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THE SCRIPTURES
We believe that the Holy Bible was written by men
supernaturally inspired; that it has 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.
a. 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.
b. By "inspired" we mean that the books of the Bible were
written by the 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 and free from error, as no other writings have ever been or ever
will be inspired.
THE TRUE GOD
We believe that there is one, and only one living and true
God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the Maker and Supreme ruler of heaven
and earth; 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 perfection.
THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person; equal
with God the Father and God the Son and of the same nature; that He was
active in the creation; and in His relation to 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 is the agent in the New
Birth; that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and
helps the believer.
THE DEVIL OR SATAN
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 that he is now the malignant prince of
the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world. We hold him to be
man's great tempter, the enemy of God and His Christ, the accuser of the
saints, the author of all false religions, the chief power back of the
present apostasy, the Lord of the Antichrist and the author of all the
powers of darkness - destined, however, to final defeat at the hands of
God's Son and the judgment of an eternal justice in hell, a place prepared
for him and his angels.
THE CREATION
We believe in the Genesis account of creation, and that it
is to be accepted literally, and not allegorically or figuratively; that man
was created directly in God's own image and after His own likeness; that
man's creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of
species, or developments through interminable periods of the time from lower
to higher forms; that all animals and vegetable life were made directly, and
God's established law was that they should bring forth only "after their
kind."
THE FALL OF MAN
We believe that man was created in innocence under the law
of his Maker, but, by voluntary transgression, fell from his sinless and
happy state, in consequence of which all mankind are now sinners, not by
constraint, but by choice, and therefore under just condemnation without
defense or excuse.
THE VIRGIN BIRTH
We believe that Jesus Christ was begotten of the Holy Ghost
in a miraculous manner; born of Mary, a virgin, as no other person was ever
born or can ever be born of woman; and He is both the Son of God and God the
Son.
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 consisted not
in setting for us an example by His death as a martyr, but was the voluntary
substitution of Himself in the sinner's stead on the tree; that, having
risen from the dead, He is now 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, compassionate and all-sufficient
Savior.
GRACE IN THE NEW CREATION
We believe that in order to be saved, sinners must be born
again; that the new birth is a new creation in Jesus Christ; 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; 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; that its proper evidence appears in the holy fruits of repentance
and faith and newness of life.
THE FREENESS OF SALVATION
We believe in God's electing grace; that the blessings of
salvation are made freely to all by the Gospel, that it is the immediate
duty of all to accept them by a cordial, penitent, and obedient faith; and
that nothing prevents the salvation of the greatest sinner on earth but his
own inherent depravity and voluntary rejection of the Gospel, which
rejection involves him in an aggravated condemnation.
JUSTIFICATION
We believe that the great Gospel which Christ secures to
such as believe in Him is justification; the justification includes the
pardon of sin, the gift of eternal life on principles of righteousness; that
it is bestowed not in consideration of any works of righteousness which we
have done, but solely through faith in the Redeemer's blood,
His righteousness is imputed unto us.
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 of the way of
salvation by Christ, we turn to God with unfeigned contrition, confession
and supplication for mercy; at the same time heartily receiving the Lord
Jesus Christ and openly confessing Him as our only and all-sufficient
Savior.
THE CHURCH
We believe that the 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 and pastors or elders and deacons, whose
qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures; we
believe the true mission of the
church is found in the Great Commission: First, to make individual
disciples; Second, to build up the church; Third, to teach and instruct as
He commanded. We do not believe in 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 the
one and only Superintendent is Christ through the Holy Spirit; that it is
scriptural for true churches to cooperate with each other in contending for
the faith and for the furtherance of the Gospel; that
every church is the sole and only
judge of the measure and method of its cooperation; and that on all matters
of membership of policy, of government,
of discipline, and of benevolence, the will of the local church
is final.
BAPTISM AND THE LORD'S SUPPER
We believe
that Christian baptism is the immersion in water of a believer in the name
of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Ghost, with the authority of the
local church, 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. We believe that in the Lord's Supper the
members of the church, by the sacred use of bread and the cup, are to
commemorate together the dying love of Christ, preceded always by solemn
self-examination.
THE PERSEVERANCE OF THE SAINTS
We believe that such only are real believers as endure unto
the end; that their persevering attachment to Christ is the grand mark which
distinguishes them from superficial professors; that a special Providence
watches over their welfare and that they are kept by the power of God
through faith unto eternal salvation.
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, while all such as continue in
impenitence and unbelief are in His sight wicked and under the curse, the
distinction continues among men both in life and after death, in the
everlasting felicity of the saved and everlasting conscious suffering of the
lost.
CIVIL GOVERNMENT
We believe that the civil government is of divine
appointment for the interest 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.
THE RESURRECTION AND RETURN OF CHRIST AND RELATED
EVENTS
We believe in and accept the sacred Scriptures upon these
subjects at their face and full value. Of the resurrection, we believe that
Christ arose bodily "the third day according to the Scriptures"; that He
ascended "to the right hand of the throne of God"; that He alone is our
"merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God"; that "this
same Jesus which is taken up from you unto heaven shall so come in like
manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven" - bodily, personally and visibly;
that the "dead in Christ shall rise first"; that the living saints "shall be
changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump", that
'the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of His Father David" and that
"Christ shall reign a thousand years in righteousness until He hath put all
enemies under His feet."
MISSIONS
We believe that all men everywhere are lost and condemned
and that the command to go and preach the Gospel to the world is clear and
unmistakable and this commission was given to the churches.
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 His people; that
it is to be given to the Lord through His church or storehouse to be
distributed as directed by the leadership of the Spirit as the need arises;
that the time to tithe is upon the first day of the week; that everyone is
accountable to the Lord for one tenth of his income, and that tithing was
instituted long before the Law was ever given and was practiced by the early
church.
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