WHAT WE BELIEVE
THE BIBLE IS THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD, A REVELATION FROM GOD TO MAN, THE INFALLIBLE RULE OF FAITH AND CONDUCT, AND IS SUPERIOR TO CONSCIENCE AND REASON BUT NOT CONTRARY TO REASON (II TIMOTHY 3:15-16; I PETER 2:2).
THE ONE TRUE GOD HAS REVEALED HIMSELF AS THE ETERNALLY SELF-EXISTENT, SELF-REVEALED, “I AM” AND HAS FURTHER REVEALED HIMSELF AS EMBODYING THE PRINCIPLES OF RELATIONSHIP AND ASSOCIATION, THAT IS, AS FATHER, SON, AND HOLY SPIRIT.
MAN WAS CREATED GOOD AND UPRIGHT, FOR GOD SAID, “LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE, AFTER OUR LIKENESS.” BUT MAN, BY VOLUNTARY TRANSGRESSION FELL, AND HIS ONLY HOPE OF REDEMPTION IS IN JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD.
A. THE MEANS OF SALVATION
THE GRACE OF GOD WHICH BRINGS SALVATION HAS APPEARED TO ALL MEN THROUGH THE PREACHING OF REPENTANCE TOWARD GOD AND FAITH TOWARD THE LORD JESUS CHRIST; MAN IS SAVED BY THE WASHING OF REGENERATION AND RENEWING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT; AND, BEING JUSTIFIED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH, HE BECOMES AN HEIR OF GOD ACCORDING TO THE HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE (TITUS 2:11; ROMANS 10:13-15; LUKE 24:27; TITUS 3:5-7).
B. THE EVIDENCE OF SALVATION
TO THE BELIEVER THE INWARD EVIDENCE OF HIS SALVATION IS THE DIRECT WITNESS OF THE SPIRIT (ROMANS 8:16). THE OUTWARD EVIDENCE TO ALL MEN IS A LIFE OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUE HOLINESS (MATTHEW 5:16).
THE ORDINANCE OF BAPTISM BY A BURIAL WITH CHRIST SHOULD BE OBSERVED AS COMMANDED IN THE SCRIPTURES BY ALL WHO HAVE REALLY REPENTED AND IN THEIR HEARTS HAVE TRULY BELIEVED ON CHRIST AS SAVIOR AND LORD. IN SO DOING, THEY HAVE THE BODY WASHED IN PURE WATER AS AN OUTWARD SYMBOL OF CLEANSING, WHILE THEIR HEARTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SPRINKLED WITH THE BLOOD OF CHRIST IN AN INNER CLEANSING. THUS THEY DECLARE TO THE WORLD THAT THEY HAVE DIED WITH JESUS AND THEY HAVE ALSO BEEN RAISED WITH HIM TO WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE (MATTHEW 28:19; ROMANS 6:4).
THE LORD’S SUPPER, CONSISTING OF THE ELEMENTS BREAD AND THE JUICE OF THE FRUIT OF THE VINE, IS THE SYMBOL EXPRESSING OUR SHARING THE DIVINE NATURE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST (II PETER 1:4), A MEMORIAL OF HIS SUFFERING AND DEATH (I CORINTHIANS 11:26), AND A PROPHECY OF HIS SECOND COMING (I CORINTHIANS 11:26), AND IS ENJOINED ON ALL BELIEVERS “UNTIL HE COMES.”
ALL BELIEVERS ARE ENTITLED TO, AND SHOULD ARDENTLY EXPECT AND EARNESTLY SEEK, THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER, THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT AND FIRE, ACCORDING TO THE COMMAND OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST (LUKE 24:49; ACTS 1:4, 8; I CORINTHIANS 12: 1-31).
THE BAPTISM OF THE BELIEVERS IN THE HOLY SPIRIT IS WITNESSED BY THE INITIAL PHYSICAL SIGN OF SPEAKING WITH OTHER TONGUES AS THE SPIRIT OF GOD GIVES THEM UTTERANCE (ACTS 2:4).
THE SCRIPTURES TEACH A LIFE OF HOLINESS WITHOUT WHICH NO MAN SHALL SEE THE LORD. BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WE ARE ABLE TO OBEY THE COMMAND “BE YE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.” ENTIRE SANCTIFICATION IS THE WILL OF GOD FOR ALL BELIEVERS AND SHOULD BE EARNESTLY PURSUED BY WALKING IN OBEDIENCE TO GOD’S WORD (HEBREWS 12:14; I PETER 1:15-16; I THESSALONIANS 5:23-24; I JOHN 2:6).
THE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST, THE HABITATION OF GOD THROUGH THE SPIRIT, WITH DIVINE APPOINTMENTS FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF HER GREAT COMMISSION. EACH BELIEVER, BORN OF THE SPIRIT, IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND CHURCH OF THE FIRSTBORN, WHICH WAS WRITTEN IN HEAVEN (EPHESIANS 1:22-23; 2:22; HEBREWS 12:23).
DELIVERANCE FROM SICKNESS IS PROVIDED FOR ALL IN THE ATONEMENT AND IS THE PRIVILEGE OF ALL BELIEVERS (ISAIAH 53:4-5; MATTHEW 8:16-17).
A DIVINELY CALLED AND SCRIPTURALLY ORDAINED MINISTRY HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY OUR LORD FOR A TWO-FOLD PURPOSE: (1) EVANGELIZATION OF THE WORLD AND (2) EDIFYING OF THE BODY OF CHRIST (MARK 16:15-20; EPHESIANS 4:11-13).
THE RESURRECTION OF THOSE WHO HAVE FALLEN ASLEEP IN CHRIST AND THEIR TRANSLATION TOGETHER WITH THOSE WHO ARE ALIVE AND REMAIN UNTO THE COMING OF THE LORD IS THE IMMINENT AND BLESSED HOPE OF THE CHURCH (I THESSALONIANS 4:15; ROMANS 8:23; TITUS 2:13; I CORINTHIANS 15:51-52).
THE REVELATION OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST FROM HEAVEN, THE SALVATION OF NATIONAL ISRAEL, AND THE MILLENNIAL REIGN OF CHRIST ON EARTH AS THE SCRIPTURAL PROMISE AND THE WORLD’S HOPE (II THESSALONIANS 1:7; REVELATION 19:11-14; ROMANS 11:26).
“THE DEVIL AND HIS ANGELS, THE BEAST AND THE FALSE PROPHET AND WHOSOEVER IS NOT FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE, SHALL BE CAST INTO EVERLASTING PUNISHMENT IN THE LAKE OF FIRE WHICH BURNETH WITH FIRE AND BRIMSTONE, WHICH IS THE SECOND DEATH” (REVELATION 19:20; 20:10-15).
WE “ACCORDING TO HIS PROMISE, LOOK FOR NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH WHEREIN DWELLETH RIGHTEOUSNESS” (II PETER 3:13; REVELATION 21:22).