We believe the Holy scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the
verbally inspired Word of God, the final authority for faith and life, inerrant
in the original writings, infallible, and God-breathed (2 Timothy 3:16-17; 2
Peter 1:20-21; Matthew 5:18; John 14:26; 16:12-13).
2.02 - The Godhead
We believe in one triune God eternally existing in
three persons -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-eternal in being,
co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory, and having the same
attributes and perfections (Deuteronomy 6:4; 2 Corinthians 13:14).
2.03 - The Person and Work of Jesus Christ
(a) We believe that
the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, became man, without ceasing
to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin
Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men (John 1:1-2,
John 1:14; Luke 1:35; Isaiah 9:6, 7:14; Philippians 2:5-8).
(b) We believe that the
Lord Jesus Christ accomplished our redemption through his death on the cross
as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice; and, that our
justification is made sure by his literal, physical resurrection from the
dead (Romans 3:23-25; 1 Peter 1:3-5; 2:24; Ephesians 1:7).
(c) We believe that the
Lord Jesus Christ ascended to Heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand
of God, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the offices of
Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Hebrews 9:24; 7:25;
Romans 8:34; and
1 John 2:1-2).
2.04 - The Person and Work of the Holy Spirit
(a) We believe that
the Holy Spirit is a person who convicts the world of sin, of
righteousness, and of judgment; and that He is the supernatural agent in
regeneration, baptizing all believers into the body of Christ, indwelling
and sealing them unto the day of redemption (John 16:8-11; 2 Corinthians
3:6; 1 Corinthians 12:12-14; Romans 8:9; Ephesians 1:13-14).
(b)
We believe that He is
the divine teacher who assists believers to understand and appropriate the
Scriptures and that it is the privilege and duty of all the saved to be
filled with the Spirit
(1 John 2:20; 1 John 2:27; Ephesians 5:18).
2.05 - The Total Depravity of Man
We believe that man was created in the image and
likeness of God, but that in Adam's sin the race fell, inherited a sinful
nature, and became alienated from God; and that man is himself utterly unable
to remedy his lost condition (Genesis 1:26-27; Romans 3:22-23; Ephesians
2:1-3, 12).
2.06 - Salvation
We believe that salvation is the free gift of God
brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus
Christ, Whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our
sins (Ephesians
2:8-10; John 1:12; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19; John 3:16).
2.07 - Separation
We believe that all the saved should live in such
a manner as not to bring reproach upon their Savior and Lord; and, that
separation from all religious apostasy, all worldly and sinful pleasures,
practices and associations is commanded of God (2 Timothy 3:1-5; Romans
12:1-2; 14:13; 1 John
2:15-17; 2 John 9-11; 2 Corinthians 6:14-7:1).
2.08 - The Second Advent of Christ
We believe in the personal and visible return of
Christ for His church (Acts 1:9-11; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Titus 2:13).
2.09 - The Eternal State
(a) We believe in the
bodily resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life, and the unsaved
to judgment and everlasting punishment (Matthew 25:46; John 5:28-29;
11:25-26; Revelation 20:5-6, 12-13).
(b) We believe the souls
of the redeemed are, at death, absent from the body and immediately present
with the Lord, where in conscious bliss they await the first resurrection,
when spirit, soul, and body are reunited to be glorified forever with the
Lord (Luke 23:43; Revelation 20:4-6; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:23;
3:21; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17).
(c) We believe that the
souls of unbelievers remain, after death, in conscious misery until the
second resurrection, when with soul and body reunited, they shall appear at
the Great White Throne Judgment, and shall be cast into the lake of fire,
not to be annihilated, but to suffer everlasting conscious punishment for
their sins (Luke 16:19-26; Matthew 25:41; Revelation 20:11-15).
2.10 - The Personality of Satan
We believe that Satan is a fallen angel, the
author of sin, and the cause of the fall of man; that he is the open and
declared enemy of God and man; and that he shall be eternally punished in the
lake of fire (Job 1:6-7; Isaiah 14:12-17; Matthew 4:2-11; 25:41; Revelation
20:2).
2.11 - Other Beliefs of Specific Interest
(a) We believe that to
add to, subtract from, twist, or change the Bible, or to intentionally
take the words of the Bible out of context for man's own purposes is an
act of heresy, and that those who do such things are heretics and not true
believers.
(b) We believe that
everything in the Bible is absolute truth and relevant to our lives today,
tomorrow, and forever.
(c) We believe that the
redemption of our sins took place at the point of Jesus' death on the cross.
(d) We believe that
Jesus did not descend to hell for three days after his death but that he was
immediately in the presence of God the Father at the point of his death.
(e) We believe that
while man was created by God, and in the image of God, man is not God, and
cannot become God.
(f) We believe that
faith is simply the complete trust and firm belief in God, who cannot be
physically perceived, but is very much alive and active in the spiritual
life of each of His followers. Faith is a belief, not a force, and has no
power to create or to change the mind or actions of God.
(g) We believe that the
Holy Bible consists of exactly 66 books, 39 from the Old Testament, and 27
from the New Testament.
2.12 - Extent of Our Faith
The foregoing statement of faith does not exhaust
the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole and final source of all
that we believe. We do believe, however, that the foregoing statement of faith
provides a true representation of the teaching of the Bible, and therefore, is
binding upon all persons serving or served by the Corporation.
