|
Our Doctrinal Statement:
A. The Authority of
the Bible
The sixty-six books of the Old and New
Testaments are the verbally inspired Word of
God, they are without error in the original
writings, and they are the complete and final
revelation of God. We make no apology for strong
biblical teaching and preaching. (Matthew 5:18;
John 17:17; II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter
1:19-21; Revelation 22:18-19)
B. The Triunity of God
There is only one God, eternally existing in
three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Who
are co-equal in their essential nature,
attributes, and perfection; and each of Whom is
to be honored and worshiped as God. (Genesis
1:1; Deuteronomy 6:4; Psalm 18:30-31, 147:5;
Matthew 28:19; Mark 12:29; Luke 3:22; John 4:24,
5:23, 10:30, 14:9; Acts 5:3-4; II Corinthians
13:14; Hebrews 1:1-3)
C. The Person of Jesus
Christ
Jesus Christ is God the Son, the promised
Messiah, conceived in the flesh by the Holy
Spirit, born of a virgin, true God and true man,
without sin, and the only mediator between God
and Man. (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6-7; Matthew 1:18-25;
Mark 14:61-62; John 1:1-3, 14, 29, 5:18, 8:58,
10:30; II Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:5-11;
Colossians 2:9; I Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 1:2-9,
2:14-15; I John 5:20)
D. The Work of Jesus
Christ
Jesus Christ, through His death on the cross,
paid for all sin, completely satisfied the
righteous wrath of God against sin, and provided
redemption and forgiveness for all who believe.
After His death, Jesus Christ arose bodily from
the dead, was seen by many during a period of
forty days, and then ascended into Heaven where
He is seated at the right hand of God as our
Advocate and High Priest, from which place He
will some day return to establish His Kingdom on
earth. (Isaiah 53:5-6; Luke 24:36-43; John 1:18,
3:16, 20:25-28; Acts 1:6-11; Romans 3:21-26; I
Corinthians 15:3-8, 20-23; Galatians 3:13;
Colossians 1:13-14; I Thessalonians 4:13-18;
Titus 2:13; I Peter 1:18-19, 2:24; I John 2:1-2;
Revelation 20:6)
E. The Ministry of the
Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit is that Person of the Triune
Godhead who convicts men of sin, causes
spiritual birth, indwells, seals, sanctifies,
guides, equips, teaches, and fills the believer,
thus enabling him to walk in obedience to God
and His Word. (John 3:5, 14:16-17, 26, 15:26-27,
16:7-15; Acts 1:8, 5:3-4; Romans 8:9, 14; I
Corinthians 2:10-11, 6:11, 19, 12:4-13; II
Corinthians 3:18; Galatians 5:16-18, 22-23;
Ephesians 1:13-14, 4:30, 5:18-21)
F. The Creation and
Fall of Man
Man was created by God in His own image and is
not the product of evolution; he fell into sin
through personal disobedience to the revealed
will of God; and as a result, all mankind is
sinful in nature and practice, is unable to save
himself, and faces eternal separation from God.
(Genesis 1:26-28, 2:7, 18-24, 3:1-24, 9:6;
Matthew 19:4; Mark 7:21-23; John 8:42-44; Romans
1:18, 3:10, 23, 5:1; Ephesians 2:1-3)
G. The Salvation of
Man
Eternal salvation from sin, death and hell is
the free gift of God's grace, and is based
solely upon man's personal faith and belief in
Jesus Christ. He voluntarily died as a
substitutionary sacrifice for our sins and arose
bodily from the dead, thus guaranteeing our own
resurrection to eternal life. This salvation is
not received by, nor based on, any sacrament,
merit, or good work on our part. This one who
receives Christ's salvation is eternally secure.
(John 1:11-13, 3:16, 5:24, 10:28-30, 14:6; Acts
16:31; Romans 3:23-26, 5:8, 6:23, 10:9-10;
Ephesians 2:8-10; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 7:24-25; I
Peter 1:18-19, I John 5:11-13)
H. The Destiny of Man
At death, the redeemed pass immediately into the
presence of Christ and there remain in joyful
fellowship until their bodily resurrection unto
life. The unsaved at death descend immediately
into Hades where they are kept under punishment
until their bodily resurrection resulting in
damnation. (Daniel 12:2; Luke 16:22-23, 23:43;
II Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 3:10, 11, 21;
Revelation 20:11-15)
I. The Nature and
Organization of the Church
All who have placed their faith in Christ are
united together immediately by the Holy Spirit
in one spiritual body, the church, of which
Christ is the Head. In addition, the members of
this one spiritual body are directed to
associate themselves together in local churches.
(Matthew 16:18; Acts 2:46-47; I Corinthians
12:13; Ephesians 1:22-23; Colossians 1:18;
Hebrews 10:25)
These local independent churches have been given
the needed authority and scriptural guidelines
for administering that order, discipline, and
worship which Christ, the sovereign head, had
appointed. The biblically designed officers
serving under Christ and over the church are
pastors and deacons. (Acts 6:1-6, I Corinthians
14:40; Ephesians 4:11-12; I Timothy 3:1-13;
Titus 1:5-9; I Peter 5:1-5)
J. The Ordinances of the Church
Two ordinances have been committed to the local
church: baptism and the Lord’s supper. Christian
baptism is the immersion of a believer in water
in the name of the triune God. This ordinance,
being a command of Christ, is recognized as a
prerequisite for membership in the local church.
Likewise, the Lord's supper was instituted by
Christ for commemoration of His atoning death.
These two ordinances are to be observed until
the return of the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew
28:16-20; Luke 22:19-20; Acts 2:41, 10:47-48; I
Corinthians 11:23-29)
K. Future Events
One of the coming great events in the
fulfillment of prophecy concerning the church is
the personal, bodily return of the Lord to
remove from the earth His waiting church and to
reward them according to their works. (John
14:2-3; Romans 14:10-12; I Corinthians 3:11-15,
15:51-53, II Corinthians 5:10; I Thessalonians
4:15-17; Titus 2:11-13; Revelation 3:10)
Another event yet to come is the seven year
period of tribulation during which the judgments
of God will be poured out upon the unbelieving
world. These judgments will climax with the
return of Christ in glory to the earth. He will
destroy His enemies and restore Israel to her
land. (Daniel 9:27, 12:1; Jeremiah 30:7; Matthew
24:15-31, 25:31-46; II Thessalonians 2:7-12;
Revelation 16:1-19, 21, 19:1-21)
Christ will then establish His thousand-year
kingdom in which the saints will reign with Him
over Israel and all the nations of the earth.
(Deuteronomy 30:1-10; Isaiah 11:1-16, 65:17-25;
Ezekiel 37:21-28; Revelation 19:11, 20:1-6)
At the close of the thousand year reign the
unsaved dead will be raised and committed to
eternal punishment and the saved will enter the
eternal state of glory with God. (Mark 9:43-48;
I Corinthians 15:24-28; II Thessalonians 1:9; II
Peter 3:10-13; Revelation 20:11-15, 21:1-4,
22:5, 11)
|