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Statement Of Faith
STATEMENT OF FAITH
We do not presume to say that this Statement of Faith represents the final word on Bible truth; and we shall probably have occasion to refine, revise, and enlarge parts of it as we pursue our way in God. This statement puts in the hands of the present membership a summary of the truths to which we bear witness, and also provides a basis for instructing those who are joined to us in the Lord.
1) THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD
We believe that God is not answerable to anyone for any of His actions. That as King, and Ruler of all, He exercises His Will without any accountability to none but Himself. There is no power nor person who is able to overturn, or make void the will and purpose of God. He does not seek counsel from anyone. He is the Creator of all and holds all things together in accordance with His Will, and for His good pleasure.
2) THE TRINITY
We believe that the Holy Scriptures reveal that while there is only one God, He is a trinity. God is the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost; these three being one. This oneness being of the same essence, nature, and purpose.
3) THE VIRGIN BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST
We believe that Jesus Christ was born of a virgin, conceived by the Holy Ghost. This was God revealed in the flesh as predicted the Holy Scriptures. His birth was both a miracle and a mystery. Jesus Christ was fully man and fully God. Because of this miraculous birth He became the only mediator between God and man.
4) THE SUBSITUTIONARY DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST
We believe that the death of Jesus Christ was and is a substitutionary death that becomes effective for all those who put faith in Jesus Christ as savior. Substitutions meaning all of the full impact of the wages of sin being paid once and for all through the death of Jesus Christ. When Christ died, we died. This great truth must be reckoned and accounted as fact for all believers.
5) THE DEITY OF JESUS CHRIST
We believe that Jesus Christ is God, having all of the attributes, qualities, nature and character belonging to God. He made Himself to be equal with God, because He was God, and is God.
6) THE BODILY RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST
We believe that Jesus Christ arose bodily from the grave. His resurrection was a complete and total resurrection. His bodily resurrection gives hope that we too one day will experience a bodily resurrection.
7) THE TOTAL DEPRAVITY OF MANKIND
We believe that due to sin, man is totally depraved. He is born in sin. He is dead in his sins and trespasses, and therefore has no capacity to respond to God. There is none that does good there is none that seeks after God. It is because of man's total depravity, that God has to extend grace and cause life to enter into death and cause resurrection and new life to dead men.
8) SALVATION BY GRACE ALONE THROUGH FAITH ALONE
We believe that salvation is provided by God by His grace alone. No one earns salvation. No one is able to fulfill the requirements for true righteousness. So God therefore gives it as a gift. This gift however, can only be received through faith. It is a receiving of the gift that God gives that is based on the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, His Son. Good works do not produce salvation, but salvation produces good works.
9) THE NECESSITY OF BEING BORN AGAIN FOR SALVATION
We believe that one must be born again, by the Spirit of God in order to enter into the Kingdom of God. There is nothing of the human nature or flesh that is suitable for heaven. Reformation is not good enough. God provides a total new creation that is initiated through the new birth. We become partakers of God's nature through the new birth. It is only natural that that which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the spirit is spirit. This new birth is a spiritual birth that all children of God must experience.
10) THE DEITY AND PERSONAGE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit is God. We believe that He is a person; that He has all of the characteristics of personage. Holy Scripture reveals that the Holy Spirit can be grieved, that He comforts, that He teaches, that He leads, and that He strengthens. The Holy Spirit is not an influence, a power or anything else that lacks personage. He should never be referred to as "it". He is holy and possesses all of the attributes, qualities, nature and character of God. He is God.
11) THE BAPTISM, FILLING AND EMPOWERMENT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT
We believe that all believers receive the Holy Spirit at the point of regeneration or being born again. After the new birth, there are times of being filled with the Spirit; of being empowered by the Spirit, and being emerged, united or baptized by the Spirit. We believe that the experience of empowering, filling and being baptized by the Spirit can be different and not limited to only one manifestation. We believe that in any case the Holy Spirit's work results in enabling the believer for service in the Kingdom of God throughout the world wherever He may send His servants.
12) THE UNITY AND INTERDEPENDENCY OF THE BODY OF CHRIST
We believe that there is only one body, the church of Jesus Christ; and that each member of the body is dependent of other members of the body. We are members one of another. No member of the body is less important than another member. In fact God bestows more abundant honor on those members that seem less important so that there will be no schism in the body.
13) THE COMMISSION OF THE CHURCH TO MAKE DISCIPLES
We believe that the major focus of the church is to make disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe to do all that He taught us.
14) THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT
We believe that believers should grow and manifest the fruit of the Spirit of God, which are listed in Galatians 5. We believe that believers should be as concerned about the evidence of the fruit of the Spirit as with the evidence of the gifts of the Spirit. For the fruit of the Spirit is the power that makes the gifts of the Spirit effective.
15) THE GIFTS OF THE SPIRIT
We believe that the Holy Spirit gives all believers several gifts. These gifts enable all believers to function effectively in service to others both within and without the Kingdom of God. These gifts are supernatural, and work in the spiritual realm. The Holy Spirit as He sees fit gives the gifts. These gifts will empower and provide believers to do the work and will of God in service to others. Gifts are not given for show, but for work. They are empowered by the power of God. Believers must know how to move in their gifts under the control and direction of the Holy Spirit and their spirit. Believers must know how to serve in an orderly and decent way. The body is to be edified and built up as a result of the gifts. The possessor of the gift should not use the gift to edify himself; it is given for body ministry.
16) THE INERRANCY, SUFFICIENCY AND AUTHORITY OF SCRIPTURE
We believe that the Bible, Holy Scripture is inerrant. It has no errors in the original autographs. Translation may have produced some minor errors, but still with these small errors, the bible is without mistake. We believe that the bible is all that man needs to meet his every need. It is sufficient for doctrine, for instruction, for correction; it can equip anyone for righteousness in every way. It is the plum line for all discovery and discernment of truth. As such, we believe that the Holy Scriptures are the first line of authority in the believers life. The Word of God is to be obeyed, and every activity and intention of the church and each member must conform to it's teachings.
17) SANCTIFICATION; PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE
We believe that believers experience sanctification as a past act through the death of Jesus Christ; as a present act as the Holy Spirit through the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us; as a future act when we shall be changed and made like Jesus Christ experiencing the fullness of sanctification..
18) THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST
We believe that Jesus Christ is Lord. Once one is born again, Christ becomes Lord over the believer. He is the Head of His body of which each believer belongs. His life is no longer his, but belongs totally to Jesus Christ. Believers are to be totally submissive to Him, obedient to Him, honoring Him as Lord.
19) JUSTIFICATION
We believe that all believers are justified totally and completely by the blood of Jesus Christ. This justification is a position that the believer has as a result of the atonement provided by Christ. God sees us as if we had no sin, because Jesus became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God.
20) THE IMMINENT RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST
We believe that Jesus Christ will return again. That there are no prophesies needing to be fulfilled before He returns. So He could come at anytime. We believe that no one knows the day nor the hour when He will return. All believers should therefore live as if it could happen today.
ORDINANCES AND SACRAMENTS
We hold that the following ordinances and ceremonies are in keeping with the harmony of the Scriptures and are therefore to be observed by the Church. We further believe that the ordinances and sacraments are to be administered by a New Covenant minister.
1. Water Baptism Those who have been made partakers of Christ's death by faith in His shed blood must participate in His burial and resurrection for the circumcision of heart. (Genesis 17:1-14; John 3:1-6; Acts 2:38; Romans 2:28-29; 6:3-10; Colossians 2:9-13; I Peter 3:18-22; I John 5:8). See Article III, Number 6.
2. The Lord's Supper The Lord's Supper is a memorial of the covenant made with God through God through the blood of Christ. It is a continuation of the eternal covenant of the Passover Feast which God commanded the Israelites to observe. Those who have made covenant with God through the blood of Christ and have received the sign of circumcision of heart are commanded to partake. The church partakes of the Lord's Supper as one body with each member in fellowship adding to the blessedness of the experience. (Exodus 29:4; 30:17-21; Luke 14:11; 22:24 27; John 13:1-5; Galatians 6:1).
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