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Our Doctrinal Statement
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The Holy Scriptures
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We
believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the
verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life,
inerrant in the original writings, infallible, God-breathed, and God's
complete revelation to mankind.
2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:20-21 |
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The Godhead
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We
believe in one Triune God, eternally existing in three persons--Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit, co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature,
co-equal in power and glory, and having the same attributes and
perfections.
1 Peter 1:2; 1 John 5:7
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The Person And Work Of The Lord Jesus Christ
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We
believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, who became
perfect humanity while remaining undiminished Deity, was conceived by
the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary in order that He might
reveal God and redeem sinful mankind.
John 1:1,2,14; Luke 1:35; Colossians 2:9
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our eternal
redemption through His death on the cross as a vicarious,
substitutionary sacrifice; and that our justification (correct
relationship with God) is made sure by His literal, physical
resurrection from the dead.
Romans 3:24,25; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 Peter 1:3-5
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ ascended to heaven and is now
exalted at the right hand of God, where, as our eternal High Priest He
fulfills the ministry of representative, intercessor, and advocate for
born-again believers.
Hebrews 1:3; Romans 8:34; 1 John 2:1,20
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The Person And Work Of The Holy Spirit
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We
believe that the Holy Spirit is a person possessing all the essential
elements of personality, namely: intellect, sensibility, and will.
Though often referred to as the "Third Person of the Trinity, such an
expression should not be taken as an indication of inferiority of the
Holy Spirit to the Father or to the Son.
1 John 5:7; Romans 15:13,16; Ephesians 4:30
We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts the world of sin, of
righteousness, and of judgment; that He is the supernatural agent in
regeneration (impartation of spiritual
life); baptizes
(places) all born-again believers into the Body of Christ; and indwells and seals them until the day of redemption.
John 16:7-11; 1 Corinthians 12:14; Ephesians 1:13,14
We believe that the Holy Spirit teaches born-again believers all truth; and that it is possible
for all the saved to be filled with the Spirit.
John 16:13; 1 John 2:20-27; Ephesians 5:18
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The Total Depravity Of Mankind
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We
believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that
in Adam's sin the race fell (died spiritually), inherited a sinful
nature, and became alienated from God; that man is totally depraved,
and of himself, utterly unable to remedy his lost condition.
Genesis 1:26,27; Romans 5:12; Ephesians 2:1-3
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Salvation
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We
believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to mankind by Grace
through personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood
was shed on Calvary to pay the penalty for our sins, that we might be
reconciled to God.
Ephesians 2:8-10; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7
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The Eternal Security Of Born-Again Believers
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We
believe that all born-again believers are kept secure in Christ
forever. This security is made certain because of the eternal purpose
of God toward the objects of His love; because of His freedom to
exercise grace toward the meritless on the ground of the propitiatory
blood of Christ; because of the prayer of the Son of God while here on
earth; because of the present and unending intercession and advocacy of
Christ in heaven; and because of the regenerating, abiding presence of
the Holy Spirit in the hearts of all who are saved.
John 17:11-16; Romans 8:1; Philippians 1:6; 1 John 2:1,2
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The Assurance Of Born-Again Believers
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We
believe that it is the privilege of born-again believers to rejoice in
the assurance of their salvation as taught in God's Word; which
however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to
the flesh.
Titus 2:11-15; 2 Timothy 1:12; Romans 1:16
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The Two Natures Of Born-Again Believers
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We
believe 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 7:17-8:2; Ephesians 4:22-24
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Separation
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We
believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as to bring no
reproach upon their Savior and Lord. The individual born-again believer
should rely on the convicting power of the Holy Spirit as a guide in
all practices and associations.
Romans 12:1,2; 1 John 2:15-17; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1
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The Grace Of Giving
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We
believe that the grace of giving is a gift of God, imparted to and
manifested through the born-again believer by the Holy Spirit Himself
and is an expression of devotion on the part of the saved. We believe
each child of God should give "as unto the Lord" after prayerfully
seeking His will; not of necessity but through love and gratitude to
God for the Gift of Christ.
We believe that the born-again believer's entire resources are a gift
of God and the Holy Spirit should be permitted to determine the use of
that which the born-again believer retains for himself.
2 Corinthians 8:3-7; 9:6-8
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Missions
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We
believe that it is the God-given responsibility of the saved to witness
by life and word to the truths of the Holy Scriptures and to seek to
proclaim the Gospel to all mankind.
Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:19,20
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The Ministry Of Spiritual Gifts
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We
believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all His gifts both
to the individual and the church and that the gifts of evangelists,
pastors, and teachers are sufficient for the perfecting of the saints
today.
Ephesians 4:7-12
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The Church
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We
believe that the Church, which is the body and espoused bride of
Christ, is a spiritual organism made up of all born-again believers in
this present age of grace, and is to be differentiated from the name of
the local church, it being a term designating that portion of the body
of Christ assembling in a particular location.
Ephesians 1:22,23; 5:25-27; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14
We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will come again in the air to
receive His body, the true church, to be with Himself forever. We
further believe that this event is clearly indicated in scripture as
occurring before the tribulation period.
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Revelation 3:10
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Baptism
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We
believe every born-again believer has been baptized (placed) into the
Body of Christ by the Holy Spirit and, thereby, becomes a member of His
body. This act is performed at the time the believer accepts Christ.
We believe that salvation is by grace through faith, that baptism of
any form other than that of the Holy Spirit has no part of the
salvation of the believer. We believe no mode of baptism other than
that of the Holy Spirit to be required for fellowship or to be
essential as a testimony. However, we do fellowship in Christian love
with those born-again believers who in testimony have been baptized as
unto the Lord and with those whose organization makes water baptism a
requirement for membership.
Ephesians 4:4-6; I Corinthians 12:13
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The Lord’s Supper
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We
believe the invitation to partake of the Lord's Supper should be open
to all who have by faith received Christ as their personal Savior.
Those who observe the Lord's Supper witness to His death, "till He
come."
1 Corinthians 11:23-24
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The Eternal State
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We
believe in the bodily resurrection of all mankind; the saved to eternal
life, and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment.
John 5:28,29; 11:25,26; Revelation 20:5,6,12,13
We believe that the souls of the redeemed are, at death, absent from
the body and present with the Lord, while 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.
2 Corinthians 5:8; 1 Thessalonians 4:16,17; Revelation 20:11-15
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The Personality of Satan
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We
believe that Satan is a person, the author of sin, and the cause of the
fall of mankind, that he is the open and declared enemy of God and
mankind, and has control over un-regenerated mankind, and that he shall
be eternally punished in the Lake of Fire.
Job 1:6,7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Revelation 20:10
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Our Theological Position
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We
adhere to the dispensational system of theology. This system sees the
Bible as the unfolding (developing) of distinguishable economies in the
outworking of God's purpose with mankind (1 Cor.9:17; Eph.3:2, 9; Col.1:25) and is distinguished by three main
concepts:
1. A consistent literal interpretation of the Scriptures
1 Tim.4:13, 16; 2 Tim.4:2; 1 Cor.2:10-16
2. A clear distinction between the nation of Israel and the Church, which began on the day of Pentecost
Gen.12:1-3; Ex.19-24:18; Deut.7:6-8; 10:15-16; 14:2; Rom.10:1-4; 11:11-32; Acts 2; Col.1:18; Eph.1:20-23; 4:7-13
3. The glorification of God as God's ultimate purpose in the world and not just to bring salvation to man
Psa.19:1; Rev.4:11; Rom.1:20; 9:23; Eph.1:4-13; 1 Cor.10:31
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