What I Believe

 

Statement of Faith

The Scriptures

I 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. I believe the Bible to be the true center of Christian union and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions, shall be tried. (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2 Peter 1:19-20)

The True God

I believe there is one and only one living and true God, an infinite Spirit, the Maker and Supreme Ruler of heaven and earth, inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all possible honor, confidence and love.

I believe that in the unity of the God-head 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. (Exodus 20:2-3; Matthew 28:19;​​ 1 Corinthians 8:6; Revelation 4:11; 1 John 5:7)

The Holy Spirit

I believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person and of the same nature with God the Father and God the Son, that He was active in the creation, that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God's purpose is fulfilled.

I believe that the Holy Spirit 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, endures, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer. (John 14:16-17, 26)

The Devil, or Satan

I believe in the personality of Satan, that he is the unholy god of this age and the author of all the powers of darkness.

I believe that Satan is destined to the judgment of an eternal justice in the lake of fire. (Matthew 4:1-3; 2 Corinthians 4:4)

The Creation

I accept the Genesis account of creation and believe that man came by direct creation of God and not by evolution. (Genesis 1 and 2; Colossians 1:16-17; John 1:3)

The Fall of Man

I believe that man was create in innocence, 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. (Genesis 3:1-7, 24; Romans 1:18, 32; 5:10-19)

The Virgin Birth

I believe that Jesus was begotten of the Holy Spirit in a miraculous manner, born of Mary, a virgin, as no other man was ever born or can ever be born of a woman and that He is both the Son of God and God the Son. (Genesis 3:15; Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 1:35; John 1:14)

The Atonement for Sin

I believe that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin.

I believe that the Son of God honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins.

I believe this atonement consisted,​​ not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was a voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinner's place, the Just dying for the unjust; Christ, the Lord, bearing our sin in His own body on the cross.

I believe that, having risen from the dead, He is now enthroned in heaven and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection, that He is in every way qualified to be a suitable, a compassionate, and an all-sufficient Savior. (Acts 15:11; Ephesians 2:8; Titus 3:5; Hebrews 4:15)

Grace in the New Creation

I believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born again. I believe that the new birth is a new creation in Christ Jesus and that it is instantaneous and not a process.

I believe 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.

I believe 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.

I believe that the proper evidence of the new creation appears in the holy fruits of repentance and faith and newness of life. (John 3:3; 2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:8-10; 4:24; 1 John 5:1; 2 Peter 1:4)

Justification

I believe that the great gospel blessing which Christ secures to such as believe in Him is Justification: (a) that Justification includes the​​ forgiveness​​ of sin and the gift of eternal life on principle of righteousness; (b) that it is bestowed, not in consideration of any works of righteousness which I have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood and that His righteousness is imputed to us. (Acts 13:39; Romans 5:1; 8:31-39; Titus 3:5)

Faith and Salvation

I believe that​​ salvation is by God’s grace alone through​​ faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (John 1:12, 13; Acts 16:31;​​ Ephesians 2:8-9;​​ 1 John 5:11, 12)

The Local Church

I believe that a local church is a congregation of 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.

I believe that the officers of a local church are overseers and deacons whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the scriptures.

I believe the true mission of the church is​​ to faithfully​​ witness Christ​​ through the preaching of God’s word and by example​​ to all men as we have​​ opportunity and to baptize and teach those to whom the Holy Spirit has given a desire to learn according to our Lord's command.

I believe 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.

I believe that it is scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the gospel and that each local church is the sole judge of the measure and method of its cooperation.

I believe that on all matters of membership, of polity, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church is final. (Matthew​​ 18:15-20; Acts 2:41-42; 1​​ Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:22, 23; 4:11-16; Philippians 1:1; 1 Timothy 3:1-13; Titus 1:5-9)

Baptism and the Lord's Supper

I 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.

I believe that the Lord's supper is the commemoration of His death until He comes, and should always be preceded by solemn self-examination. (Matthew 28:19, 20; Acts 2:37-38; 8:26-39; 1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

The Security of the Saints

I believe that all who are truly born again are eternally secure, kept by God the Father for Jesus Christ. (John 10:27-29; Romans 8:35-39; Philippians 1:6; 1 Peter 1:3, 4)

The Righteous and the Wicked

I 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 our God, are truly righteous in His esteem.

I believe that, all such as continue in impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked, and under the curse, and that this distinction holds among men both in​​ life​​ and after death. I believe​​ in the everlasting felicity of the​​ saved and the everlasting conscious suffering of the lost. (Malachi 3:18; Romans 6:17-18; Ephesians 4:17-24; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-11)

Civil Government

I 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. (Romans 13:1-7; Acts 23:5; 1 Timothy 2:1-3; Titus 3:1, 2)

The Doctrine of Last Things

I believe in the personal, imminent, pre-tribulation return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, which will be the occurrence of the rapture of the universal church,​​ the​​ Body of Christ. I also believe in His pre-millennial return to reign over the earth following the tribulation. (Daniel 9:24-27; Matthew 24:29-31; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12; Revelation 19:11-16; 20:1-6)

Spirit Gifts

I believe that, as believers appropriate God’s grace, the Holy Spirit manifests Himself through believers by enabling each believer to meet the​​ needs​​ of other believers for the purpose of edifying and building up the Body of Christ. The focus of this enablement should be on the needs​​ of others more than which gift(s) one has been given. Where there is a need, someone in the Body of Christ has the ability to meet that need. ​​ (Romans 12:3-8; 1 Corinthians 1:7 and chapters 12, 13, 14; 1 Peter 4:10)

I believe that the gift of tongues was the ability to speak in a foreign language. I believe that the sign gifts of tongues, healing, and miracles​​ were given as signs to the early church to validate​​ the​​ gospel of Jesus Christ as being from God and​​ to​​ demonstrate that salvation through Christ is extended to gentiles. I believe that the sign gifts are not for today,​​ revelation being complete. (Isaiah 28:11; Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:5-13; 1 Corinthians 14:21, 22)