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We Believe....
THE SCRIPTURES -
The Bible is the inspired Word of God, the product of holy
men of old who spoke and wrote as they were moved by the
Holy Spirit. The New Covenant, as recorded in the New
Testament, we accept as our infallible guide in matters
pertaining to conduct and doctrine (2 Tim. 3:16; 1 Thess.
2:13; 2 Peter 1:21).
We Believe....
THE GODHEAD - Our God is one, but manifested in three
Persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, being
coequal (Deut. 6:4;Phil. 2:6). God the Father is greater
than all; the Sender of the Word (Logos) and the Begetter
(John 14:28; John 16:28; John 1:14). The Son is the Word
flesh-covered, the One Begotten, and has existed with the
Father from the beginning (John 1:1; John 1:18; John 1:14).
The Holy Spirit proceeds forth from both the Father and the
Son and is eternal (John 14:16;John 15:26).
We Believe....
MAN, HIS FALL AND REDEMPTION - Man is a created being, made
in the likeness and image of God, but through Adam's
transgression and fall, sin came into the world. The Bible
says "...all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God," and "...There is none righteous, no, not one." (Rom.
3:10; 3:23). Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was manifested to
undo the works of the devil and gave His life and shed His
blood to redeem and restore man back to God (Rom. 5:14; 1
John 3:8).
Salvation is the gift of God to man, separate from works and
the Law, and is made operative by grace through faith in
Jesus Christ, producing works acceptable to God (Eph.
2:8-10).
We Believe....
ETERNAL LIFE AND THE NEW BIRTH - Man's first step toward
salvation is godly sorrow that worketh repentance. The New
Birth is necessary to all men, and when experienced,
produces eternal life (2 Cor. 7:10; John 3:3-5; 1 John
5:12).
We Believe....
WATER BAPTISM - Baptism in water is by immersion, is a
direct commandment of our Lord, and is for believers only.
The ordinance is a symbol of the Christian's identification
with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Matt.
28:19; Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12; Acts 8:36-39).
The following recommendation regarding the water baptismal
formula is adopted; to wit: "On the confession of your faith
in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and by His
authority, I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and the
Son, and the Holy Ghost. Amen."
We Believe....
BAPTISM IN THE HOLY GHOST - The Baptism in the Holy Ghost
and fire is a gift from God as promised by the Lord Jesus
Christ to all believers in this dispensation and is received
subsequent to the new birth. This experience is accompanied
by the initial evidence of speaking in other tongues as the
Holy Spirit Himself gives utterance (Matt. 3:11; John
14:16,17; Acts 1:8; Acts 2:38,39; Acts 19:1-7; Acts 2:1-4).
We Believe....
SANCTIFICATION - The Bible teaches that without holiness no
man can see the Lord. We believe in the Doctrine of
Sanctification as a definite, yet progressive work of grace,
commencing at the time of regeneration and continuing until
the consummation of salvation at Christ's return (Heb.
12:14; 1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Peter 3:18; 2 Cor. 3:18; Phil.
3:12-14; 1 Cor. 1:30).
We Believe....
DIVINE HEALING - Healing is for the physical ills of the
human body and is wrought by the power of God through the
prayer of faith, and by the laying on of hands. It is
provided for in the atonement of Christ, and is the
privilege of every member of the Church today (James
5:14,15; Mark 16:18; Isa. 53:4,5; Matt. 8:17; 1 Peter 2:24).
We Believe....
RESURRECTION OF THE JUST AND THE RETURN OF OUR LORD - The
angels said to Jesus' disciples, "...This same Jesus, which
is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like
manner as ye have seen him go into heaven." His coming is
imminent. When He comes, "...The dead in Christ shall rise
first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the
air..." (Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:16,17).
Following the Tribulation, He shall return to earth as King
of kings, and Lord of lords, and together with His saints,
who shall be kings and priests, He shall reign a thousand
years (Rev. 5:10;20:6).
We Believe....
HELL AND ETERNAL RETRIBUTION - The one who physically dies
in his sins without accepting Christ is hopelessly and
eternally lost in the lake of fire and, therefore, has no
further opportunity of hearing the Gospel or repenting. The
lake of fire is literal. The terms "eternal" and
"everlasting," used in describing the duration of the
punishment of the damned in the lake of fire, carry the same
thought and meaning of endless existence as used in denoting
the duration of joy and ecstasy of saints in the Presence of
God (Heb. 9:27; Rev. 19:20).
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