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The
Scriptures
(1) We believe in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments
as verbally inspired by God and inerrant in the original writings,
and that they are of supreme and final authority in faith and
life.
Theology
(2) We believe in one God, eternally existing in three Persons:
Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Christology
(3) We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit,
born of the virgin Mary, and is true God and true Man.
Man
(4) We believe that man was created in the image of God; that he
sinned and thereby incurred not only physical death but also that
spiritual death, which is separation from God; and that all human
beings are born with a sinful nature; and, in the case of those
who reach moral responsibility, become sinners in thought, word
and deed.
Christ's
Death
(5) We believe that the Lord Jesus died for our sins, according
to the Scriptures, as a representative and substitutionary sacrifice;
and that all who believe in Him are justified on the ground of His
shed blood.
Christ's
Resurrection
(6) We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our
Lord, and His Ascension into Heaven and in His present life there
for us as High Priest and Advocate.
Christ's
Return
(7) We believe in the personal, pre-millennial and imminent return
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
The
Resurrection
(8) We believe in the bodily resurrection and judgment of the just
and the bodily resurrection and judgment of the unjust, the everlasting
blessedness of the saved and the everlasting punishment of the lost.
Eternal
Security
(9) We believe that all who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ
as their personal Savior are born again and thereby become children
of God and are eternally secure in Him.
The
Holy Spirit
(10) We believe that the Holy Spirit indwells the believer and that
He is the Comforter and Guide of all who receive Jesus Christ as
personal Savior.
The
Church
(11) We believe the Church consists of all people from Pentecost
to the Rapture who by the Holy Spirit have been born again, baptized,
and indwelt. As manifested in local assemblies, its mission is to
glorify God and to witness to the Deity, Lordship, and saving power
of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Spiritual
Gifts
(12) We believe that every child of God is sovereignly given at
least one spiritual gift for the edification of the local assembly
and that all the miraculous and revelatory gifts ceased with the
passing of the Apostles. Therefore the distinct teachings and practices
of the charismatic movement are not acceptable in this church.
Literalness
of Scripture
(13) We believe in the literal interpretation of the Scriptures,
that is, taking each word in its normal, customary sense as it was
used when it was written. We therefore distinguish between Israel
and the Church as distinct groups within God's program for the ages,
and between the responsibilities and destinies of each.
Ordinances
(14) We believe and teach that there are two specific ordinances
of the church: Baptism and the Lord's Supper:
a. Baptism is for the professing believer, and
the Scriptural method is immersion inasmuch as it symbolizes the
saved sinner's identification with Christ whose death, burial and
resurrection God ascribes vicariously to the believer as judicial
acceptance with God; it is not a means of nor a requisite for salvation
but an evidence of a conviction to be obedient to the Lordship of
Jesus Christ.
b. The Lord's Supper is not a sacrament but a memorial
service and the elements are to be received reverently as representing
the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is for born-again
believers only but not restricted to members of this church. Its
observance affords a time of heart searching, thanksgiving for our
Lord's passion and affirming our expectation of our Lord's return.
Separation
(15) We believe the holiness of God requires every believer to be
holy in all manner of life. This means separation unto God individually
and as a local assembly from all that displeases Him, including
worldliness, apostasy, and professing believers who persist in disobedience.
Satan
(16) We believe in the existence and personality of the Devil, that
he was originally created as a perfect being who chose to rebel
against God and subsequently led a host of other angels to do the
same. As a hater of God he seeks to oppose the purposes of God by
blinding the minds of the lost and tempting believers to sin. The
Devil was forever judged at Calvary and will ultimately be consigned
to the Lake of Fire for eternity following the millennial reign
of Christ.
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