Statement of Faith
| God: | God is the only Supreme Being with no gods created before or after Him (Isaiah 43:10; 44:6; 44:8). He has always been God (Psalm 90:2). He is Holy (Rev. 4:8), Eternal (Isaiah 57:15), Omnipotent (Jer. 32:17,27), Omnipresent (Psalm 137-12), Omniscient (1 John 3:20); etc. He is Love (1 John 4:8, 16); Light (1 John 1:5); Spirit (John 4:24); Truth (Psalm 117:2); Creator (Isaiah 40:12,22,26), etc. He alone is to be worshiped (Gen. 24:26; Ex. 4:31; 2 Chron. 29:28; 1 Cor. 14:25; Rev. 7:11). He alone is to be served (Matt. 4:10;1 Cor. 6:19; Phil. 3:7; 1 Thess. 1:9; Heb. 9:14). He is to be proclaimed (Matt. 28:19f.; John 14:15f.; Acts 1:8). |
| God’s Word: | The Bible is the Word of God, and its original manuscripts are free from errors and contradictions. It is the one and only infallible, authoritative, and trustworthy rule for faith and life. (2 Peter. 1:21, 2 Tim. 3:16). (The Catholic apocrypha is not inspired scripture, but good reading like a good fiction or the Koran.) |
| Trinity: | Infinity times three equals infinityThere is one God in whom there are three eternal, simultaneous persons — the Father, the Son (Jesus Christ), and the Holy Spirit. All three are the one God, Yahweh, coeternal, coequal, co-creator etc., yet there is only one God, not three, and not one person who took three modes, or forms. (Isaiah 44:6,8; 45:5; Gen. 1:26-27; 3:22; Matt. 3:17; 28:19; Luke 10:35; 2 Cor. 13:14). |
| Jesus: | Jesus Christ is the Word (God) who became a man. He added human nature to His divine nature. He is presently both human and divine, and, therefore, has two natures. Yet, He is one person, not two. He is not part God and part man. He is presently wholly God and wholly man. (Phil. 2:5-11; Col. 2:9; 1 Tim. 3:16; Heb. 1:5-13; John 1:1-3,14) |
| Virgin Birth: | Jesus Christ was miraculously conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. (Luke 1:42) |
| The State of Man: | If a man lives to be a hundred and twenty and only has one flaw, compared to eternity, he is eternally flawed.Man is fallen, corrupt, and wicked. Man believes in God by grace through faith, is unable to come close to God through his own efforts, nor can he win salvation by his attempt at good works, nor once saved does he maintain his salvation by his works, nor can he understand the spiritual things of God on his own. Eternal punishment in hell and separation from the blessed presence of God are the consequences of the unregenerate person’s sinfulness. (John 6:44; 15:5; Rom. 8:7; 1 Cor. 2:14; 2 Cor. 3:5; Phil. 2:13) |
| Substitutionary Atonement: | Being eternally Flawed, Man needs infinite grace, only found in an infinite, pure, God given sacrifice.God so loved us that He sent His only begotten Son Jesus Christ. Jesus became man and bore our sins in His body on the cross (1 Peter. 2:24) and died in our place suffering the consequences of the breaking the Law that was due us. He became sin on our behalf (2 Cor. 5:21). As a result, God’s justice was satisfied and Christian believers are released from eternal punishment, once and for all. (Isaiah 53:4-12; 1 Pet. 3:18; Matt. 1:21; Rom. 5; Heb. 10:1-18; 1 John 2:2) |
| Resurrection: | Jesus Christ rose from the dead in the same body He died in, after being in the grave for three days. He was raised in a glorified, physical body. He ascended bodily into heaven, sits at the right hand of the Father, and rules heaven and earth. (John 2:19; 1 Cor. 15; Luke 24:39). Likewise, we Christians will be raised bodily from the dead and spend eternity with the Lord. (also Job 19:25-27) |
| Baptism: |
Baptism is an important action of obedience for a Christian and signifies a person’s identification with Christ. It is an outward expression of an inward action. Baptism does not save anyone. We are made right before God by faith, not by faith and baptism (Rom. 3:28-30; 4:3,5; 5:1; Gal. 2:16, 21; Phil. 3:9; see also Acts 10:44-48) |
| Divine Election | “From all eternity God chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,” (Eph. 1:4-5). |
| Justification by Grace through Faith Alone: |
We are saved from damnation by the undeserved and unearned mercy and kindness of God, not because of our good works but because of the imputed righteousness of Christ to the one who has faith in Christ alone. This justification is received by faith alone and only upon trusting the true and living Lord Jesus. (Eph. 1:1-11; 2:8, Rom. 3:23; Gal. 2:21) |
| Eternal Security: | “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they shall never perish; and no one shall snatch them out of My hand,” (John 10:27-28). Christ has done all that is needed for our salvation and he says that those who have eternal life will never perish. Those who appeared to be Christian but fell away never were Christians begin with (1 John 2:19, Hebrews10:19-39 emph. on v. 39). |
| Sanctification: | Sanctification is the process by which the Holy Spirit makes us more like Christ in all that we do, think, and desire and increases our ability to repent from sin — by God’s grace. (1 Thess. 4:7; Eph. 2:10; 1 Tim. 4:4; 1 Peter. 3:15; 2 Tim. 2:25). This process continues all of the Christian’s life and is a the result of salvation, not a cause of it. Furthermore, the effort of sanctification does not maintain salvation. |
| Christian Church: |
Jesus, is the Messiah, the son of the Living God, and this declaration is the “rock” or foundation on which Jesus built His Church. (Matt. 16:18) The followers of Christ are the building that grew from this foundation, stone by stone. (I Peter 2:4-12) Fellowship is necessary in the Christian life for encouragement and discipline, and weekly meetings are encouraged for Communion, Baptism, fellowship and learning. |
| Church Officers: |
God qualifies Christians who are called to be ordained and to serve Jesus Christ in special leadership capacities, i.e. Elders, Deacons, Ministers of the Word, and Evangelists. The office of pastor is limited to qualified men only, called by God, recognized by the body, and meet the biblical standard of pastorship. Women are not to be pastors. (1 Tim. 2:11-15; 3:11-13; Titus 1). There are many positions in the Church where women are needed (like every pastor needs a pastor’s wife), and usually better suited than men. But the best service is love and the best office to hold is one that spreads love (I Cor 12:27- 13:13). The most important position in the church is whatever serves the most (John 13:4-5). |
| Rapture: | The event where, upon Jesus’ return, those who have died in Christ and those Christians who are then alive will be physically caught up to the clouds and meet the Lord Jesus in the air. We will then forever be with the Lord. (1 Thess. 4:16-5:2) there are many Ideas about the timing of the rapture in comparison to the Tribulation of the end times, and it is my contention that the Rapture will happen as the Lord comes down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God, and most certainly not seven years before those events. I believe that although Pre-trib doctrine is appalling I cannot condemn a person for believing it or proclaiming it, only agree to disagree and see how it turns out. |
| Second Coming: |
Jesus Christ will bodily and visibly come from heaven with great glory and majesty. Then all human creatures will appear in person before Him to be judged — men, women, and children, who have lived from the beginning until the end of the world. The evil ones will receive everlasting torment. The faithful ones will receive everlasting life on a new world. So we look forward to that great day with longing in order to enjoy fully the promises of God in Christ Jesus, our Lord. (Matt. 24; Rev. 19-21) |
| Millennium | Classic Premillennialism like C.H. Spurgeon held to: why change things up now? Charles Haddon Spurgeon believed in a Millennial kingdom after the rapture, which comes after the Tribulation, and really, who’s going to question one of the greatest orators of Modern Christianity? Besides, I find no reason to believe either dispensational premillenialism, amillenialism, or post-millenialisn. |
| Spiritual Realm | There is a spiritual realm of angels and demons. |
| Eternal Judgement | All who are not justified by the omnipotent blood of Christ will face eternal and conscious punishment. Being eternally flawed myself, I believe this basic fact should inspire one to witness to any who have not received the free gift of Christ’s grace. Why should I escape, while I allow others to go? |
| Evangelism | All who are not justified by the omnipotent blood of Christ will face eternal and conscious punishment. Being eternally flawed myself, I believe this basic fact should inspire one to witness to any who have not received the free gift of Christ’s grace. Who could wish punishment on others, and expect to escape the same? Part of the beliefs and purpose of every Christian is to carry out the work of evangelism which means that we must teach the gospel of Jesus Christ as well as refute false doctrines, false religions, and whatever else might contradict the word of God including such sins as covetousness, adultery, false gospels, false gods, etc., inside and outside of the church. |