Tenets of Faith:
The
Scriptures
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
Timothy 3:15-17; 1
Thessalonians 2:13; 2
Peter 1:21).
The
Godhead
Our God is one, but manifested in three persons -- the
Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, being co-equal (Philippians
2:6).
God the Father
is greater than all; the sender of the Word (Logos) and
the Begetter (John
14:28; John
16:28; John
1:14).
The Son
is the Word flesh-covered, the One Begotten, and has existed
with the Father from the beginning. (John
1:1; John
1:18; John
1:14).
The Holy Spirit
proceeds forth from both the Father and the Son and is
eternal (John
15:26).
Man,
His Fall and Redemption
Man is a created being, made in the likeness and image
of God, but through Adam's transgression and fall, sin
came into the world. (Romans
5:14; Romans
3:10; Romans
3:23; 1
John 3:8)
Salvation is the gift of
God to man, separate from works and the law, and is made
operative by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, producing
works acceptable to God. (Ephesians
2:8)
Eternal
Life and the New Birth
The New Birth is necessary to all men, and when experienced,
produces eternal life. (2
Corinthians 7:10; 1
John 5:12; John
3:3-5)
Water
Baptism
Baptism in water is by immersion, 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. (Matthew
28:19; Romans
6:4; Colossians
2:12; Acts
8:36-39)
Baptism
in the Holy Spirit
The Baptism in the Holy Ghost 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.
(Matthew
3:11; John
14:16,17; Acts
1:8; Acts
2:38,39; Acts
19:1-7; Acts
2:4)
Sanctification
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. (Hebrews
12:14; 1
Thessalonians 5:23; 2
Peter 3:18; Acts
19:1-7; Acts
2:4)
Divine
Healing
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; Matthew
8:17; Isaiah
53:4-5)
Resurrection
of the Just and the Return of Our Lord
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 for the church is
imminent. When this "catching away" or "rapture"
of the church occurs... "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
Thessalonians 4:16-17) Following the Tribulation,
Jesus shall return to earth the second time 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. (Revelation
20:6)
Hell
and Eternal Retribution
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. (Hebrews
9:27; Revelation
19:20)
Heaven
Heaven is a real place -- referred to as the Heaven of heavens where God is,
not the atmospheric or celestial heavens. (Revelation
4:1-2) Heaven is the eternal dwelling place of God; and where Jesus Christ
is seated. Heaven is also a place that God has prepared for those who believe
in Jesus Christ. When a believer dies he immediately goes to Heaven - absent
from the body, preset with the Lord. (2
Corinthians 5:8) To the one who believes in the redemptive work of Jesus,
Heaven is their eternal home. "There shall be no curse, no more death,
neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." (Revelation
21:1-8)