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"For the word of God is living and active..."
What We Believe About...
The Scriptures:
We believe that all scripture is given by the inspiration of God, by which we understand that "God superintended human authors so that, using their own individual personalities, they composed and recorded without error God's message to man in the words of the original manuscripts."
We believe that this definition of inspiration extends equally and fully to all parts of the writings - historical, poetical, doctrinal, and prophetical, as appeared in the original manuscripts.
We believe that all the Scriptures center about the Lord Jesus Christ in His person and work in His first and second coming, and hence that no portion, Old or New Testament, is properly read, or understood, until it leads to Him.
We believe that all the scriptures were designed for our practical instruction. - (Mark 12:26, 36: 13:11; Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39; Acts 1:16, 17:2-3; 18:28; 26:22-23; 28:23; Romans 15:4; I Cor. 2:13; 10:11; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Peter 1:21.)
The Trinity:
We believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three persons, commonly referred to as the Trinity - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - and that these three are one God; having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections, and worthy of precisely the same homage, confidence, and obedience, expressed in divine consistency, but through three separate but equal manifestations of glory. (Matt. 28:18-19; Mark 12:29; John 1:14; Acts 5:3-4; 2 Cor. 13:14; Heb 1:1-3; Rev. 1:4-6.)
Though the term "Trinity" is nowhere used in Scripture to indicate the three in One nature of our God,
we recognize the need for the term to best convey the nature of God, as expressed in 3 distinct yet
separate persons.
The Nature of Man:
We believe that man was originally created in the image and after the likeness of God, the first being Adam; that woman was thus brought fourth from Adam, the first being Eve; and that both Adam and Eve fell through sin, that is, their outright disobedience to God. As a consequence of their sin, Adam and Eve lost their spiritual life, becoming dead in trespasses and sins, and became subject to the power of sin as a normal condition.
We believe that this spiritual death, or total depravity of human nature, has been wholly transmitted to the entire human race.
We believe that Jesus Christ, the"second Adam," being the only exception, and as such, every child of Adam born since, is born with a sin nature which not only possesses no spark of divine life, but is essentially and unchangeably unable to do works pleasing unto God apart from His divine grace. (Gen. 1:26; 2:17; 6:5; Ps. 14:1-3; 51:5; Jer. 17:9; John 3:6; 5:40; 6:53; Rom. 3:10-19; 8:6-7; Eph. 2:13; 1 Tim. 5:6; 1 John 3:8.)
The Church: The Body of Christ
We believe that all who are united to the risen and ascended Son of God, by grace through faith in His redeeming work on the cross to atone for our sins, are members of the true church, which is the body and the bride of Christ, begun at Pentecost and is completely distinct from Israel. It's members are constituted as such regardless of membership or non-membership in the organized or institutional churches on earth.
We believe that by the Spirit all believers in this age are baptized into, and thus become, one body that is Christ's, whether Jews or Gentiles, no longer distinctions as such, and having become members one of another, are under solemn duty to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, rising above all sectarian differences, and loving one another with a pure heart fervently. (Matt 16:16-18, Acts 2:4247; Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:12-27; Eph. 1:20-23; 4:3-10; Col. 3:14-15.)
The Ordinances:
We believe that water baptism and the Lord's Supper are the only
ordinances of the church and that they are a Scriptural means of
testimony for the church in this age.
We believe that water baptism
does not save, but is a command of Our Lord. (Matt. 28:19; Luke
22:19-20; Acts 10:47-48; 16:32-33; 18:7-8; 1 Cor. 11:26.)
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Salvation in Christ (alone):
We believe that, owing to universal death through sin, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless born again; and that no degree of reformation however great, no attainments in morality however high, no culture however attractive, no baptism or other ordinance however administered, can help the sinner to take even one step toward heaven. It is the efficacious work of God, through His Holy Spirit, creating a new nature imparted from above; This new life implanted by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential to salvation, and only those thus redeemed are sons of God.
We believe, also, that our redemption has been accomplished solely by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was made to be sin for us, and was made a curse for us, dying in our place; and that no repentance, no feeling, no faith, no good resolutions, no sincere efforts, no submission to the rules and regulations of any church, nor all the churches that have existed since the days of the Apostles, not one work in which man is involved, can add in the very least degree to the value of the blood, or to the merit of the finished work wrought for us by Him who was united in His person, true and proper deity with perfect and sinless humanity. (Lev. 17:11; Isa. 64:6; Matt 26:28; John 3:7-18; Rom. 5:6-9; 2 Cor. 5:21; Gal. 3:13; 6:15; Eph. 1:7; Phil 3:4-9; Titus 3:5; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:18, 19, 23.)
We believe that when a person is born again by the Spirit of God, he is given faith to believe in and to acknowledge faith in Jesus Christ as his Savior (1 John 5:1). No other act, such as confession, baptism, prayer, or faithful service, is to be added to believing as a 'condition' of salvation. (John 1:12; 3:16, 18, 36; 5:24; 6:29; Acts 13:39; 16:31; Rom. 1:16-17; 3:22, 26; 4:5; 10:4; Gal. 3:22.)
We stand on the following revelation from God concerning our salvation: "For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works so that no one may boast boast." (Eph. 2:8-9 / ESV)
The Extent of Salvation:
We believe that when an unregenerate person is born from above by the Spirit of God, he passes immediately out of spiritual death into spiritual life, and from the old creation to the new; being justified freely from the just penalty of sin, accepted before the Father according as Christ His Son is accepted, loved as Christ is loved, having his place and portion as linked to Him and one with Him forever. (John 1:13; 3:3; Eph 2:1-10).
Though the elect may have occasion to grow in the realization of their blessings, and to know a fuller measure of divine power through the yielding of their life more fully to God, they are, as soon as is born again, in possession of every spiritual blessing and absolutely complete in Christ, and are, therefore, in no way required by God to seek a so-called "second blessing," or a "second work of grace." (John 5:24; 17:23; Acts 13:39; Rom. 5:1; 1 Cor 3:21-23; Eph. 1:3; Col. 2:10; 1 John 4:17; 5:11-12.)
We believe the act of justification is a once for all declaration of the believer's standing
in Christ, instant- aneous and forever unchangeable, declared as righteous in Christ alone. This act of justification is by faith alone; it is not achieved by any method or work of man, but only by the grace and power of the living God.
Assurance:
We believe it is the privilege, not only of some, but of all who are born again by the Spirit of God as revealed in the Scriptures, to be assured of their salvation from the very day they trust Him to be their Savior, and that this assurance is not founded upon any fancied discovery of their own worthiness or fitness, works or rituals, but wholly upon the testimony of God in His written Word, exciting within His children love, gratitude, and obedience. (Luke 10:20; 22:32; 2 Cor. 5:1; 6:8; 2 Tim. 1:12; Heb. 10:22; 1 John 5:13.)
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The First Advent (coming):
We believe that, as provided and proposed by God and as foretold in the prophecies of the Scriptures, the eternal Son of God came into this world that He might manifest God to men, fulfill prophecy, and become the Redeemer for His chosen (the elect). To this end He was born of a virgin, receiving a human body and a sinless human nature. (Luke 1:30-35; John 1:18; 3:16; Heb. 4:15)
We believe that, on the human side, He became and remained a perfect man, being sinless through- out His earthly life; yet He retained His absolute deity, being at the same time very God and very man, and that His earthly life sometimes functioned within the sphere of that which was human and sometimes within the sphere of that which was divine. (Luke 2:40; John 1:1-2; Phil. 2:5-8) Though God in the flesh, (John 1: 14).He was submissive to God the Father, seeking to do His will in all things.
We believe that in fulfillment of prophecy, He came first to Israel as her Messiah- King, and that, being rejected of that nation, He, according to the eternal counsels of God, gave His life as a ransom for many, both Jew and Gentile alike. (Mark 10:45, John 10:11,15,16)
We believe that, in infinite love for the lost, He voluntarily accepted His Father's will and became the divinely provided sacrificial Lamb, taking away the sin of the world, and bearing the holy judgments against sin which the righteousness of God must impose. His death was, therefore, substitutionary in the most absolute sense - the just for the unjust - and by His death He became the Savior of lost sinners. (John 1:29; Rom. 3:25-26; 2 Cor. 5:14; Heb. 10:5-14; 1 Peter 3:18.)
We believe that, according to the Scriptures, He arose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which He had lived and died, and that His resurrection body is the pattern of that body which ultimately will be given to all believers. (John 20:20; Phil. 3:20.) Jesus Christ is the "first fruits" as it were, of the resurrection, of which all believers will eventually partake.
We believe that, on departing from the earth, He was accepted of His Father and that His acceptance is a final assurance to us that His redeeming work was perfectly accomplished. (Heb. 1:3.)
We believe that Christ became Head over all things to the church, which is His body, and in this ministry He ceases not to intercede and advocate for the elect. (Eph. 1:22-23; Heb. 7:25; 1 John 2:1.)
Sanctification:
We believe that sanctification, which is a setting apart unto God, is threefold: It is already complete for every saved person because his position toward God is the same as Christ's position. Since the believer is in Christ, he is set apart unto God in the measure in which Christ is set apart unto God.
We believe, however, that he retains his sin nature, which cannot be eradicated in this life. Therefore, while the standing of the Christian in Christ is perfect, his present state is no more perfect than his experience in daily life. There is, therefore, a progressive sanctification wherein the Christian is to "grow in grace" and to "be changed" by the power of the Holy Spirit.
We believe, also, that the child of God will yet be fully sanctified in his state as he is not sanctified in his standing in Christ, when he shall see his Lord and shall "be like Him." (John 17:17; 2 Cor. 3:18; 7:1 Eph. 4:24; 5:25-27; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 10:10; 14; 12:10.)
Eternal Security (Salvation can never be lost):
We believe that, because of the eternal purpose of God toward the objects of His love, because of His freedom to exercise grace toward the meritless on the ground of the propitiatory blood of Christ, because of the very nature of the divine gift of eternal life, because of the present and unending intercession and advocacy of Christ in heaven, because of the immutability of the unchangeable covenants of God, because of the regenerating, abiding presence of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all who are saved, we and all true believers everywhere, once saved shall be kept saved forever.
We believe, however, that God is a holy and righteous Father and that, since He cannot overlook the sin of His children, He will when they persistently sin chasten them and correct them in infinite love; but having undertaken to save them and keep them forever, apart from all human merit, He, who cannot fail, will in the end present every one of them faultless before the presence of His glory and conformed to the image of His son. (John 5:24; 10:28; 13:1; 14:16-17; 17:11; Rom. 8:29; 1 Cor. 6:19; Heb. 7:25; 1 John 2:1-2; 5:13; Jude 1:24.)
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