - Of the True God
We
believe that there is only one living and true God, infinite
in every excellence; that in the unity of the Godhead there
are three personal distinctions - the Father, the Son and the
Holy Spirit - one in substance and equal in every divine perfection.
Exodus 20:2,3; I Corinthians 8:6; I John 5:7.
We
believe in the absolute Deity of the Son, the Lord Jesus Christ;
that He was divine as no other man can be, being very God of
very God, existing from all eternity, co-equal with the Father
and the Spirit; that He never ceased to be God for one instant
and that His humiliation did not consist in laying aside His
deity; that as a man He was miraculously begotten of the Holy
Ghost and born of the Virgin Mary. John 1:1,2; I John 5:20;
Matthew 1:20; Luke 1:26-38.
We
believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, equal with
the Father and Son and of the same substance and nature; that
He convicts of sin, righteousness and judgment, bears witness
to the truth, is the Agent of the New Birth and that He seals,
endues, guides, teaches, witnesses to, sanctifies and helps
the believer, indwelling every true child of God. We believe
that the sign/revelatory gifts of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians
12:8-10) have fulfilled their purpose and are not applicable
to the work of the Holy Spirit today. II Corinthians 13:14;
John 14:16, 17; Romans 8:14-27; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, 28-30;
13:8-10; 14:1-40.
Paragraph III - Of the Devil
or Satan
We
believe that Satan is a distinct personality, that he is the
god of this age, author of all the powers of darkness and sin,
and is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the
lake of fire. Matthew 4:1-3; II Corinthians 4:4; Revelation
20:10.
Paragraph IV - Of the Creation
We
believe that God created the heavens and the earth, including
all life, "each after his own kind," by direct act
and not by the process of evolution. Genesis 1,2; Colossians
1:16, 17; John 1:3.
Paragraph V - Of the Fall of
Man
We
believe that man, in the person of the first Adam, was created
in innocence but by voluntary transgression fell into sin thus
plunging the whole race into condemnation and death, so that
now all mankind is born into sin and "shapen in iniquity"
and become practical sinners with the first expression of personal
choice and so are without excuse before God. Genesis 3; Romans
5:10-19.
Paragraph VI - Of the Atonement
for Sin
We
believe that the only escape from the condemnation of sin is
through the atonement wrought by Jesus Christ, when He voluntarily
took upon Him a human body and nature, yet without sin, and
by His suffering, death and resurrection made full satisfaction
to the justice of God for the sin of man; that the blessings
of this salvation are given on the grounds of grace to all who
believe and confess and that it is the immediate duty of all
to accept those offers of mercy. John 1:1-3, 14; 3:17; Hebrews
10:4-14; Acts 16:30-33.
Paragraph VII - Of Salvation
by Grace
We
believe that faith in the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ
is the only condition of salvation from sin and that this salvation
is wholly by grace; that no works, however good, make that salvation
more secure. Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9; Titus 3:5-7; Romans
10:9-13.
We
believe that all who take Christ as their Savior are born from
above and are eternally secure in Christ. John 10:28,29; Romans
8:35-39; Philippians 1:6.
Paragraph VIII - Of the Church
We
believe that the Church, the Body of Christ, is a New Testament
institution, established by Jesus Christ, who is its sole head;
revealed through the holy Apostles; empowered and perpetuated
by the Holy Spirit; composed of believers in Jesus Christ as
Savior, both Jew and Gentile, called out from the world and
indwelt by the Holy Spirit; His "body" for service
and His "bride" for glory. It began with the New Testament
saints and will be consummated at the coming of Christ in the
Rapture. Matthew 16:18; Acts 1:8; 2:1-13, 41-47; 15:14; Romans
16:26; I Corinthians 12:12-28; Ephesians 1:22,23; 3:21; 5:23-33;
I Thessalonians 4:13-18.
We
believe that the Church is manifest through the local Church
which is a congregation of immersed believers, associated by
covenant of faith and fellowship of the Gospel; observing the
ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws; exercising the gifts,
rights and privileges invested in it by His work; that its officers
are bishops (pastors) and deacons; that it has the absolute
right of self government directed by the Holy Spirit and is
answerable only to Christ, and that in all matters of membership,
policy, government, discipline and benevolence the will of the
local church is final. Matthew 18:15-17; I Corinthians 1:2;
5:4,5; 7:17; 11:16;
I Timothy 3:1-15.
Paragraph IX - Of the Ordinances
We
believe that there are two church ordinances: Baptism and the
Lord's Supper. Baptism is the immersion of the believer in water
and is properly called "Believer's Baptism." It sets
forth in a beautiful and solemn way our faith in the crucified,
buried and risen Savior, with its effect in our lives of death
to sin and resurrection to a new life. Baptism is a prerequisite
to the privileges of church relation. The Lord's Supper is the
commemoration of our Lord's death until He comes, and our continual
fellowship with Him; should be preceded by baptism, and always
by careful self-examination. Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:3-5; I Corinthians
11:23-32.
Paragraph X - Of the Righteous
and Wicked
We
believe that there is a radical and essential difference between
the righteous and the wicked; that such only as through faith
are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and sanctified
by the Spirit of God, are truly righteous in God's esteem; while
all such who continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His
sight wicked and under the curse; and that this distinction
holds among men both in and after death, in the everlasting
felicity of the saved and everlasting conscious suffering of
the lost. Malachi 3:18; Romans 6:17-23; Matthew 25:34-41; Luke
6:25; John 8:21.
Paragraph XI - Of the Return
of Christ
We
believe in the bodily, personal, pre-millennial return of Jesus
Christ; that He will come before the seven year tribulation
period to catch away His church, coming only into the air, and
that He will come with His church at the close of the tribulation
to judge the living nations and to set up His kingdom. I Thessalonians
4:13-18; Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 19: 11-21.
Paragraph XII - Of the Resurrection
We
believe in the resurrection of the bodies of the dead; that
believers who sleep in Jesus will be raised at the coming of
Christ for His Church and caught up with transformed living
saints to meet the Lord in the air, and that the wicked dead
will be raised at the close of the Millennial Kingdom and stand
in their bodies at the Great White Throne Judgment to receive
their final doom. John 5:21-30; I Thessalonians 4:16; Revelation
7:9-17; 20:11-15.
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