THE SCRIPTURES INSPIRED

THE SCRIPTURES, BOTH THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENTS, ARE VERBALLY INSPIRED OF GOD AND ARE THE REVELATION OF GOD TO MAN, THE INFALLIBLE, AUTHORITATIVE RULE OF FAITH AND CONDUCT (II TIM. 3:15-17; I THESS. 2:13; II PETER 1:21). 

THE ONE TRUE GOD

THE ONE TRUE GOD HAS REVEALED HIMSELF AS THE ETERNALLY SELF-EXISTENT “I AM,” THE CREATOR OF HEAVEN AND EARTH AND THE REDEEMER OF MANKIND.  HE HAS FURTHER REVEALED HIMSELF AS EMBODYING THE PRINCIPLES OF RELATIONSHIP AND ASSOCIATION AS FATHER, SON, AND HOLY GHOST (DEUT. 6:4; ISAIAH 43:10, 11; MATT. 28:19; LUKE 3:22). 

THE DEITY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST IS THE ETERNAL SON OF GOD.  THE SCRIPTURES DECLARE: A. HIS VIRGIN BIRTH (MATT. 1:23; LUKE 1:31, 35). B. HIS SINLESS LIFE (HEB 7:26; I PETER 2:22). C. HIS MIRACLES (ACTS 2:22; 10:38). D. HIS SUBSTITUTIONARY WORK ON THE CROSS (I COR. 15:3; II COR 5:21). E. HIS BODILY RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD (MATT 28:6; LUKE 24:39; I COR. 15:4). F. HIS EXALTATION TO THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD (ACTS 1:9, 11; PHIL. 2:9-11; HEB. 1:3).  

THE FALL OF MAN

  - MAN WAS CREATED GOOD AND UPRIGHT, FOR GOD SAID, “LET US MAKE MAN IN OUR IMAGE, AFTER OUR LIKENESS.”  HOWEVER, MAN BY VOLUNTARY TRANSGRESSION FELL AND THEREBY INCURRED NOT ONLY PHYSICAL DEATH BUT ALSO SPIRITUAL DEATH, WHICH IS SEPARATION FROM GOD (GEN. 1:26, 27; 2:17; 3:6; ROM. 5:12-19) 

THE SALVATION OF MAN

  MAN’S ONLY HOPE OF REDEMPTION IS THROUGH THE SHED BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST THE SON OF GOD.  

CONDITIONS TO SALVATION

 - SALVATION IS RECEIVED THROUGH REPENTANCE TOWARD GOD AND FAITH TOWARD  THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.  BY THE WASHING OF REGENERATION AND RENEWING OF THE  HOLY GHOST, BEING JUSTIFIED BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH, MAN BECOMES AN HEIR OF GOD ACCORDING TO THE HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE (LUKE 24:47; JOHN 3:3; ROM. 10:13-15; EPH. 2:8; TITUS 2:11; 3:5-7)  

BAPTISM IN WATER

 - THE ORDINANCE OF BAPTISM BY IMMERSION IS COMMANDED IN THE SCRIPTURES.  ALL WHO REPENT AND BELIEVE ON CHRIST AS SAVIOR AND LORD ARE TO BE BAPTIZED.  THUS THEY DECLARE TO THE WORLD THAT THEY HAVE DIED WITH CHRIST AND THAT THEY ALSO HAVE BEEN RAISED WITH HIM TO WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE (MATT. 28:19; MARK 17:17; ACTS 10:47, 48; ROM. 6:4). 

HOLY COMMUNION 

- THE LORD’S SUPPER, CONSISTING OF THE ELEMENTS—BREAD AND THE FRUIT OF THE VINE—IS THE SYMBOL EXPRESSING OUR SHARING THE DIVINE NATURE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST (2 Pet. 1:4); A MEMORIAL OF HIS SUFFERING AND DEATH (I COR. 11:26); AND A PROPHECY OF HIS SECOND COMING (I COR. 11:26); AND IS ENJOINED ON ALL BELIEVERS “TILL HE COME!” 

THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

  - ALL BELIEVERS ARE ENTITLED TO AND SHOULD EARNESTLY SEEK THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER, THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT, ACCORDING TO THE COMMAND OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST.  THIS WAS THE NORMAL EXPERIENCE OF ALL IN THE EARLY CHRISTIAN CHURCH.  WITH IT COMES THE ENDUEMENT OF POWER FOR LIFE AND SERVICE, THE BESTOWMENT OF THE GIFTS AND THEIR USES IN THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY (LUKE 24:49; ACTS 1:4, 8; I COR. 12:1-32).  THIS EXPERIENCE IS DISTINCT FROM AND SUBSEQUENT TO THE EXPERIENCE OF THE NEW BIRTH (ACT 8:12-17; 20:44-47; 11:14-16; 15:7-9).  WITH THE BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT COME SUCH EXPERIENCES AS AN OVERFLOWING FULLNESS OF THE SPIRIT (JOHN 7:37-39; ACTS 4:8), A DEEPENED REVERENCE FOR GOD (ACTS 2:43; HEB 12:28), AND INTENSIFIED CONSECRATION TO GOD AND DEDICATION TO HIS WORK (ACTS 2:42), AND A MORE ACTIVE LOVE FOR CHRIST, FOR HIS WORD, AND FOR THE LOST (MARK 16:20).  

 SANCTIFICATION

- SANCTIFICATION IS AN ACT OF SEPARATION FROM THAT WHICH IS EVIL, AND OF DEDICATION UNTO GOD (ROMANS 12:1, 2; I THESS. 5:23; HEB. 13:12).  SCRIPTURES TEACH A LIFE OF “HOLINESS WITHOUT WHICH NO MAN SHALL SEE THE LORD” (HEB. 12:14).  BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY GHOST WE ARE ABLE TO OBEY THE COMMAND:  “BE YE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY” (I PET. 1:15, 16). SANCTIFICATION IS REALIZED IN THE BELIEVER BY RECOGNIZING HIS IDENTIFICATION WITH CHRIST IN HIS DEATH AND RESURRECTION, AND BY FAITH RECKONING DAILY UPON THE FACT OF THAT UNION, AND BY OFFERING EVERY FACULTY CONTINUALLY TO THE DOMINION OF THE HOLY SPIRIT (ROM. 6:1-11, 13; 8:1, 2, 13; GAL. 2:20;PHIL. 2:12, 13;  I PET. 1:5).

THE VISION

 - THE CHURCH IS THE BODY OF CHRIST, THE HABITATION OF GOD THROUGH THE SPIRIT, WITH DIVINE APPOINTMENTS FOR THE FULFILLMENT OF HER GREAT COMMISSION.  EACH BELIEVER, BORN OF THE SPIRIT, IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND CHURCH OF THE FIRSTBORN, WHICH ARE WRITTEN IN HEAVEN (EPH. 1:22, 23; 2:22; HEB. 12:23).