What We Believe
ARTICLES OF FAITH AND DOCTRINE
To be interpreted as expressed in and according to the natural and literal meaning of the respective passages of the WORD OF GOD referred to under each ARTICLE.
1. The Divine Authority and Plenary Inspiration of the Whole Canonical Scriptures
We believe that all scripture is given by inspiration of God, by which we understand that the whole of the book called the Bible is inspired in the sense that the Holy Ghost gave the identical words of the sacred writings of the holy men of old, chosen by Him to be the channel of His revelation to man.
2 Timothy 3:16-17; Mark 12:26-36; 2 Peter 1:21; 1 Corinthians 2:13; Acts 1:16; 2:4
2. The Trinity of the Godhead
We believe that the Godhead eternal exists in three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that these three are one God, having precisely the same nature, attributes and perfection, and are worthy of precisely the same homage, confidence and obedience.
Genesis 1:26; 3:22; 11:6-8; John 1:1-4; Isaiah 63:8-10; Acts 5:3-4; Matthew 28:19-20; 2 Corinthians 13:14; Mark 12:29; Revelation 1:4-6; Hebrews 1:1-3
3. The Fall of Man
We believe that man, originally created in the image and after the likeness of God, fell from his high and holy estate through disobedience, by eating the forbidden fruit, and in consequence, the threatened penalty of death was then and there inflicted, so that he totally lost all spiritual life, becoming dead in trespasses and sins, and subject to the power of the devil.
Genesis 1:26; 2:17; Ephesians 2:1-3; Isaiah 64:6; 1 Timothy 5:6; John 5:40; 6:53; 1 John 3:8
4. The Total Depravity of Man
We believe that this spiritual death, or total corruption of human nature, has been transmitted to the entire race of man, the man Christ Jesus alone excepted; and hence that every child of Adam (male and female) is born into the world with a sinful nature.
Genesis 6:5; Jeremiah 17:9; Psalms 14:1-3; 51:5; John 3:6; Romans 5:12-19
5. Regeneration by the Holy Spirit
We believe that, owing to this universal depravity and death in sin, no person can see or enter the kingdom of God unless born of the Spirit whereby they become a new creation.
John 3:5-8; James 1:18; Galatians 6:15; 1 Peter 1:23; Titus 3:5; 1 John 5:1
6. The Atonement by the Blood of Christ
We believe that our redemption has been accomplished solely by the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was made to be sin, and made a curse for us, dying in our stead, a sacrifice acceptable to God and effectual for every sinner who receives Him.
Leviticus 17:11; Galatians 3:13; Matthew 26:28; Ephesians 1:7; John 1:12; 1 Peter 1:18-19; 2:24; Romans 5:6-9; 2 Corinthians 5:21
7. Salvation by Grace through Faith
We believe that sinners are saved by grace through faith alone and that not of themselves, it is the gift of God, not of works. We further believe that every saved person is justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses.
Acts 13:19; Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 5:1; Titus 2:11-14
8. The Believer’s Security and Assurance
We believe in the eternal security of all who are actually born again by the Spirit of God through faith in Christ as revealed in the Scriptures, and that it is the privilege of all such to be assured of their present salvation and eternal safety.
John 10:28-29; John 5:24; 2 Timothy 1:12; Philippians 1:6; Romans 8:33-39
9. The Deity and the Virgin Birth of our Lord Jesus Christ
We believe in the essential deity and the virgin birth of our Lord Jesus Christ and that all Scriptures from first to last center about Him, His person, His work, His sacrificial death upon the cross and His coming again.
Isaiah 7:14; John 5:39; Matthew 1:18-23; Acts 17:2-3; 18:28; Luke 1:35; Acts 26:22-23; 28:23
10. The Unity of the True Church in the Body of Christ
We believe that the Church is composed of all who are united by the Holy Spirit to the risen and ascended Son of God, and that by the same Spirit we are all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, thus being members one to another and knit together in love.
Romans 12:5; Ephesians 4:3-10; 1 Corinthians 12:12-27; Colossians 2:19
11. Doctrine of the Holy Spirit
THE PERSONALITY, DEITY AND PRESENT MISSION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine personality – the third person of the trinity – who is now, throughout this age of grace, here present in the true Church, having been sent for the express purpose of revealing Christ Jesus to the members of the Church, that they may be comforted, instructed, and built up in their most holy faith, and to the world that sinners may be convicted of sin, of righteousness, and of judgement.
John 7:38-39; 14:16-17; 15:26; 16:13-15; Acts 1:8; 2:1-4
THE BAPTISM WITH(IN) THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe when the Holy Spirit came upon the whole body of believers on the day of Pentecost, it was the fulfilment of the announcement made by John the Baptist and the promises of Christ to His own during His earthly ministry, and that then, the disciples were individually endued with power to witness concerning Christ, and collectively baptized into one body, which was the formation of the Church, which is His body.
We further believe, since the time the Gospel went to the Gentiles in the house of Cornelius, and the believing gentiles received the Holy Spirit – without delay, tarrying, praying, laying on of hands or any other condition save faith – all who believe in Christ are born of the Spirit, sealed by the Spirit, anointed by the Spirit, indwelt by the Spirit, and by (in) the Holy Spirit baptized into the body of Christ.
And we also believe that the New Testament distinguishes between being indwelt by the Spirit, which is true of all believers, and being filled with the Spirit, which is the believer’s privilege and duty. There is one baptism with (in) the Spirit, and it is into the body of Christ, but there are many fillings. Pentecost is an historical event and is not repeated.
Matthew 3:11; Mark 1:8; John 1:33; 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26, 27; 16:7-15; Luke 3:16; Luke 24:46-49; Acts 1:4, 5, 8; 2:1-4, 37; Acts 10:44; 11:18; John 3:3-6; 1 John 5:1; Ephesians 1:13; 4:30; 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22; 1 John 2:20-27; 1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19, 20; Romans 8:9-15; Galatians 4:6; 1 Cor. 12:12, 13; Acts 2:4; 4:8-31; Ephesians 1:13, 14; 5:18
12. Sanctification
We believe that the members of the body of Christ are sanctified ones; are perfected as to their standing forever by the one offering of the blood of Christ, and are one with Christ and sanctified with the constant washing of water by the Word, by the blood of Christ, and by the in working presence and power of the Holy Spirit.
Galatians 5:16-25; Ephesians 5:25-27; Ephesians 4:22-24; Hebrews 2:11; 10:10; 13:12; John 17:17-19; 1 John 1:7-9; Romans 15:16; Jude 1; 1 Corinthians 6:11
13. The Pre-Millennial Coming of our Lord
We believe this present age will end with the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, first to receive His Church unto Himself, and then to establish the throne of David upon the earth and to reign in righteousness over it for a thousand years.
2 Samuel 7:16; John 14:1-3; Psalm. 72:7-8; Acts 1:10-11; Isaiah 9:6-7; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Micah 5:2; Hebrews 9:28; Luke 1:32-33; Titus 2:13
14. The Eternal Blessedness of the Saved, and the Eternal Punishment of the Lost
We believe that the attitude either of reconciliation or enmity toward God is fixed eternally at death and that the saints of all ages will be forever with the Lord and will become joint heirs with Him as their Redeemer in His inheritance. We further believe that there is an appointment day for the judgement of the wicked when they will be cast into the Lake of Fire, there to remain forever and ever, in varying degrees of torment according to their works.
Daniel 12:3; 7:22-27; 1 Thessalonians 4:17; Romans 8:17; 2 Peter 2:9; Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8; 22:11
15. The Personality of Satan
We believe that Satan is a person, the father of lies, a murderer from the beginning and the great deceiver of all the nations; that he will be overcome by the Lord Jesus Christ as the seed of the woman and cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years, and finally committed to the Lake of Fire with all his angels to be tormented forever and ever.
Job 1:6-112; Ephesians 6:12-16; John 8:44; Genesis 3:15;Revelation 20:1-3, 7-10; 2 Corinthians 11:13-15
16. Divine Healing of the Body
We believe that divine healing of the body is not in the atonement in the sense that salvation and forgiveness of sins are in the atonement. The suffering and death of Christ according to the New Testament was substitutionary, penal and vicarious. It is nowhere taught in Scripture that Christ died for the effects of sin but for sin, and sickness is directly or indirectly the effect of sin.
Romans 4:25; 1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Peter 2:24; 3:18
17. Ordinances
BAPTISM
We believe in the ordinance of baptism by immersion upon profession of faith, understanding this to be the teaching of the New Testament.
Matthew 28:19-20; Acts. 2:38; 8:12
THE LORD’S SUPPER
We believe in the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper and that it should be observed regularly, remembering His sacrificial death on our behalf until He comes again, according to His promise and the Father’s revealed plan.
Luke 22:19, 20; 1 Corinthians 11:23-27
