Doctrinal Statement

We believe that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God” since “holy men of God were moved by the Holy Spirit” to write the very words of God (Mk. 12:36; Acts 1:16; 1 Cor. 2:13; 2 Tim. 3:16; 2 Pet. 1:20-21). We believe that God the Holy Spirit, in the act of inspiration, so superintended the writing of Scripture that He used the individual personalities and different writing styles of the human writers to compose and record His very Word to man without any errors whatsoever (Matt. 5:18; 2 Tim. 3:16). We affirm that this divine, verbal, plenary, and inerrant inspiration extended equally and fully to all parts of the writings, whether historical, scientific, poetical, doctrinal, or prophetic in subject matter. We believe that only the thirty-nine books of the Old Testament canon and the twenty-seven books of the New Testament canon were divinely inspired. We believe the Holy Spirit’s unique, miraculous act of verbal, plenary, inerrant inspiration was given only to the original autographs of these canonical books and not to subsequent copies or translations (2 Pet. 1:20-21); but to the degree such subsequent copies and translations accurately reflect the inerrant originals, they truly possess the quality of divine inspiration (2 Tim. 3:16). We also affirm that God has faithfully and providentially preserved His inspired Word among the multitude of extant manuscripts, but not exclusively in any one translation, manuscript, family of manuscripts, or text-type, since Scripture nowhere states such an exclusive manner of preservation (2 Kings 22:3-13; 2 Chronicles 34:14-30; Psalm 119:152, Psalm 160; Isaiah 40:8; 1 Pet. 1:23-25).
We believe that all of Scripture centers around the Lord Jesus Christ in His person and work at His First and Second Comings; and hence that no portion, even of the Old Testament, is properly read or understood until it leads to Him (Luke 24:27, 44; John 5:39, John 46; Acts 10:43, Acts 17:2-3, Acts 18:28, Acts 26:22-23, Acts 28:23). We also believe that Scripture is designed by God for our practical instruction and should result in personal spiritual application (Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:11; James 1:19-25).

We believe the Bible is the only infallible rule for all faith and practice, and it is therefore solely sufficient (apart from human wisdom and ecclesiastical tradition) to lead an individual to salvation and to equip and mature those already saved (Mk. 7:1-13; 2 Tim. 3:15-17; Jam. 1:18; 1 Pt. 1:23). The Scriptures, in conjunction with the ministry of the Holy Spirit, are entirely adequate for every spiritual or emotional problem and in no need of any supplement from secular psycho-therapies (Jn. 17:17; Acts 20:32; 1 Cor. 3:5-10; Eph. 4:11-16). We further believe that Scripture is the fresh and present voice of Christ by which He communicates through the Holy Spirit to His people (Col. 3:16); and therefore, we believe that no further revelatory, prophetic word has been, or will be, given throughout this Church Age beyond the twenty-seven books of the New Testament completed in the first century by the apostles and prophets of our Lord (Mk. 16:20; Eph. 2:20; Heb. 2:2-3).

We believe that the Godhead eternally exists in three persons – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:26, 3:22, 11:7; Is. 63:7-14; Mt. 3:16-17, 28:19; Jn. 1:14, 18; 2 Cor. 13:14; Col. 2:9; Heb. 1:1-3). We believe that these three are one God (Deut. 6:4; Mk. 12:29), having precisely the same nature, attributes, and perfections, being equally worthy of worship, faith, and obedience. We believe that God is the absolute and sole Creator of the universe (Gen. 1:1; Job 26:7, 38:4; Ps. 104:2-5; Jer. 32:17), that each member of the Trinity was involved in creation (Gen. 1:2; Job 26:13; Ps. 104:30; Jn. 1:3; Col. 1:16), and that God created everything ex nihilo (out of nothing) and by divine fiat in six literal days rather than through an evolutionary process (Gen. 1:3, 6, 9, 14, 20, 24, 26, 31; Ex. 20:11; Ps. 33:6-9; Rom. 4:17; Heb. 11:3; 2 Pt. 3:5). Being the sovereign Creator of the universe, all glory rightly belongs to God alone, and to this supreme end, all creation exists (Ps. 19:1; Is. 42:8; 1 Cor. 1:31, 10:31; 1 Tim. 1:17; Jude 2:5; Rev. 4:11, 5:12-14, 15:4).

We believe that God the Father, the First Person of the Trinity, orders and disposes all things according to His own purpose and grace (Ps. 145:8-9; 1 Cor. 8:6; Eph. 1:11). As the only absolute and omnipotent ruler in the universe, He is sovereign in creation, providence, and redemption (Ps. 103:19, 115:3; Dan. 4:34-35; Rom. 11:36). He continually upholds, directs, and governs all creatures and events (1 Chr. 29:11; Mt. 6:25-32). Being eternally perfect, God is incapable of change (Num. 23:19; Mal. 3:6; Heb. 13:8; Jam. 1:17). In His omniscience, nothing is unknown to Him, since He knows with perfect and exhaustive knowledge all things past, present, and future, all things actual and possible, including every volitional choice of His creatures (Ps. 40:5, 139:1-6, 147:5; Is. 46:10; Mt. 10:29-30; Rom. 11:33; Heb. 4:13). In His sovereignty He is neither author nor approver of sin (Hab. 1:13; Jn. 8:38-47), nor does He abridge the accountability of moral, intelligent creatures (Rom. 1:18-20; Heb. 4:13; 1 Pt. 1:17). He saves from sin and makes all who come to Him through Jesus Christ His own (Jn. 1:12; Heb. 12:5-9; 1 Jn. 3:1-3), and He becomes upon adoption, Father to His own (Rom. 8:15; Gal. 4:5; Eph. 1:5).

We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Trinity, is the eternal Son of God, being the only begotten Son of the Father, even before His incarnation (Ps. 2:12; Pro. 30:4; Dan. 3:25; Mk. 12:6; Jn. 1:18, 3:16-17, 16:28; Gal. 4:4; 1 Jn. 4:9-10, 14-15). At His incarnation, Christ in His humanity was miraculously conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary (Is. 7:14; Mt. 1:18-25; Lk. 1:34-35; Gal. 4:4). We believe that at Christ’s incarnation, He willingly surrendered only the prerogatives of deity, taking the posture of a servant in subjection to the Father’s will, while at no time being divested of any of His divine attributes (Jn. 5:30; Phil. 2:5-8). He became incarnate for the purpose of revealing God to man (Jn. 1:18, 14:7-9; Col. 1:15; Heb. 1:2-3), reconciling sinful man to God (Mt. 1:21, 20:28; Lk. 19:10; Jn. 1:29, 12:27; 2 Cor. 5:18-19; Gal. 4:4-5; 1 Tim. 1:15; Heb. 2:9, 14; 1 Jn. 3:5), and ultimately reigning as the Messiah of Israel and the world (Is. 9:6-7, 11:1-16; Dan. 7:13-14; Zech. 6:12-13; Lk. 1:32-33; Jn. 1:49, 18:33-37; 1 Cor. 15:24-25; Rev. 5:5-7, 19:11-20:9). Christ was born a descendant of Adam (Lk. 3:23-38), yet unstained by and incapable of sin (Mt. 4:1-11; Jn. 8:46; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15, 7:26-28; 1 Pt. 1:19, 2:22; 1 Jn. 3:5), being born in the lineage of Abraham and David (Mt. 1:1-17; Rom. 1:3); and as such, He exists forevermore as one person with two distinct natures, being both fully human (Mt. 4:2; Lk. 24:39-43; Jn. 1:14, 4:6, 11:35, 19:28; 1 Jn. 4:2; 2 Jn. 7) and fully God (Jn. 1:1; Jn. 5:15-18; Jn. 8:58; Jn. 10:30-31; Rom. 9:5; Phil. 2:6; Col. 1:19, 2:9; Heb. 1:6, 8; 1 Jn. 5:20; Rev. 1:8, 11, 17-18).

We believe that the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary was a representative, vicarious, and substitutionary sacrifice for all the sins of all humanity, including the non-elect (Mt. 20:28; Rom. 3:24-25; 2 Cor. 5:14-15; 1 Tim. 2:1-6, 4:10; Heb. 2:9; 1 Pt. 2:24, 3:18; 2 Pt. 2:1; 1 Jn. 2:2). Based solely upon the efficacy of Christ’s death, any sinner who trusts in the Lord Jesus Christ for his salvation is freed from sin’s penalty (Rom. 6:23), from sin’s reigning position of power in his life (Rom. 6:1-13), and one day from the very presence of sin (1 Jn. 3:2, 5); and on this same basis, such a person is declared righteous by God, forgiven of all sins, and given eternal life (Rom. 3:24-26, 5:9-10, 8:31-34; Eph. 1:7, 4:32; Col. 1:14).

We believe that the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead was literal and physical, in the sense that He rose permanently from the dead in the same physical body in which He died and that His resurrected, glorified body is by nature both material and visible, though also spiritual (Mt. 28:9; Lk. 24:39; Jn. 2:19-22; 20:17, 20:27, 21:13; Acts 1:3, 2:22-32; 1 Cor. 15:44-46). By Christ’s resurrection, God the Father confirmed the deity of His Son (Rom. 1:4) and gave proof that He accepted the propitiatory work of Christ on the cross (Rom. 4:25). The miraculous resurrection of Christ from the dead guarantees the salvation (Rom. 4:25, 5:10, 8:34; 1 Pt. 1:3-5) and future bodily resurrection of all believers in Him (Jn. 5:21, 24-29; 14:19; Rom. 8:9-11; 1 Cor. 15:20-23). 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 ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate (Acts 1:9-10; Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25, 9:24; 1 Jn. 2:1-2).

We believe that Jesus Christ will return to receive the true church, which is His body, unto Himself at the Pre-Tribulational Rapture, and He will return to the earth with His church in glory following the Tribulation, whereupon He will establish His millennial kingdom on earth (Acts 1:9-11; 1 Th. 4:13-18; Rev. 19-20). As the Mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2:5), the Head of His corporate body, the Church (Eph. 1:22; 5:23; Col. 1:18), and the coming universal King Who will reign on the throne of David (Is. 9:6; Lk. 1:31-33), He is the final judge of all who fail to place their trust in Him as personal Savior (Mt. 25:14-46; Jn. 5:22; Acts 17:30-31).

We believe that the Holy Spirit is fully God (Is. 6:9-10 cf. Acts 28:25-27; Acts 5:1-4) and that He is a person (Acts 8:29, 10:19-20, 13:2; 1 Cor. 2:10-11, 12:11; Eph. 4:30), being the Third Person of the Trinity, not merely an impersonal force. In the relationship of the members within the Triune Godhead, the Holy Spirit proceeds from both the Father (Ps. 104:30; Jn. 14:16, 26, 15:26) and the Son (Jn. 16:7; Rom. 8:9; Gal. 4:6; Phil. 1:19; 1 Pt. 1:11), being functionally subordinate to, and executing the will of, the First and Second Persons of the Trinity.

Though omnipresent from all eternity, He took up His abode in the world in a unique sense on the day of Pentecost according to the divine promise (Mt. 3:11; Lk. 3:16; Jn. 14:16-17, 16:7; Acts 1:4-5, 2:1-4, 11:15-18; Gal. 3:14), and now indwells every believer in Christ (Jn. 7:37-39, 14:17; Acts 10:43-47, 11:17, 19:2; Rom. 8:9; 1 Cor. 6:19; Eph. 2:22) in this Church Age. By His baptism, the Holy Spirit unites all believers to Christ in one body (1 Cor. 12:12-13; Gal. 3:26-28), and He, as the Indwelling One, is the source of all power and all acceptable worship and service (Jn. 4:24; Rom. 8:13, 15:13, 16; 2 Tim. 1:14; 1 Pt. 1:22). We believe that He never takes His departure from the Church, nor from the feeblest of saints (Jn. 14:16; 1 Cor. 3:1-4 cf. 6:19; Gal. 3:2-3; Eph. 1:13-14 cf. 4:30) but is ever present to testify of Christ, seeking to occupy believers with Him and not with themselves nor with their own experiences (Jn. 15:26, 16:13-15; 1 Pt. 1:11-12). We believe that His abode in the world in this special way will cease when Christ comes to receive His own at the completion of the Church (2 Th. 2:6-7 cf. Gen. 6:3).

We believe that, in this age, certain well-defined ministries are committed to the Holy Spirit, and that it is the duty of every Christian to understand them and to be adjusted to them in his own life and experience. These ministries are: the restraining of evil in the world to the measure of the divine will (2 Th. 2:3-12); the convicting of the world regarding sin, righteousness, and judgment (Jn. 16:7-11); the regenerating of all believers at the moment of faith in Christ (Jn. 3:6; Ti. 3:5); the indwelling and anointing of all who are saved, thereby sealing them unto the day of redemption (2 Cor. 1:21-22; Eph. 1:13, 4:30; 1 Jn. 2:20-27); the baptizing into the one body of Christ of all who are saved (Mt. 3:11; Lk. 3:16; Acts 1:5, 11:16; 1 Cor. 12:12-13); and the continued enablement via the filling of the Holy Spirit for growth, teaching, and service of all those among the saved who are yielded to and dependent on Jesus Christ and who are subject to His will (Rom. 6:11-13, 8:4, 13; 1 Cor. 2:12-13; Gal. 5:16, 25; Eph. 5:18).

We believe that angels are created spirit-beings (Col. 1:16) and are therefore not to be worshiped (Mt. 4:8-11; Col. 2:18; Rev. 19:10, 22:9-10). Although they are a higher order of creation than man (Heb. 2:6-7), they were created to serve God and to worship Him (Lk. 2:9-14; Heb. 1:6-7, 14; Rev. 5:11-14). We believe that there are now strictly two fixed categories of angels, those that are holy and elect (Mk. 8:38; Lk. 9:36; 1 Tim. 5:21; Rev. 14:10) and those who have followed Satan in rebellion against God and are therefore his demons (Mt. 25:41; Rev. 12:3-4, 7-9). We believe that Satan is also a created angel (Ezek. 28:13-15), and he is the author of sin in the universe and the cause of the fall in both the angelic realm (Is. 14:12-17; Ezek. 28:12-19; Rev. 12:4) and in the human realm starting with the temptation of Eve (Gen. 3:1-5, 14-15; Jn. 8:44; 1 Jn. 3:8). Satan and his demons are therefore the open and declared enemies of God and mankind (Gen. 3:1, 4-5; 1 Chr. 21:1; Job 1:6-2:8; Zech. 3:1-2; Eph. 6:11-12, 16; Rev. 12:1-17), and no redemption has been or will be provided for them (Heb. 2:9, 16; 1 Pt. 1:10-12). We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ has already overcome Satan and his demons and that they have incurred the judgment of God (Gen. 3:15; Jn. 12:31, 16:11; Eph. 1:19-22; Col. 2:15; Heb. 2:14-15). Though Satan and many of his demons have been permitted by God to continue functioning in this present world (1 Th. 2:18; 2 Th. 2:9; Jam. 4:7; 1 Pt. 5:8-9; Rev. 2:13, 13:2), they await their certain, future, eternal punishment in the Lake of Fire (Mt. 25:41; Rom. 16:20; Rev. 19:20, 20:10). We also maintain that the believer in Christ is removed from Satan’s authority and dominion (Acts 26:18; Eph. 2:1-6; Col. 1:13), and that while a true believer may be an object of severe demonic oppression and attack (1 Cor. 7:5; 2 Cor. 2:11, 12:7), he cannot be possessed or indwelt in body, soul, or spirit by a demon (Mt. 12:29, 43-45; 1 Cor. 6:19-20; Eph. 1:13, 4:30; 1 Jn. 4:4, 13).

We believe that man was originally, directly, and uniquely created in the image of God (Gen. 1:26-27, 5:1); but through Adam’s fall into sin, the entire human race has become totally depraved before God. Though we believe that every member of the human race is born totally depraved, we also recognize that man has retained the image of God subsequent to the fall, and therefore he has retained his unique and inherent dignity before God (Gen. 9:6; 1 Cor. 11:7; Jam. 3:9). God originally created man with the intention that he should glorify God, enjoy God’s fellowship, live life in the will of God, and by this accomplish God’s purposes in this world (Is. 43:7; Col. 1:16; Rev. 4:11). However, we believe that as a consequence of his sin, Adam first died spiritually toward God in the sense that he became relationally separated from God in trespasses and sins (Gen. 2:17, 3:6-10; Rom. 5:12), and he became subject to sin (Rom. 6:14-20) and the power of the Devil (Eph. 2:2; Heb. 2:14-15; 1 Jn. 3:8), and later he also died physically (Gen. 5:1-5; 1 Tim. 5:6). We believe that Adam’s spiritual death and total depravity of human nature has been transmitted to the entire human race (1 Cor. 15:21-22; Eph. 2:1-3), the Man Christ Jesus alone being excepted. We believe that by nature no man possesses even a spark of divine life, and therefore every member of the human race is in need of a second birth or regeneration from God (Jn. 3:3-7, 6:53; Eph. 4:18).

We believe that the depravity of man is total because: depravity is universal among mankind (Gen. 6:5, 11-12; Ps. 14:1-3; Eccl. 7:20; Is. 53:6; Rom. 3:9-19); depravity extends to man’s very nature (Eph. 2:3, 4:17-19); man is depraved from the very moment of conception (Gen. 8:21; Ps. 51:5, 58:3; Is. 48:8); man is essentially and unchangeably bad apart from divine grace (Jer. 17:9; Mk. 7:20-23; Rom. 7:18); all descendants of Adam are sinners by imputation (Rom. 5:12-19), inherited nature (Rom. 7:17-18, 20-21), and individual choice (Rom. 3:23); all are guilty before God and the objects of His wrath (Jn. 3:36; Rom. 3:19; Gal. 3:22; Eph. 2:3, 5:6); and finally, man is totally depraved because he is completely incapable of regenerating himself (Jn. 1:13; Eph. 2:4-5; Col. 2:13; Jam. 1:18) or doing any work which can merit salvation from God (Is. 64:6; Rom. 8:6-7; Eph. 2:8-9; Ti. 3:5-7).

We furthermore believe that unless God graciously works by taking the pre-salvation initiative in convicting, enlightening, and drawing man to Himself, no man could even believe in Christ and be saved (Gen. 3:8-9, 6:3; Mt. 16:17; Lk. 10:21-22; Jn. 1:9, 3:27, 6:44, 65, 12:32, 16:8-11; Acts 16:14, 18:27). However, we do not believe that man, by virtue of being in an unregenerate state, is incapable of responding to God’s gracious drawing by faith with his own volition and will (Acts 10:1-11:18); nor do we believe that such a faith-response is deemed meritorious by God since it relies solely upon the work and merits of Christ (Rom. 3:27-28, 4:5, 16); nor do we believe that such faith is the direct gift of God given only to the elect, but rather salvation is the gift (Rom. 6:23; Eph. 2:8); nor do we believe that regeneration precedes faith either logically or chronologically (Jn. 3:15-16, 20:31; Rom. 1:17; Gal. 3:2, 11; Eph. 1:13; 1 Tim. 1:16).

We believe that all the regenerate were elected individually to salvation (Acts 13:48; Rom. 8:28-33; 1 Th. 1:3-5; 2 Th. 2:13-14; 2 Tim. 2:10) in eternity past (2 Tim. 1:9; Rev. 13:8, 17:8). We believe that regenerated members of this Church Age were also elected corporately in eternity past to a position in the Chosen One Himself, Jesus Christ (Is. 42:1; Eph. 1:4; 1 Pt. 2:4, 6, 9). Election was truly based on God’s own sovereign and gracious will (Eph. 1:5-6, 11; 2 Tim. 1:9), since God in His justice was not obligated to grant eternal salvation even to lost sinners who place their trust in Him – and yet He freely chose to do so. Though God would have been perfectly just in allowing sinful mankind to perish eternally (Dt. 32:4; Ps. 97:2; Rom. 1:18-20, 2:1-5, 5:16, 18), He is also a God of great love and mercy, and therefore He established a plan for lost humanity whereby He freely chose to save all those whom He foreknew would choose, out of their own volition, to trust in His Son for eternal salvation. We affirm, therefore, that God’s sovereignty was not diminished in the least by man’s will or choice to believe, since the prerogative and decision to elect believers was strictly God’s and was not determined or caused by man. We believe this doctrine of conditional election is Scriptural because:

1. In the only two passages in all of Scripture where the divine order is mentioned, God’s foreknowledge (which is not causative) is said to have preceded His election and predestination of believers (Rom. 8:29; 1 Pt. 1:2); and just as God had prior knowledge of man’s sin-problem and determined to send His Son accordingly (Acts 2:23, 3:13-18, 4:27-28; 1 Pt. 1:18-20; Rev. 13:8), so God in His omniscience must have foreknown those who would believe and elected them accordingly.
2. In Scripture, God consistently offers salvation to all based upon the condition of faith, without ever distinguishing that the offer is only for the elect (Is. 45:22, 52:10-53:1, 55:1; Mt. 11:28; Jn. 1:12, 3:16, 4:10; Acts 10:43, 11:17-18, 17:30-31; Ti. 2:11; Rev. 21:6).
3. In Scripture, God consistently treats the unregenerate as though they are volitionally capable of choosing His will, without first having to be regenerated by God and given the gift of faith as those whom He has unconditionally elected (Dt. 30:19-20; Josh. 24:15; 1 Kg. 18:21; Is. 1:18-20; Jn. 7:17; Rev. 22:17).
4. In Scripture, God consistently holds man exclusively responsible for his eternal condemnation due to his willful unbelief and rejection of Christ and not due to any supposed unwillingness on the part of God to save the non-elect (Mt. 7:13-14, 23:37; Lk. 13:34; Jn. 1:10-12, 3:18-21, 5:40; Acts 7:51, 13:46-48, 17:11-12, 28:17-27; Rom. 1:18-20; 2 Th. 1:8-10, 2:10-14).
5. It is inconsistent with the just and loving character of God revealed in Scripture (Dt. 32:4; Jer. 9:24; Lam. 3:22; Ezek. 18:23, 32, 33:11; Jn. 3:16-17), in addition to His expressly revealed desire to save all mankind (1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Pt. 3:9), for God to have unconditionally chosen to salvation only the minority of mankind while choosing not to unconditionally elect the rest of humanity.

We therefore reject, as unscriptural, the Calvinist doctrine of unconditional election, believing rather that God’s election to individual salvation was conditioned upon personal faith for all those who would be mentally capable of such a volitional choice. However, in contrast to conditional, individual election to salvation, we do believe that God unconditionally elected the nation of Israel, the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to be His uniquely blessed representatives above all the other nations of the world (Gen. 12:1-3, 17:19, 25:19-26, 28:10-15; Dt. 7:6-8, 14:2; Ps. 135:4; Is. 41:8-9, 43:10, 44:1-2; Mal. 1:1-4; Rom. 9:1-13, 10:19-11:36).

We believe that salvation is wholly of God (Jon. 2:9), by His grace alone (Eph. 2:8), on the basis of the redeeming work of Jesus Christ and the merit of His shed blood (Rom. 3:24-25; Eph. 1:7; 1 Pt. 1:18-19), and not on the basis of human merit or works (Eph. 2:8-10; Ti. 3:5). We believe that when an unregenerate person exercises personal faith in Christ alone he passes immediately out of spiritual death and into spiritual life (Jn. 5:24; 1 Jn. 5:11-13), and from the old creation into the new (2 Cor. 5:17). We believe that justification before God is the instantaneous, permanent, judicial declaration by God Himself that we are righteous in His sight because we have His very own righteousness imputed to us (Rom. 4:2, 6, 11, 22-24, 8:33; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Cor. 5:21). This justification is by God’s grace alone (Rom. 3:24; Ti. 3:7), through faith alone in Christ alone (Rom. 1:16, 3:28, 4:4-5, 5:1; 2 Tim. 3:15), and for the glory of God alone (Rom. 3:26-27; Gal. 6:14; Eph. 1:14, 2:5-9). Each believer in Christ is now justified from all things before God (Acts 13:39), accepted as Christ His Son is accepted, loved as Christ is loved, having his place and portion as linked to Him and united with Him forever (Jn. 17:23; Eph. 1:6, 5:29-30; Col. 3:1-4; 1 Jn. 4:17). Though the one who has been saved may grow in the realization of his blessings and come to know a fuller measure of divine power through the study of God’s Word and yielding his life more fully to God, he is in no way required by God to seek a so-called “second blessing,” or a “second work of grace,” since he is positionally complete in Christ (Eph. 1:3; Col. 2:10; 2 Pt. 1:3-4).

We believe the only correct response toward God that saves a soul from Hell is faith alone in Christ alone, whereby a lost sinner believes the gospel, that as “the Christ, the Son of God,” Jesus is God-incarnate who died for all our sins and rose from the dead to provide salvation by grace through faith in Him (John 3:13-18; 5:24; 6:32-53; 8:24, 28; 20:30-31; Acts 16:30-31; 1 Cor. 1:17-21; 15:1-4; Eph. 2:8-9; 2 Thess. 1:6-10).

We believe such faith is properly understood to be trust or reliance upon Jesus Christ and His work alone as the only basis of one’s acceptance before God, and that no works may be added to, or even considered to be part of, genuine faith (Rom. 3:27-28, 4:4-5; Gal. 2:16; Eph. 2:8-9; Ti. 3:5). We do not believe good works in the Christian’s life are the necessary result of genuine, initial faith in Christ for eternal salvation; rather they are the necessary result of a genuine walk of faith in the Christian’s life (2 Cor. 5:7-10; Col. 2:6; Jam. 2:14-26). We believe that repentance is necessary for salvation (Lk. 5:30-32, 24:47; Acts 3:14-19, 17:30; 2 Pt. 3:9), but only as it is properly understood to be that vital change of mind inherent to faith in Christ (Mt. 4:17 cf. Mk. 1:14-15; Acts 10:43-48 cf. 11:17-18, 19:4, 20:21). We furthermore reject as unscriptural the teachings of Lordship Salvation, believing them to be inconsistent with the sole condition for salvation and the nature of God’s saving grace based solely on the work of Christ. We similarly reject the many contemporary phrases that are often given as necessary responses or conditions to be saved, such as: make a commitment to Christ, give your life to Christ, believe and be baptized, believe and keep the Ten Commandments, submit to Christ’s lordship in your life, repent of or confess your sins, pray the sinner’s prayer, come forward, ask Jesus into your heart, etc.

We believe it is the privilege, not only of some, but of all who are truly born again, through faith in Christ alone, to be absolutely assured of their salvation from the very day they trust Him to be their Savior (Lk. 10:20, 19:9, 23:43; Phil. 4:3; 1 Jn. 3:1-2). The proper basis for this assurance is not the saint’s perseverance in faith or holiness, nor any estimation of one’s own worthiness of salvation; but assurance of salvation is properly based solely upon the testimony of God in His written Word (Jn. 5:24; 1 Jn. 5:9-13) and the finished work of Christ on the believer’s behalf (Jn. 19:30; Heb. 10:10-14). We believe such assurance, far from creating self-righteous pride, should induce within the child of God a greater humility, gratitude, love for the Lord, and obedience to Him (Jn. 6:66-68; 2 Cor. 5:6-9, 14-15; Heb. 10:22-25). We believe that good works, which should follow regeneration (Eph. 2:10; Ti. 3:8), are not necessary for the child of God to have absolute assurance of eternal life, though they may have secondary, corroborating value. We believe that salvation itself can never be lost since it resides in the safekeeping of God alone, but we also believe that the personal assurance of salvation can be diminished or lost through doubt and unbelief (Lk. 8:13; Heb. 3:7-4:11, 5:11-6:12), through the hardening effects of sin (Lk. 8:14, 15:21; 1 Tim. 6:9-12), and through the deceitfulness of false teaching and apostasy (Gal. 1:6-9, 5:1-4; 1 Tim. 1:19, 6:20-21; 2 Tim. 2:18).

We believe that all who have placed their faith solely in the Lord Jesus Christ for their eternal salvation, and are thereby truly saved, shall be kept saved forever by God Himself, because: it is God’s eternal purpose to bring each child whom He loves to eternal glory, fully conformed to the image of His Son (Rom. 5:8-10, 8:28-39; Jude 1:24); the redeemed are the Father’s gift to the Son and consequently Christ’s sole possession and property to do with as only He determines (Jn. 6:37, 39, 10:29-30, 17:6, 9-12; 1 Cor. 6:19-20); salvation by its very nature is only and always by God’s grace to undeserving sinners on the basis of Christ’s propitiatory work, and therefore it cannot be lost due to demerit or unfaithfulness (Eph. 2:8-9; Ti. 3:7; Heb. 10:10-14); God’s gift of new life is eternal and unending by its very nature (Jn. 5:24, 10:28; Phm. 1:15-16); Christ’s present, heavenly intercession and advocacy for His own is perfect and unceasing (Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25, 9:24; 1 Jn. 2:1-2); the regenerating Holy Spirit is perpetually present within every child of God (Jn. 14:16-17; Rom. 8:9; Eph. 1:13-14, 4:30). We furthermore believe that this eternal security rests strictly upon the persevering faithfulness and power of the Savior rather than the perseverance of the saints in faith or holiness (Jn. 6:39-40, 10:28-29; Rom. 5:9-10; 1 Th. 5:23-24; 2 Tim. 1:12, 4:18; 1 Pt. 1:3-5). However, we do not believe that eternal security gives the child of God a license to sin, since God, who is a holy and righteous Father, cannot overlook the sin of His children but will chasten and correct them in infinite love when they persistently sin (Prov. 3:12; 1 Cor. 11:30-32; Heb. 12:5-8; Rev. 3:19). Though we do not believe that salvation can ever be lost, we also acknowledge that as a consequence of carnality and unfaithfulness to God, the child of God may lose: potential future reward from God (Mt. 16:24-27; 1 Cor. 3:10-15; 2 Jn. 8); fellowship and intimacy with God in this earthly life (1 Cor. 15:34; 1 Jn. 1:3-9, 2:3-6); the joy of salvation along with the fruit of the Spirit (Ps. 51:12; Gal. 5:22-23); his or her testimony and ministry to others (1 Cor. 9:27; Phil. 2:12-16); even the privilege of continuing in earthly life itself (Acts 5:1-11; 1 Cor. 11:28-32).

We believe that the authentic Christian life is designed to be a daily (Heb. 3:13, 15), personal (Rom. 7:4), vertical (Jam. 4:8) fellowship with God (1 Jn. 1:3) based on the believer’s identification with Jesus Christ (Rom. 6:1-13; Gal. 2:20; Col. 3:1-4), motivated primarily by His love (2 Cor. 5:14; 1 Jn. 4:19), and provided totally by His grace (1 Cor. 15:10; 2 Cor. 9:8, 12:9) and power (Phil. 2:13; 4:13; Heb. 13:20-21), which is enjoyed through repeated responses of faith (2 Cor. 5:7; Gal. 2:20; Col. 2:6) as one diligently seeks the Lord (Heb. 11:6), resulting in spiritual growth (2 Pt. 3:18) in Christ-likeness (Rom. 8:29; 2 Cor. 3:18), faithful obedience to God’s will (Acts 22:10; 1 Pt. 1:14), and fruitful service (Jn. 15:1-7) to others in love (Gal. 5:6, 22), all to the glory of God (1 Cor. 10:31).

We believe that every human being possesses an indwelling sin nature from the very moment of conception (Ps. 51:5; Eph. 2:3), but that the child of God possesses two natures, an indwelling sin nature and a new divine nature received at the moment of regeneration or new birth (Jn. 3:6; Rom. 7:22; 2 Pt. 1:4; 1 Jn. 3:9b). We therefore reject as unscriptural all claims that the indwelling sin nature has been eradicated at any point throughout the earthly life of the child of God or that believers in Christ currently possess only one nature, the new divine nature (Rom. 7:15-25, 13:14; Gal. 5:17; Jam. 4:1; 1 Jn. 1:8). We believe that God has made provision for the victory of the new divine nature over the old sin nature (also called “the flesh”) through the believer’s identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:1-13; 2 Cor. 5:14-17; Gal. 2:20, 5:24; Col. 2:10-13, 3:1-4; 2 Tim. 2:11; 1 Pt. 2:24) and through the power of the indwelling Savior (Jn. 14:20, 15:4-5; 2 Cor. 4:10-11, 13:3, 5; Gal. 2:20; Eph. 3:17; Col. 1:27-29) and Holy Spirit (Rom. 8:2-4, 12-13, 15:13; 1Cor. 2:15-3:4; 2 Cor. 3:5-6, 17-18; Gal. 5:16-25; Eph. 3:16, 5:18).

We believe that sanctification, which is a setting-apart unto God, is threefold for the believer in Christ. At the very moment of regeneration and justification, every believer has a complete, permanent, positional sanctification, because his position toward God is the same as Christ’s position, and he is set apart unto God in the measure in which Christ is set apart unto God (Acts 20:32, 26:18; 1 Cor. 1:30; 2 Th. 2:13; Heb. 10:10, 14, 29; 1 Pt. 1:2). As a result of this positional sanctification, every believer in Christ, whether persistently carnal or spiritual, is constituted a saint before God (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:2; 2 Cor. 1:1; Eph. 1:1; Phil. 1:1). Secondly, there is a practical sanctification wherein the saint is to “grow in grace” and “be changed” by the unhindered power of the Holy Spirit throughout his earthly life (Jn. 17:17; 2 Cor. 3:18, 7:1; 1 Th. 4:3-7; 2 Tim. 2:21). Therefore, while the position or heavenly standing of the believer is perfect, his present condition or earthly state is no more perfect than his experience in daily life (1 Cor. 1:2, 3:1-4, 6:11). We believe, thirdly, that every child of God will yet have a perfect sanctification, when he shall be perfectly and permanently set-apart to the Lord in his condition, even as he is now set-apart in his position in Christ; and this will occur only when he meets the Lord either at death or the Rapture (1 Th. 5:23-24; 1 Jn. 3:1-3).

We believe that the practice of separation is our human responsibility in light of God’s holy character (1 Th. 4:7-8; 1 Pt. 1:15-16) and our positional sanctification in Christ (Jn. 17:14, 16, 21-23; 1 Cor. 1:2, 6:11, 19-20). Biblical separation is always directionally unto God and away from all that opposes Him (Rom. 6:11; Heb. 13:12-13), and it automatically accompanies our growth in grace (Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:13-15). We believe that all the saved should live in such a manner as to demonstrate our adoring love to God and so as not to bring reproach upon our Lord and Savior, being motivated by deep gratitude for the undeserved grace of God and because our glorious God is so worthy of our total consecration (Ps. 97:10; 2 Cor. 5:14-15; Eph. 4:1-3; Ti. 2:11-14; 1 Cor. 10:31). God encourages such separation by promising His special felicity to the faithful (2 Cor. 6:16-7:1; 2 Tim. 2:21). We believe that the saved are commanded by God to separate from worldly, sinful practices and associations (Rom. 12:1-2; 13:14; 1 Cor. 6:14-18; Eph. 5:11; 2 Tim. 2:22; 1 Pt. 4:3-4; 1 Jn. 2:15-17) and also to separate from religious apostasy, false teaching, and false teachers (Rom. 16:17; 2 Cor. 6:14-7:1; Gal. 4:30-31; 2 Tim. 2:16-21, 3:1-5; 2 Jn. 9-11; Rev. 18:4). These Scriptural commands to separate pertain even in regards to fellow brethren who are genuinely saved but disobedient to the Lord in doctrine or practice (1 Kg. 13; Mt. 18:17; 1 Cor. 5:7-13; 2 Th. 3:6, 14-15; 1 Tim. 1:18-19; 2 Tim. 2:17-20). We further believe that this separation is necessary in light of the Scriptural revelation that apostasy and worldliness will increase within professing Christendom until the Lord returns (Mt. 13:24-33; 2 Tim. 3:1-5, 13, 4:1-4; 2 Pt. 2:1-3; 1 Jn. 2:18, 4:1-3; Jude 4, 16-18). In seeking to maintain a Biblical balance between ministry and ecclesiastical separation, we also believe that God requires us to:

1. actively, but lovingly, oppose error by reproving it, rather than ignoring, tolerating, excusing, defending, or condoning it (Acts 13:8-10, 15:1-2; 1 Cor. 13:6; Gal. 2:11-14; Eph. 4:14-15, 5:11-13; 2 Tim. 2:24-26, 4:2-4; Ti. 1:9-11, 3:10; Jude 3; Rev. 2:2-4).
2. mark and avoid false teachers who would seek to infiltrate or influence our local assembly (Acts 20:28-32; Rom. 16:17-18; 1 Tim. 6:20-21).
3. refuse approving of, ministering in cooperation with, or financially supporting churches or ministries that reject or distort the truths of God’s Word (Gal. 2:4-5; 2 Jn. 7-11).
4. minister to (by way of sound teaching and materials) the doctrinally confused or those in error who are receptive to the truth and where there is reason to believe that an individual, congregation, or ministry may be helped to become more biblical in belief and practice, provided that our doctrinal position and liberty to proclaim the whole counsel of God are not restricted or compromised in any way (Acts 18:24-27, 19:1, 8-10 cf. 20:18-21, 26-27; Eph. 4:11-15).
5. resist a prolonged personal ministry to individuals or groups if there is evidence that they intend to retain their false doctrine, compromised spiritual state, or their relations with apostate organizations (2 Tim. 2:15-21; Ti. 3:9-11).
6. support, encourage, and fellowship with other individuals, churches, or ministries who are of like-precious faith regarding the truths of God’s Word, while maintaining the independence and autonomy of local churches (Gal. 1:22-24, 2:9; 3 Jn. 5-8).

We believe there are many areas in the Christian life that are neither commanded nor condemned by God in Scripture; and therefore such areas are a matter of personal liberty, conscience, and conviction (Rom. 14:5-8, 22-23) in which believers are to exercise godly wisdom (Rom. 16:19; Eph. 5:17; Phil. 1:9; Col. 1:9; Jam. 3:17). We believe such liberties would include, but are not limited to: diet; exercise; clothing styles; wearing make-up; hair styles; family planning; women working outside the home; viewing television; attending movies or theater; drinking alcohol; using tobacco products; use of varying Bible translations; politics; sports; music; dancing; the choice of public, private, or home-schooling; and observing holidays unto the Lord, such as Christmas and Easter. We do not believe that doctrinal compromise (Rom. 16:17-18; Gal. 5:1) or things defined to be sin in the Word of God (Rom. 13:13-14; Eph. 5:18) or illegal activities (Rom. 13:1; 1 Pt. 4:15) are matters of Christian liberty. We also believe that though there are areas of definite liberty in the Christian life, believers can still commit sin (Rom. 14:23; 1 Cor. 8:12) within such areas by: using their liberties selfishly without love for others and a concern for their edification; or by using their liberties simply to indulge the flesh; or by creating a stumbling block in another person’s conscience; or by being controlled by an area of liberty rather than by the Holy Spirit; or by engaging in a liberty without being fully persuaded in one’s own mind before God; or by wrongly passing judgment upon others in legitimate areas of liberty (Rom. 14:1-23; 1 Cor. 6:12 cf. Eph. 5:18; 1 Cor. 8:7-13, 10:23-33; Gal. 5:13-15; 1 Tim. 2:9-10; 1 Pt. 2:16).

We believe that God created and blessed the family as the foundation of society (Gen. 1-2). God created the institution of marriage whereby only one man and one woman are to be united in a lifetime commitment exclusively to each other (Gen. 2:23-24; Mt. 19:3-9). Consequently marriage uniquely provides for intimate companionship (Gen. 2:18-20), pure sexual expression (Gen. 2:25; Prov. 5:15-19; 1 Cor. 7:1-5), procreation (Gen. 1:28), and a reflection of the relationship between Christ and the Church (Eph. 5:29-33). Husbands are commanded to love and provide for their wives as Christ loved the Church, while wives are commanded to respect and submit to their own husbands as the Church submits to Christ (Eph. 5:22-28). Children are a gift from God and fully human from conception (Ps. 127:3; 139:13-16). Parents are to train their children by modeling a godly life, teaching them the Scriptures, disciplining them in love, and providing them a resource of wisdom and counsel (Dt. 6:4-7; Prov. 1:8-9; 13:24; 22:6; 24:3-4; 2 Tim. 3:15). Parents are to care for the needs of their children (2 Cor. 12:14; Eph. 6:4; 1 Tim. 5:8), while children are to obey their parents with respect and honor, caring for them in the time of their dependency and old age (Ex. 20:12; Lev. 19:32; Prov. 23:22; Eph. 6:1-3; Col. 3:20; 1 Tim. 5:4).

We believe that the institution of human government has been ordained by God, and that believers are to be in subjection to all governmental authority and laws for the Lord’s sake (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Pt. 2:13-15). Believers are obligated to show respect toward all governmental authorities (Dan. 1:8-16; Ti. 3:1-2; 1 Pt. 2:17), pray for them (1 Tim. 2:1-6), and pay their taxes, even when disagreeing with how a portion of those taxes are spent (Mt. 22:15-22; Rom. 13:6-7). We believe the degree of political involvement by believers in a lawful manner is strictly a matter of Christian liberty, since we are neither commanded by God in Scripture to become politically involved (activism), nor are we prohibited from doing so (pacifism). We believe that we are to obey God rather than the government only in such instances when government either commands us to do what Scripture forbids or forbids us to do what Scripture commands (Dan. 3:1-28, 6:1-24; Acts 4:1-20, 5:27-29).

We believe that all who are saved through faith in Jesus Christ are immediately baptized by the Holy Spirit into one, united, universal and spiritual body, the Church (1 Cor. 12:12-13), which is the body and bride of Christ (2 Cor. 11:2; Eph. 5:23-32; Rev. 19:7-8), of which Christ is the head (Eph. 1:22, 4:15; Col. 1:18). We believe that the formation of the Universal Church, the body of Christ, began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-21, 38-47) and will be completed at the coming of Christ for His own at the Rapture (1 Cor. 15:51-52; 1 Th. 4:13-18). We believe that the Church is thus a unique spiritual organism designed by Christ and made up of all believers worldwide during this present age (Eph. 2:11-3:6). We believe the Church is distinct from Israel (1 Cor. 10:32) and that it was a mystery unrevealed in the Old Testament (Eph. 3:1-6, 5:32; Col. 1:24-27). We believe that the objectives of local churches include the exaltation of the Savior, the edification and equipping of the saved, and the evangelization of the lost (1 Cor. 10:31, 14:5, 12, 26; 2 Cor. 5:14-21; Eph. 4:12-13).

We believe that the one, supreme authority for the Church is Christ (1 Cor. 11:3; Eph. 1:22; Col. 1:18) and that church leadership, gifts, order, discipline, and worship are all appointed through His sovereignty as found in the Scriptures. The Biblically designated officers serving under Christ and over the assembly are elders/bishops/pastors and deacons (Acts 6:3, 14:23, 20:17, 28; Phil. 1:1; 1 Th. 5:12; 1 Tim. 5:17), both of whom must meet Biblical qualifications (1 Tim. 3:1-13; Ti. 1:5-9). We believe that these male leaders (1 Tim. 2:9-12) are to lead as the servants of Christ and have His authority given to them in directing the local church, so that the congregation is to submit to their leadership within Scriptural guidelines (Heb. 13:7, 17). We believe in the autonomy of the local church, free from any external authority or control, with the right of self-government under Christ’s headship (Ti. 1:5). We furthermore believe that it is Scriptural for doctrinally-sound churches to cooperate with each other for the propagation of the faith, but that each local church, through its elders and their interpretation and application of Scripture, along with congregational feedback, should be the sole judge of the measure and method of such cooperation. The elders should determine via prayer, searching the Scriptures, and the guidance of the Holy Spirit all other matters of administration, policy, discipline, benevolence, and government (Acts 15:19-31, 20:28; 1 Cor. 5:4-7, 13; 1 Pt. 5:1-4).

We believe that the establishment and continuance of local churches is clearly taught and defined in the New Testament Scriptures (Acts 14:27, 20:17, 28-32; Eph. 4:11-16; 1 Tim. 3:1-13; Ti. 1:5-11) and that believers in Christ are directed to associate themselves together and actively participate in such local assemblies (1 Cor. 11:18-20; Heb. 10:24-25). We believe that the purpose of the Church is to glorify God (Eph. 3:21) by building itself up in the faith (Eph. 4:13-16), by instruction from the Word of God (2 Tim. 2:2, 15, 3:16-4:4), by prayer and fellowship (Acts 2:47; 1 John 1:3), by keeping the ordinances (Lk. 22:19; Acts 2:38-42, 20:7), and by communicating the Gospel to the entire world (Mt. 28:19-20; Acts 1:8; 2 Cor. 5:17-21).

We believe that prior to His death the Lord Jesus Christ instituted only two ordinances to be practiced by the Church as Scriptural means of testimony for the Church Age, namely the Lord’s Supper (Mt. 26:26-29; Mk. 14:22-25; Lk. 22:19-20) and water baptism (Mt. 28:19-20; Mk. 16:15-16). We believe the Lord’s Supper is strictly a memorial of Christ’s death for us (Lk. 22:19; 1 Cor. 11:24) and that it imparts neither saving nor sanctifying grace. We do not believe that the elements of the Lord’s Supper are themselves the physical body and blood of Christ (transubstantiation), nor that they contain the physical body and blood of Christ (consubstantiation), nor that they contain spiritually the body and blood of Christ (spiritualistic view). Instead, we believe the elements strictly picture or represent the physical body and blood of Christ and that He is not specially present, either physically or spiritually, in, with, or as, the elements. We maintain this doctrine because Scripture declares the element which we eat to simply be “bread” (Acts 2:42, 46, 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:26-28) and the element which we drink to simply be “the fruit of the vine” even after Christ said, “this is my blood” (Mt. 26:27-29). We also believe that Scripture nowhere prescribes the regularity for observing the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2:46, 20:7; 1 Cor. 11:26), and consequently each local congregation has the liberty from the Lord to determine the frequency of its observance.

Regarding water baptism, we believe it is a public testimony picturing the fact that the believer’s sins have already been spiritually, judicially, and permanently washed away (Acts 22:16; Col. 2:11-14) and that he or she has already been spiritually identified with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Rom. 6:3-4; Col. 2:11-13). We believe this spiritual cleansing and identification is accomplished strictly by the Holy Spirit (Acts 10:43-48; 1 Cor. 12:12-13; Ti. 3:5-7) at the moment of initial faith and new birth, prior to water baptism, and not by water baptism itself; and consequently, we do not believe that water baptism confers either saving or sanctifying grace. We do not believe that infants should be baptized but only those who have made a conscious decision to believe in Jesus Christ for salvation (Acts 2:41, 8:12, 8:36-37, 10:43-48, 16:13-14, 16:30-34, 18:8). We furthermore maintain that the baptism of believers should be done only once following salvation, and only by immersion (Jn. 3:23; Acts 8:38-39), in order to properly picture the believer’s complete, once-for-all judicial cleansing from sin and identification with Christ.

We believe that at the moment of regeneration every believer receives an enabling gift or gifts for service, with all God’s gifts being sovereignly bestowed by the Holy Spirit (Rom. 12:3; 1 Cor. 12:11-13; Eph. 4:7-11; Heb. 2:4; 1 Pt. 4:10-11). While there is a diversity of gifts, each believer is empowered by the same Spirit and each is called to his own divinely appointed service in love as the Spirit directs for the purpose of fulfilling God’s blueprint for each believer to function in a local church for the edification of the body (Rom. 12:4-8; 1 Cor. 12:4-27, 14:3-5, 12, 17, 26). We believe that the gifts of evangelist, pastor, and teacher are sufficient for the equipping of the saints today (Eph. 4:11-16), and that all revelatory gifts, such as apostleship, prophecy, and speaking in tongues, as well as the working of sign-miracles, gradually ceased in the first century as the nation of Israel was disciplined and the New Testament Scriptures were completed and their authority became established (Mk. 16:20; 1 Cor. 13:8-10, 14:21-22; 2 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 2:20; Heb. 2:3-4; Rev. 22:18-19). We believe that tongues-speaking was never the common or necessary sign of the baptism or the filling of the Holy Spirit (Acts 4:8, 31, 13:9-10; 1 Cor. 12:12-13, 30). We believe that God does heal and answer the prayer of faith for the sick and afflicted in accord with His own will; but we deny the present existence of the spiritual gift of healing, which also ceased with the completion of Scripture (Jn. 15:7; Acts 5:12-16; Jam. 5:13-15; 1 Jn. 5:14-15). Though we believe that God continues to work supernaturally among His people according to His will, we also affirm that the complete deliverance of the body from sickness or death awaits the consummation of our salvation in the future resurrection of the body (Rom. 8:18-23; 2 Cor. 4:16, 12:7-10).

We believe that it is both the privilege and responsibility of the saved to witness by life and by word to the truths of Holy Scripture and to seek to proclaim the Gospel to all mankind (Mt. 28:18-20; Mk. 16:15-16; Lk. 24:46-47; Jn. 17:18; Acts 1:8; Rom. 1:14-16; 2 Cor. 5:19-20). We believe that unless the lost, no matter where they may be upon the earth, receive the particular knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and believe specifically in Him, they cannot be saved (Jn. 3:18; Acts 4:12, 17:30-31; Rom. 2:16, 10:14-17). We believe in prayerfully and financially supporting the spread of the Gospel (Rom. 15:24, 29-32; Phil. 4:14-19; 2 Th. 3:1-2) and the establishment of local churches both at home and abroad (Acts 14:23, 15:41, 16:5). We hold that believers who are to be considered for missionary work must reflect a godly walk and service for the Lord, be doctrinally sound, be directed by the Holy Spirit, be confirmed by their local church leadership, and be sent out by their local church (Acts 13:1-5, 15:40, 16:1-3). We believe that local churches have the central and primary role in missions and that no parachurch organization should usurp the authority of the local church leadership, to which each missionary is accountable. We therefore maintain that any parachurch organization is secondary and should be of service to local churches and their mission, not vice-versa (Acts 14:26-28; 1 Tim. 3:15; Heb. 13:7, 17).

We believe that the dispensations are stewardships by which God administers His purpose on the earth through man under varying responsibilities. We believe that the changes in the dispensational dealings of God with man depend upon changed conditions or situations in which man is successively found with relation to God, and that these changes are the result of the failures of man and the judgments of God. We believe that different administrative responsibilities of this character are manifest in the Biblical record, and that they span the entire history of mankind, and that each ends in the failure of man under the respective test and in an ensuing judgment from God. We believe that three of these dispensations or rules of life are the subject of extended revelation in the Scripture: the dispensation of the Mosaic Law, the present dispensation of Grace, and the future dispensation of the Millennial Kingdom. We believe that these are distinct and are not to be intermingled or confused, as they are chronologically successive.

We believe that the dispensations are not ways of salvation, nor different methods of administering the so-called Covenant of Grace. They are not in themselves dependent on covenant relationships but are rules of life with responsibility to God which test the submission of man to God’s revealed will during a particular time. We believe that, if man does trust in his own efforts to gain the favor of God or salvation under any dispensational test, because of his inherent sin, his failure to satisfy fully the just requirements of God is inevitable and his condemnation is sure. We believe that according to the “eternal purpose” of God (Eph. 3:11), salvation in every dispensation is always “by grace through faith” alone and rests upon the basis of the shed blood of Christ. We believe that God has always been gracious, regardless of the ruling dispensation, but that believers have not at all times been under an administration or stewardship of grace as a rule of life, as is true in the present dispensation (Rom. 6:14; 1 Cor. 9:17-21; Eph. 1:10, 3:2-9; Col. 1:24-27). We believe that it has always been true that “without faith it is impossible to please” God (Heb. 11:6), and that the principle of faith was prevalent in the lives of all the Old Testament saints. However, we believe that it was historically improbable that they should have had as the conscious object of their faith the incarnate, crucified Son, the Lamb of God (Jn. 1:29), and that it is evident they did not comprehend as we do that the sacrifices depicted the person and work of Christ, nor did they fully understand the redemptive significance of the prophecies or types concerning the sufferings of Christ (1 Pt. 1:10-12). However, we do believe that their faith toward God was manifested in other ways, as is shown by the long record in Hebrews 11:1-40, and consequently that their faith was counted unto them for righteousness (Gen. 15:6; Rom. 4:3-8; Heb. 11:7).

We believe in a consistent, normal, grammatical, historical, and contextual method of biblical interpretation for rightly-dividing the Word of truth. As a result, we reject Covenant Theology, along with Hyper-dispensationalism and Progressive Dispensationalism, as erroneous theological conclusions. However, we do believe that the past biblical covenants are to be consistently interpreted with this proper method of interpretation, many of which were made to the ethnic descendents of Israel, involving a land, seed, and blessings, and they are yet to be fulfilled as God has promised when Christ returns to the earth (Gen. 12:1-7, 13:14-17, 15:1-5, 17-21; Dt. 29:1-30:20; 2 Sam. 7:12-16; Jer. 31:31-34). Therefore, we do not believe that the Church is “spiritual Israel” in any sense.

We believe that the next event in the fulfillment of Biblical prophecy will be the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ in the air to resurrect and receive to Himself, into heaven, all Church Age believers, whether they are walking worthily or not, including all believers who are physically alive at the time of His coming and all who have previously died since the beginning of the Church on the day of Pentecost (Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:51-52; Phil. 3:20-21; 1 Th. 4:13-18). We call this event, theologically, the “Rapture,” because it will involve a “catching up” of all Church Age saints to Christ (1 Th. 4:17). We believe the Rapture of the Church has always remained an imminent event throughout the entire Church Age, so that believers should be continually looking for the Lord Jesus as their Blessed Hope, expecting that He could come for us at any moment (1 Cor. 1:7-8, 15:51-52, 16:22; Phil. 3:20, 4:5; Ti. 2:13; Heb. 9:28, 10:37; Jam. 5:7-9; 1 Pt. 4:7; 1 Jn. 3:2-3; Rev. 1:1, 3, 22:7, 10, 12, 20). We furthermore believe that since the unprecedented time of God’s wrath upon the unsaved world will begin with the commencement of the seven year period of tribulation (Jer. 21:5-9; Ezek. 14:21; Mt. 24:1-22; Rev. 6:1-17), and because all Church Age believers have been promised exemption from this time of God’s wrath (Jn. 3:36; Rom. 5:9; 1 Th. 1:9-10, 5:9; Rev. 3:10), the Rapture of Christ’s Church must occur prior to the Tribulation. We therefore maintain that the Scriptures teach only the Pre-Tribulational Rapture of the Church; and we reject as unscriptural all other Rapture views, including the Partial Rapture, Mid-Tribulational, Post-Tribulational, and so-called “Pre-Wrath” (3/4 Tribulation) Rapture views.

We believe that all Church Age saints will have their post-justification life personally evaluated by the Lord Jesus at His heavenly judgment seat following the Rapture but prior to Christ’s return to the earth. Believers will be judged with respect to the quality of their works, their motives, and their faithfulness to God’s will and Word, in order to determine whether they will receive from Christ a reward, or “crown,” for pleasing Him (Lk. 14:14; Rom. 14:10-12; 1 Cor. 3:10-15, 4:1-5; 2 Cor. 5:9-10; 2 Tim. 4:7-8; Heb. 10:35-37, 11:35; Jam. 1:12; 1 Pt. 5:4; 2 Pt. 1:10-11). We do not believe that eternal salvation will be determined at Christ’s judgment seat; nor do we believe that Christ will judge believers for their sins; nor will His judgments be in any sense punitive, such as being cast out of His presence or kingdom. We believe this because Scripture states: that Christ promised to always be with believers following the Rapture (Jn. 14:3; 1 Th. 4:17); it is believers’ works that are judged at this time, not their sins (1 Cor. 3:13-15; Rev. 22:12); Christ was already judged for the sins of every believer with complete propitiation for sin already accomplished strictly by His death on Calvary’s cross (2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 9:25-26, 28, 10:10, 12, 14, 17-18; 1 Pt. 2:24, 3:18); and every believer already stands fully justified, forgiven, and accepted in Christ (Jn. 5:24; Rom. 5:1-2, 9-10, 8:1; 1 Cor. 6:11; Eph. 1:6-7; Col. 1:14, 2:10, 13). However, we do believe Christ’s judgment seat may involve shame for some saints (1 Jn. 2:28) due to their loss of potential reward (1 Cor. 9:24-27; 2 Jn. 8).

We believe that the Rapture of the Church will be followed on earth by the fulfillment of Israel’s seventieth “week” (Dan. 9:24-27; Rev. 6:1-19:21), being a period of seven literal years (Dan. 12:7, 11-12; Rev. 11:2, 13:5), during which the Church, the body of Christ, will be in heaven (Jn. 14:3; 1 Th. 4:17b-18). This entire seven year period will be a time of God’s judgment and wrath upon the whole earth (Rev. 3:10), at the end of which the times of the Gentiles will be brought to a close (Lk. 21:24). The latter half of this tribulational period will be the unprecedented time of Jacob’s trouble (Jer. 30:7), which our Lord called the time of “great” tribulation (Mt. 24:15-21). We believe that universal righteousness will not be realized prior to the Second Coming of Christ to the earth, but that the world is day by day ripening for judgment (1 Pt. 4:7; 2 Pt. 3:10-14) and that the present age is moving toward the fearful apostasy of the Tribulation period (Mt. 24:1-24; 2 Th. 2:1-12; Rev. 13, 17).

We believe that the period of great tribulation on the earth will be climaxed by the return of the Lord Jesus Christ to the earth in judgment and in person on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Mt. 24:26-31; Acts 1:9-11; Rev. 19:11-21) and accompanied by resurrected Church Age saints (2 Th. 1:7-10; Jude 1:14; Rev. 19:14). We believe that Christ’s second coming to the earth will: introduce the literal one thousand year kingdom of Christ upon the earth (Dan. 7:13-14, 27; Zech. 14:9; Lk. 1:31-33; Rev. 20:4-6); bind Satan and place him in the abyss (Rev. 12:12, 20:1-3); lift the curse which now rests upon the whole creation (Is. 11:1-8, 65:20-25; Rom. 8:19-23); restore Israel to her own land and give her the realization of God’s covenant promises (Dt. 30:1-10; Ezek. 37:21-28; Acts 15:16-17; Rom. 11:25-27); and bring the whole world to the knowledge of God (Is. 11:9-12).

We believe that physical death involves no loss of immaterial consciousness (Rev. 6:9-11); that the souls of the redeemed pass immediately into the presence of Christ (Lk. 23:43; 2 Cor. 5:8; Phil. 1:23); that there is a separation of soul and body (Phil. 1:21-24; Jam. 2:26); and that, for the redeemed of this age, such separation wi1l continue until the Rapture, when soul and body wi1l be reunited forever to be glorified with our Lord (1 Cor. 15:35-44, 50-54; Phil. 3:20-21; Col. 3:4; 1 Th. 4:13-17). Until that time, the souls of the redeemed in Christ remain in joyful communion with the Lord Jesus (2 Cor. 5:8). We believe in the bodily resurrection of all mankind, with the justified being resurrected to receive their eternal reward (Lk. 14:14; Jn. 6:39-40, 11:24-27; Rom. 8:10-11, 19-23; 2 Cor. 4:14-18), and with the unrighteous being resurrected to judgment and everlasting punishment (Dan. 12:2; Jn. 5:21-29). We believe that, following death, the souls of the unsaved are kept under conscious punishment (Lk. 16:19-26; Heb. 9:27) until they appear at the Great White Throne Judgment after the Millennial Kingdom (Rev. 20:11-15), when their souls and resurrection bodies will be united and cast into Hell, the Lake of Fire, where they shall not be annihilated but suffer conscious, unceasing, eternal torment, being cut off from the life of God forever (Dan. 12:2; Mt. 18:8-9, 25:46; Mk. 9:42-48; 2 Th. 1:9; Rev. 14:9-11, 19:20, 20:10, 21:8). In contrast, the righteous shall enjoy conscious, unceasing, eternal fellowship with their Redeemer in their resurrected and glorified bodies, worshipping their sovereign and glorious Lord for all eternity (Rev. 21:4; 21:9-22:5), all to the praise of His glory and grace (Eph. 1:6, 12, 14, 2:4-7).