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The sole basis of our
beliefs is the Bible, God's infallible written Word, the sixty-six books of
the Old and New Testaments. We believe that it was uniquely, verbally and
fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, and that it was written without error
(inerrant) in the original manuscripts. It is the supreme and final
authority in all matters on which it speaks.
We accept those areas of
doctrinal teaching on which, historically, there has been general agreement
among all true Christians. Because of the specialized calling of our
movement, we desire to allow for freedom of conviction on other doctrinal
matter, provided that any interpretation is based upon the Bible alone, and
that no such interpretation shall become an issue which hinders the ministry
to which God has called us.
We explicitly affirm our
belief in basic Bible teachings, as follows:
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There is one true God,
eternally existing in three persons-Father, Son and Holy Spirit-each of
whom possesses equally all the attributes of Deity and the
characteristics of personality.
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Jesus Christ is God,
the living word, who became flesh through His miraculous conception by
the Holy Spirit and His virgin birth. Hence, He is perfect Deity and
true humanity united in one person forever.
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He lived a sinless life
and voluntarily atoned for the sins of mankind by dying on the cross as
their substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing
salvation for all who trust in Him alone.
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He rose from the dead
in the same body, though glorified, in which He lived and died.
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He ascended bodily into
heaven and sat down at the right hand of God the Father, where He, the
only mediator between God and man, continually makes intercession for
His own.
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The first man, Adam,
was originally created in the image of God. He sinned by disobeying God;
thus, he was alienated from his Creator. That historic fall brought all
mankind under divine condemnation.
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Every person’s nature
is corrupted, and as such, no one is able to please God. Every person is
in need of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit.
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The salvation of any
person is wholly a work of God's free grace and is not the work, in
whole or in part, of human works or goodness or religious ceremony. God
imputes His righteousness to those who put their faith in Christ alone
for their salvation, and thereby justifies them in His sight.
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It is the privilege of
all who are born again of the Spirit to be assured of their salvation
from the very moment in which they trust Christ as their Savior. This
assurance is not based upon any kind of human merit, but is produced by
the witness of the Holy Spirit, who confirms in the believer the
testimony of God in His written Word.
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The Holy Spirit has
come into the world to reveal and glorify Christ and to apply the saving
work of Christ to those who believe. He convicts and draws sinners to
Christ, imparts new life to them, continually indwells them from the
moment of spiritual birth and seals them until the day of redemption.
His fullness, power and control are appropriated in the believer's life
by faith.
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Every believer is
called to live in the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit in such a way
as to not fulfill the lust of the flesh but to bear fruit to the glory
of God.
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Jesus Christ is the
Head of the Church, His Body, which is composed of all people, living
and dead, who have been joined to Him through saving faith.
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God admonishes His
people to assemble together regularly for worship, for participation in
ordinances, for edification through the Scriptures and for mutual
encouragement.
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At physical death the
believer enters immediately into eternal, conscious fellowship with the
Lord and awaits the resurrection of his body to everlasting glory and
blessing.
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At physical death the
unbeliever enters immediately into eternal, conscious separation from
the Lord and awaits the resurrection of his body to everlasting judgment
and condemnation.
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Jesus Christ will come
again to the earth-personally, visibly and bodily-to consummate history
and the eternal plan of God.
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The Lord Jesus
Christ commanded all believers to proclaim the gospel throughout the
world and to disciple every person of every nation. The fulfillment of
that Great commission requires that all worldly and personal ambitions
be subordinated to a total commitment to "Him who loved us and gave
Himself for us."
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