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Statement
of Faith
The sole basis
of our beliefs is the Bible, God's infallible written Word, 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
ministry, 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 hinders the ministry to
which God has called us.
1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. He rose from the dead in the same body,
though glorified, in which He lived and died.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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 justified them in
His sight.
9. 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.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church,
His Body, which is composed of all men, living and dead, who have been joined to
Him through saving faith.
13. God admonishes His people to assemble
together regularly for worship, for participation in ordinances, for edification
through the Scriptures and for mutual encouragement.
14. 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.
15. 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.
16. Jesus Christ will come again to the earth
- personally, visibly and bodily - to consummate history and the eternal plan of
God.
17. 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."
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