Doctrinal Statement

1.         The Scriptures

 

We believe that all Scripture is given by inspiration of God (II Tim. 3:16-17) which we understand to be the whole Bible; however, we do not take the statement in the sense in which it is sometimes erroneously said that works of a human genius are inspired, but in the sense that the Holy Spirit gave the very words of the sacred writings to holy men of old (II Peter 1:21; I Cor. 2:13) and that His divine inspiration is not in different degrees, but extends equally and fully to all parts of these writings, historical (I Cor. 10:11), poetical (Mark 12:36; Ps 110:1), doctrinal (II Tim. 3:16,17), and prophetical (Acts 1:16).

 

And to the smallest word and inflection of a word (Matt. 5:18; Luke 16:17) provided such a word is found in the original manuscripts and these writings are altogether sufficient in themselves as our only infallible authority of faith and practice (John 10:35; 17:17). We believe that all Scriptures from first to last center about our Lord Jesus Christ, in His Person and work (Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39) in His first (Isa. 53) and second coming (Rec. 1:7); and hence no portion even of the Old Testament is properly read or understood until it leads to Him; and, moreover, that all the Scriptures from first to last including every portion and even of the Old Testament were designed for our practical instruction (Rom 15:4).

 

2.         Godhead – The Trinity

 

We believe in the one triune God; who is personal, spirit and sovereign (Mark 12:29; John 4:24; 14:9; Ps. 135:6), perfect, infinite, and eternal in His being, holiness, love, wisdom and power (Ps. 18:30; 147:5; Deut, 33:27); absolutely separate and above the world as its Creator, yet everywhere present in the world as the upholder of all things (Gen. 1:1; Ps. 104), self-existent and self revealing in three distinct persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (John 5:26; Matt. 28:19; II Cor. 13:14), each of whom is to be honored and worshipped and obeyed equally as true God (John 5:23; Acts 5:3,4).

 

3.         The Person and Work of Christ

 

  • We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is the second person of the triune God, the eternal son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (John 1:1,2, 14; Luke 1:35).

 

  • We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through His death on the cross as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead (Rom. 3:24,25; I Peter 2:24; Eph. 1:7; I 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 High Priest and Mediator, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 2:9, 10; Heb. 9:24, 7:25; Rom. 8:34, I John 2:2,3; I Tim., 2:5).

 

 4.         The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit

 

  • We believe that the Holy Spirit, not as an influence, but as a divine person, the source and power of all acceptable worship and service, (Acts 1:8) is our abiding Comforter and Helper (John 14:16, 17), that He dwells within the visible church, even in the feeblest of the saints (I Cor. 6:19), and is ever present to testify of Christ (John 15:26, 16:13, 14) seeking to occupy us with Him, and not with ourselves, nor with our experience (Phil. 3:3).

 

  • We believe that in this age certain well-defined ministries are committed to the Holy Spirit, and that it is the duty of every Christian to understand these and to be adjusted to them in his own life and experience. These ministries are: the restraining of evil in the world (II Thess. 2:7) to the measure of the divine will: the convicting of the world respecting sin, righteousness and judgment (John 16:7-11); the regenerating of all believers (John 3:5,6); the indwelling of all who are saved (Rom. 8:9); the baptizing into the one body of Christ all who are saved (I Cor. 12:13); the anointing of believers unto the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30); and the continued filling for power and service to these among the saved who are yielded to Him and who are subject to His will (Eph. 5:18).

 

5.         Angels, Fallen and Unfallen

 

  • We believe that God created an innumerable company of sinless, spiritual beings known a angels; that one “Lucifer, Son of the Morning” the highest in rank, sinned through pride, thereby becoming Satan (Ez. 28:11-19; Isa. 14: 12-17); that a great company of the angels followed him in his oral fall, some of whom became and are active as his agents and associates in the persecution of his unholy purpose, while others are reserved in chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day (II Peter 2:4; Jude 6).

 

  • We believe that a great company of angels kept their holy estate and are before the throne of God, (Luke 5:10; Rev. 7:11) from whence they are sent forth as ministering spirits to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation (Heb. 1:14).

 

  • We believe that man was made lower than the angels; and that in His incarnation Christ took “for a little time” this lower  place, that He might lift the believer to His own sphere above the angels (Heb. 2:6-10).

 

6.         Creation and Fall of Man

 

  • We believe in the creation and fall of man; that he was the direct creation of God, spirit and soul and body, not in any sense the product of an animal ancestry, but made in the divine image and after the likeness of God (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:7, 18:24) Matt. 19:4; I Thess. 5:23). He fell from this high and holy estate by eating the forbidden fruit (Gen. 2:17; 3:6) and as the consequence of his disobedience the threatened penalty of death was then and there inflicted (Gen. 2:17) so that his moral nature was not only grievously injured by the fall, but he totally lost all spiritual life (John 5:40; 6:53) becoming dead in trespasses and sins (Eph. 2:1,3) and subject to the powers of the devil (I John 3:8).

 

 

  • We believe that this spiritual death or total corruption of human nature has been transmitted to the entire race of man (Gen. 6:5; Ps. 14:1-3) the man Christ Jesus excepted (Heb. 4:15) and hence that every child of Adam is born into this world with a nature which not only possesses no spark of divine life, but is essentially and unchangeably sinful (Ps. 51:5; Rom. 5:12-18) being enmity against God, (Rom. 8: 6,7) incapable of gaining any acceptance before God by any educational process or human efforts whatsoever. (John 3:6; Eph. 2:8,9)

 

7.         Redemption and Salvation of Man

 

  • We believe that owing to this universal depravity and death in sin, no one can enter the Kingdom of God unless born again (John 3:5-7) and that no degree of reformation, however great; no attainment in morality, however high, no culture, however attractive; no humanitarian and philanthropic schemes and societies, however useful, no baptism or other ordinances, however administered, can help the sinner to take even one step toward heaven; (Gal. 5:1-5; Phil. 3:4-9) but a new nature imparted from above, a new life implanted by the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:5-7) through the Word, (James 1:18; I Peter 1:23) is absolutely essential to salvation and only those thus saved are children of God.

 

  • We believe that our redemption has been accomplished solely by the blood (Lev. 17: 11) of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matt. 26:28) who was made to be sin (II Cor. 5:21) and made a curse for us (Gal. 3:13), dying in our stead; (Rom. 5:6) and no repentance, feeling, faith, good resolutions, sincere efforts, submission to the rules and regulations of this or any church, nor of all the churches that have existed since the days of the apostles can add in the least degree to the saving value of that precious blood, (I Peter 1:18-19) or to the merit of the finished work, wrought in us (Eph. 1:7) by Him who united in His person true and proper deity with perfect and sinless humanity.

 

  • We believe that Christ in the fullness of the salvation He has secured for us by His obedience unto death is received by faith alone; (Rom. 5:12) and the moment we trust in Him as our Saviour, we pass out of death into everlasting life (John 5:24) being justified from all things, (Acts 13:39) accepted before the Father according to the measure of His acceptance. (Eph. 2:4-7, 13).

 

8.         Assurance of the Believer

 

  • We believe that it is the privilege of believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word; which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh – “Let us walk honestly as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying, but put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfill the lusts thereof.” (Rom. 13:13,14)

 

“For brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” – Gal. 5:13

 

“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.”  – Titus 2:11-14

 

  • We believe that it is the privilege of all who are born again by the Spirit, through faith in Christ as revealed in the Scriptures, to be assured of their salvation (I John 5:10-13) from the time they took Christ to be their Saviour (John 6:47); and, henceforth, are kept by God’s power (I Peter 1:5) and can therefore have full assurance of salvation for time and eternity. (John 3:16; John 5:24; I John 3:2; Eph. 1:13,14).

 

9.         The Two Natures of the Believer

 

We believe that 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. (Rom. 6:13; 8:12,13; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 4:22-24; Col. 3:10; I Peter 1: 14-16; I John 3:5-9).

 

10.       Separation

 

We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Saviour and Lord; and that separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures, practices and associations which defile mind and body (Luke 8:14; I Cor. 3:16,17) is commanded of God (II Tim. 3:1-5; Rom. 12:1,2; 14:13; I John 2:15-17; II John 9-11; II Cor. 6:14-7:1).

 

11.       The Church

 

We believe that the Church is composed of all those who truly believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. It is the body and bride of Christ. We believe that every believer, whether Jew or Gentile, is baptized into the body of Christ by the Holy Spirit and having thus become members of one another we are responsible to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace, rising  above all sectarian prejudices and denominational bigotry and loving one another with a pure heart fervently. (Eph. 1:22,23; 2:19-22; I Cor. 12:12-27; I Cor. 1:10-13; Romans 12:4-5; Eph. 4:3-6, 5:32; Phil. 2:1-5; Gal. 5:13-15) We believe that all the various members of this one spiritual body should gather together in local assemblies for worship, prayer, fellowship, teaching, united testimony and observance of the ordinances of our Lord (Heb. 10:25; Acts 2:41-47) among which are the following: the baptism of believers upon their confession of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour (Acts 8:35-38; Acts 10:47,48; I Peter3:21) and the communion of the bread and cup as a memorial to the broken body and shed blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, thereby proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes. (I Cor. 11:23-26).

 

12.       The Mission of the Church

 

We believe the mission of the church is to constitute a dwelling place for God, (Eph. 2:20-22) to bear witness unto the truth, (I Tim. 3:15) to make known the manifold wisdom of God, (Eph. 3:10), to bring eternal glory to God (Eph. 3:20,21), to edify its members (Eph. 4:11-13), to discipline its members (Matt. 18:15-17), to evangelize the world (Matt. 28:18-20) and to glorify God by winning men to Christ, building them up in Christ and sending them out for Christ.

 

 

13.       The Ministry and Spiritual Gifts to the Church

 

  • We believe that God is sovereign in the bestowment of all his gifts; and, that the gifts of evangelists, pastors, and teachers are sufficient for the perfecting of the saints. We believe that the edification and maturity of the saints can be attained apart from the speaking of tongues and sign miracles. (I Cor. 12:4-11; II Cor. 12:12; Eph. 4:7-12).

 

  • We believe that God does hear and answer the prayer of faith in accord with His own will for the sick and afflicted. (John 15:7; I John 5:14, 15; James 5:13-16).

 

14.       Person and Work of Satan

 

We believe in the personal existence of Satan who originally was created a holy and perfect being, but through pride and unlawful ambition rebelled against God (Ezekiel 28:13-17; Isaiah 14:13-14; I Tim. 3:7) thus becoming utterly depraved in character (John 8:44), the great adversary of God and His people (Matt. 4:1-11; Rev. 12:10), leader of all other evil angels and spirits (Matt. 12:24-26; 25:41), the deceiver and god of this present world (Rev. 12:9; II Cor. 4:4), that his powers are supernaturally great, but strictly limited by the permissive will of God, who overrules all his wicked devices for good (Job 1:1-22; Luke 22: 31, 32), that he was defeated and judged at the cross, and therefore his final doom is certain (John 12:31-32; 16:11; Rev. 20:10), that we are able to resist and overcome Him only in the armor of God and by the blood of the Lamb (Eph. 6:12-18; I John 4:4; Rev.12:11).

 

15.       The Second Coming of Christ

 

  • The Blessed Hope

 

We believe that according to the Word of God, the next event in the fulfillment of prophecy will be the coming of Christ in the air (Phil. 3:20) to receive His own who are alive and remain unto His coming, and also all who have fallen asleep in Jesus; (John 14:1-3; I Cor. 15:51,52; I Thess. 4:13-18) and that this event is the Blessed Hope, (Titus 2:11-14) set before us in the Gospel, and for this we should be constantly looking (Matt. 24: 42-46).

 

  • The Second Coming

 

We believe that the world will not be converted previous to the second coming of Christ but is day by day ripening for judgment (Matt. 24: 21-25; I Tim. 3:1-5) and that this dispensation will end with a fearful apostasy in the professing church; (II Tim. 4:13) and that following the period of the Great Tribulation in the earth the Lord Jesus Christ will return as He went in person, in the clouds of heaven, and with power and glory, to introduce the millennial age, to restore Israel to her land, and to give her the realization of God’s covenant promises, (Acts 15:15-17; Ezekiel 37:21-28; Romans 11:25, 27) to bind Satan and place him in the abyss, (Rev. 20:1-3) to bring the whole world to the knowledge of God, and to lift the curse which now rests upon the whole creation. (Isaiah 11:1-9)

 

 

16.       Eternal State

 

  • We believe in the bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life and the unsaved to judgment and everlasting punishment. (Matt. 25:46; John 5:28,29; Rev. 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; where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection when spirit, soul and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the Lord (Luke 23:43; Rev. 20:4-6; II Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23; 3:21; I Thess. 4:16,17). At this time their works shall be brought before the judgment seat of Christ for the determination of rewards; a judgment which may issue in the loss of rewards, but not the loss of the soul. (I Cor. 3:8-15; II Cor. 5:10).

 

  • We believe that the souls of the 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, and shall be cast into the lake of fire; not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment. (Luke 16:19-26; Matt. 25:41-46; II Thess. 1:7-9; Jude 6,7; Mark 9:43-48; Rev. 20:11-15).