GODHEAD
There is one God, Creator of all things, infinitely perfect and eternally existing in three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit; identical in essence, equal in power and glory and having the same attributes and perfections. (Deut.6:4; II Cor.13:14). Though the Three are One in substance and purpose, They are different in position and authority. (John 14:28, 16:7)
BIBLE
The Bible is the only inspired, infallible, authoritative Word of God; it is God’s revelation to man, and man’s authoritative rule of faith and conduct. (II Tim.3:15-17; I Thes.2:13; II Pet.1:21)
JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ was begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary; is God incarnate, both fully human and fully God, the eternal Son of God Who became man without ceasing to be God. (Phil.2:5-8; Heb.4:15) He lived a sinless life and performed many miracles. His death on the Cross was a vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood. Jesus experienced a bodily resurrection, ascended to the right hand of the Father, and will personally return in power and glory.
MAN
Man was created in the image and likeness of God but that, through Adam’s sin, the human race fell, inherited a sinful nature, became alienated from God and is totally unable of itself to regain its former position; by which case, man is said to be totally depraved. (Gen.1:26, 3:1-24; Rom.3:23,5:12; Eph.2:12) Man is therefore lost and only through regeneration by the Holy Spirit can salvation and spiritual life be obtained.
SALVATION
The Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins as a substitutionary sacrifice and that all who believe in Him by grace through faith (Eph.2:8-9) are freely justified and stand before God accepted in the character and merit of Jesus Christ; that for the salvation of lost and sinful man, repentance from sin and regeneration by the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential. The shed blood of Jesus Christ and His resurrection provide the only ground for justification and salvation for all who believe, and only such as receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour are born of the Holy Spirit, and thus become children of God. God is the spiritual Father only of those who trust His Son, Jesus Christ, as Lord and Saviour and that only those saved through faith in Christ are spiritual brothers. The true Church is composed of all such persons who through saving faith in Jesus Christ have been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and are united together in the body of Christ of which He is the head. The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit (Rom.8:16, I Jn.3:24; I Jn.4:13, I Jn.5:10) and the outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness. (Mt.7:20; Rom.6:22; Eph.4:24; Tit.2:12)
HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is the Person of God Who convicts the world of sin, righteousness and judgment. The HolySpirit, in this present age, regenerates believers in Christ, baptizes them into the Body of Christ (the Church universal), indwells them, seals them unto the day of redemption, teaches all truth, bestows such spiritual gifts as He so chooses and fills those yielded to Him. The present ministry of the Holy Spirit is to glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, and empower the believer for godly living and service. The biblical evidence of a Spirit-filled life is the character of Christ in the life of the believer. (Gal.5:22-25)
SANCTIFICATION
All believers should seek to walk by the Spirit, to practice a separated life from the world and unto Jesus Christ. (Rom.12:1-3; II Cor.6:17; Gal.6:14; Eph.5:11; Col.3:17) Though we are to live separated (in the heart) from the spirit of this world, we are called to go into the world and share Christ. (Jn.17:15-18) Having been bought with a price, we give our lives to God and are no longer our own. The Scriptures teach that sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil with dedication to God (I Thes.5:23; Heb.13:12) whereby we give ourselves to a life of holiness (Heb.12:14) and that sanctification is realized in us as believers by recognizing our identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and then by faith accounting moment-by-moment the fact of that union by offering our every faculty continually to the dominion and control of the Holy Spirit. (Rom.6:1-11, 13, 8:1,2,13; Gal.2:20; Phil.2:12; I Pet.1:5)
ORDINANCES
Two sacraments are to be observed by the church during the present age: water baptism and the Lord’s Supper. Water baptism is obligatory for every believer and is a sign of identification with the death and resurrection of Christ, of remission of sins and of giving oneself up to God to live and walk in newness of life. The Lord’s Supper which consists of the elements of bread and the juice of grapes (fruit of the vine) is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (II Pet.1:4); is a memorial of His suffering and death (I Cor.11:26); is an acknowledgement of His second coming (I Cor.11:26); and is open to all true believers (Mt.26:26-28; I Cor.11:23-26). Neither baptism nor the Lord’s Supper is to be regarded as means of salvation.
RESURRECTION AND JUDGMENT
There will be a bodily resurrection of the justified and the unjustified. The saved will attain the resurrection of life and the lost the resurrection of damnation, which is a final judgment in where the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works, when all those not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life will, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burns forever with fire and brimstone. (Jn.5:25, 29; Rev.19:20, 20:11-15, 21:8) Heaven and hell are real and actual places as described in the Scriptures.
SECOND COMING
There is coming a day for the personal and imminent second coming of Christ. At this time He will receive His own to Himself and to set up His earthly kingdom. He will bring peace and blessing, and will reign over the whole world. (Acts1:11; Phil.3:20-21; Col.3:4; II Thes.1:7, 10, 2:1; Rev.22:12, 20)
In the Crucified yet Risen Lamb,
Terry
