What 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
doctrines. (2 Timothy 3:16, 1 Thessalonians 2:13, 2 Peter 1:21)
The Godhead
Our God is one, but manifested
in three persons — the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, being co-equal. God
the Father is greater than all, the sender of the Word, and the Begetter. The
Son is the Word, flesh-covered, the One Begotten, and has existed with the
Father from the beginning. The Holy Spirit proceeds forth from both the Father
and the Son and is eternal. (Philippians 2:6, John 14:28, John 16:28, John 1:14,
John 1:1, John 1:18, John 15:26)
Man’s Fall &
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. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was
manifested to undo the work of the devil and gave His life and shed His blood
to redeem and restore man back to God. 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. (Romans 5:14, Romans 3:10,
Romans 3:23, 1 John 3:8, Ephesians 2:8)
Eternal Life
& 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
Corinthians 7:10, 1 John 5:12, John 3:3-5)
Baptism in
The Holy Spirit
The Baptism in the
Holy Spirit is a gift from God as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ to all
believers in this dispensation and is received by faith subsequent to the New
Birth. This experience is received by faith and then the believer is commanded
to continually "be filled" with the Spirit. Matt. 3:11, John 14:16,17, Acts
1:8, 2:4,38, 19:1-7, Ephesians 5:18)
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. (Matthew 28:19, Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:12,
Acts 8:36-39)
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 and
Christ’s return. (Hebrews 12:14, 1 Thessalonians 5:23, 2 Pet.3:18, 2 Cor.3:18,
Phil.3:12-14, 1 Cor.1:30)
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/or by the laying on the hands and/or by the supernatural
gifts of the Spirit. It is provided for in the atonement of Christ, and is the
privilege of every member of the Church today. (Mark 16:18, James 5:14-25, 1
Peter 2:24, Matthew 8:17, Isaiah 53:4-5)
Resurrection
of The Just & The Return of Our Lord
We believe in the
physical, bodily return of the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe His coming is
imminent. When He comes, the dead in Christ will rise first, then we who are
alive will be caught up together with them in the clouds (what we refer to as
the Rapture), to meet the Lord in the air. Following the tribulation, He shall
return to the Earth as King of kings, the Lord of lord, and together with His
saints, who shall be kings and priests, He shall reign a thousand years. (Acts
1:11, 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17, Revelation 20:6)
Hell &
Eternal Retribution
The one who physically dies
without accepting and confessing Jesus Christ as Lord is hopelessly and
eternally lost in the Lake of Fire and, therefore, has no further opportunity of
hearing the Gospel and repenting. The Lake of Fire is literal. The terms
"eternal" and "everlasting" used in describing the duration of punishment 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.
(Hebrews 9:27, Revelation 19:20)
|