[Bible] [God the Father] [God the Son] [God the Holy Spirit] [Man] [Salvation] [Church] [Baptism] [Lord's Supper] [Angels] [Future Events]

I. THE BIBLE

• I believe the 66 Books (39 Old Testament and 27 New Testament) make up the scripture in its completeness. There is no new present day revelation given by God to man. "For the prophecy come not in old time by the will of man..." I believe the last of God's penmen was the Apostle John, and with his death the penning of scripture ended as well. Rev. 22:18, "For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, that if any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book."
• I believe the Bible is inspired of God, without error, and infallible II Tim. 3:16, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteouness".)
• I believe in the verbal and plenary inspiration of the Bible. I believe the author of the Bible is God and therefore is the final authority in our faith and practice.
• I believe the Bible is to be interpreted literally and not allegorically.

I believe in the existence of the eternal God (Col. 2:9). God exists in three eternal persons yet one Divine essence. This trinity consists of three eternal persons.

1. God the Father: (I Peter 1:2)
2. God the Son: (Hebrews 1:8)
3. God the Holy Spirit: (Acts 5:3,4)

The first person of the trinity is God the Father. He is the Father of Jesus Christ (John 3:11), and the Father of all who are born again (John 1:12).

1. The Father's Nature

1. The Father is a Spirit. (John 4:24)
2. The Father possesses personality. He speaks; He is given names (Gen. 6:6); He is jealous (Deut. 6:15); He loves (Rom. 3:19); He hates (Prov. 6:16).

2. The Father's Attributes

1. Eternal (Psalm 90:2)
2. Omnipotent (Genesis 17)
3. Omnipresent (Isaiah 66:1)
4. Omniscient (Psalm 139:1-6)
5. Immutable (Malachi 3:6)
6. Holy (Psalm 99:9)
7. Just (Isaiah 45:21)
8. Loving (I John 4:8)
9. Truthful (John 14:6)

• I believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Fully God, yet fully man. (John 1:1,14) (Col. 2:9)
• I believe Jesus Christ exists with the Father in eternity past, present, and future. (John 1:2; 5:58)
• I believe Jesus Christ was active in the creation of the universe and presently holds the universe together. (Col.1:16,17; Heb. 1:3)
• I believe the incarnate Christ appeared in the Old Testament. (Gen. 16 & 18)
• I believe Jesus Christ came into the world through a supernatural conception. (Matt. 1:18-25)
• I believe Jesus was born of the virgin Mary. (Matt. 1:18; Luke 1:35; Luke 1:34)
• I believe Jesus experienced all the temptations and trials of man, yet lived a sinless life. (Heb. 4:15)
• I believe Jesus, the Lamb of God, died on the cross of Calvary to satisfy the sin debt of the world - sins past, present, and future. (Rom. 5:8)
• I believe Jesus was buried, and that he arose again the third day, and that he was seen of Cephas, and then of above 500 men at one time. (I Cor. 15:3-6)
• I believe that Jesus ascended back to heaven and is now seated at the right hand of God, and is making intercession to God for us. (Rom. 8:34)
• I believe Jesus Christ possesses the same attributes as God the Father. (Col. 2:9)

• I believe the Holy Spirit was present with God the Father and God the Son in eternity past, present, and future. (Heb. 1:14)
• I believe the Holy Spirit had a part in creation with God the Father and with God the Son. (Gen. 1:2; Psalm 104:30; Job 33:4)
• I believe the Holy Spirit often came upon men in the Old Testament and enabled then to do special works for God. (Numbers 11:17,25,26, 29; Judges 3:10; 1 Samuel 11:6; 16:13; 2 Kings 2:9;15)
• I believe the Holy Spirit was given to the believers in the New Testament to empower them to live the Christian life and to take the Gospel to the ends of the earth. (Acts 1:8)
• I believe the Holy Spirit today indwells every child of God, and is instrumental in perfecting the saints. (Col. 3:3)
• I believe the Holy Spirit possesses the same attributes as God the Father, and as God the Son. (Heb. 9:14; Psa. 139:7-10; Luke 1:35; I Cor. 2:10,11)

• I believe man was created by God and in the image of God on the sixth day of creation and placed in the Garden of Eden (Gen 1:26; 9:6). There, sinless man had perfect fellowship and communion with God until man willfully rebelled and sinned against God (Gen. 3). Therefore, all are born sinners. (Rom 3:10-12,23; 5:12)
• I believe sinful man can do nothing to redeem himself. Therefore, man's only hope for salvation is wrought by God alone. (Ephesians 2:8,9)

• I believe every man is a sinner and can do nothing himself to satisfy his sin debt, and be accepted of God. (Rom 3:10; Eph. 2:8,9)
• I believe God, because of his mercy , sent his only Son to earth to live a sinless life and die on the cross for the payment of our sins. (Heb. 4:15)
• I believe Jesus' death was sufficient to pay for all the sins of the world - past, present, and future. (John 1:29; I Tim. 2:6; I John 2:2)
• I believe Jesus' death is a gift available to all people. (Romans 6:23;10:13; II Peter 3:9). I do not believe in limited atonement.
• I believe a person must repent and put his faith and trust in Jesus Christ to be saved. (Rom. 10:9)
• I believe that once a person receives the free gift of salvation, he then becomes a child of God and a recipient of the inheritance given to the believer. (John 1:12; I Peter 1:3,4)
• I believe in the eternal security of every believer.(I Peter 1:5; Eph. 1:12-14; John 3:15; John 10:25-30)

The church is a New Testament teaching and is not to be confused with the nation Israel. The church consists of a local group of saved, baptized believers.

• There are two offices given in scripture for the church: (1) the pastor (elder, bishop). (2) the deacon.
• The pastor, is to be the Shepard over the flock. He is to lead, feed, and teach the flock the things of God. (I Peter 5:1-11)
• The deacons are the chief servants in the church. Their primary purpose is to do all that is necessary in order to free the pastor to do the work that God has called him to do. (Acts 6)
• I believe both the pastor and the deacons are to meet the requirements set forth in scripture. (I Timothy 3; Titus 1:4-16)

I believe there are just two ordinances given to the church: 

1. Baptism
2. The Lord's supper (I Corinthians 11)

1. Baptism

• I believe baptism has no merit toward salvation. (Ephesians 2:8,9)
• I believe baptism is an act of obedience toward God for the new child of God. (Acts 2:41)
• I believe saved people only are to be baptized. Baptism is not for infants.
• I believe the proper mode for baptism is to be fully immersed one time backwards. The mode is to picture the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Acts 8:38; Matthew 3:16)

2. The Lord's Supper

The Lord's supper is not a sacrament, and has no saving merit. (Ephesians 2:8,9)

I believe the Lord's supper has a three-fold purpose:

• It is a memorial service: a time for us to look back at the wonderful work of Christ and his sacrificial death for our sins.
• It is an examination: A time to examine our lives and confess any known sins that might cause us to be out of fellowship with God.
• It is a proclamation: partaking the Lord's supper gives witness that we believe Jesus died on the cross and shed His blood for our sins. (I Corinthians 11:24-28)

• I believe the angels were created by God and in eternity past, worshiped and served God. (I Corinthians 1:16)
• I believe Satan, because of his prideful rebellion against God (Ezekiel 28:12-19), is a fallen angel cast out of heaven along with other fallen angels (II Peter 2:4; Jude 6).
• I believe Satan and his host are actively engaged in war against the church (Matt 16:18).
• I believe Satan and his host will someday be cast in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, to be tormented day and night, forever. (Matthew 25:41; Leviticus 20:10)
• I believe the unfallen angels have a special ministry in worshiping God (Rom. 5:1-13), and assisting the saints in the service of God. (Heb. 1:10-14).

• I believe all those who die without being saved will spend eternity in hell. (Luke 16:19-31)
• I believe all those who die a child of God will spend eternity with Christ. (Phil. 1:21-23)
• I believe all the Old Testament prophecies scheduled to be fulfilled by the Lord, have been fulfilled, and all the prophecies for the future will be fulfilled just as God says. (Titus 1:2)
• I believe the next event on God's calendar of events is the imminent rapture of the Church (I Thessalonians 5:13-18).

1. The Rapture of the Church. (1 Thes. 4:13-18)
2. The Bema Seat of Christ. (1 Cor. 3:11-15)
3. The Marriage supper of the Lamb. (Rev. 19:7-9)
4. The Great Tribulation. (Rev. 6-19)
5. The Second Coming of Christ. (Rev. 19:17-21)
6. The Battle of Armageddon. (Rev. 19:17-21)
7. The Binding of Satan for a Thousand Years. (Rev. 20:1-3)
8. The Millennial Reign of Christ. (Rev. 20:4-6)
9. The Loosing of Satan for a Season. (Rev. 20:7-9)
10. The Casting of Satan into the Lake of Fire. (Rev. 20:10)
11. The Great White Throne Judgment. (Rev. 20:11-15)
12. The Eternal State. (Rev. 21:1-22)