Tenants of Faith
We Believe That:
1. The Bible is the inspired word of God, the product of holy men of old who spoke
and wrote as they were moved by the Holy spirit. The new covenant, as recorded in
the New Testament, we accept as our infallible guide in matters pertaining to
conduct and doctrine. (2 Tim. 3:16, 1 Thess. 2:13, 2 peter 1:21)
2. Our God is one, but manifest in three persons - the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit, being coequal (Phil. 2:6)
3. The Father is greater than all; the sender of the word (Logos) and the begetter.
(John 14:28, 16:28, 1:14.
4. The Son is the word, flesh-covered, the One Begotten, and has existed with the
Father from the beginning (John 1:1, 1:18, 1:14)
5. The Holy Spirit proceeds forth from both the Father and the Son and is eternal
(John 15:26).
6. Man is a created being, made in the likeness and image of God, but through Adams transgression and fall, sin came into the world. "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God.", and "As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one." Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was manifested to undo the work of the devil and gave His life and shed His blood to redeem and restore man back to God (Rom. 5:14; Rom. 3:10; Rom.3:23; 1 John 3:8).
7. Salvation is the gift of God to man, separated from works and the law, and is
made operative by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, producing works acceptable
to God (Eph. 2:8)
8.
Man's first step toward salvation is godly sorrow that worketh repentance. The
New Birth is necessary to all men. And when experienced produces eternal life
(2 Cor. 7:10; 1 John 5:12; John 3:3-5).
9.
Water Baptism
is by immersion and is a direct commandment of our Lord, and is for Believers
only. The ordinance is a symbol of the Christian's identification with
Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Matt. 28:19, Rom. 6:4, Col. 2:12,
Acts 8:36-39).
The following recommendation regarding the water baptismal formula is adapted: To wit:
"On the confession of your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and by His authority, I baptize you in the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen."
10. The Baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire is a gift from God as promised by the Lord Jesus Christ to all believers in this dispensation and is received subsequent to the New Birth. This experience is accompanied by the initial evidence of speaking in other tongues as the Holy Spirit Himself gives utterance (Matt. 3:11; John 14:16,17; Acts 1:8; 2:38,39; 19:1-7, 2:4).
11. The Bible teaches that without Holiness no man can see the Lord. We believe in the Doctrine of Sanctification as a definite, yet progressive work of grace, commencing at the time of regeneration and continuing until the consummation of salvation at Christ's return (Heb. 12:14; 1 Thess. 5:23; 2 Peter 3:18; 2 Cor. 3:18; Phil. 3:12-14; 1 Cor. 1:30).
12.
Healing is for the physical ills of the human body and is wrought by the power
of God through the prayer of faith, and by the laying on of hands. It is provided
for in the atonement of Christ, and is the privilege of every member of the
Church today (Mark 16:18; James 5:14,15; 1 Peter 2:24; Matt. 8:17; Isa. 53:4,5).
13. The angels said to Jesus' disciples "... this same Jesus ... shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." His coming is imminent. When He comes, "... the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air ... " (Acts 1:11; 1 Thess. 4:16,17).
Following the Tribulation, He shall return to earth as King of kings, and Lord of lords, and together with His saints, who shall be kings and priests, He shall reign a thousand years (Rev. 20:6).
14. The one who physically dies in his sins without accepting Christ is hopelessly and eternally lost in the Lake of fire and, therefore, has no further opportunity of hearing the Gospel or repenting. The Lake of Fire is literal. The terms "eternal" and everlasting," used in describing the duration of the punishment of the damned in the Lake of Fire, carry the same thought and meaning of endless existence as used in denoting the duration of joy and ecstasy of saints in the presence of God (Heb. 9:27; Rev. 19:20).
