STATEMENT OF FAITH
We believe that the Bible, sixty-six books in the
Old and New Testaments, is without error in its original writing (1), its author was God (2), using Spirit-inspired men (3), being thereby verbally and plenarily inspired (4), it is the sole authority for faith and practice (5).
References in the Bible where this is taught:
(1)
Prov. 30:5, 6; John
ARTICLE II. CONCERNING THE TRUE GOD
References
in the Bible where this is taught:
(1) Deut. 6:4,5;
Jer.
ARTICLE III. CONCERNING CREATION
We believe in the Genesis account of Creation and that it is to be accepted literally and not figuratively (1). We believe that the six days of creation in Genesis chapter one were solar, that is twenty-four hour days (2); that all animal and vegetable life was made directly and God’s established law is that they bring forth only “after their kind” (3), and that man was created directly in God's own image and after His own likeness and did not evolve from any lower form of life (4).
References
in the Bible where this is taught:
(1) Gen. 1:1-2:25; Heb. 11:3; John 1:3;
Col. 1:16-17; Ps. 33:6-9; Neh. 9:6; Rev. 4:11.
(2)
Ex. 20:11; 31:17.
(3) Gen. 1:11, 12, 21, 24, 25.
(4)
Gen. 1:26.
ARTICLE IV. CONCERNING THE FALL OF MAN
We believe that man, although created without sin (1), by one transgression fell (2) so that all mankind are now
sinners by state, disposition, and act (3), justly under condemnation.
References in the Bible where this is taught:
(1)
Gen. 1:27, 31; Eccl. 7:29; Gen. 2:16, 17.
(2) Gen. 3:6, 7;
ARTICLE V. CONCERNING THE WAY OF SALVATION
We believe that the only way of salvation for
sinners is by grace (1)
made possible by the substitutionary death of the Son
of God (2), who, though eternally God (3), was born of the virgin
Mary (4), assumed human nature, yet
without sin, and lived a perfect, sinless life (5) shed His precious blood on the cross (6), arose bodily from the grave
(7), and ascended to reign on
high (8).
References in the Bible where this is taught:
(1)
Eph. 2:8; 1 John 4:10; Acts 15:11; John 14:6; Acts 4:12.
(2)
John 3:16; Isa. 53:4,5; Matt. 18:11; Heb. 2:9, 14;
Matt. 20:28; Rom. 3:25, 26; 1 Cor. 15:3; Heb. 9:14,
15; 2 Cor. 5:14, 15; (3) John 8:58; Phil. 2:6, 7; John 1:1, 14; John 17:5
(4)
Matt. 1:20-25; Luke 1:30-35; Isa. 7:14; Gal. 4:4,
5. (5)
2 Cor. 5:21;
Heb. 5:8, 9; Phil. 2:8.
(6)
Eph. 1:7; 1 Pet. 1:19.
(7) Matt. 28:10; Mark 16:6; Luke 24:6,
7; John 20:9; Rom. 4:25; 1 Cor. 15:4-8.
(8)
Acts 1:9; Heb. 7:25; Heb. 4:14; Heb. 1:3; Heb. 8:1; Hbe.
The blessings of salvation are made free to all by
the Gospel (1). It is the duty of all to accept them by
penitent and obedient faith (2),
and nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner except his own
voluntary refusal to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord (3). We believe that all who believe in the Lord
Jesus Christ are justified, their sin is pardoned (4), and the perfect
righteousness of Christ is imputed to them (5). They are regenerated (born again), and are given spiritual
life (6), manifesting repentance and
faith (7);
ARTICLE VII. CONCERNING SANCTIFICATION
We believe that sanctification is presented in three
phases in Scripture: that believers have
been made partakers of Christ’s holiness (1), that they are being
progressively sanctified (2), and that they will be
completely sanctified at their glorification (3). There is no complete eradication of the old nature
in progressive sanctification (4). Speaking in tongues is not a sign of either
regeneration or sanctification, nor is the New Testament gift of tongues in
existence today, but has ceased (5).
References in the Bible where this is taught:
(1)
Heb.
ARTICLE VIII. CONCERNING THE
We believe that a local, visible church (1) is a congregation of
baptized believers (2) associated together by a
common faith and fellowship in the Gospel, observing the ordinances of Christ (3) and governed by His Word (4), seeking to extend the Gospel
to the ends of the earth and that its only Scriptural officers are
pastor/teacher(s) and deacons, whose qualifications, claims and duties are
defined in the Epistles to Timothy and Titus (5). We believe that the designation of elder, bishop,
overseer, and pastor are used interchangeably in the Scriptures and refer to
the same office. We believe that Christ
is the head of the Church and that the pastor/teacher(s) are a gift of God and
are to be obeyed and submitted to as they obey God (6).
References in the Bible where this is taught:
(1)
Matt.
ARTICLE IX. CONCERNING A
INDEPENDENCE AND RELATIONSHIPS
We believe that the local visible
References in the Bible where this is taught:
(1)
Matt.
ARTICLE X. CONCERNING BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER
We believe that both Christian baptism and the
Lord’s Supper are each a memorial, a symbol and a prophecy (1). We believe that Christian baptism is the immersion
in water of a believer (2) in the name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit (3). It shows forth, in solemn and beautiful figure, our
faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, as a picture of our death to
sin and resurrection to a new life (4), that it is required by this
church for membership because it is a basic command for all believers to be
baptized after being saved (5); in which born-again believers
by the use of bread and fruit of the vine commemorate together the death of
Christ (6), preceded always by solemn
self-examinations (7).
References in the Bible where this is taught:
(1) Ro.
6:3,4; 1 Pet.
ARTICLE XI. CONCERNING THE LORD’S DAY
We believe that the first day of the week is the
Lord’s Day, and is a Christian institution (1). It is to be set aside for the spiritual
purposes of celebration, worship, instruction, and edification of the church as
a body, for it commemorates the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ from the
dead (2); by the devout observance of
all the means of growing in grace, both private, and public (3).
References in the Bible where this is taught:
(1)
Acts 20:7; Col. 2:16, 17; John 20:19; 1 Cor. 16:1, 2. (2) Acts 20:7;
Mark 16:9, John
XII. CONCERNING CIVIL GOVERNMENT AND RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
We believe that civil government is of divine
appointment, for the interests and good order of human society (1).
Civil authorities are to be prayed for,
conscientiously honored and obeyed (2); except only in the things
opposed by the Word of God, which reveals the will of our Lord Jesus Christ (3), who is the only Lord of the
conscience, and the Prince of the kings of the earth (4). Church and state should be separate, the state owing
the church protection and full freedom (5). No ecclesiastical group or denomination should be
preferred above another by the state (6); the state should not impose
taxes for the support of any form of religion.
A free church in a
References in the Bible where this is taught:
(1)
Ro. 13:1-7. (2) Matt.
XIII. CONCERNING THE STATE OF THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE WICKED
We believe that there is a radical and essential
difference between the righteous and the wicked (1); that
such only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and
sanctified by the Spirit of God, are truly righteous in His sight (2). All such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are
in His sight wicked (3), and under condemnation. There will be a resurrection of the righteous
and a resurrection of the unrighteous (4).
References in the Bible where this is taught:
(1) Matt.
ARTICLE XIV. CONCERNING FUTURE EVENTS
We believe
the Scriptures teach that at death the spirit and soul of the believer pass
instantly into the presence of Christ and remain in conscious joy until the
resurrection of the body when Christ (1) comes
for His own (2). The blessed hope of the believer is the imminent,
personal, pre-tribulational, premillennial
appearance of Christ to rapture the church, His bride(3). His righteous judgments will then be poured out on
an unbelieving world during the Tribulation (the seventieth week of Daniel),
the last half of which is the Great Tribulation
(4)
.
The climax of this fearful era will be the physical
return of Jesus Christ to the earth in great glory to introduce the Davidic
kingdom (5);
References in the Bible where this is taught:
(1)
2 Cor. 5:8.
(2) 1 Cor.
15:51-57. (3) Titus 2:13; 1 Thess. 4:14-17.
(4)
Matt. 24:21. (5) Rev. 19:11-16.
(6) Ro. 11:26, 27.
(7)Rev.
20:2,3.
(8) Rev. 20:11-15.
ARTICLE XV. CONCERNING HERESY & APOSTASY
We believe the Word of God teaches total and complete separation from all forms of heresy and ecclesiastical apostasy. We believe that we must, in obedience to God’s Word, separate ourselves from those who deny the doctrine of Jesus Christ (1), any so-called brother or sister who persists in living a life contrary to the Word of God (2), and those who persist in teaching heresy (3).
References in
the Bible where this is taught:
(1) 2 John 9-11; Gal. 1:7-9.
(2)
2 Cor. 6:17.
(3) 1 John 4:1; Ro. 16:17,18; Titus 1:13; Eph. 5:11; 2 Thess.
3:6, 14; Titus 3:10.