THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

 

We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men and supernaturally

inspired; that it is truth without any admixture of error for its matter; and

therefore is and shall remain to the end of the age the only complete and final

revelation of the will of God to man; the true center of Christian union and the

supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions should be

tried. By “The Holy Bible” we mean that collection of sixty six books from

Genesis to Revelation, which, as originally written, does not only contain and

convey the Word of God but is the very Word of God. By “inspiration” we mean

that the books of the Bible were written by holy men of old as they were moved

by the Holy Spirit in such a definite way that their writings were supernaturally

and verbally inspired (II Timothy 3:16; II Peter 1:20-21). We also believe that

the King James version of the Bible is the divinely preserved Word of God for

the English speaking people (Psalm 12:6-7) and that it has enjoyed a miraculous

manifestation of God’s approval all during its history and use.

 

THE TRUE GOD

 

We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God and infinite,

intelligent Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of Heaven and Earth

(Genesis 1:1; Psalm 90); that He is 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 Spirit,

equal in every divine perfection and executing distinct but harmonious offices

in the great work of redemption and in the accomplishment of His eternal plan

and purpose (I John 5:6-12).

 

THE SON

 

We believe that Jesus Christ, eternal with the Father, was begotten of the

Holy Ghost and in miraculous manner; that He was born of Mary, a virgin, as

no other person was ever born of woman, and that He is both the Son of God

and God the Son (I John 1:1,2). He is both true man, one person with two

natures, tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin (Isaiah 7:14;

Hebrews 4:14-17).

 

THE HOLY SPIRIT

 

We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person; eternal and equal with

God the Father and God the Son and of the same essence (I John 5:7); that He

was active in the creation (Genesis 1:2); that in the unbelieving world He restrains

the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; that He convicts of sin, of

judgment and of righteousness; that He bears witness of the truth of the Gospel

in preaching and testimony; that He is the agent in the new birth; that He seals,

endues, guides, teaches, bears witnesses with, sanctifies, and helps the believer

(John 16:7; Romans 8:14-27). Using Acts 1:8 as our criteria for evaluation, we

believe that the evidence of the fullness the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer

is boldness to witness for our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

 

SATAN OR THE DEVIL

 

We believe that Satan was once holy and enjoyed heavenly honors; but

through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, he fell and drew after him a

host of angels and is now the malignant prince of the power of the air and the

unholy god of this world (Ezekiel 28:12-17; Isaiah 14:12-25). We hold him to

be man’s great tempter, the enemy of God and Jesus Christ, the accuser of the

brethren, the author of all false religions, the chief source of the present apostasy,

the lord of the anti christ, and the author of all of the powers of darkness

(I Peter 5:8,9); destined, however, to final defeat at the hands of God’s Son and

the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire, a place prepared for him

and for his angels as well as all of the unbelievers of the ages (Revelation 20:10).

 

THE CREATION

 

We believe that the Genesis account of creation is to be accepted literally

and not allegorically or figuratively (Genesis 1); that the creation was accomplished

in six (6), twenty-four (24) hour days (Genesis 1:5,8,13,19,23,31; 2:2;

Exodus 20:11); that man was created directly in God’s own image and after

His own likeness (Genesis 1:26,27); that man’s creation was not a matter of

evolution or evolutionary change of species or development through interminable

periods of time from lower to higher forms; that all animal and vegetable

life were made directly by God, and God’s established law was that they

should bring forth only “after their kind.” We deny any form of atheistic or

theistic evolution (Romans 1:19,20).

 

THE FALL OF MAN

 

We believe that man was created in innocency under the law of his Maker,

but by voluntary transgression, he fell from his sinless and happy state of

perfection (Genesis 3), in consequence of which, all mankind are now sinners

and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse and are

guilty before God (Romans 5:12; Psalm 51:5; Romans 3).

 

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, honored the divine law by

His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement

for our sins; that His atonement was not merely an example but was the voluntary

substitution enthroned in Heaven and is uniting in His wonderful person

the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection. He is in every way qualified

to be a suitable, a compassionate, and an all sufficient Saviour (Hebrews 2:9;

II Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 10:4-14).

 

THE NEW BIRTH

 

We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again; that the

new birth is the new creation in Jesus Christ (John 3:3,5); 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 receives eternal life, the free

gift of God (Ephesians 2:8,9); that the new creation is brought about in a

manner above our comprehension, not by culture, not by character, nor by the

will of man, but wholly and solely by the power of the Holy Spirit in connection

with divine truth, so as to secure our voluntary obedience to the Gospel

(John 1:13; Titus 3:5); that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of

repentance and faith in newness of life (Galatians 5:22-25).

 

JUSTIFICATION

 

We believe that the great Gospel which Christ secures to such as believe

in Him provides justification; that justification declares the sinner righteous

through the merits of Jesus Christ (Romans 3:21-26); and this divine pardon is

bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we have

done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer’s blood, and that His righteousness

is imputed unto us; that through justification we have peace with

God (Romans 5:1,9).

 

REPENTANCE AND FAITH

 

We believe that repentance and faith are solemn obligations and also inseparable

graces wrought in our souls by the quickening Spirit of God; thereby,

being deeply convicted of our guilt, danger, and helplessness, and being convinced

of the way of salvation through Jesus Christ, we turn to God with

unfeigned contrition, confession, and supplication for mercy; at the same time,

we heartily receive the Lord Jesus Christ and openly confess Him as our only

and all sufficient Saviour (Jeremiah 8:6; Acts 17:30; Romans 10:9-11).

 

THE CHURCH

 

We believe that a New Testament church is a congregation of baptized

believers associated by a 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 of

ordination are pastors or elders and deacons, whose qualifications, claims,

and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures (I Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:6-9);

we believe the true mission of the church is found in the “Great Commission”

which instructs us first, to make individual disciples (Matthew 28:19,20);

second, to baptize the converts; and third, to teach and instruct as He commanded.

We do not believe in the reversal of this order.

We hold that the local church has the absolute right of self-government,

free from the interference of any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; and

that Christ is the Head of the church and superintends over the work of the

local church through the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 1:19-23); that it is scriptural

for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and

for the furtherance of the Gospel (Jude 3); that every church is sole and only

judge of the measure and method of its cooperation on all matters of membership,

of policy, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, and that the will

of the local Church is final (Matthew 18:15-20; Acts 5:29; I Corinthians 6:1-

8). We are opposed to the ecumenical movement, neo-orthodoxy, new

evangelicalism, liberalism, and modernism that emphasize an unequal yoke

with unbelievers, experience over Biblical truth, higher criticism that weak11

ens inerrancy of the scriptures, social application of the gospel, and any other

beliefs which abandon the historic fundamentals of the Christian faith in an

attempt to accommodate Biblical Christianity and make it more acceptable to

the modern mind.

 

BAPTISM AND THE LORD’S SUPPER

 

We believe that New Testament baptism is the immersion in water of a

born again believer in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy

Ghost, with the authority and approval of the local church to show forth in a

solemn and beautiful symbol our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Saviour,

as it pictures our death to sin and resurrection to a new life (Matthew

28:19,20); that it is pre-requisite to the privileges of church membership and

to the observing of the Lord’s Supper.

We believe the Lord’s Supper should always be preceded by solemn selfexamination

and that the sacred use of unleavened bread and the fruit of the

vine are to commemorate together the dying love of Christ until He returns

(Matthew 26:26-29; I Corinthians 11:30). The prerequisites to participation

in the Lord’s Supper are those laid down by Christ and his apostles as a church

ordinance that include (1) salvation (I Corinthians 11:27-29), (2) baptism (Matthew

28:19-20; Acts 2:41, 46), (3) church membership (Acts 2:46-47; I

Corinthians 11:18, 22), and (4) an orderly walk (I Corinthians 11:27-29). A

disorderly walk designates a course of life in a church member which is contrary

to the precepts of the gospel including immoral conduct, disobedience to

the commands of Christ, heresy (teaching false doctrine), and schism or promotion

of division and dissension in the church. The New Testament accounts

indicate that the Lord’s Supper was observed only at regular appointed

meetings of local churches and thus we believe that the scrutiny of qualifications

for participation in the Lord’s Supper rests with the same body.

 

THE SECURITY OF THE BELIEVER

 

We believe that the preserving attachment to Christ is the grand mark

which distinguishes true believers from superficial professors; that it is a work

of God the Father (John 10:28,29; Romans 8:30), God the Son (Romans 8:34;

I John 2:1), and God the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 4:30); and that they are kept

by the power of God through faith unto eternal salvation (I Peter 1:5). We

believe that God’s eternal election and predestination guarantee their ultimate

conformity to the image of Christ (Romans 8:29).

 

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 and sanctified by the Spirit of our God are truly righteous

in His esteem (Romans 8:1-10); all such as continue in impenitence and

unbelief are in His sight wicked and under the curse (Romans 3:19-23), and

this distinction holds among men both in life and after death in the everlasting

conscious blessedness of the saved and the everlasting conscious punishment

of the lost (Revelation 20:11-15).

 

CIVIL GOVERNMENT

 

We believe that civil government is of divine appointment for the interest

and good of human society; that magistrates are to be prayed for (I Timothy

2:1-3), conscientiously honored and obeyed except only in things opposed to

the will of our Lord Jesus Christ, the only Lord of conscience, the coming

Prince of the Kings of the earth (Acts 5:29; Romans 13:1-5).

 

THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

 

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself is coming again in the air at

any moment to catch up all born again believers and to reward their service (I

Thessalonians 4:15-17; I Corinthians 3:11-14); the unbelievers left behind

will go through a seven-year period called the Tribulation, after which Christ

shall return visibly to the earth to set up His kingdom of 1,000 years of righteous

rule; after this, the unbelievers of all ages will stand at the Great White

Throne to be judged and cast into the lake of fire, separated from God forever,

while the believers spend eternity in the fullness of joy and in the presence of

our Lord forever (Revelation 20:11-15).

 

MISSIONS AND MISSIONARIES

 

We believe that all men everywhere are lost and condemned, that the

command to go and preach the Gospel to the world is clear and unmistakable,

and that this commission was given to the churches. Following New Testament

precedent and example, we believe that all missionary endeavors should

be under the ultimate sponsorship of the local congregation and that no mission

board should ever misconstrue its purpose to attempt to hold or to assign

authority to itself (Matthew 28:19,20; Acts 13).

 

THE GRACE OF GIVING

 

We believe that God’s method of financing His earthly work of spreading

the Gospel to all nations, the care of the churches and the support of the

ministry, is by the tithes and offerings of God’s people. We believe that they

are to be given to the Lord through His church or storehouse and are to be

distributed as directed by the leadership of the Holy Spirit as the need arises.

We believe that the time to tithe is upon the first day of the week. We also

believe that everyone is accountable to the Lord for a minimum standard of

giving of one tenth of his income and that offerings are to be given above the

tithe as God has prospered the individual (Malachi 3:8-10; I Corinthians 16:2).

 

HUMAN SEXUALITY

 

We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity should

be engaged in outside of marriage between a man and a woman. We believe

that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, transsexuality, bestiality,

incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful perversions of

God’s gift of sex (Genesis 2:24; 19:5, 13; 26:8-9, Leviticus 18:1-30; Romans

1:26-29; I Corinthians 5:1; 6:9, I Thessalonians 4:1-8; Hebrews 13:4).

 

MARRIAGE, DIVORCE AND REMARRIAGE

 

We believe that marriage was instituted by God to be a permanent union

between a man and a woman and therefore we are opposed to same sex marriages.

We further believe that God hates divorce and intends marriage to last

until one of the spouses dies. Divorce and remarriage is regarded as adultery

except on the grounds of fornication. Although divorced and remarried persons

or divorced persons may hold positions of service in the Church and be

greatly used of God for Christian service, they may not be considered for the

offices of pastor or deacon (Genesis 2:24; Malachi 2:14-17; Matthew 19:3-12;

Romans 7:1-3; I Timothy 3:2, 12; Titus 1:6).

 

ABORTION AND EUTHANASIA

 

We believe that human life begins at conception and that the unborn child

is a living human being. Abortion constitutes the unjustified, unexcused taking

of unborn human life. Abortion is murder. We reject any teaching that

abortions of pregnancies due to rape, incest, birth defects, gender selection,

birth or population control, or the mental well-being of the mother are acceptable

(Job 3:16; Psalms 51:5; 139:14-16; Isaiah 44:24; 49:1,5,15; Luke 1:44).

We believe that life is sacred and any act of putting to death a person

suffering from a distressing disease, illness or health problem from injury (euthanasia

or mercy killing) for his own good is virtually an instance of selfdeification

usurping a right that belongs to God (Psalm 68:20; II Kings 5:7;

Job 1:21; 2:6; Hebrews 9:27).

 

LAWSUITS BETWEEN BELIEVERS

 

We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits

against other Christians or the Church to resolve personal disputes. We believe

the Church possesses all the resources necessary to resolve personal

disputes between members (Article IV, Arbitration of Disputes). We do believe,

however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another

Christian’s insurance company as long as the claim is pursued without

malice or slander (I Corinthians 6:1-8; Ephesians 4:31-32).