Statement of
Faith:
The sole basis of our beliefs
is the Bible, God's infallible written Word, the 66 books of the Old
and New Testaments. We believe that it was uniquely, verbally and
fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, and that it was written without
error (inerrant) in the original manuscripts. It is the supreme and
final authority in all matters on which it speaks.
We accept those areas of doctrinal teaching on which, historically,
there has been general agreement among all true Christians. Because
of the specialized calling of our movement, we desire to allow for
freedom of conviction on other doctrinal matters, provided that any
interpretation is based upon the Bible alone, and that no such
interpretation shall become an issue which hinders the ministry to
which God has called us.
1. There is one true God,
eternally existing in three persons--Father, Son and Holy
Spirit--each of whom possesses equally all the attributes of Deity
and the characteristics of personality.
2. Jesus Christ is God, the living Word, who became flesh through
His miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth.
Hence, He is perfect Deity and true humanity united in one person
forever.
3. He lived a sinless life and voluntarily atoned for the sins of
men by dying on the cross as their substitute, thus satisfying
divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust in Him
alone.
4. He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in
which He lived and died.
5. He ascended bodily into heaven and sat down at the right hand of
God the Father, where He, the only mediator between God and man,
continually makes intercession for His own.
6. Man was originally created in the image of God. He sinned by
disobeying God; thus, he was alienated from his Creator. That
historic fall brought all mankind under divine condemnation.
7. Man's nature is corrupted, and he is thus totally unable to
please God. Every man is in need of regeneration and renewal by the
Holy Spirit.
8. The salvation of man is wholly a work of God's free grace and is
not the work, in whole or in part, of human works or goodness or
religious ceremony. God imputes His righteousness to those who put
their faith in Christ alone for their salvation, and thereby
justifies them in His sight.
9. It is the privilege of all who are born again of the Spirit to be
assured of their salvation from the very moment in which they trust
Christ as their Savior. This assurance is not based upon any kind of
human merit, but is produced by the witness of the Holy Spirit, who
confirms in the believer the testimony of God in His written word.
10. The Holy Spirit has come into the world to reveal and glorify
Christ and to apply the saving work of Christ to men. He convicts
and draws sinners to Christ, imparts new life to them, continually
indwells them from the moment of spiritual birth and seals them
until the day of redemption. His fullness, power and control are
appropriated in the believer's life by faith.
11. Every believer is called to live so in the power of the
indwelling Spirit that he will not fulfill the lust of the flesh but
will bear fruit to the glory of God.
12. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church, His Body, which is
composed of all men and women, living and dead, who have been joined
to Him through saving faith.
13. God admonishes His people to assemble together regularly for
worship, for participation in ordinances, for edification through
the Scriptures and for mutual encouragement.
14. At physical death the believer enters immediately into eternal,
conscious fellowship with the Lord and awaits the resurrection of
his body to everlasting glory and blessing.
15. At physical death the unbeliever enters immediately into
eternal, conscious separation from the Lord and awaits the
resurrection of his body to everlasting judgment and condemnation.
16. Jesus Christ will come again to the earth--personally, visibly
and bodily--to consummate history and the eternal plan of God.
17. The Lord Jesus Christ commanded all believers to proclaim the
gospel throughout the world and to disciple men of every nation. The
fulfillment of that Great Commission requires that all worldly and
personal ambitions be subordinated to a total commitment to "Him who
loved us and gave Himself for us.
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