What We Believe
Fundamental Truths - In Detail
1. The Scriptures
Inspired
The Scriptures, both the Old and New
Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation
of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith
and conduct (2 Tim. 3:15-17; 1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Peter 1:21).
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2. The
One True God
The one true God has revealed Himself
as the eternally self-existent "I AM," the Creator
of heaven and earth, and the Redeemer of mankind. He has
further revealed Himself as embodying the principles of
relationship and association as Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 43:10,11; Matt. 28:19; Luke 3:22).
The Trinity — The terms "Trinity"
and "persons" as related to the Godhead, while
not found in the Scriptures, are words in harmony with
Scripture, whereby we may convey to others our immediate
understanding of the doctrine of Christ respecting the
Being of God, as distinguished from "gods many and
lords many." We therefore may speak with propriety
of the Lord our God, who is One Lord, as a trinity or
as one Being of three persons, and still be absolutely
scriptural (examples: Matt. 28:19; 2 Cor. 13:14; John
14:16,17).
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3. The
Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal
Son of God. The scriptures declare:
a) His virgin birth (Matt. 1:23; Luke 1:31,35).
b) His sinless life (Heb. 7:26; 1 Peter 2:22).
c) His miracles (Acts 2:22; 10:38).
d) His substitutionary work on the cross (1 Cor. 15:3;
2 Cor. 5:21).
e) His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matt. 28:6;
Luke 24:39;
1 Cor. 15:4).
f) His exaltation to the right hand of God (Acts 1:9,11;
2:33; Phil.
2:9-11; Heb. 1:3).
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4. The
Fall of Man
Man was created good and upright; for
God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our
likeness." However, man by voluntary transgression
fell and thereby incurred not only physical death but
also spiritual death, which is separation from God (Gen.
1:26,27 2:17; 3:6; ROM 5:12-19).
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5. The
Salvation of Man
Man's only hope of redemption is through
the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
a) Conditions to Salvation is received
through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord
Jesus Christ. By the washing regeneration and renewing
of the Holy Ghost, being justified by grace through faith,
man becomes an heir of God, according to the hope of eternal
life (Luke 24:47; John 3:3; Romans 10:13-15; Eph. 2:8;
Titus 2:11; 3:5-7).
b) The Evidences of Salvation The inward
evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit
(ROM 8:16). The outward evidence to all men is a life
of righteousness and true holiness (Eph. 4:24; Titus 2:12).
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6. Ordinances
of the Church
a) Baptism in Water
The ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded in
the Scriptures. All who repent and believe on Christ as
Savior and Lord are to be baptized. Thus they declare
to the world that they have died with Christ and that
they also have been raised with Him to walk in newness
of life (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 10:47,48; ROM 6:4).
b) Holy Communion
The Lord's Supper, consisting of the elements —
bread and the fruit of the vine — is the symbol
expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus
Christ (2 Peter 1:4); a memorial of His suffering and
death (1 Cor. 11:26); and a prophecy of His second coming
(1 Cor. 11:26); and is enjoined on all believers "till
He returns!"
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7. The
Baptism in the Holy Ghost
All believers are entitled to and should
ardently expect and earnestly seek the promise of the
Father, the baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire, according
to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the
normal experience of all in the early Christian Church.
With it comes the endowment of power for life and service,
the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work
of the ministry (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4,8; 1 Cor. 12:1-31).
This experience is distinct from the subsequent to the
experience of the new birth (Acts 8:12-17; 10:44-46; 11:14-16;
15:7-9). With the baptism in the Holy Ghost come such
experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (John
7:37-39; Acts 4:8), a deepened reverence for God (Acts
2:43; Heb. 12:28), an intensified consecration to God
and dedication to His work (Acts 2:42), and a more active
love for Christ, for His Word and for the lost (Mark 16:20).
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8. The
Initial Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Ghost
The baptism of believers in the Holy
Ghost is witnessed by the initial physical sign of speaking
with other tongues as the Spirit of God gives them utterance
(Acts 2:4). The speaking in tongues in this instance is
the same in essence as the gift of tongues (1 Cor. 12:4-10,28),
but different in purpose and use.
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9. Sanctification
Sanctification is an act of separation
from that which is evil, and of dedication unto God (Rom.
12:1,2; 1 Thess. 5:23; Heb. 13:12). The Scriptures teach
a life of "holiness without which no man shall see
the Lord" (Heb. 12:14). By the power of the Holy
Ghost we are able to obey the command: "Be ye holy,
for I am holy" (1 Peter 1:15,16). Sanctification
is realized in the believer by recognizing his identification
with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by faith
reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering
every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy
Spirit (ROM 6:1-11,13; 8:1,2,13; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 2:12,13;
1 Peter 1:5).
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10.
The Church and Its Mission
The Church is the Body of Christ, the
habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments
for the fulfillment of her great commission. Each believer,
born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the General
Assembly and Church of the Firstborn, which are written
in heaven (Ephesians 1:22,23; 2:22; Hebrews 12:23).
11.
The Ministry
A divinely called and scripturally ordained
ministry has been provided by our Lord for the threefold
purpose of leading the Church in: 1) Evangelization of
the world (Mark 16:15-20); 2) Worship of God (John 4:23,24);
3) Building a body of saints being perfected in the image
of His Son (Eph. 4:11-16).
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12.
Divine Healing
Divine healing is an integral part of
the gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for
in the atonement, and is the privilege of all believers
(Isa. 53:4,5; Matt. 8:16,17; James 5:14-16).
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13.
The Blessed Hope
The resurrection of those who have fallen
asleep in Christ and their translation together with those
who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord is
the imminent and blessed hope of the church (1 Thess.
4:16,17; ROM 8:23; Titus 2:13; 1 Cor. 15:51,52).
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14.
The Millennial Reign of Christ
The second coming of Christ includes
the rapture of the saints, which is our blessed hope,
followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints
to reign on the earth for one thousand years (Zech. 14:5;
Matt. 24:27,30; Rev. 1:7; 19:11-14; 20:1-6). This millennial
reign will bring the salvation of the nation Israel (Ezek.
37:21,22; Zeph. 3:19,20; ROM 11:26,27) and the establishment
of universal peace (Isa. 11:6-9; Ps. 72:3-8; Micah 4:3,4).
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15.
The Final Judgment
There will be a final judgment in which
the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to
their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book
of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast
and the false prophet, will be consigned to everlasting
punishment in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone,
which is the second death (Matt. 25:46; Mark 9:43-48;
Rev. 19:20; 20:11-15; 21:8).
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16.
The New Heavens and the New Earth
"We, according to His promise, look
for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness"
(2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 21,22).
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