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We Believe....
THE SCRIPTURES - The Bible
is the inspired Word of God, the product of holy men of old who
spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. The New
Covenant, as recorded in the New Testament, we accept as our
infallible guide in matters pertaining to conduct and doctrine
(2 Tim. 3:16; 1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21).
We Believe....
THE GODHEAD - Our God is
one, but manifested in three Persons - the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit, being coequal (Deut. 6:4;Phil. 2:6). God the
Father is greater than all; the Sender of the Word (Logos) and
the Begetter (John 14:28; John 16:28; John 1:14). The Son is the
Word flesh-covered, the One Begotten, and has existed with the
Father from the beginning (John 1:1; John 1:18; John 1:14). The
Holy Spirit proceeds forth from both the Father and the Son and
is eternal (John 14:16;John 15:26).
We Believe....
MAN, HIS FALL AND
REDEMPTION - Man is a created being, made in the likeness and
image of God, but through Adam's transgression and fall, sin
came into the world. The Bible says "...all have sinned, and
come short of the glory of God," and "...There is none
righteous, no, not one." (Rom. 3:10; 3:23). Jesus Christ, the
Son of God, was manifested to undo the works of the devil and
gave His life and shed His blood to redeem and restore man back
to God (Rom. 5:14; 1 John 3:8).
Salvation is the gift of
God to man, separate from works and the Law, and is made
operative by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, producing
works acceptable to God (Eph. 2:8-10).
We Believe....
ETERNAL LIFE AND THE NEW
BIRTH - Man's first step toward salvation is godly sorrow that
worketh repentance. The New Birth is necessary to all men, and
when experienced, produces eternal life (2 Cor. 7:10; John
3:3-5; 1 John 5:12).
We Believe....
WATER BAPTISM - Baptism in
water is by immersion, is a direct commandment of our Lord, and
is for believers only. The ordinance is a symbol of the
Christian's identification with Christ in His death, burial, and
resurrection (Matt. 28:19; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12; Acts 8:36-39).
The following
recommendation regarding the water baptismal formula is adopted;
to wit: "On the confession of your faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, and by His authority, I baptize you in
the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen."
We Believe....
BAPTISM IN THE HOLY GHOST
- The Baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire is a gift from God as
promised by the Lord Jesus Christ to all believers in this
dispensation and is received subsequent to the new birth. This
experience is accompanied by the initial evidence of speaking in
other tongues as the Holy Spirit Himself gives utterance (Matt.
3:11; John 14:16,17; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:38,39; Acts 19:1-7; Acts
2:1-4).
We Believe....
SANCTIFICATION - The Bible
teaches that without holiness no man can see the Lord. We
believe in the Doctrine of Sanctification as a definite, yet
progressive work of grace, commencing at the time of
regeneration and continuing until the consummation of salvation
at Christ's return (Heb. 12:14; 1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Peter 3:18; 2
Cor. 3:18; Phil. 3:12-14; 1 Cor. 1:30).
We Believe....
DIVINE HEALING - Healing
is for the physical ills of the human body and is wrought by the
power of God through the prayer of faith, and by the laying on
of hands. It is provided for in the atonement of Christ, and is
the privilege of every member of the Church today (James
5:14,15; Mark 16:18; Isa. 53:4,5; Matt. 8:17; 1 Peter 2:24).
We Believe....
RESURRECTION OF THE JUST
AND THE RETURN OF OUR LORD - The angels said to Jesus'
disciples, "...This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into
heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into
heaven." His coming is imminent. When He comes, "...The dead in
Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain
shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the
Lord in the air..." (Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:16,17).
Following the Tribulation,
He shall return to earth as King of kings, and Lord of lords,
and together with His saints, who shall be kings and priests, He
shall reign a thousand years (Rev. 5:10;20:6).
We Believe....
HELL AND ETERNAL
RETRIBUTION - The one who physically dies in his sins without
accepting Christ is hopelessly and eternally lost in the lake of
fire and, therefore, has no further opportunity of hearing the
Gospel or repenting. The lake of fire is literal. The terms
"eternal" and "everlasting," used in describing the duration of
the punishment of the damned in the lake of fire, carry the same
thought and meaning of endless existence as used in denoting the
duration of joy and ecstasy of saints in the Presence of God
(Heb. 9:27; Rev. 19:20). |