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1.
Of the Scripture:
We believe that the Holy Bible as
originally written was verbally inspired and the product of Spirit
controlled men, and therefore has truth without any admixture of error
for its matter. We believe the Bible to be the true center of Christian
union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds and
opinion are tried. (11 Tim. 3:16,17; II Peter 1:1921)
2.
Of the True God:
We believe 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. (Ex. 20:2,3; I Cor. 8:6; Rev. 4:11; I John
5:7)
3.
Of Jesus Christ:
We believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God and God the Son; that He is the only Savior of mankind, God
Incarnate
in human flesh; the very God of Very God, for whom and by whom all
things
were created; that He is the mediator between God and men. We believe
in
His Virgin birth, His holy sinless life, His vicarious death and bodily
resurrection. (Acts 4:12; Rom. 8:3; Co1. 1:16; I Tim. 2:5; John 3:16;
John 1:13; Heb. 1:8; Col. 1:15-19)
4.
Of the Holy Spirit:
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine
person; equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the same
nature; that He was active in creation; that in His relation to the
unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God's purpose is
fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment;
that He bears witness to the truth
of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the
New
Birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies
and
helps the believer.
(John 14:16,17; Matt. 28:19; Heb. 9:14; John 14:26;
Luke 1:35; Genesis 1:1-3; John
16:8-11; Acts 5:30-32; John 3:5-6; Eph. 1:13,14; Mark 1:8; John 1:33;
Acts
11:16; Luke 24:49; Rom. 8:14; Rom. 8:16; Rom. 8:26, 27)
5. Of The Devil, or Satan:
We believe in the personality of Satan,
that he is the unholy god of this age, and the author of all the powers
of darkness, and is destined to judgment of an eternal justice in the
lake of fire.
6.
Of The Creation:
We accept the Genesis account of creation
and believe that man came by direct creation of God and not by
evolution. (Gen.1,2; Col. 1:16,17; John 1:3)
7.
Of The Fall of Man:
We believe that man was created in
innocence under the law of his Maker, but by voluntary transgression
fell from his sinless
and happy state in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners,
not
only by constraint, but of choice, and therefore under just
condemnation without
defense or excuse. (Gen. 3:1-6, 24; Rom. 5:19; Rom 5:12; Rom. 5:10-19;
Rom.
1:18; Rom. 1:32)
8.
Of The Virgin Birth:
We believe that Jesus was begotten of the
Holy Ghost in a miraculous manner; born of Mary, a virgin, as no other
man was ever born or can ever be born of woman, and that He is both the
Son of God, and God the Son. (Gen. 3:15; Is. 7:14; Matt. 1:18-25; Luke
1:35; John 1:14)
9.
Of The Atonement for Sin:
We believe that the salvation of sinners is
wholly of grace; through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who
by
the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet
without sin; He honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and
by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; that His
atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a
martyr, but dying for the unjust;
Christ the Lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; that
having
risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in Heaven, and uniting in His
wonderful
person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection, He is in every
way
qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate and all sufficient Savior.
(Eph.
2:8; Acts 15:11; Rom. 3:24; John 3:16; Matt. 18:11; Phil. 2:7; Heb.
2:14;
Is. 53:4-7; Rom. 3:25; I John 4:10; I Cor. 15:3; II Cot. 5:21)
10.
Of Grace in the New Creation:
We believe that in order to be saved,
sinners must be born again; that the new birth is a new creation in
Christ Jesus; that it is instantaneous and not a process; that in the
new birth the one dead in trespasses and in sins is made a partaker of
the divine nature and received eternal life, the free gift of God; that
the new creation is brought about in a manner above our comprehension,
solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection with divine truth,
so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the gospel; that its proper
evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness
of life. (John 3:3;
II Cor. 5:17; I John 5:1; John 3:6,7; Acts 16:30,31; II Peter 1:4; Rom.
6:23; Eph. 2:1; II Cor. 5:19; Col. 2:13; John 3:8)
11.
Of Justification:
We believe that the gospel blessing which
Christ secures to such as believe in Him is justification:
(a) That justification includes the
pardon of sin, and the gift of eternal life on principles of
righteousness.
(b) That it is bestowed not in
consideration of the works of righteousness which we have done; but
solely through faith in the redeemer's blood, His righteousness is
imputed to us. (Acts 13:39; Is. 53:11; Zech. 13:1; Rom. 3:1; Rom. 5:9;
Eph. 2:8,9; Rom. 5:1)
12.
Of Faith and Salvation:
We believe that faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ is the only condition of salvation. (Acts 16:31)
13.
Of The Local Church:
We believe that a local church is a
congregation of immersed believers, associated by covenant of 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 its officers are pastors and deacons whose
qualifications, duties and claims are clearly defined in the
Scriptures; we believe the true mission of the church is the faithful
witnessing of Christ to all men as we have opportunity.
We hold that the local church has absolute right of self-government,
free
from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations;
and
that the one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy
Spirit; that
it is scriptural for the true churches to cooperate with each other in
contending
for the faith and for the furtherance of the gospel; that each church
is
the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation on all
matters
of discipline, of benevolence, and the will of the local church is
final.
(Acts 2:41,42; I Cor. 11:2; Eph. 1:22,23; Eph. 4:11; Acts 15:13-18;
Acts
20:17- 28; I Tim. 3:17; Col. 1:16; Eph. 5:23,24)
14.
Of Baptism and the Lord's Supper:
We believe that Christian baptism is the
immersion of a believer in water to show forth in a solemn and
beautiful emblem our faith in the crucified, buried and risen Savior,
with its effect in our death
to sin and resurrection to a new life; that it is prerequisite to the
privileges
of a church relation. We believe that the Lord's Supper is the
commemoration
of His death until He comes, and should be preceded always by solemn
self-examination.
(Acts 8:36-39; John 3:23; Rom 6:2,3; Matt. 3:16; Col. 2:12; I Cor.
11:23-28)
15.
Of The Security of The Saints:
We believe that all who are truly born
again are kept by God the Father for Jesus Christ.
(Phil. 1:6; John 10:28,29; Rom. 8:35-39;
Jude 1)
16.
Of the Righteous and the Wicked:
We believe that there is a radical and
essential difference between the righteous and the wicked; that such
only as through faith are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus
Christ, and sanctified by the Spirit of God, are truly righteous in His
esteem: while all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in
His sight wicked, and under the curse; and this distinction holds among
men both in and after death, in the everlasting felicity of the saved
and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost. (Mal. 3:18; Gen.
18:23; Rom. 6:17-18; I John 5:19; Matt. 25:34-41; Rom. 7:6; Rom 6:23;
Prov. 14:32; Luke 6:23; John 8:21)
17.
Of Civil Government:
We believe that civil government is of
divine appointment, for the interests and good order of human society;
that magistrates are to be prayed for, conscientiously honored and
obeyed; 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. (Rom. 13:1-7; II Sam. 23:3; Ex. 18:21,22; Acts
23:5; Matt. 22:21' Acts 5:20; Acts 4:19,20; Dan. 3:17,18)
18.
Of the Resurrection, Personal, Visible, Premillenial Return of
Christ and related events:
We believe in:
(a) The Bodily Resurrection. (Matt.
28:6,7; Luke 24:39; John 20:27; I Cor. 15:4; Mark
16:6;
Luke 24:2-6)
(b) The Ascension. (Acts 1:9-11;
Luke 24:51; Mark 16:19; Rev. 3:21; Heb. 12:2)
(c) The High Priesthood. ( Heb.
8:6; I Tim. 2:5; I Jn 2:1; Heb. 2:17; Heb 5:9-10)
(d) The Second Coming. (John 14:3;
I Thess. 4:16; Heb 9:28; Acts 1:11; James 5:8)
(e) The Resurrection of the
Righteous Dead. (I Thess. 4:13-18; I Cor. 15:53; I Cor. 15:42-44)
(f) The Change of the Living. (I
Cor. 15:51-53; I Thess. 4:13-18; Phil. 3:20-21)
(g) The Throne of David. (Luke
1:32; Acts 2:29-30; Is. 9:6,7)
(h) The Millennial Reign. (I Cor.
15:25; Is. 11:4,5; Rev. 20:14; Is. 32:1; Ps. 72:8; Rev. 20:6)
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