
In essential
beliefs - we have UNITY.
"We are all one body, we have the same Spirit, and we have all
been called to the same glorious future. There is only one Lord, one
faith, one baptism, and there is only one God and Father, who is over
us all and in us all and living through us all." (Ephesians 4:4-6)
In non-essential beliefs - we have LIBERTY.
"Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on
disputable matters ... Who are you to judge someone else's servant?
To his own master he stands or falls ... So then each of us will give
an account of himself to God ... So whatever you believe about these
things keep between yourself and God." (Romans 14:1-22)
In all our
beliefs - we show CHARITY.
"... If I hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but
also the very secrets of God, and if I have the faith that can move
mountains - but have no love, I amount to nothing at all."
(1 Corinthians 13:2)
The
Essentials We Believe
About the
Bible
We believe the Bible to be inspired of God, the infallible Word
of God. "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and
is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction
in righteousness." (2 Timothy 3:16)
The Bible is
the only God-given authority which man possesses; therefore, all
doctrine, faith, hope, and all instruction for the church must be
based upon, and harmonize with, the Bible. It is given to be read
and studied, and can only be clearly understood by those who are
anointed by the Holy Spirit. (1 John 2:27) "No prophecy of
the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy
came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake
as they were moved by the Holy Ghost." (2 Peter 1:20-21)
About the
One True God
We believe in the one ever-living, eternal God; infinite in power,
holy in nature, attributes and purpose; and possessing absolute,
indivisible deity. This one true God has revealed Himself as the
Father, in creation; through His Son, in redemption; and as the
Holy Spirit, by emanation. (1 Corinthians 8:6, 2 Corinthians 5:19,
Joel 2:28, Ephesians 4:6)
"The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The
Lord our God is one Lord." (Mark 12:29, Deuteronomy 6:4) "One
God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in
you all." (Ephesians 4:6)
Before the incarnation,
this one true God manifested Himself in various ways. In the incarnation,
He manifested Himself in the Son, who walked among men. As He works
in the lives of believers, He manifests Himself as the Holy Spirit.
About the
Son of God
We believe the one true God, Jehovah of the Old Testament, took
upon Himself the form of man, and as the Son of man was born of
the virgin Mary. "And without controversy great is the mystery
of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit,
seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world,
received up into glory." (2 Timothy 3:16) "He came unto
his own, and his own received him not." (John 1:11) This one
true God was manifest in the flesh, that is, in His Son Jesus Christ.
"God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not
imputing their trespasses unto them." (2 Corinthians 5:19)
We believe that
"in [Jesus] dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily."
(Colossians 2:9) "For it pleased the Father that in him should
all fullness dwell." (Colossians 1:19) Therefore, Jesus in
His humanity was man; in His deity He was and is God. His flesh
was the lamb, or the sacrifice of God for our sins. He is the only
mediator between God and man. "For there is one God, and one
mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Timothy
2:5)
Jesus on His
Father's side was divine, and on His mother's side was human. Thus,
He was known as the Son of God and also the Son of man, or the God-man.
"Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given
and
his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God, the
everlasting Father, the prince of peace." (Isaiah 9:6)
About Human
Beings
In the beginning God created man innocent, pure and holy; but through
the sin of disobedience Adam and Eve, the first of the human race,
fell from their holy state, and God was forced to banish them from
their paradise in the Garden of Eden. Thus, by mankind's disobedience,
sin entered into the world and the human family. (Genesis 1:27,
Romans 3:23, 5:12) Although every human being has tremendous potential
for good, each of us is marred by our inborn sinful nature and its
actions, separating us from God and causing many problems in our
lives. All men are eternally lost outside of the redemptive work
of Christ. (Ephesians 2:12, Galatians 2:15-16, 5:6, Romans 3:23-26,
6:23, Mark 16:16)
About Salvation
We receive salvation not by our own merit, but by grace through
faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are made partakers of this salvation
through obeying the Gospel in repentance from sins, baptism in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and by
receiving the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the initial sign of
speaking with other tongues as the Spirit gives utterance. We are
baptized by this one Spirit into the Body of Christ. (Romans 5:1,
6:1-6, 6:17, Ephesians 2:8, Acts 2:38, 1 Corinthians 12:13) There
is no salvation outside of obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none
other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."
(Acts 4:12)
About Holiness
Godly living must characterize the life of every child of the Lord,
and we must live according to the pattern and example given in the
Word of God. "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation
hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness
and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly,
in this present world." (Titus 2:11-12)
Issues of holiness
are not salvation issues in and of themselves; rather, they are
Christian maturity ("sanctification") issues. "Follow
peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see
the Lord." (Hebrews 12:14) However, if we choose not to obey
God in these areas, our willful disobedience will eventually become
a salvation issue. (1 Corinthians 3:16-17, 2 Corinthians 6:17 -
7:1)
About Eternity
We believe in the personal and imminent return of our Lord Jesus
Christ to "catch away" His church (the Rapture), and in
a subsequent period of intense distress for those who remain on
the earth (the Tribulation), which will be followed by the Lord's
personal return to earth with His saints to rule for one thousand
years (the Millennial Reign). Thus, the people of God should earnestly
and hopefully look forward to the Second Coming of Christ. (1 Thessalonians
4:13-17, Acts 1:11, 3:19-21, 2 Thessalonians 2:1, 1 Corinthians
11:26, 15:51-54, Philippians 3:20-21, Revelation 22:20, Titus 2:13-14,
Matthew 24) In the end, all the dead will be summoned before the
Great White Throne for their final judgment, and all whose names
are not found written in the Book of Life will be cast into the
Lake of Fire. (Matthew 25:41, Revelation 20:15, 21:8) The redeemed
will live for all eternity in the presence of God. (Revelation 21:2-4,
21:23-27, 22:3-5, 22:14) Heaven and Hell are real places of eternal
existence.
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