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What We Believe and Why We Believe It
This is what we believe the Bible teaches. Sorry to go into such long detail, but we don't believe in one-sentence doctrinal statements. Please check ALL verse references for yourself:
GOD: There is only one God, self-sufficient (Ex. 3:14) and eternally self-existing (Psa. 90:2) in a "trinity" of three co-equal Persons: the Father, the Son (John 10:30) and the Holy Spirit (1 Thess. 4:8). These three are distinct Persons, but are without division of nature, essence, or being. God is perfectly loving, holy, just, and righteous. He does not lie, cannot contradict Himself, does not inspire error, and will never go back on His Word.
Food for thought: The God who reveals Himself to us in the Bible exists completely superior to the matter/space/time universe which confines us (He would have to in order to create it). This means that God is so completely transcendent--so completely BEYOND us--that our minds are not capable of fully comprehending Him. That is why even the sincerest attempts to make Him fit inside your mind -- especially when done at the expense of what He has told us about Himself in the Bible -- must leave you with an inadequate or false concept of God which invariably resembles man more than God. Such a 'god' is not God, but an idol (a man-made god). And God hates idols!
JESUS CHRIST: The Bible teaches the Deity (full Godhood) and the humanity (full manhood) of Jesus Christ; His virgin birth; His incarnation in the flesh as the Son of God; His sinless life; His perfect fulfillment of all demands of God's Law; His sacrificial death for all; His bodily resurrection from the dead; His ascension to the right hand of the Father, and His personal, physical return to earth in power and glory to judge, rule and reign forevermore.
Jesus--the REAL Jesus--is the only Way, Truth, and Life. No one comes to the Father but by Him. There are MANY Christs out there today...make sure you have the right One!
THE HOLY SPIRIT: The Holy Spirit, third Person of the trinity and likewise fully God, is not an "it," force or power, but He. His job is to convict the lost of sin while He regenerates, baptizes, indwells, enlightens and empowers those who are saved (John 16:8; Titus 3:5; 1 Cor 12:13; Eph 1:13, 17, 18; 3:16).
THE BIBLE: The Bible is the only Word of God to man (Prov. 30:5-6). Because it is forever settled in heaven (Psa. 119:89) the 66 books of the Bible are inspired and infallible (2 Tim. 3:16), inerrant (Rom. 3:4), and will stand forever (Isa. 40:8, 1 Peter 1:25). For these reasons, we believe God made the original writings, for all practical purposes, available to us today. So while the Scriptures may not tell us everything we'd LIKE to know, it does tell us everything we NEED to know, in God's estimation. Therefore, the Bible alone is our final, absolute, and unquestioned authority. We use the King James version.
A note on understanding the Bible: We believe the Bible must be interpreted in a consistent dispensational manner if it is to make sense. A dispensation is a distinct administration or program, established by God, in which He deals with mankind in ways which may be radically different from His dealings before or after. In short, consistent dispensationalism faces head-on the biblical fact that while God Himself NEVER changes, His dealings with mankind DO change, and HAVE changed radically at various points in our history. For this reason, the Scriptures must be read in light of the dispensational divisions already present in Scripture.
Because of our dispensational point of view, we believe the revealed body of Scripture has been completed and is now closed. No form of divine revelation above, beyond, or in addition to the Bible is forthcoming. Anyone promoting ANY form of new information from God--whether in spoken or written form--is either deliberately lying or is presumptuously deluded.
CREATION: God is the sole Creator of heaven and earth, but He is in no way part of creation. He exists infinitely above, beyond, independent of, and unbound by His creation.
We believe the Bible teaches that God created our earth within a literal period of seven 24-hour days. All the living creatures of our planet, man included, were created within this time period and in a variety of basic, distinct kinds. So while man and animals share many common design features (showing a common Designer), and while God gave all living beings a great capacity for the development of physical diversity, this does not mean we are genetically interrelated to or descended from animals. Such evolutionary notions, in any form, are flat denials of the Scripture.
MAN: Because of the willful sin of Adam, all people, without exception, have inherited his sin nature (Rom. 3:23; 5:12) and are by nature spiritually DEAD in trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1-3; Rom 3:9-12). The proof of this is that the Jews were not able to live up to the standard of God's Law; nor are Gentiles able to live up to the God-given standard of conscience (Rom. 2:11-29). Thus all are equally guilty and are born under the dual curse of physical death (Rom. 6:23) and punishment forever in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:14, Mark 9:43-48, Luke 16:19-24).
SATAN: The Devil is real. He is an angel, and as such is a part of creation. Thus Satan is in no sense "on par" with God.
Jesus taught that Satan is "the father of lies," and has "come to steal, kill, and destroy." While he is the "accuser of the brethren," he cannot touch the child of God without the permission and purpose of God. Satan is a defeated foe; his fate was sealed at the Cross and was assured by the resurrection (Job 1:6-12; Matt. 4:1-11; Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14). While his judgment and destruction are yet future, they are sure.
THE DISPENSATION OF GRACE/THE DISTINCTIVE MINISTRY OF PAUL: The apostle Paul had a ministry (Eph. 3:1-11) similar to yet drastically different from the ministry of the twelve apostles (Matt. 10:1-9, Mark 16:14-18, Acts 1:8). The Bible teaches that Paul received a unique message which was a previously unrevealed secret (Eph. 6:19, Col. 4:3), and that the dispensation of this message was committed to him, just as the dispensation of the Law had been committed to Moses.
This new message proclaimed something which had NEVER been heard before: God now regarded both Jew and Gentile without distinction (Rom. 11:13, 1 Tim. 2:7, 2 Tim. 1:11) and that all may be saved through simple faith in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus for their sins, on their behalf, in their place. This is the dispensation in which we live--the dispensation of Grace and of Christ's revelation of the mystery (Rom. 16:25).
The dispensation in which we live saw the completion of God's revelation of Scripture (Col. 1:25-26), and it is by the gospel given to Paul which people today are saved (1 Cor. 15:2), established (Rom. 16:25), and will be judged (Rom. 2:16).
For these reasons, we believe that instruction on the way of salvation, the walk of the believer, and the purpose of the Body of Christ (the only true Church) are contained primarily in that portion of Scripture which Christ revealed to and through Paul. All other portions of Scripture must be balanced against Paul's (2 Timothy 2:15) in order to be properly understood and applied.
SALVATION/THE GOSPEL: Because God is love, His love for all mankind is UNCONDITIONAL. But because God is also perfectly righteous and infinitely holy, His forgiveness of man's sin is NOT unconditional. This is where the Gospel comes in.
The word gospel is simply Greek for "good news." The 'good news' for today is this: The Lord Jesus Christ -- God in the flesh -- died on the cross for our sins (Rom. 5:5 and 8), was buried, and rose again (1 Cor. 15:3-4) for our justification (Rom. 5:9), and that by grace through faith (Eph. 2:8-9, Heb. 11:1, Rom. 10:17). Salvation is a gift of God's grace, and is free to all through faith [simple trust] in Jesus Christ as the God-ordained, once for all, never-to-be-repeated sacrifice for all sin, completely apart from any religious works, rituals, and/or personal merit and effort. God's gift of salvation through Christ is an irrevocable gift, free for the asking. But one must hear, understand, and believe the Good News of God's grace to be saved (Rom 3:24-28; 5:1-9; Eph 2:8-9).
If one will not receive salvation through simple trust in the finished work of Christ alone, it is not received at all.
FALSE GOSPELS: Man is utterly sinful and so his religious efforts, no matter how well intended, cannot earn salvation. IF ONE WANTS TO BE RIGHT WITH GOD, ONE HAS TO DO IT GOD'S WAY. To mix the truth of God's pure grace with any degree of personal merit, religious rituals, ceremonies or even the observance of God's Law--in order to MAKE one right with God or to KEEP one right with God--is a satanic gospel that will condemn anyone who preaches it (Gal. 1:8-9).
THE CHURCH AND ITS MISSION: At this time, there is only one true Church, "which is His [Christ's] Body." Anyone who has heard, understood, and believed the Gospel of the grace of God is a member of this one true Church (whether they know it or not).
Despite the commonly held belief that the Church is to carry out the so-called "Great Commission" (Mark 16; Acts 2:38), we believe the Bible teaches we of the Body were never meant to do so.
Rather, Christians are to be the ministers of a different, NEWER message: the word of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:14-21). The core of this message is that "God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself." In this, we should follow the example of the apostle Paul (1 Cor 4:16; 11:1; Phil 3:17; 1 Tim 1:11-16) and his associates, who preached what Paul called "my gospel" (Rom 2:16; 16:25). This message is also called "the gospel of the grace of God" (Acts 20:24). We are also to endeavor to make all men see what is the dispensation of the mystery (Eph 3:8-9). THIS IS GOD'S WILL FOR THE CHURCH TODAY!
THE BELIEVER'S WALK: By reason of Christ's victory over sin and death, and by reason of His indwelling Spirit, all of the saved may experience deliverance from the power of sin by obeying Romans 6:11. This does not mean, however, that the believer's old sin nature is ever eradicated during this life (Rom 6:6-14; 8:37; Gal 5:16-25; 2 Cor 2:14; 10:2-5).
CHRISTIAN UNITY: We believe the Bible defines those who are "saved" during this age of grace as those who have been declared righteous by God on the sole basis of faith in the once-for-all, now-completed work of Christ. We gladly embrace as fellow members of Christ's Body all who believe that Christ died in their place, for their sins, and rose again from the dead for their justification.
We also believe that the highest expression of Christian fellowship on earth, as God intended it, must be based upon a knowledge of the mystery and the resulting unity of doctrine as expressed in the "seven ones" of Ephesians chapter 4. So while we seek and enjoy fellowship with Christians at all levels of spiritual maturity and edification (not that we ourselves have 'arrived'!), we hope with Paul that someday "all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God" (Ephesians 3:8-9).
WATER BAPTISM While nearly all denominations teach, preach, and practice some form of water baptism, we believe that this practice--while commanded by God in ages past--unquestionably focused on the nation Israel and God's ultimate purpose for her. But since God has temporarily set Israel aside as apostate and spiritually blind (Romans ch. 9-11), we believe the purpose and practice of water baptism has been divinely discontinued. As a result, water baptism has absolutely no place in the Body of Christ today.
According to the apostle Paul, there is "one baptism" (Eph 4:5) that God commands today: baptism BY the Holy Spirit INTO the Body of Christ. This divine baptism (1 Cor 12:13) is synonymous with salvation, in which God identifies the believer with Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. It is by this baptism that a person becomes a member of the one true Church, "which is His Body." LITERAL WATER IS NOT INVOLVED HERE, which is why water baptism is perhaps the most divisive doctrine in the history of Christianity.
For these reasons, we believe that to practice any form of water baptism today, for any reason is at best unscriptural and useless, and at worst a subtle form of works salvation. In either case, to defend water baptism is to disobey the distinctive, final revelation Christ gave to the apostle Paul (1 Cor 1:17; Eph 4:5).
MIRACLES: Miraculous sign gifts were specifically meant as a Messianic witness to an unrepentant and now-blinded Israel (1 Cor. 14:20-22). But with unrepentant Israel now spiritually blind, sign gifts have been discontinued.
That is not to say that God does not sovereignty perform miracles as He chooses to do so; we believe that He does. However, He no longer gives individuals the miraculous ability to perform "signs or wonders" that were seen during the Four Gospels/Acts period (1 Cor 13:8-11).
For these reasons, any seemingly miraculous powers displayed within the Church today must be considered to be from the flesh (the result of fakery or delusion), from demonic power, or from some combination of the two.
THE END TIMES: There is coming a distinct, yet-future period of time which Jesus foretold during His earthly ministry, and which is described in the book of Revelation. This will be the time of man's ultimate rejection of his Creator, the outpouring of His judgments upon the world, the promised redemption of Israel, and the setting up of the Messiah's Kingdom on earth, over which Jesus will rule and reign forevermore (Zech 14:4-9; Acts 1:10-11; Rev 19:22-16; 20:1-4).
But before this time begins, Christ will return to earth for His Church, which will be taken out of the way (1 Thess 4:13-18; Phil 3:20-21) before this time of tribulation begins.
Ultimately, upon Christ's second and final return to earth, will be the ultimate defeat and destruction of Satan, and the final judgment and eternal condemnation of the lost.
RESURRECTION: Jesus Christ was resurrected bodily from the dead (Luke 24:39-43). Therefore, according to 1 Cor 15:21, all men will likewise have a bodily resurrection (Acts 24:15). The saved dead will be raised to everlasting glory, and the unsaved dead will be raised to everlasting punishment (John 5:27; Rev 20:11-15).
ETERNITY: Because all believers are inseparably united in the Body of Christ and sealed with the Holy Spirit "unto the day of redemption" (Eph. 1:13; 4:30), all who are in Christ are eternally secure in Christ. Because God places all who believe beyond condemnation (Romans 8:1), salvation, once received, can in no way be lost. However, all who die apart from Christ are eternally condemned to be forever separate from Him.
The spiritual state in which one dies (in Christ or not in Christ) determines where he or she will spend eternity. So the teachings of universal salvation, of probation after death, of annihilation of the unsaved dead, and of the unconscious state of the dead (saved or unsaved) are opposed by us as unscriptural and spiritually dangerous doctrines (Luke 16:23-28; Phil 1:23; 2 Cor 5:6-8).