What We Believe

Sec. 1     THE HOLY SCRIPTURES:  We believe the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments in their entirety, to be the verbally inspired Word of God. They are the final authority for faith and practice. The Scriptures are inerrant in the original manuscripts, infallible and God-breathed. (I Corinthians 2:12-13; II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21; Revelation 22:18-19)

Sec. 2     A LITERAL HERMENEUTIC: We believe in using the principles of literally interpreting the Bible in

order to understand what the original author meant to communicate to his intended audience.  This includes consistently reading the Bible like you would other books, respecting what the text plainly says, and avoiding what it doesn't plainly say; interpreting with the customary meaning of the words employed in mind; that the Bible is the only authority for determining spiritual truth to believe and live by; that language was given by God for the purpose of being able to communicate with mankind; interpretation that gives to every word the same meaning it would have in normal usage; that the literal meaning of words is the normal approach to their understanding; that each word is interpreted plainly so as not to rule out figures of speech; that symbols, figures of speech, and types are all interpreted plainly, and are not contrary to literal interpretation; and that the meaning of each word is determined by grammatical and historical considerations.  Grammatical context is the relationship of words and phrases to one another which clarify what the author intended the readers to understand.

The meaning of individual words are determined by:

1. Identifying the Hebrew/Greek word (via Interlinear, or Strong's Concordance #)
2. Consulting lexicons (via Bauer, Thayer, etc.)
3. Examining word usage in other texts (via Englishman's Concordance)
4. Summarizing findings

Historical context is determining how the original hearers/readers would have understood the text, including considering geographical location, time period, audience, and culture. This guideline safeguards against inappropriate personal “Eisegesis.”

“Types” are the correspondence between two historical figures like Adam and Christ (Rom 5:14); the correspondence between the heavenly pattern and its earthly counterpart, e.g., the divine original behind the earthly tent/tabernacle (Acts 7:44; Heb 8:5; 9:24). There are several categories — persons (Adam, Melchizedek), events (flood, brazen serpent), institutions (feast), places (Jerusalem, Zion), objects (altar of burnt offering, incense), offices (prophet, priest, king).

Symbols:  It is important to distinguish types from symbol and allegory. A symbol is an object or signal that stands for something else; usually a visible image which represents a concept: David, recognizing that man is vulnerable to the attack of sin, sees God as a “fortress of defense” (Ps 31:2,71).

Sec. 3     THE GODHEAD: We believe that God is Triune; that there are three eternal, co-equal, divine persons in the Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and these three are one God. They are identical in nature and attributes and are worthy of our worship and obedience. (Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:18; Matthew 28:19; II Corinthians 13:14)

Sec. 4     THE PERSON AND WORK OF CHRIST:

1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men. (Luke 1:35; John 1:1-2, 14, 18; Philippians 2:5-9; Hebrews 1:3, 8)
2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; that His shed blood is the only atonement for sin; and that all who by personal faith trust Him as Savior are freely justified and stand before God accepted in Christ. This justification is made sure by the literal, physical resurrection of  Jesus Christ from the dead. (Romans 3:24-25; Ephesians 1:7; Hebrews 9:12; I Peter 1:3-5, 18-19, 2:24)
3. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven and is now exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the church of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate. (Acts 1:9-11; Romans 8:34; I Timothy 2:5; Hebrews 7:25, 9:24)
4. We believe in that “Blessed Hope,” the personal, imminent, pretribulational and premillennial coming of Jesus Christ for His redeemed ones; and in His subsequent return to earth, with His saints, to establish His Millennial Kingdom. (John 14:1-2; I Thessalonians 1:10, 4:13-18; Titus 2:14; Revelation 1:7)

Sec. 5     THE PERSON AND WORK OF THE HOLY SPIRIT:

1. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the third Person of the Godhead who convicts the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the Supernatural Agent in regeneration, baptizing all believers into the Body of Christ, indwelling and sealing them unto the day of redemption. (John 16:8-11; Romans 8:9; I Corinthians 12:12-14; II Corinthians 3:6; Ephesians 1:13-14)
2. We believe that He is the Divine Teacher who guides believers into all truth and that it is the privilege of all believers to be controlled by the Spirit. He is the believer’s abiding Comforter, ever present to testify of Christ, seeking to occupy us with our Lord instead of with ourselves or our experiences. (John 16:13; I Corinthians 13; Ephesians 5:18; I John 2:20, 27)

Sec. 6     CREATION AND FALL OF MAN:

1. We believe that in the recent past (thousands of years) God spoke and the heavens, earth, and all therein came into being. Creation took six literal days and was perfect. (Genesis 1:1-31; Exodus 20:11; Romans 1:20, 8:20-22)
2. We believe that God created Adam directly from the dust of the earth and Eve from Adam’s rib. (Genesis 1:27, 2:21-22; Psalm 139:14; Mark 10:6)
3. We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the race fell, inherited a sinful nature, and became alienated from God; and that man is totally depraved, and, of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition. (Genesis 1:26-27; Rom. 3:22-23, 5:12; Eph. 2:1-12)

Sec. 7     SALVATION:

1. We believe that salvation is the gift of God; that in grace He bestows eternal life upon any person who by faith trusts the Lord Jesus Christ as his own Savior from sin; that such a person passes immediately out of spiritual death into spiritual life, becoming a child of God. (John 1:12, 3:16, 5:24; Acts 16:31; Ephesians 2:8-9)
2. We believe that all the redeemed, once saved, are kept by God’s power and are secure in Christ forever. It is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh. (John 10:27-30; Romans 8:38-39, 13:13-14; Galatians 5:13; Philippians 1:6; Colossians 3:1-4; I John 5:13)

In stating the above truths, we reject the commonly held doctrines of Perseverance of the Saints, Lordship Salvation, and Limited Atonement.

Sec. 8     THE TWO NATURES OF THE BELIEVER: We believe that every saved person possesses two

natures, with provision made for victory of the new nature over the old nature through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit; and that all claims to the eradication of the old nature in this life are unscriptural. (Romans 6:13, 8:12-13; Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 4:22-24; I Peter 1:14-116)

Sec. 9     SEPARATION: We believe that all the saved are called to live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations is commanded by God. (Romans 12:1-2; II Corinthians 6:14-7:1; Ephesians 5:11; II Timothy 2:19, 3:1-5; I John 2:15-17)

Sec. 10   MISSIONS: We believe that it is incumbent upon all believers to witness by life and by word to the truths of Holy Scripture and to seek to proclaim the Gospel to all men everywhere. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; II Corinthians 5:18-20)

Sec. 11   SPIRITUAL GIFTS:

1. We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of His gifts; and that each believer is engifted by the indwelling Holy Spirit; and that speaking in tongues and working of sign miracles, which were evident in the apostolic age, gradually ceased as the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established. (I Corinthians 12:4-11, 13:8-10; Ephesians 4:7-12; Hebrews 2:3-4)
2. We believe that when it is God’s will and when it is accomplished for His eternal glory, He will perform physical healing in answer to the prayer of faith. (John 14:12-14, 15:7; I John 5:14-15)

Sec. 12   THE CHURCH:

1. We believe the Church had its beginning on the day of Pentecost and will continue on this earth until the Rapture; and that this beginning was a new entity in God’s program and is not to be confused with Israel in the Old Testament. (Acts 2:1-4, 41-47, 4:32-37; Ephesians 2:14-22)
2. We believe that the Church, which is the body and the espoused bride of Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again persons of this present age; and that Jesus Christ is the Head of the body; and that the entire body is to be subservient to Him. (I Corinthians 11:3; Ephesians 1:22-23, 5:22-27; Colossians 1:15-19)
3. We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament; and that fellowship in such churches is based upon a common faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior; and that no unregenerate person should ever be received into membership of a local church. (Acts 20:17, 28-32; I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-11)
4. We believe that the Lord has committed two ordinances to the local church, namely, Baptism and the Lord’s Supper.
1. Water baptism is the immersion of the believer in water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. This is distinctly a believer’s baptism that pictures the identification of the believer with the death, burial and resurrection of our Lord. It does not in any way grant the forgiveness of sins or confer grace to the individual. (Matthew 28:19; Acts 2:41-42, 8:36-38)
2. The Lord’s Supper was instituted by Christ to commemorate His death for us. The elements used are symbolic of our Lord’s body and blood and do not grant life or convey grace to the participant. Believers are to practice this ordinance until Christ comes again. (Luke 22:19-20; I Corinthians 11:23-34)

1. We believe that the local church is autonomous and, consequently, free of any external authority or control. We also believe in the separation of church and state. (Acts 4: 17-20, 5:28-32, 13:1-4, 20:28; I Peter 5:1-4)

Sec. 13   DISPENSATIONALISM: We believe that the Scriptures, interpreted in their natural, literal sense, reveal divinely determined dispensations. These dispensations are not ways of salvation but are rather divinely ordered stewardships by which God directs man according to His purpose. (Matthew 28:19-20; Acts 2:41-42; II Corinthians 3:9-18; Galatians 3:13-25; Ephesians 3:1-7; Hebrews 7:19; Revelation 20:2-6)

Sec. 14   SATAN: We believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin, and the cause of the fall; that he is the open and declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire. (Isaiah 14:12-15; Luke 4:1-13; II Corinthians 4:3-4; I Peter 5:8; Jude 6; Revelation 12:10, 20:10)

Sec. 15   FUTURE EVENTS: We believe the order of future events will be as follows:

1. The Rapture of the Church: This event is imminent and involves the catching away of the true church, the body and bride of Christ. (I Thessalonians 4:13-18)
2. The Tribulation: This is a period of approximately seven years following the rapture of the Church when God’s wrath will be poured out upon the world. During this period of time the Anti-Christ will be revealed. Great persecution and purging will come to Israel. This period is referred to in Scripture as the time of Jacob’s trouble. (Jeremiah 30:4-7; Daniel 12:1; II Thessalonians 2:3-10; Revelation 3:10)
3. The Second Advent and the Millennium: Jesus Christ will return with His Church, bring an end to the tribulation and rescue Israel from the Gentile world powers. Satan will be bound, and Christ shall reign for a period of one thousand years. It will be a reign of absolute righteousness and peace. (Isaiah 11:1-9, 65:18-25; Zechariah 14:1-4, 12-15; Revelation 19:11-15, 20:1-7)
4. The Great White Throne: Unsaved from all ages will be resurrected bodily, judged for their sins, and cast into the lake of fire to be in conscious torment forever. (Revelation 20:11-15)
5. The New Heavens and the New Earth: All who have trusted Jesus Christ for salvation will enjoy eternal bliss with God. (John 14:1-3; II Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1)

Sec. 16   THE ETERNAL STATE:

1. We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment.
2. We believe that the souls of the redeemed are at death absent from the body and present with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection, when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord. (II Corinthians 5:1-9; Philippians 1:23, 3:20-21; I Thessalonians 4:16-17; Revelation 20:4-6)
3. We believe that the souls of unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery until the second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited they shall appear at the Great White Throne Judgment and shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious torment. (Luke 16:19-26; John 3:18, 36; II Thessalonians 1:6-10; Revelation 20:11-15)

Sec. 17   THE SUPREMACY OF SCRIPTURE: The preceding doctrinal statement is meant to be a summary “of those things which are most surely believed among us.” It is only that—a summary. It is neither intended to be a definitive statement of all revealed truth, nor to exhaust all that the Scriptures say concerning those doctrines listed. Final authority, therefore, must rest not in this summary, but in the whole body of revealed truth, the Holy Scriptures, commonly known as the Bible. (Isaiah 8:19-20, 55:8-11; II Timothy 2:15)

Sec. 18   MOVEMENTS CONTRARY TO GOD’S WORD:  Included below is a representative listing of movements contrary to the Word of God and to the beliefs of this Ministry:

1. Theological Liberalism (Theological Liberalism, Neo Liberalism): Theological liberalism is the movement which denies or questions the doctrines of the faith (i.e., inerrancy of scripture, the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, the creation of man by God, the sinfulness of the human race, the judgment of God upon unredeemed humanity, the substitutionary death of Christ) and affirms that man’s highest responsibility is the social welfare of his fellow man.
2. Ecumenism (Ecumenism, Ecumenical Movement): Ecumenism is that movement which seeks the organizational unity of all Christianity and ultimately of all world religions.  Its principal advocates are the World Council of Churches and the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America, and the National Association of Evangelicals.
3. Ecumenical Evangelism (Cooperative Evangelism):  Ecumenical evangelism is that effort to promote the gospel by bringing orthodox believers into an unequal yoke with theological liberals, Roman Catholics, and other such divergent groups.
4. Neo Orthodoxy:  Neo Orthodoxy is that movement which affirms the transcendence of God, the finiteness and sinfulness of man, and the necessity of supernatural divine revelation of truth.  At the same time, it seriously departs from orthodoxy accepts the views of so-called higher criticism, denies the inerrancy of the Bible as historic revelation, and accepts religious experience as the criterion of truth - so abandoning fundamental Christian doctrine.  Neo Orthodoxy is especially deceptive because its unorthodox tenets are expressed in the jargon of evangelical terminology.
5. Neo Evangelicalism (Neo-Evangelicalism, Neo Conservatism): Evangelicalism is a term which formerly referred to all who were in Christ.  More recently, the term has come to designate those individuals and groups who do not place a major emphasis on ecclesiastical or personal separation.  Neo evangelicalism is that movement within evangelical Christianity which is articulated in the National Association of Evangelicals and is characterized by a  toleration of and dialogue with theological liberals.  Its historic emphasis has been placed upon the social application of the gospel.  Neo evangelicals often have weak or unclear doctrines of biblical inspiration, biblical creationism, future events, dispensationalism, and separation.  It is known for its attempts to accommodate biblical Christianity to the modern mind.  Further, values such as these are also found in the typical expressions of the Emergent Church movement.
6. Charismaticism (Charismatic Movement): The charismatic movement is an ecumenical expression of unity which is based more particularly in a misapplication of the doctrine of the body of Christ and spiritual gifts than it is on the solid foundation of the Word of God.  The movement places a high priority on religious experience, often incorrectly classified as the “baptism of the Spirit,” “speaking in tongues.”  The emphasis on these (and other misunderstood gifts of the Spirit) forms the basis for unity and fellowship.  Often, all other biblical or religious distinctions become inconsequential.  By their persistent involvement with false religions, they compromise the integrity of the gospel.  While many charismatics are our brethren in Christ, they must be lovingly faulted for the great harm which they do to His testimony.

Because the charismatic movement occupies a pervading influence among believers today, it is especially important for faithful believers to understand the following biblical distinctions.

1. The miraculous gifts enumerated in I Cor. 12:8-10 were  singularly related to the reception of revelation from God until the New Testament was completed (l Cor. 13:8).  Upon completion of the New Testament, the gifts relating to the reception of revelation from God ceased because there was no more necessity for them.
2. Paul’s teaching concerning the miraculous gifts as recorded in I Cor 12-14 was intended to correct severe problems associated with their use and to control their application.
3. The spiritual  gifts  which  are primarily misunderstood by the charismatics are the “sign gifts” — healing, tongues, and prophecy (special revelation).  These gifts, specifically designated by the apostles and our Lord as signs and wonders (Mark 16:15-18, Acts 2:43; 5:13; 6:8; 8:6,13; 14:3; 15:2; Rom 15:18,19; II Cor 12:12; Heb 2:3,4) and, as such were primarily signs for the Jewish people.  Note I Cor. 1:22; Matt 11:1-6; 12:38-42; and 16:1-5.   As the Jews were set aside in God’s purpose for this age, as the apostles turned to the Gentiles, and as the New Testament scriptures became complete, the necessity for the sign gifts ended.
4. Other spiritual gifts are given to believers for the purpose of building up the body of Christ and carrying on the work of the church.  They can be found operative in believers who are obedient to the Word of God and submitted to the control of the Holy Spirit.

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