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 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 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 justifies 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 and
women, 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." |