Our Beliefs
Statement of Faith
The sole
basis of our beliefs is the Bible, God's infallible written
Word, and 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
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.
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.
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.
He
rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in
which He lived and died.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
God
admonishes His people to assemble together regularly for
worship, for participation in ordinances, for edification
through the Scriptures and for mutual encouragement.
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.
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.
Jesus
Christ will come again to the earth--personally, visibly
and bodily--to consummate history and the eternal plan of
God.
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."
|