ARTICLE IV - ARTICLES OF FAITH
1. THE SCRIPTURES
We believe that the original texts of the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testaments are God-breathed. We believe the Scriptures, errorless in the original
documents, to be the Divine authority in all matters of faith and practice (II Tim. 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21).
2. GOD
We believe in the one and only true God who is spirit (John 4:24). He is self-existent, infinite, personal, unchangeable, and eternal in his being. He is perfect in
holiness, righteousness, love, justice, goodness, wisdom and truth. He is omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent. He is the creator and sustainer of all things
both visible and invisible. He is both immanent in and transcendent to the creation. He exists and reveals himself as three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
A. God the Father
We believe in God as our Father. In His nature and in His relationships we under-stand Him best as Father. While a human father imperfectly loves and
cares, the heavenly Father perfectly loves and cares.
He is good in all He does and in everything He gives, including His discipline. (Matt. 7:11; II Cor. 1:3; Eph. 4:6; Heb. 12:7-11). He is one with the Son who
reveals to man both His character and His love. (John 14:6-7; John 3:16).
B. God the Son (Jesus Christ)
We believe that Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, was made in the likeness of men. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary,
thus blending organically and permanently His divine nature with human nature in one, unique person without a third nature being formed (Matt. 1:18-25; John
1:14). The purpose of the incarnation was to reveal God and to redeem man. This redemption was accomplished by Christ's death and resurrection (I Cor.
15:3-4; I Peter 1:18-19, 2:24, 3:18; I John 2:1). He is the head of the church which is His body (Col. 1:18). He has an exalted position and ultimately every
knee shall bow and every tongue confess that He is Lord (Phil. 2:9-11).
C. God the Holy Spirit
We believe that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son (John 15:26). He convicts and convinces the world of sin, of righteousness and of
judgment. He restrains the progress of evil until God's purposes are accomplished (John 16:8-11; II Thess. 2:7). He indwells all believers (Rom. 9:9; I Cor.
6:19). He instructs, comforts, helps, guides, unites, and equips for service those He indwells (John 14: 16-18, 26; John 16:13; Acts 1:8; Rom. 8-26, 12:3-8;
Eph. 4:3-6, 11-16).
3. MAN
We believe that man was created by an immediate act of God (Gen. 2:7). He was created in the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:27). He was created in
order that he might glorify God and enjoy him forever (Isa. 43:6b-7).
We believe that man was confronted with a moral choice in the garden (Gen. 2:15-17). By voluntarily transgressing God's command, man lost his original sinless
condition (Rom. 5:12, 18) In consequence of this act of disobedience, the entire human race became involved in sin (Rom. 3:10-12).
Therefore all men are sinners and guilty before God, are dead in their sins and unable to save themselves (Rom. 3:23).
We believe that there are two eternal, conscious destinies for men; Heaven for the righteous and Hell for the unrighteous (John 5:28-29).
4. SALVATION
We believe that salvation is wholly of grace and free to all but is conditioned only upon repentance toward God and the acceptance of Christ by faith. (Eph. 2:8-9).
We believe that the scriptures teach that repentance must precede and accompany regeneration (Isa. 55:7; Mark 1:15). It is a necessary attitude of man as a
condition for a holy and just God to forgive man's sin.
We believe that faith is essential to salvation. It is the means by which the Word of God is received as true (Heb. 11:6). Faith is confidence that Jesus Christ
is the Son of God based upon scriptural evidence (John 20:31). It is both the gift of God and the response of man (Eph. 2:8).
God has always required that His people should be holy because He is holy (I Peter 1:16). Sanctification is that action whereby God sets apart his people from
sin. It is also a process in the Christian life involving the ministry of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer (I Thess. 5:23-24; Rom. 8:29, 12:1-2; John 17:17).
We believe that every Christian can have a valid sense of assurance concerning his salvation (I John 5:13). It is necessary to examine ourselves to see whether
our faith is genuine (II Cor. 13:5).
We believe in the bodily resurrection of Christ, and that because He lives we too shall live (II Cor. 15:22; I Thess. 4:16-17).
5. THE CHURCH
We believe in the universal church, a living, spiritual body of which Christ is the head and all regenerated persons regardless of name, race, nation, or generation
are members (Eph. 3:31; Heb. 13:33). It is a New Testament institution, unknown to the Old Testament prophets (Rom. 16:25), revealed to the Apostles (Rom.
16:26; Eph. 3:3-6), established by Jesus (Matt. 16:18; 18:15-20), empowered and perpetuated by the Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:8; 2:1-13, 41-47), and without
division (I Cor. 12:25-26; Eph. 2:13-18).
We believe that the local church, as part of that body, is composed of a group of believers in Christ. These believers, having been baptized on a profession of
faith, have voluntarily joined together for the glory of God, and to the glory of God. This body is devoted to one another in love so that the church can fulfill its
purpose and mission (I Cor. 12:13,27; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:19-22; Col. 1:18-20; Rev. 5:9).
We believe that the purpose of the church is to glorify God through worship and faithful participation in its God-given mission (Rom. 15:5-6; Eph. 1:11-14; I Peter
4:11), and that the mission of the church is that of giving the gospel of Jesus Christ to a lost world by making disciples in such a way that those disciples will
become a force for restraining evil and producing righteousness in the world. (Mark 16:15-16; Eph. 4:11-15; I Cor. 12:12-28; Matt 28:18-20; Acts 1:8; 2:42-47).
We believe that God gives to the members of His body, the church, spiritual gifts that each member is to use to help build that body of believers up and prepares
them to do the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:11-16).
A spiritual gift is a special endowment or ability given by the Holy Spirit to an individual Christian for the benefit of the church (I Cor. 12:14).
We believe that water baptism was instituted by Christ and symbolizes the experience of regeneration and union with Him (Matt. 28:19). It is a public confession
of the believer's identification with Christ in his death, burial and resurrection (Col. 2:12). Baptism is to be administered to believers only, in the name of the
Father, Son and the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:36-38).
We believe that the Lord's Supper is a memorial of Christ's death, a center of communion and fellowship, a testimony of saving faith and assurance of His
promised return (I Cor. 11:27-29).
We believe that the destiny of the church is to be forever with the Lord (I Thess. 4:17), and be to the praise of Christ's glory (Eph. 1:12; 2:7, 5:23-33).
6. THE FINAL THINGS
A. The second advent of Christ
We believe in the personal, visible and premillennial return of Christ.
"...This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven." Acts 1:11b
"...I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be
where I am." John 14:2b-3
Also see: Mark 13:22-27
This will be accomplished in two phases. First, Christ will descend from heaven to claim his waiting bride, the living Church, and departed believers.
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ
will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord
forever." 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
He will descend with his saints to establish the long-promised kingdom and will reign upon the earth for one thousand years.
I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their
testimony for Jesus and because of the Word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their
hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the
first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God
and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. Revelation 20:4-6
Also see: Daniel 7:13-14, Luke 1:32-33; 21:25-26; II Thessalonians 1:3-10; Revelation 5:9-10
B. The Judgments
We believe the believer's works will be judged for rewards at the judgment seat of Christ at the time of his coming, his sins having been judged in Christ upon
the cross.
I tell you the truth, whoever hears my words and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, he has crossed over from death to life.
John 5:24
...For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. Romans 14:10c, 12
Also see: I Corinthians 3:8-15, 4:5; II Timothy 4:8
The unbeliever will appear before God for judgment at the great white throne after the millennial reign of Christ. He will then be consigned to the lake of fire,
there to suffer torment forever and ever with the devil and his angels.
For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. Ecclesiastes 12:14
Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment...." Hebrews 9:27
Also see: Mark 9:43-48, Revelation 20:10-15