STATEMENT OF FAITH
As a
“declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us” (Luke
1:1), this Church holds to the following beliefs:
CONCERNING
THE HOLY SCRIPTURES:
We believe
that the Holy Bible was given by inspiration of God, and is a perfect treasure
of heavenly instruction; that it has God as its Author, salvation for its end,
and truth without any mixture of error for its matter; that it reveals the
principle by which God will judge us; and therefore is, and shall remain to the
end of the world, the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to
man, the true center of all Christian union, and the supreme standard by which
all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be tried.
By the
“Holy Bible” we mean that collection of sixty-six books from Genesis to The
Revelation, divinely preserved in the English language and commonly known as
the authorized, King James Version of 1611 A.D.
By
“inspiration” we mean that all books of the Bible were written down by holy men
of God as they were supernaturally moved by the Holy Ghost, in a definite yet
inexplicable way so as to record the very words and sense of God though
conveyed within their own literary styles; that such writings are free from all
error and from all omission as no other writings have been or ever will be;
that the Bible does not merely contain the Word of God, but is the very Word of
God.
We believe
the scriptures shall be interpreted according to their normal
grammatical-historical meaning, and all issues of interpretation and meaning
shall be determined by the pastor.
II Timothy
3:16; II Peter 1:19-21; Acts 1:16; 3:21; II Samuel 23:2; Acts 28:25; Psalm
119:89,130,160; I Corinthians 2:12-13; Luke 24:25-27,44-45; Psalm 12:6-7;
Isaiah 40:8; I Peter 1:23-25; John 10:35; Matthew 5:18; 24:35; Luke
16:17,29-31; 21:33; John 17:17; Proverbs 30:5-6; Romans 3:4; 15:4; Revelation
22:18-19 John 12:48; Isaiah 8:20; Ephesians 6:17; Hebrews 4:12; Psalm 19:7-11;
John 5:39,45-47; Romans 10:17.
CONCERNING
THE GODHEAD:
We believe
the scriptures teach that there is one, and only one, living and true God, an
infinite, intelligent Spirit, the Maker and supreme Ruler of Heaven and earth;
inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor,
confidence, and love; that in the unity of the Godhead there are three Persons,
the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; equal in every divine perfection, and
executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
Of God the
Father:
We believe
the scriptures teach that God the Father reigns with providential care over His
universe, His creatures, and the events of human history according to the
purposes of His grace; that He is unchangeable in holiness, love and truth;
that He is Father in truth to those who are the children of God through faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ, and fatherly in His attitude toward all men, not
willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and
receive His gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Genesis
1:1; 17:1; Exodus 3:14; 15:11; 20:2-3; I Corinthians 8:6; Ephesians 4:6; John
4:24; Psalm 83:18; 90:2; 147:5; Jeremiah 10:10; Revelation 4:11;
I Timothy 1:17; Romans 11:33; Mark 12:30; Matthew
28:19; I John 5:7;
II Corinthians 13:14; Ephesians 2:18; I John 1:5; 4:8;
Hebrews 12:29; Deuteronomy 6:4-5; Isaiah 6:3; I Peter 1:15.
Of God the
Son:
We believe
the scriptures teach that Jesus Christ is the only begotten Son of God,
co-equal, co-essential, and co-eternal with God the Father and God the Holy
Ghost, the second Person of the Trinity; that He was born into this world of
Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of a woman,
and that He is both perfect God and perfect man; that He lived a sinless life,
honoring the divine Law by His personal obedience, yet identifying Himself
completely with mankind; that He died a substitutionary death on the cross
securing redemption through His shed blood for sinners; that He supernaturally
rose again the third day with a glorified body, was seen of many, and ascended
into the heavens to be exalted and seated at the right hand of the Father where
He is the Head over His churches, the Mediator and Advocate with God the Father
for all believers; and that He is supernaturally coming again to this world to
reign personally and visibly over the earth.
Genesis
3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; Mark 1:1; John 1:1-3,14; Psalm
2:7; Hebrews 1:8; Galatians 4:4; I John 5:20; I Corinthians 15:47; Isaiah
9:6-7; John 8:58; 10:30; 17:5; Philippians 2:5-11; I Timothy 3:16; Hebrews
4:15; 7:26; Romans 9:5; Colossians 1:15-17; Hebrews 13:8; II Corinthians 5:21;
Hebrews 9:24-28; Revelation 1:8; Hebrews 10:12; I John 2:1; Isaiah 53:6; I
Peter 2:24; 3:18; I Corinthians 15:3-4; John 14:3; Acts 1:11; Colossians 1:18.
Of God the
Holy Spirit:
We believe
the scriptures teach that the Holy Ghost is a divine Person, co-equal,
co-essential, and co-eternal, and co-active with God the Father and God the
Son, the third Person of the Trinity; that He was active in the creation of the
universe; that He moved holy men of God to write the Bible; that He is the
present representative of the Godhead on this earth, and in His relationship to
the unbelieving world restrains evil, convicting men of sin, of righteousness,
and judgment; that He bears witness to the Truth of the Gospel in preaching and
testimony, and is the Agent of the new birth, regenerating those who by faith
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; that He seals, fills, guides, teaches,
sanctifies, and comforts all believers, cultivating in them Christian character
and bestowing upon them spiritual gifts by which they serve God in the church,
these gifts being entirely unlike those falsehoods perpetrated within the
so-called “Charismatic Movement” of today.
Mark 1:8;
John 14:16-17,26; 15:26-27; 16:8-11,13; Acts 5:3-4,30-32; 11:16; I Corinthians
2:10-11; 12:4-6; Hebrews 9:14; Luke 1:35; 3:16; 24:49; Matthew 3:11; John 1:33,
3:5-6; Ephesians 1:13-14; II Thessalonians 2:7,13; Romans 8:14,16,26-27; I
Peter 1:2.
CONCERNING
MANKIND:
We believe
the scriptures teach that God created man in His own image and after His own
likeness; that man is notably distinct from all other forms of life, being
tripartite in nature and having an everlasting soul; that man’s creation was
not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species, or development
through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms of life; that
the entire Genesis account of creation is to be accepted literally and not
allegorically or figuratively; that all animal and vegetable life was made
directly and specially, and God’s established law is that they should bring
forth only “after their kind.”
Of the Fall
of Man:
We believe
the scriptures teach that man was created in innocence under the law of his
Maker, but by voluntary transgression through an act of deliberate disobedience
fell from that sinless and happy state; in consequence of which all mankind are
now sinners, not by constraint but of choice, being by nature utterly void of
that holiness required by the Law of God, positively inclined to evil; that
upon reaching a capability of moral action becomes a transgressor and therefore
under just condemnation to eternal ruin without defense or excuse.
Genesis
1:1,11,25-27,31; 2:21-23; Exodus 20:11; Acts 4:24; Colossians 1:16-17; Hebrews
11:3; John 1:3; Revelation 10:6; Romans 1:20; Acts 17:23-26; Jeremiah 10:12;
Nehemiah 9:6; Ecclesiastes 7:29; Genesis 3:1-6,24; Romans 1:18,20,28,32;
3:10-19; 5:12,19; Ezekiel 18:19-20; Galatians 3:10,22; Psalm 51:6; Isaiah 53:6;
Ephesians 2:3; Matthew 20:15.
Of Human
Sexuality:
We believe
the scriptures teach God has clearly commanded that no intimate sexual activity
be engaged in outside of a marriage between a man and a woman; that marriage is
exclusively defined by God in His Holy Word as the covenanted physical union of
one man (natural born male) and one woman (natural born female); that any form
of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication,
adultery, pedophilia, and pornography are sinful perversions; that God
disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one’s gender by surgery or
appearance.
Genesis
2:24; 19:5-7,13; 26:8-11; Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans 1:26-29;
I Corinthians 5:1; 6:9; I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews
13:4.
Of Family
Relationships:
We believe
that men and women are spiritually equal in standing before God but that God
has ordained distinct and separate spiritual functions for men and women in the
home and in the church; that the husband is called to be the leader of the
home, and men are to be the leaders of the church.
Galatians 3:28;
Colossians 3:18; I Timothy 2:8-15; 3:4-5,12.
We believe
that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human
society; that the husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church, and
the wife is to submit herself to the scriptural leadership of her husband as
the church submits to the Headship of Christ; that children are an heritage of
the Lord; and that parents are responsible for teaching their children
spiritual and moral values through a consistent lifestyle example and appropriate
discipline, including scriptural corporal correction.
Genesis
1:26-28; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Psalm 127:3-5; Proverbs 19:18; 22:15;
23:13-14; Mark 10:6-12; I Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4;
Colossians 3:18-21; Hebrews 13:4; I Peter 3:1-7.
Of Divorce
and Remarriage:
We believe
that God disapproves of and forbids divorce and intends marriage to last until
one of the spouses dies. Remarriage when a divorced spouse is still living is
regarded as adultery except on the grounds of fornication. Although divorced
and remarried persons or divorced persons may hold positions of ministry in the
church and be used of God in Christian service, they may not be considered for
the offices of pastor or deacon.
Malachi
2:14-17; Matthew 19:3-12; Romans 7:1-3; I Timothy 3:2,12; Titus 1:6.
Of
Abortion:
We believe
the scriptures teach that human life begins at conception and that an unborn
child is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused
taking of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We believe any teaching
stating that abortions due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection,
birth or population control, or the physical or mental wellbeing of the mother
is unacceptable.
Job 3:16;
Psalm 51:5; 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; 49:1,5; Jeremiah 1:5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44.
Of
Euthanasia:
We believe
that the direct taking of an innocent human life is a moral evil, regardless of
the intention. We believe that life comes from God, it is a gift of God, and
must be respected from conception until natural death; that any act or omission
that, in and of itself or by intention, causes death in order to eliminate
suffering constitutes a murder contrary to the will of God. We do acknowledge
that discontinuing medical procedures which are extraordinary or
disproportionate to the expected outcome can be a legitimate refusal of
over-zealous treatment.
Exodus
20:13; 23:7; Matthew 5:21; Acts 17:28.
Of Civil
Government:
We believe
the scriptures teach that civil government is of divine appointment, for the
interest and good of human society; that all those in authority are to be
prayed for, conscientiously honored and obeyed, except only in things opposed
to the revealed will of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is the only Lord of the conscience,
and the coming Prince of the rulers of the earth; that civil rulers have no
rights or control over, or interference with, religious matters; that no
ecclesiastical group or religious denomination or organization should be
preferred above another by the State; that the State should not impose taxes
for the support of any form of religion, and that churches and religious
organizations should receive no help from the State, except protection and full
freedom in the pursuit of spiritual ends; and that the requiring of an implicit
faith and absolute blind obedience destroys liberty of conscience and reason.
Romans
13:1-7; I Peter 2:13-14,17; Matthew 22:21; Titus 3:1; I Timothy 2:1-8; Acts
5:29; Matthew 10:28; Daniel 3:15-18; 6:7,10; Acts 4:18-20; Matthew 23:10;
Romans 14:4; Revelation 19:14; Psalm 72:11; II Samuel 23:3; Exodus 18:21-22;
Acts 23:5; Philippians 2:10-11.
CONCERNING
SIN:
We believe
the scriptures teach that sin is any transgression of or want of conformity to,
the revealed will of God; that it has permeated the entire universe, including
every realm and affecting every race and species amongst creation; that every
man is born with a sin nature, an inherent inclination toward evil which
results in acts of wrong-doing; that the wages of sin is death, being
separation from God in this life and throughout eternity.
I John 3:4;
Numbers 32:23; Isaiah 53:13; Matthew 7:23; 23:28; Romans 6:19; Judges 20:16;
Romans 3:23; I Samuel 15:23; Jeremiah 2:25; Luke 19:14; Isaiah 53:6; Jeremiah
17:9; Genesis 3:14,18; Romans 8:22; 1:18-32; Psalm 51:5; 58:3; John 3:19; James
4:17; Romans 6:23; Hebrews 9:27; Romans 5:12,14; Ephesians 2:1; 4:8; Matthew
10:23; Revelation 20:15.
CONCERNING
THE WAY OF SALVATION:
We believe
the scriptures teach that the salvation of sinners is wholly of the grace of
God, through the merits of the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Of the Law
and the Gospel:
We believe
the scriptures teach that the Law of God is the eternal and unchangeable rule
of His moral government; that it is holy, just, and good; and that the
inability which the scriptures ascribe to fallen men to fulfil its precepts
arises entirely from their sinful nature.
We believe
that the deliverance of fallen men from the eternal consequences of the
violated Law and their restoration to a right relationship with God through a
Mediator of unfeigned obedience to the Law is the one great end of the Gospel;
that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that He was
buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures.
Romans
3:20,31; Matthew 5:17; Luke 16:17; Romans 4:15; 7:7,12,14,22; Galatians 3:21;
Romans 8:2,4,7-8; 10:4; I Timothy 1:5; Hebrews 8:10.
Of God’s
Grace:
We believe
the scriptures teach that it is the grace of God alone that brings salvation to
man; that by it He graciously regenerates, sanctifies, and saves those sinners
who by faith believe on the Lord Jesus Christ; that being perfectly consistent
with the free agency of man, it comprehends all the means in connection with
the end; that it is a most glorious display of God’s sovereign goodness, being
infinitely free, wise, holy, and unchangeable; that it utterly excludes
boasting and promotes humility, love prayer, praise, trust in God, and active
imitation of free mercy; that it may be ascertained by its effects in all who
truly believe the Gospel; and that it is the foundation of Christian assurance.
II Timothy
1:8-9; II Thessalonians 2:13-14; II Timothy 2:10; I Corinthians 9:22; Romans
8:28-30; John 6:37-40; II Peter 1:10; I Thessalonians 4:10; Isaiah 42:16;
Romans 11:29.
Of the
Freeness of Salvation:
We believe
the scriptures teach that the blessings of salvation are made free to all by
the Gospel; that it is the immediate duty of all to accept them by a cordial,
penitent, and obedient faith; and that nothing prevents the salvation of the
greatest sinner on earth except his own inherent depravity and voluntary
refusal to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, which refusal will subject him to
an aggravated condemnation.
I Thessalonians
1:4; Colossians 3:12; I Peter 1:2; Titus 1:1; Matthew 11:28; Isaiah 55:1,6-7;
Revelation 22:17; Romans 10:13; John 6:37; Acts 2:38; John 3:15-16; I Timothy
1:15; I Corinthians 15:10; Ephesians 2:4-5; John 15:40; John 3:18,36.
Of the
Atonement for Sin:
We believe
the scriptures teach that the Son of God, by appointment with the Father,
freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin; that by His death on the
cross made a full and vicarious atonement for the sins of all men; that His
atonement consisted not in setting us an example by his death as a martyr, but
was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinners’ place, the Just dying
for the unjust; that having risen from the dead He is now enthroned in Heaven
and, uniting in His wonderful Person the most tender sympathies with divine
perfections, He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, compassionate, and
all-sufficient Saviour.
Ephesians
2:8; Acts 15:11; Romans 3:24,25; John 3:16; Matthew 18:11; Philippians 2:7,8;
Hebrews 2:14; Isaiah 53:4-7; I John 4:10; I Corinthians 15:3,20; II Corinthians
5:21; John 10:18; Galatians 1:4; I Peter 2:24; 3:18; Isaiah 53:11-12; Hebrews
7:25; 9:12-15; 12:2; I John 2:2.
Of
Repentance:
We believe
the scriptures teach that repentance, inseparably united with faith, is a
personal act, prompted by the Spirit of God; and consists in a godly sorrow
over sin, as offensive to God and ruinous to the soul; that it is accompanied
with great humiliation in view of one’s sin and guilt, together with prayer for
pardon; also by sincere hatred of sin and a turning away from all that is evil
and unholy.
Matthew
3:1-2; 4:17; Mark 1:15; Acts 3:19; 5:31; 17:30; 20:21; Luke 18:13; 24:47; II
Corinthians 7:2; Romans 2:5; Isaiah 55:7; Psalm 51:1-4,7.
Of Faith:
We believe
the scriptures teach that faith, inseparably united with repentance, is an
assent of the mind and a consent of the heart, consisting mainly of belief and
trust, wherein the testimony of God is accepted and believed as true, while
Christ is unreservedly received for salvation; that through it the believer is
brought into vital relations with God, as seeing Him Who is invisible, freely
justified; that it reveals Christ to the soul as a willing and sufficient
Saviour, and commits the heart and life to Him.
Acts 16:31;
Romans 1:17; 3:22; 5:1; 10:3,9-13; Hebrews 11:1,6; James 2:23; Jeremiah 17:7;
Psalm 34:22; 125:1; II Corinthians 5:7.
Of
Regeneration:
We believe
the scriptures teach that regeneration, or the “new birth,” is that change
wrought in the heart by the Holy Spirit, by which a new nature and a spiritual
life, not before possessed, are imparted, and the person becomes a new creature
in Christ Jesus; that a holy disposition is given to the mind, the will
subdued, the dominion of sin broken, and the affections changed from a love of
sin and self, to a love of holiness and God; that the change is instantaneous
and not a process, effected not by culture or character, nor by the will of
man, but solely through the power of God through the Word of God, in a manner
incomprehensible to reason.
John 3:3,6;
I Peter 1:23; James 1:18; II Corinthians 5:17; I John 2:29; Ephesians 4:24;
Colossians 1:13; 2:13; Romans 6:13; John 1:12-13;
I Corinthians 6:11; Titus 3:5-7.
Of
Justification:
We believe
the scriptures teach that the great Gospel blessing which Christ secures to
such as believe on Him is justification; that justification includes the pardon
of sin, and the gift of eternal life on principles of righteousness; that it is
bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have
done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood; by virtue of which
faith His perfect righteousness is imputed to us of God; that it brings us into
a state of most blessed peace and favor with God, and secures every other
blessing needed for time and eternity.
John 1:16;
Ephesians 3:8; Acts 13:39; Isaiah 3:11-12; Romans 5:1-3,9,11; 8:1; Zechariah
13:1; Matthew 9:6; Acts 10:43; Matthew 6:33; I Corinthians 1:30-31; I Timothy
4:8; Isaiah 53:11.
Of
Adoption:
We believe
the scriptures teach that adoption is a gracious act by which the Father, for
the sake of Christ, accepts believers to the estate and condition of children,
by a new and spiritual birth; sending the Spirit of Adoption into their hearts,
whereby they become members of the family of God, and entitled to all rights,
privileges, and promises of children; and if children, then heirs of God, and
joint-heirs with Jesus Christ to the heritage of all saints on earth, and an
inheritance reserved in Heaven for them.
Romans
8:14-16; Galatians 3:26; 4:5-7; Ephesians 1:5; I John 3:1; Hebrews 12:7; I
Peter 2:9.
Of
Sanctification:
We believe
the scriptures teach that sanctification is that work by which, according to
the will of God, we are set apart unto God and made partakers of His holiness;
that it is both a declared fact and a progressive work; that it is begun in
regeneration; and that it is carried out in the hearts of believers by the
presence and power of the Holy Spirit, the Sealer and Comforter, through the
continual use of the Word of God, self-examination, self-denial, watchfulness,
prayer, and in the practice of all godly exercises and duties.
II
Thessalonians 4:3; 5:23; II Corinthians 7:1; 13:9; Ephesians 1:4; 4:11-12;
Proverbs 4:18; II Corinthians 3:18; Hebrews 6:1; II Peter 1:5-8; Philemon
12-16; Philippians 2:12-13; I Peter 2:2; II Peter 3:18; II Corinthians 13:5;
I Timothy 4:7.
Of the
Eternal Security of the Believer:
We believe
the scriptures teach that salvation is eternal, and that such as are truly
regenerate, being born of the Spirit of God, cannot utterly fall away and
finally perish; that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand mark
which distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special Providence
watches over their welfare; and that they are kept by the power of God through
faith unto salvation.
John
6:39,66-69; 8:31-32; 13:8; I John 2:19,27-28; 3:9; 5:18; Matthew 13:19-21;
Romans 8:28,35-39; Matthew 6:20,30-33; John 4:4; Philippians 1:6; 2:12-13; Jude
24-25; Hebrews 1:14; 5:9; 13:5; John 10:28-29; 16:8; Colossians 1:21-23; I
Peter 1:5.
Of the
Righteous and the Wicked:
We believe
the scriptures teach that there is a radical and essential difference between
the righteous and the wicked; that only such as through faith are justified in
the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit of God, are
truly righteous in God’s esteem; while all such as continue in impenitence and
unbelief are, in His sight, wicked and under the curse; and that this
distinction holds among men in this life and after death, in the everlasting
felicity of the saved, and the everlasting conscious suffering in the lake of
fire of the lost.
Malachi
3:18; Proverbs 12:26; Isaiah 5:20; Genesis 18:23; Jeremiah 15:19; Acts
10:34-35; Romans 1:17; 6:16,18,22-23; 7:6; I John 2:7,29; 3:7; 5:19;
I Corinthians 11:32; 15:22; Galatians 3:10; John 3:36;
Isaiah 55:6-7; 57:21; Psalm 10:4; Proverbs 14:32; Luke 16:25; John 8:21-24;
12:25-26; Luke 9:26; 12:4-5; 11:23-26; Matthew 7:13-14; 25:34; Proverbs 11:31;
I Peter 1:18.
CONCERNING
THE UNSEEN WORLD:
Of Angels:
We believe
the scriptures teach that there is a vast celestial kingdom of spirit beings
called Angels, in ages past created holy, glorious, and higher than man; a vast
company of various ranks worshiping God, ministering to His glorious Person and
to His children.
Psalm
148:2,5; Colossians 1:16; Nehemiah 9:6; Hebrews 1:14; Psalm 103:20; 104:4;
Daniel 9:21-22; Luke 9:26; Mark 8:38; Daniel 10:13; 12:1; Jude 9; Revelation
12:7; Psalm 80:1; 99:1,11; Revelation 4:6-8; Ezekiel 1:4-28; Isaiah 6:1-3; II
Thessalonians 1:7-8; Psalm 34:7; Acts 12:7-11; II Kings 6:17.
Of the
Devil, or Satan:
We believe
the scriptures teach that Satan, as the mighty angel Lucifer, was once holy,
enjoying heavenly honors; but that through pride and ambition to be as the
Almighty, fell and drew after him a host of angels; that he is now the
malignant “prince of the power of the air,” the unholy god of this world; that
he is man’s great tempter, the enemy of the Lord Jesus Christ, the accuser of
the saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power back of the
present apostasy; the lord of the Antichrist, and the author of all the powers
of darkness; destined however to final defeat at the hands of God’s own son,
and the judgment of an eternal justice in hell, a place prepared for him and
his angels.
Isaiah
14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:14-17; Revelation 12:9; Jude 6; Ephesians 2:2;
II Peter 2:4; John 14:30; I Thessalonians 3:5; Matthew
4:1-3; I Peter 5:8;
I John 3:8; Matthew 13:25,37,39; Luke 22:3-4; Revelation
12:10;
II Corinthians 11:13-15; Mark 13:21-22; I John 4:3; II
John 7; I John 2:22; Revelation 13:13-14; 12:7-9; 19:11,16,20; 20:1-3,10; II
Thessalonians 2:8-11; Matthew 25:41.
CONCERNING
THE CHURCH:
We believe
the scriptures teach that a Baptist church is a congregation of baptized
believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel;
observing the ordinances of Christ; governed by His laws, and exercising the
gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word; that it is the body
and espoused bride of Christ, and the temple of God through the Holy Spirit;
that its only scriptural offices are pastors (elders, bishops), and deacons,
whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the New
Testament; that the true mission of each church is found in the Great
Commission, first, to make individual disciples, second, to build up the church
by baptizing those believers, third, to teach and instruct as He has commanded;
that his order cannot be reversed; that each church has the absolute right of
self-government, free from any interference of any hierarchy of individuals or
organizations; that the one and only Head of each church is Jesus Christ
through the Holy Spirit; that it is scriptural for churches of like faith and
order to co-operate with each other in contending for the faith and for the
furtherance of the Gospel, but that every church is the sole and only judge of
the measure and method of its coöperation; that in all matters of membership,
policy, government, discipline, and benevolence, the will of each church is
final.
Acts
2:41-42,47; 5:11; 8:1; 11:31; I Corinthians 4:17; 5:5,11,18; 11:2,23;
II Corinthians 8:5,23-24; 11:2; Colossians 1:18;
Ephesians 5:23-24; I Timothy 3:5,15; I Peter 2:5; II Thessalonians 3:7; Romans
16:17-20; Matthew 18:15-20; 28:19-20; John 14:15; 15:10; I John 4:21; I
Thessalonians 4:2; II John 6; Philippians 1:1; Acts 14:23; 15:22-23; 20:17-28;
I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9; Ephesians 1:22-23; 4:11; I Corinthians
12:4,8-11; Acts 6:5-6; I Peter 5:1-4; Jude 3-4; I Corinthians 5:11-13; 6:1-3.
CONCERNING
THE ORDINANCES:
Of Baptism:
We believe
the scriptures teach that baptism is the immersion in water of the believer in
Christ, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost,
performed with the church’s authority; to show forth in solemn and beautiful
emblem our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, with its effect
in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is a prerequisite
to the privileges of church membership; that infants are God’s little ones,
whether children of Christian or non-Christian parents, and are safe in Christ
until an age of moral accountability is reached, thus making any thoughts of
“infant baptism” unnecessary.
Matthew 28:19-20;
Acts 2:41; 8:12-13,26-39; 9:17-18; 10:25-26,44-48; 16:14-15,25-37; 18:7-11;
Matthew 3:1-16; 21:24-25; John 3:22-23; 4:1-2; Galatians 3:27-28; Romans 6:4;
Colossians 2:12; I Peter 3:15,20-21;
II Samuel 23:22-23; Proverbs 20:11.
Of the
Lord’s Supper:
We believe
the scriptures teach that the Lord’s Supper is a provision of unleavened bread
and the fruit of the vine, as symbols of Christ’s broken body and shed blood;
partaken of by the members of a church in unity, in commemoration of the
suffering and death of their Lord, and in helpful anticipation of His return.
Matthew
26:27-30; 28:20; Mark 14:20-26; Luke 22:19-20; I Corinthians 10:16; 11:2,17-34.
CONCERNING
THE LORD’S DAY:
We believe
the scriptures teach that the first day of the week is the Lord’s Day, a
victorious commemoration of His resurrection; that it is to be kept sacred to
spiritual purposes by abstaining from all unnecessary secular labor and
recreation that would detract from the spirit of such a day; that it should be
given over to the joyful observance of all the means of grace, both private and
public, and for the assembling together of the Lord’s church.
Mark 16:9;
John 20:19; Acts 20:7; I Corinthians 16:1-2; Colossians 2:16-17; Hebrews
4:3-11; 10:24-25.
CONCERNING HERESY
AND APOSTASY:
We believe
the scriptures teach that it is necessary to maintain a total and complete
separation from all forms of doctrinal error and ecclesiastical apostasy. We
believe the scripture admonishes us to try or examine false teachers and false
teachings by measuring them by the Word of God, to mark them, to rebuke them,
to have no Christian or church fellowship with them, to withdraw ourselves, to
receive them not, to have no company with them, to reject them, and to separate
ourselves from them.
Romans 16:17;
II Corinthians 6:17; Ephesians 5:11; II Thessalonians 3:6,14; Titus 1:13; 3:10;
I John 4:1; II John 10-11.
CONCERNING
THE GRACE OF GIVING:
We believe
the scriptures teach that giving is one of the fundamentals of the faith; that
God is the Source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; that tithing is a
Bible principle, and that the storehouse for the tithe in this present age is
the common treasury of the church; that we are under obligation to serve God
with our time, talents, and material possessions; and are commanded to
cheerfully, regularly, and liberally bring our tithes and offerings into the
storehouse upon the first day of the week.
Psalm 24:1;
Haggai 2:8; Exodus 19:5; Deuteronomy 8:18; Genesis 14:18-20; 28:20-22;
Leviticus 27:30; Malachi 3:8-10; Matthew 23:23; I Corinthians 9:13-14; 16:1-2;
Hebrews 7:2,4; Acts 4:35-37; Proverbs 3:9; II Corinthians 8:3,12; 9:7-8; Luke
6:38.
CONCERNING
THE RESURRECTION AND LAST THINGS:
We believe
the scriptures teach that Jesus Christ rose literally and bodily from the dead
on the third day; that having ascended into glory, He alone is our merciful and
faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God; that this same Jesus shall
return to earth bodily, personally, and visibly; first to raise the righteous
dead and catch up all living believers in the twinkling of an eye, then to
return with the saints to set up His glorious kingdom of a millennium of peace
and righteousness, having executed judgment upon an unbelieving world; that at
the final day of judgment all Christ-rejecting sinners will be raised, judged,
and cast into the lake of fire for everlasting damnation, that the saved will
live with Him for eternity according to the sure promises of God.
Matthew
28:6-7; Luke 24:2,4-6,19,51; John 20:27; I Corinthians 15:4; Mark 16:6,19; Acts
1:9-11; Revelation 3:21; Hebrews 8:1,6; 12:2; I Timothy 2:5;
I John 2:1; Hebrews 2:17; 5:9-10; John 14:3; I
Thessalonians 4:16-17; Matthew 24:27,35,42; Hebrews 9:28; I Corinthians
15:25,42-44,51-53; Philippians 4:20-21; Luke 1:32; Isaiah 11:4-5; Psalm 72:8;
Revelation 20:1-4,6,15; 21:7-8,24-27; 22:11; I Peter 4:7; I Corinthians
7:29-31; Hebrews 1:10-12; Revelation 1:7; I John 2:17; Acts 24:15; Luke 14:14;
Daniel 12:2; John 5:28-29; 6:40; 11:25-26; II Timothy 1:10; Acts 10:42; Matthew
13:37-43,49; 25:35-41; II Peter 2:9,11-12; I Peter 1:4-5.
