1. That "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,"
by which we understand the sixty-six books comprising THE BIBLE; that
it is inerrant in the original writing and that its teaching and authority
is absolute, supreme, and final. That the Holy Spirit guided the holy
men of old in all they wrote. 2 Tim 3:16; Deut. 4:2; 2 Pet. 1:21.
2. The Godhead eternally exists in three persons-the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three are one God, having the same
nature, attributes, and perfection. Rom. 1:20; Matt. 28:19; Deut. 4:35;
John 17:5.
3. The Personality and Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ, begotten
of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, truly God and truly man.
John 1:1, 14; 10:30; Matt. 1:20; Luke 1:30, 31; Phil 2:5-7; I Tim. 3:16;
Col. 1:19.
4. The Personality and Deity of the Holy Spirit, the source
and power of all acceptable worship and service, the infallible interpreter
of the infallible Word, who indwells every true and is ever present
to testify of Christ, seeking to occupy us with Him and not with ourselves
or our experiences. John 15:26; Acts 5:3, 4; 1:8; Rom. 8:26, 27; I Cor.
2:12, 14; Rom. 8:9; I Cor. 3:16; 12:13; John ~:13, 14.
5. Man was created in the image of God, after His likeness,
as stated in the Word of God, but the whole human race fell in the fall
of the first Adam. Not only was his moral nature grievously injured
by the fall but he totally lost all spiritual life, becoming dead in
trespasses and sins, and subject to the power of the devil. The carnal
mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God,
neither indeed can be. So then, they that are in the flesh cannot please
God (Rom. 8:7-8). Therefore, he cannot see
nor enter the kingdom of God until he is born again by the Holy Spirit.
That no degree of reformation however great, no attainment in morality
however high, no culture however attractive, no humanitarian and philanthropic
schemes and societies however useful, no baptism or other ordinance
however administered, can help the sinner to take even one step toward
Heaven; but a new nature imparted from above, a new life implanted by
the Holy Spirit through the Word is absolutely essential to salvation.
Gen. 1:26-27; Rom. 5:12; Eph. 2:1-3; John 3:3, 6, 7; Titus 3:5.
6. That Jesus Christ became the sinner's substitute before God
and died as a propitiatory sacrifice (satisfying the wrath of God) for
the sin of the whole world. That He was made a curse for the sinner,
dying for his sins according to the Scriptures; that no repentance,
no feeling, no faith, no good resolutions, no sincere efforts, no submission
to the rules and regulations of any church can add in the very least
to the value of the precious blood or to the merit of that finished
work wrought for us by Him who tasted death for every man. John 2:2;
Heb. 2:9; Gal. 3:13; Rom. 3:25;
4:45; 5:8; Col. 1:13, 14, 20, 21.
7. In the resurrection of the crucified body of Jesus Christ;
that His body was raised from the dead according to the Scriptures and
that He ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the right hand of God as
the believer's high priest and advocate. Luke 24:39; Acts 1:10-11; Eph.
4:10; Heb. 1:3; I John 2:1.
8. That Christ in the fullness of the blessings He has secured
by His death and resurrection is received by faith alone and that the
moment we trust in Him as our Savior we pass out of death into everlasting
life, justified from all things, accepted before the Father according
to the measure of His acceptance, loved as He is loved and made one
with Him. At the time of acceptance of Christ as Savior, he comes to
dwell within the believer and to live out His life of holiness and power
through him. Heb. 9:15; John 5:24; Rom. 3:28; 4:3, 23-25; Eph. 1:3;
John 17:23; Gal. 2:20; 4:67; 5:16; Acts 1:8.
9. That water baptism is one of the two ordinances of the Church.
Baptism is performed after an individual has made a profession of faith
in Jesus Christ and is by immersion. Baptism has no merit whatsoever
in attaining salvation. Rather it is a sign by which a believer publicly
proclaims faith in Jesus Christ.
10. That the Church is composed of all those who truly believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior. It is the Body and bride of Christ.
That every believer, whether Jew or Gentile, is baptized into the Body
of Christ by the Holy Spirit and having thus become members of one another
we are responsible to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace,
rising above all sectarian rejudices an denominational bigotry and loving
one another with a pure heart fervently. Eph. 1:22,23; 2;19-22; I Cor.
12:22-27; 1:10-13; Rom. 12:4,5; Eph. 4:3-6; 5:32; Phil. 2:1-5; Gal.
5:13-15.
11. That the Lord's Supper is one of the two ordinances of the
Church. The Lord's Supper commemorates the death of Jesus Christ; the
bread representing His body and the drink representing His blood. The
Lord's Supper is not a sacrifice. It is an ordinance of the Church in
which every person who has made a public profession of faith in Jesus
Christ may participate. It is to
be performed in sobriety and in keeping with the solemnity of the occasion.
12. That all believers in our Lord Jesus Christ are called into
a life of separation from worldly and sinful practices and should abstain
from such amusements and habits as will cause others to stumble or bring
reproach upon the cross of Christ. Believers are created in Christ Jesus
unto good works. "As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good
unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."
Gal. 6:10; I John 2:15, 16; Rom. 13:14; 14:13; I Cor. 10:31; Eph. 2:10.
13. That the office of pastor is reserved exclusively for men.
While God has equipped many capable women for service in ministry, they
are precluded from the office of pastor. Furthermore, it is recommended
that any visiting evangelist should be a male. This does not signify
any weakness or inferiority in the female gender whatsoever. Rather,
it is an affirmation of the God-ordained order of creation which places
the position of authority
upon the man.
14. In the evangelization of the world; that the supreme mission
of the people of God in this age is to preach the Gospel to every creature.
Support of missionaries both home and foreign is an important part of
this church. Mark 16:15; 2 Cor. 5:18, 19; Matt. 18:14.
15. In the personal, literal, and bodily return of our Lord
and Savior Jesus Christ; that the coming again of Jesus Christ is the
"blessed hope" set before us, for which we should be constantly
looking. "Our citizenship is in heaven from whence we look for
the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ." Phil. 3:20; Acts 1:11; I Thess.
4:16, 17; John 14:1-3; Titus 2:13; Phil. 3:20, 21.
16. That the souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus
Christ for salvation do at death immediately pass in to His presence,
and there remain in conscious bliss until the resurrection of the body
at His coming, when soul and body reunited shall be with Him forever
in glory. Luke 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Luke 16:22, 25; Phil. 1:23; I Thess.
4:15-18.
17. That the souls of the lost remain after death in misery
until the final judgment of the great white throne, when soul and body
reunited at the resurrection shall be cast "into the Lake of Fire"
which is "the second death" to be "punished with everlasting
destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His
power." 2 Thess. 1:8, 9; Luke 16:22-23, 27-28; Heb. 9:27; Rev.
20:5, 11-15; 2 Thess. 1:7-9.
18. In the reality and personality of Satan, "that old
serpent, called the devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world,"
the prince of the power of the air, the accuser of the brethren. Also
in the reality of demons who seek to overthrow the faith of God's elect.
Rev. 12:9; Eph. 6:11, 12; I Peter 5:8; Rev. 20:10.
19. We believe that the gift of speaking in tongues is a spiritual
gift
granted by the Holy Spirit to some believers. Its proper exercise is
before a church body in the presence of an interpreter. I Cor. 13:8;
14:21; 2 Cor. 12:12; Heb. 2:4
Approved by church body on June, 10, 2001
