|
We believe there is but one living and
true God everlasting, of infinite power, wisdom and
goodness; Maker and Preserver of all things, both
visible and invisible. And in the unity of this Godhead
there are three Persons of one substance of eternal
being, and equal in holiness, justice, wisdom, power,
and dignity; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.
We believe that the Son, who is the
Word of the Father, the very and eternal God, of one
substance with the Father, took man's nature in the womb
of the blessed virgin; so that two whole and perfect
natures, that is to say, the Godhead and the manhood
were joined together in one Person, never to be divided,
whereof is one Christ, very God and perfect man, who
actually suffered, was crucified, dead, and buried, to
reconcile the Father to us, and to make atonement, not
only for our actual guilt, but also for original sin.
We believe that Christ did truly rise
again from the dead, and took again His body, with all
things appertaining to the perfections of man's nature,
and ascended into heaven and there sits until He shall
return to judge all men at the last day.
We believe the Holy Ghost, proceeding
from the Father and the Son, is of one substance,
majesty and glory with the Father and the Son, very and
eternal God.
We believe in the verbal and plenary
inspiration of the Holy Scriptures, known as the Bible,
composed of sixty-six books and divided into two
departments, Old and New Testaments. We believe the
Bible is the Word of God, the full and complete
revelation of the plan and history of redemption.
We believe that eternal life with God
in heaven is a portion of the reward of the finally
righteous; and that everlasting banishment from the
presence of the Lord and unending torture in hell are
the wages of the persistently wicked (Matthew 25:46;
Psalm 9:17; Revelation 21:7-8).
We believe that Jesus Christ shed His
blood for the remission of sins that are past, for the
regeneration of penitent sinners, and for salvation from
sin and from sinning (Romans 3:25; 1 John 3:5-10;
Ephesians 2:1-10).
We believe, teach, and firmly maintain
the scriptural doctrine of justification by faith alone
(Romans 5:1).
We believe that Jesus Christ shed His
blood for the complete cleansing of the justified
believer from all indwelling sin and from its pollution,
subsequent to regeneration (1 John 1:7-9).
We believe in sanctification. While
sanctification is initiated in regeneration and
consummated in glorification, we believe that it
includes a definite, instantaneous work of grace
achieved by faith subsequent to regeneration (Acts
26:18; 1 John 1:9). Sanctification delivers from the
power and dominion of sin. It is followed by life-long
growth in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:16; 2 Peter 3:18).
We believe that the pentecostal
baptism of the Holy Ghost and fire is obtainable by a
definite act of appropriating faith on the part of the
fully cleansed believer, and the initial evidence of the
reception of this experience is speaking with other
tongues as the Spirit gives utterance (Luke 11:13; Acts
1:5; 2:14, 8-17; 10:44-46; 19:6).
We believe in divine healing as in the
atonement (Isaiah 53:4-5; Matthew 8:16-17; Mark
16:14-18; James 5:14-16; Exodus 15:26).
We believe in the imminent, personal,
premillennial second coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (1
Thessalonians 4:15-17; Titus 2:13; 2 Peter 3:1-4;
Matthew 24:29-44), and love and wait for His appearing
(2 Timothy 4:8).
We believe it is the responsibility of
every believer to dedicate his life to carrying out the
work of the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark
16:15-20; Acts 1:8).
|