Our Doctrinal Statement
SECTION A – CONCERNING THE SCRIPTURES
1. We believe that the Bible, sixty-six books in the Old and New Testaments, is without error in its original writing; its author was God, using Spirit-guided men, being thereby verbally and plenarily inspired; it is the sole authority for faith and practice. We believe that all the Scriptures center about the Lord Jesus Christ in His person and work in His first and second coming, and hence that no portion, even of the Old Testament, is properly read, or understood, until it leads to Him. We also believe that all the Scriptures were designed for our practical instruction (Proverbs 30:5-6; John 17:17; Revelation 22:18,19; 11 Peter 1:19-21; II Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Corinthians 2:10-13; Matthew 5:17,18; Mark 12:26,36; Luke 24:27,44; John 5:39; Acts 1:16.
2. We believe that a correct interpretation of Scripture is to recognize the dispensational framework of Scripture. A dispensational understanding recognizes that God’s revelation has been progressive (Hebrews 1:1,2) , that God has dealt with mankind differently but in accord with His progressive revelation (Exodus 6:3) and that man’s responsibilities have varied with each new revelation given (Hebrews 7:12). We believe that according to the “eternal purpose” of God (Ephesians 3:11) salvation in all dispensations has been and is always “by grace, through faith”, and rests upon the basis of the shed blood of Christ. We believe that God has always been gracious, regardless of the ruling dispensation, but that man has not at all times been under an administration or stewardship of grace as is true in the present dispensation (I Corinthians 9:17; Colossians 1:25; Ephesians 3:2, Ephesians 3:9; 1 Timothy 1:4; Hebrews 11).
SECTION B – CONCERNING THE GODHEAD
We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God, Infinite, eternal, self-existing, unchangeable, and perfect. He is a personal Being, the creator and upholder of the universe; in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, equal in essence and in every divine perfection, but having distinct work (Deuteronomy 6:4,5; Genesis 1:1; Isaiah 6:3; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30, 14:7-12; 11 Corinthians 13:14).
SECTION C – CONCERNING CREATION
We believe in the Genesis account of Creation and that it is to be accepted literally and not figuratively; that the six days of creation in Genesis chapter one were solar, that is twenty-four hour days, that all animal and vegetable life was made directly and God’s established law is that they bring forth only “after their kind”, that man was created directly In God’s own image and after His own likeness and did not evolve from any lower form of life and that the moment the earth was created it was mature and full-grown not through natural processes but by the Instantaneous and supernatural act of God. We disavow as unscriptural any form of atheistic or theistic evolution, and the gap theory (Genesis 1:1, 2:3; Exodus 20:11, 31:7; Job 38:3,4; Psalms 8:3, 33:6-9; Proverbs 3:19; Isaiah 40:18-26; Romans 1:20; Hebrews 11:3; John 1:1-3,10).
SECTION D – CONCERNING THE PERSON AND WORK OF JESUS CHRIST
1. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful man (Matthew 1:18-20; John 1:1,2,14,18; Luke 1:35).
2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures as a substitutionary sacrifice, and that all who receive Him are justified on the ground of His shed blood (Romans 3:24-26, 4:25; I Corinthians 15:3,4; 11 Corinthians 5:21).
3. We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord Jesus Christ and that our redemption and salvation is guaranteed to us by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead; in His bodily ascension into heaven; and in His present life there for us as High priest and Intercessor (Matthew 28:5,6; 1 Corinthians 15:12-19; Acts 1:9; Hebrews 4:14-16, Hebrews 7:23-25, 9:24; 1 John 2:1,2).
SECTION E – CONCERNING THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person, equal with the Father and the Son and of the same substance and nature; that He convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment; bears witness to the truth; is the agent of the new birth; and that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses to, sanctifies, and helps the believer; that He indwells them permanently, seals them unto the day of redemption, bestows spiritual gifts, and fills for service those yielded to Him. We believe that certain of the spiritual gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as apostleship. prophecy, tongues, healing, and revelation were temporary and are not to be expected today. We believe that the Holy Spirit testifies concerning Jesus Christ and never leads any person, at any time, contrary to the teaching of the Bible (John 3:8,14:16,15:26-27, John 16:7-15; Acts 5:1-4; 1 Corinthians 12:4-13; 13:8-11; Ephesians 4:4, 5:18).
SECTION F – CONCERNING THE SINFUL NATURE OF MAN
We believe that man was created in the image and likeness of God, but that in Adam’s sin the race fell and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is separation from God; and that all mankind is born with a sinful nature, became willful sinners with the first expression of personal choice, is totally unable to regain their former position, and is therefore, under just condemnation to eternal ruin, in a literal hell without defense or excuse before God (Genesis 1:26, 3:1-24; Ecclesiastes 7:20; John 3:18,19; Romans 1:20, 3:9-23, 5:12; Galatians 3:22; Ephesians 2:1-6,12).
SECTION G – CONCERNING SALVATION
1. We believe that – God has provided a way -of salvation (John 14:6) from the consequences of sin (Romans 6:23) through Christ’s shed blood on the cross (I Peter 1:18-19). This salvation was given because of the love of God (John 3:16) and is available to all mankind with no limitations Whatsoever (I John 2:2). The sinner can believe this provision of salvation only after the hearing of the Gospel (Romans 1:17; Matthew 28:19) and the convicting work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8).
2. We believe that the obtaining of salvation is in part dependent upon God. God the father before the Foundation of the world designed a plan to make a repentant sinner (1) holy before Him, (2) children of Him, and therefore, (3) accepted by Him (Ephesians 1:4-6). Those who are saved are sometimes called the elect or chosen (I Peter 1:2) but we do not believe in an election which appropriates salvation (Romans 10:9,10) and therefore we reject the doctrinal deviation commonly referred to as Calvinism. God the Son provided the way of salvation by securing for a repentant sinner (1) the payment for sin (2) release from sin, and (3) the assurance of salvation (Ephesians 1:7-12). God the Holy Spirit secures a repentant sinner’s salvation by first convicting the sinner with the truth of God’s Word (John 16:1-13) and then, by Himself being the down payment of salvation within each believer until his entrance into heaven (Ephesians 1:13-14).
3. We believe that the obtaining of salvation is impossible apart from a personal voluntary choice of the sinner (John 3:16) based upon a complete reliance upon God’s way of salvation (Ephesians 2:8,9). At the moment a sinner repents from sin and trusts Christ as his Savior, the sinner is united to Christ (II Corinthians 5:17) by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5). This turning from sin (Psalms 51:3,4) to Christ – as Savior and Lord (Romans 10:9,10) is called conversion. At conversion God declares the sinner righteous (justified) because of the merit of Christ, which merit removes the eternal penalty of sin (Romans 8:1). Consequently, the sinner is made alive spiritually (John 3:36) and is reconciled to God’s favor (Romans 5:1,2,10) thereby becoming holy, a saint.
4. We believe that the Scriptures teach that regeneration, or the new birth, is that change in the soul by the Holy Spirit by which a new nature and spiritual life, not before possessed, are imparted, and the person becomes a new creation in Christ Jesus and without it salvation is impossible (John 3:3-6; 11 Corinthians 5:17; 1 Peter 1:23; Titus 3:5).
5. We believe that the salvation of every believer is secure for all eternity from the moment of regeneration and therefore, we reject the doctrinal deviation commonly referred to as Arminianism. This security is guaranteed to each believer by the fact that the life received is eternal life, by the keeping power of God, by the sealing ministry of the Holy Spirit, and by the interceding ministry of Christ (John 5:24,10:27-30; Romans 8:1, 29,30,38,39; Ephesians 1:13,14, 4:30; Hebrews 7:25).
6. We believe that justification is the judicial act of God whereby He declares us to be righteous through faith in Christ Jesus; that justification includes the pardon of sin and the imputation of God’s 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 (Isaiah 53:11; Acts 13:39; Romans 5:1-9, 8:1; II Corinthians 5:18-21).
SECTION H – CONCERNING SANCTIFICATION
1. We believe that immediate, positional sanctification is that act of God whereby believers are at the time of regeneration, eternally set apart as belonging to Him by redemption, thereby being placed in the family of God as children, joint heirs with Jesus Christ (I John 3:1; Romans 8:14,17; 1 Corinthians 1:2; Hebrews 10:10-14).
2. We believe that progressive sanctification is the process by which, according to God’s will, we are made partakers of His holiness that it is progressive; that it is begun in regeneration; that it progresses if the believer is yielded to the Holy Spirit’s control; that it is carried on in the hearts of believers by the presence and power of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God, self-examination, watchfulness and prayer; and that there is no complete eradication of the old nature in progressive sanctification (I Thessalonians 4:3, 5:23; Proverbs 4:18; 1 John 2:29; Philippians 2:12-13; Ephesians 4:22-24, 6:18; John 17:17).
3. We believe that ultimate sanctification will be the portion of every believer when finally in the presence of the Lord, complete and entire, with soul and spirit united in the resurrection body free from every trace or effect of sin and rebellion (I John 3:2; 1 Corinthians 15:52-54; Ephesians 4:30, 5:27; Philippians 4:20-21).
SECTION I – CONCERNING THE EXISTENCE OF SATAN
We believe that Satan was originally created a holy and perfect being, but through pride and wicked ambition rebelled. against God, thus becoming utterly depraved in character, the great adversary of God and His people, leader of all other evil angels, the deceiver and god of this present world; that his powers are vast, but strictly limited by the permissive will of God who overrules all his wicked devices for good; that he was defeated and judged at the cross, and therefore, his final doom is certain; that we are able to resist and overcome him only in the armor of God, by the blood of the Lamb, and through the power of the Holy Spirit (Genesis 3:1-7;II Corinthians 4:3-4, 11:3; Ephesians 2:1-4, 6:11,12; Isaiah 14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19; Revelation 20:1-10).
SECTION J – CONCERNING FUTURE EVENTS
We believe the Scriptures teach that at death the spirit and soul of the believer pass instantly Into the presence of Christ and remain in conscious joy until the resurrection of the body when Christ comes for his own; the blessed hope of the believer is the imminent, personal, pretribulational, premillennial appearance of Christ to rapture the church, His bride; His righteous judgments will then be poured out on an unbelieving world during the Tribulation (the seventieth week of Daniel), the last half of which is the Great Tribulation, the climax of his fearful era will be the physical return of Jesus Christ to the earth in great glory to introduce the Davidic kingdom; Israel will be saved and restored as a nature; Satan will be bound and the curse will be lifted from the physical creation; following the Millennium, the Great White Throne judgment will occur, at which time the
bodies and souls of the wicked shall be re-united and cast into the Lake of Fire (II Corinthians 5:8; 1 Corinthians 15:51-57; Titus 2:13; I Thessalonians 1:10, 4:14-17, 5:9; Matthew 24:21; Revelation 19:11-16; Romans 11:26,27; Revelation 20:2,3, 20:11-15).
SECTION K – CONCERNING THE ETERNAL STATE
We believe that the souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation do at death immediately pass into His presence and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body at His coming when soul and body reunited shall be associated with Him forever in glory; but, that the souls of unbelievers remain after death in conscious misery in Hell until the final judgment of the Great White Throne at the close of the Millennium, when soul and body reunited shall be cast into the Lake of Fire from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power. (Luke 16:19-26, Luke 23:43; 11 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23; 11 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 20:11-15, 14:9-14; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18).
SECTION L – CONCERNING THE LOCAL CHURCH
1. We believe that a New Testament church is a voluntary and independent autonomous group of baptized believers who are a body with Christ as its head, joining together for worship, service, fellowship, discipline, prayer, teaching, testimony, the observance of the ordinances, and the spread of the Gospel into all the world; that it is a pure democracy, which organically can join nothing, and that it has the power and right within itself to confess its own faith in accordance with the New Testament; that each congregation recognizes its own democratic self-containing government as its highest authority for carrying out the will of the Lord Jesus Christ. We disavow any teaching on a “universal church.” (I Timothy 3:15; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Revelation 2,3; Colossians 1:18,24, 3:15,16; Acts 20:17; 1 Timothy 3:1-15; Titus 1:5-11; I Corinthians 3:10-17; 1 Corinthians 5:1-5, 11:2).
2. We believe that the local church is God’s only program for this dispensation, and that every Christian is bound by Scripture to give his unhindered cooperation to the program of His local church; that it is the responsibility of all believers to remember the work of the local church and its extension ministries in prayer, to support it with their tithes and offerings as the Lord prospers them, to participate in all the regular services of the church as the Lord enables, and to voluntarily submit to the watch-care and discipline of the local church (I Corinthians 16:2; Hebrews 10:19-25,13:17; 1 Timothy 3:15).
3. We believe that the Bible teaches that the following offices of the church should be held by men only: Pastor, Assistant Pastor, Deacons, and Moderator (I Timothy 2:12, 3:2,12; Acts 15).
SECTION M – CONCERNING THE ORDINANCES
1. We believe that baptism is the immersion in water one time backwards of a believer in Christ, into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to show forth by solemn and beautiful symbolism, the believer’s identification with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection, and that it is a Scriptural prerequisite to church membership (Matthew 28:19; Acts 8:36; Romans 6:3-5; 1 Peter 3:21; Acts 2:38-41).
2. We believe that the Lord’s Supper is partaking of bread and the fruit of the vine, as symbols of Christ’s body and blood, and is a local church ordinance only, commemorating His suffering and death for us and our continual benefit therefrom; that participation should consist of those who have united to the local church by baptism and testimony, or to those who are baptized members of churches of like faith and practice, and that participation should be preceded by careful self-examination (I Corinthians 11:23-32, 5:1-5; Matthew 18:15-17).
It shall be the responsibility of the one directing the service to explain its full significance and purpose as well as the “‘ rights and privileges of the ones who participate. The church will not be the final judge in this matter, it is for the individual to decide on participation. This is termed “Close Communion.”
SECTION N – CONCERNING BIBLICAL SEPARATION
We believe that all the saved are called into a life of separation (II Corinthians 6:14-7:1). This separation is in at least – three areas: moral, personal, and ecclesiastical.
1. Moral. The Biblical commandments are God’s perfect standard for a perfect man. We are commanded to perfect holiness in the fear of God (II Corinthians 7:1). The believer is to never suffer as an evil doer (I Peter 4:14), but is commanded to be clean In body and mind (II Corinthians 10:5).
2. Personal. Romans 14 explains that there are going to be areas where the believers are going to disagree in matters which they call sin. The weaker will do things that the stronger will not. In matters of eating, holy days, etc., every man should be fully persuaded in his own mind (Romans 14:5; 1 Corinthians 8:9,10:23,31).
3. Ecclesiastical. It is evident that unbelief and error in many organized fellowships has developed to the point where recognized and indisputable apostasy exists. We, therefore, disavow the position of the World Council of Churches, the National Council of Churches, the National Association of Evangelicals, and any other association or fellowship that would be in sympathy with them. We stand in opposition to the Charismatic Movement, Ecumenical Movement, Neo-Orthodoxy, New Evangelicalism, New Fundamentalism, Interdenominationalism, and Cooperative Evangelistic Programs between people and churches not of like precious faith (II Corinthians 6:14-18; Ephesians 5:11,12; Luke 12:51).
As a result of the above clause this church shall not join in with or sponsor:
a. Any churches, missions or other organizations which support, join in with or are affiliated with the NCC or the WCC.
b. Any religious or cults denying any of our doctrines as listed in this doctrinal statement.
c. Any churches, missions or other organizations which support, join in with or are affiliated with the neo-evangelical movement.
d. Any churches, missions or other organizations which are part of the ecumenical movement which seeks to join the liberal Protestant denominations with the Romans Catholic Church and other false churches and religions.
e. Youth groups and organizations employing worldly and unscriptural methods, or which join with churches or groups in the NCC or WCC, to evangelize young people.
SECTION O – CONCERNING THE CHARISMATIC MOVEMENT
A. We believe that the healing and tongues movement of today is unscriptural and contrary to sound doctrine and those who believe and practice these are in error (I Corinthians 14:33,40, 12:8-11).
B. We believe that some gifts of the Holy Spirit such as speaking in tongues and miraculous healings were temporary. We believe that speaking in tongues was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism nor of the filling of the Spirit, and that the deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the resurrection (Acts 4:8,31; Romans 8:23; 1 Corinthians 13:8).
SECTION P – CONCERNING CIVIL GOVERNMENT
We believe that civil government is of divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society; that rulers are to be prayed and conscientiously honored and obeyed, including the bearing of arms for the defense of the country, except in things opposed to the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is the only Lord of the conscience and the coming Prince of the Kings of the earth (Exodus 18:21-22; 11 Samuel 23:3; Psalms 72:11; Daniel 3:17-18; Matthew 10:28, 22:21, 23:10; Acts 4:19-20, 5:29, 23:5; Romans 13:1; Philippians 2:10-11; Titus 3:1; 1 Peter 2:13).
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