DOCTRINAL STATEMENT
Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or
whether I speak of myself. John 7:16,17
Inspiration of Scriptures: We believe that the Holy Bible is the written Word of
the Living God. We believe it was inspired by the Holy Spirit and recorded by holy men of
old. It is infallible in content and a perfect treasure of heavenly instruction which is
truth without any mixture of error. When we speak of the divine nature of the
Bible it applies strictly speaking to the original writings (the Autographs) and
not to the translations; however, we believe mankind has received the actual
Word of God in His divine plan as the Bible has withstood all attempts at its
extinction down through the ages. The Bible reveals the principles by which God will
judge us and reveals His great plan of salvation. It will remain eternally. We believe the
Bible is the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human
conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried. Therefore, we believe this Word should go
into all the world and should be given first place in every believer's life (2
Timothy 3:16; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:23-25; and 2 Peter 1:19-21).
God and The Trinity: We believe in one God revealed in three persons: the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Ghost...making up the blessed Trinity. The Scriptures
clearly teach that there is one God who is an infinite being and who exists in
three persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Each person is wholly
God, equal in power and glory, and possesses precisely the same attributes and
perfection. Though undivided in nature and being, they each have different
roles, eternally functioning with perfect harmony. (Deuteronomy
6:4, Matthew 28:18-20, John 1:1-14, John 14:5-14, Matthew
3:16,17; 1 John 5:6,7).
Jesus, Fully God and Fully Man:
Jesus Christ, the Son of God and second person of the Trinity, is
God. He is of the same essence as the Father and equal to him. At just the
right time, according to the predestined plan of God, the eternal Son became a
man. He was made like us in every way, except for his sinlessness. He was
conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of the virgin Mary. This union of the
divine and human made Jesus forever both God and man in one person. He is fully
God and fully man. Jesus Christ, the only mediator between God and man, was,
and is, fully God and fully man. (John
1:1-14, Romans 1:1-4, John 3:16, Matthew 28:18-20, John 14:5-14, John 10:22-39,
Galatians 4:1-7, Hebrews 4:14-16, Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-24, 1 Timothy
2:5-6).
Man: We believe that man, in his natural state, is a sinner- lost, undone,
without hope, and without God (Romans 3:19-23; Galatians 3:22; Ephesians 2:1,2,12).
Salvation: We believe the terms of salvation are repentance toward God for sin
and a personal, heartfelt faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is how the new birth
occurs, which we call being "born again." Salvation is possible only through
God's grace by faith, not by our works. When one believes and accepts Christ, he
is then justified by the saving work of the Cross. Good works are simply the fruit
or proof of salvation (Acts
3:19,20; Romans 4:1-5, 5:1; Ephesians 2:8-10). Water Baptism should immediately
follow the experience of the new birth as a public witness to one's faith (Mark
16:16, Acts 2:38).
Body of Christ: We believe the Body of Christ is made up of all who have been
"born again" regardless of denominational differences. We believe in the spirit
of unity, while allowing for variety in individual ministries as to their work, calling,
and location as directed by the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:34,35; 1 Corinthians
12:12-31).
Blood Atonement: We believe in the saving power of the blood of Jesus and His
imputed righteousness (Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-9, 5:1-11; Ephesians 1:3-14).
Bodily Resurrection: We believe in the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ (Luke
24:39-43; John 20:24-29).
Ascension: We believe that Christ Jesus ascended to the Father and is presently
engaged in building a place for us in His Kingdom and interceding for the saints (John
14:2,3; Romans 8:34).
Second Coming: We believe in the visible, bodily return of Christ Jesus to this
earth, to meet His Church (Bride) and to judge the world (Acts 1:10,11; 1
Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10; James 5:8; Revelation 1:7).
Judgment: God has appointed a day
when he will judge the world with perfect justice through Jesus Christ, to whom
he has given all power and authority. On that day the fallen angels will be
judged as well as everyone who has ever lived on the earth. All must appear
before the judgment seat of Christ to give account for everything they have done
(their thoughts, words, and actions) while they lived on the earth. The Lord
Jesus will give his unchangeable verdict on that day, forever sealing the
destinies of everyone. The wicked will be sent into the Lake of Fire to
experience eternal torment, while the righteous, those whom Jesus purchased on
the cross, will be rewarded and will enter into eternal life
(John 5:24-30, Jude 5-7, 2 Corinthians 5:6-10, 1 Corinthians
4:1-5, Matthew 25:31-46, Revelation 20:11-15).
Ordinances: We believe that the two ordinances of the Body of Christ are water
baptism and the Lord's Supper (Matthew 28:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24-26).
Heaven and Hell: We believe Scripture clearly sets forth the doctrines of
eternal punishment for the lost and eternal bliss and service for the saved -- a literal
hell for the unsaved and Heaven for the saved (Matthew 25:34,41,46; Luke 16:19-31;
John 14:1-3; Revelation 20:11-15).
Holy Spirit: We believe the Holy Spirit to be the third person of the Trinity
whose purpose in the redemption of man is to convict of sin, regenerate the repentant
believer, guide the believer into all truth, indwell all believers, and give gifts to
those He wills that they may minister as Christ would to men. We believe that the
manifestations of the Holy Spirit recorded in 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 will
operate through present-day Christians who yield to Jesus (Luke 11:13; John
7:37-39, 14:16,17, 16:7-14; Acts 2:1-18).
Baptism in the Holy Spirit: We believe the baptism in the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in other
tongues as the Spirit gives utterance (1 Corinthians 14), is for all
believers as promised by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:11), Jesus (Acts
1:4-8), and Peter (Acts 2:38-41). The fulfillment of this
promise was witnessed by early disciples of Christ (Acts 2:4, 10:44-47, 19:1-6)
and operates in many present-day disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Divine Healing: We believe God has used doctors, medicines, and other natural
means as channels of healing; however, we believe divine healing is provided for believers
in the atonement made by Jesus' blood shed on the cross (Isaiah 53:5; 1 Peter
2:24). We believe divine healing may be received by the laying on of hands by the
elders (James 5:14-16), by the prayer of an anointed person gifted by the
Holy Spirit for healing the sick (1 Corinthians 12:9), or by a direct act
of receiving this provision by faith (Mark 11:23,24).
Marriage: Marriage was
originally established by God to join a man and a woman together for life.
Believers are instructed to only marry another believer. Marriage serves a
variety of God-ordained purposes. Its primary purpose is to provide
companionship. A secondary purpose is procreation. Another reason for marriage
is to provide a legitimate outlet for our sexual drive. Marriage also
functions as a picture for the relationship between Jesus Christ and the
church. (Genesis 2:18-25, Ephesians 5:22-33, 1
Corinthians 7:39-40, Romans 7:1-3, Genesis 1:26-31, 1 Corinthians 7:1-7).
Although most individuals will get married, there is a
special enabling for some to be single. Singleness (celibacy) provides greater
freedom for service to the Lord and is to be honored in the church (Matthew
19:10-12, 1 Corinthians 7:25-40, 1 Corinthians 7:8-9).
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