What We Teach & Affirm
The Holy Scriptures
We teach and affirm that the Bible is God’s written revelation to man contained in the 66 books of the OT and NT given to us by the Holy Spirit (inspired, God-breathed) in the original languages of Hebrew and Aramaic in the OT and common Greek in the NT.
We teach and affirm that the Bible is God’s verbally (the words themselves) and plenarily (all the words, every word) inspired, inerrant, infallible, in the original manuscripts, and thus they are altogether and equally the absolute, final, and authoritative Word of God revealing all that He desired for man to know.
We teach and affirm that the Word of God is objective, factual, in all matters as revealed in themselves (ie: science, history, creation) as well as declarative, and propositional truth; the Bible is non-negotiable and unequivocal in itself.
We teach and affirm that the Bible is altogether sufficient as pertaining to all matters of life and faith (Matt. 5: 8; Heb. 4: 12).
We teach and affirm that in the sovereign providence of God’s perfect will He established the OT in the Masoretic text, and He preserved a plethora of copied NT manuscripts (approx. 15,000) that attest to the validity and authenticity of the divine inspiration of the Scriptures.
We teach and affirm that God choose to reveal His written Word through a process of dual authorship. The Holy Spirit of God superintended the efforts of human authors through their personalities, backgrounds, writing styles in order that they compose the perfect intended words to the audiences that God had selected for them to write.
We teach and affirm that the Scriptures themselves bear witness internally to what they truly are – the revealed Word of God (Ps. 19: 7-11; Jn. 17: 17; 2 Tim. 3: 14-17; 2 Pet. 1: 20-21).
We teach and affirm the correct method of interpretation (hermeneutic) of the Scriptures must be credible, honest, verifiable, objective, and without preconceptions or subjectivity. It is the responsibility of believers to ascertain carefully the true, authorial intent and thus correct meaning of Scripture. There is only one intent and one meaning given by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the best approach to maintain a valid hermeneutic of any text of Scripture is the literal, grammatical, contextual, historical interpretation. There may be different applications of a text, but there is only one correct intended meaning.
Based upon the correct hermeneutic of Scripture (literal, grammatical, contextual) objectivity is perpetuated and subjectivity is discarded.
God
We teach and affirm there is only one God who is true and living. He is infinite, all-knowing Spirit, perfect, holy, immutable in all His attributes, one in essence, eternally existing in three Persons of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and each Person equally deserving worship and obedience (Deut. 6: 4; Is. 45: 5-7; Jn. 4: 24; 1 Cor. 8: 4; Matt. 28: 19).
God the Father
We teach and affirm that God the Father, the first Person of the Trinity, orders, and arranges all things according to His perfect purpose and grace (Ps. 145: 8-9; 1 Cor. 8: 60). God the Father is the Creator of all things (Gen. 1: 1-31; Eph. 3: 9).
He is the absolute and omnipotent Ruler in the universe; He is sovereign over His creation; He is sovereign in His providence and redemption (Ps. 103: 19; Rom. 11: 36).
His Fatherhood involves both His relationship within the Trinity and His relationship with mankind (Eph. 4: 6) and His relationship to believers as spiritual Father (Rom. 8: 14). He has decreed for His own glory all things (Eph. 1: 11), and He continually upholds, directs, and governs all creatures and events (1 Chron. 29: 11). In His sovereignty, God is neither the author nor the approver of sin (Hab. 1: 13; Jam. 1: 13; 1 Jn. 1: 5).
God the Son
We teach and affirm that Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity, possesses all the divine excellencies and attributes of God and in these He is coequal, consubstantial, and coeternal with the Father (Jn. 10: 10; 14: 9).
We teach and affirm that God the Father created according to His own will, through His Son, Jesus Christ, by whom all things continue in existence and in operation (Jn. 1: 3; Col. 1: 15-17).
We teach and affirm that in the incarnation the eternal Son, the second person of the Trinity, without altering His divine nature or surrendering any of His divine attributes, made Himself of no reputation by taking on a full human nature consubstantial with our own, yet without sin (Phil. 2: 5-8).
We teach and affirm that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary (Lk. 1: 35) and born of a woman (Gal. 4: 4-5).
Therefore, the two whole, perfect natures, the divine and the human were joined together in one person, without confusion, contradiction, division, or separation. He is therefore very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God and man.
We teach and affirm that in His incarnation, Christ fully possessed His divine nature, attributes, and prerogatives (Col. 2: 9). However, in the state of His humiliation, He did not always fully express the glories of His majesty, concealing them behind the veil of His genuine perfect humanity (Matt. 17: 2). According to His human nature, He acts in submission to the Father (Jn. 4: 34), by the power of the Holy Spirit (Is. 42: 1; Matt. 12: 28), while according to His divine nature, He acts by His authority and power as the eternal Son (Jn. 1: 14; 2: 11; 14: 10-11).
We teach and affirm that based on the efficacy of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, the believing sinner is freed from the punishment, the penalty, the power, and one day the very presence of sin; and that he is declared righteous, given eternal life, and adopted into the family of God (Rom. 3: 25; 2 Cor. 5: 14-15).
We teach and affirm that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead and that He is now ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He now mediates as our Advocate and High Priest (Matt. 28: 6; Acts 2: 30-31; Rom. 4: 25; Heb. 7: 25).
We teach and affirm that in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God confirmed the deity of His Son and gave proof that God has accepted the atoning work of Christ on the cross. Jesus’ bodily resurrection is also the guarantee of a future resurrection life for all believers (Jn. 5: 26-29; 14: 9; Rom. 6: 5-10; 1 Cor. 15: 20).
We teach and affirm that Jesus Christ will return to receive the church, which is His body, unto Himself at the rapture, and returning with His church in glory to establish His millennial kingdom on earth (Acts 1: 9-11; 1 Thess. 4: 13-18; Rev. 20).
We teach and affirm that the Lord Jesus Christ is the One through whom God will judge all mankind (Jn. 5: 22-23).
Christ will judge all true believers (1 Cor. 3: 10-15).
Christ will judge the living inhabitants of the earth at His glorious throne (Matt. 25: 31-46).
Christ will judge the unbelieving dead at the Great White Throne (Rev. 20: 11-15).
As the Mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2: 5), the head of His body the church (Eph. 1: 22; Col. 1: 18), and the coming universal king, who will reign on the throne of David (Is. 9: 6; Matt. 1: 31-33), He is the final Judge of all who fail to place their trust in Him as Lord and Savior (Matt. 25: 14-46; Acts 17: 30-32).
God the Holy Spirit
We teach and affirm that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, eternal, and uncreated who possesses all the attributes and personality and deity including intellect (1 Cor. 2: 10-13), emotions (Eph. 4: 30), will (1 Cor. 12: 11), eternality (Heb. 9: 14), omnipresence (Ps. 139: 7-10), omniscience (Isa. 40: 13-14), omnipotence (Rom. 15: 13), and truthfulness (Jn. 16: 13).
We teach and affirm that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to execute the divine will with reference to all mankind. His sovereign activity is recognized in creation (Gen. 1: 2), the incarnation (Matt. 1: 18), inspiration (2 Pet. 1: 20-21), and the work of salvation (Jn. 3: 5-6).
We teach and affirm that the work of the Holy Spirit in the church age began at Pentecost, when He came from the Father as promised by Christ (Jn. 14: 16-17; Acts 1: 8) in order to initiate and complete the budling of the church (1 Cor. 12: 13 crf. Acts 20: 28).
The broad scope of His divine activity includes convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, glorifying Jesus Christ, and transforming believers into the image of Christ (Jn. 16: 7-9).
We teach and affirm that the Holy spirit is the divine Person in regeneration, baptizing believers into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12: 13). The Holy Spirit indwells, sanctifies, instructs, empowers believers for service to Christ, and seals them unto the day of redemption (Rom. 8: 9; 2 Cor. 3: 6; Eph. 1: 13).
We teach and affirm that the Holy Spirit is the divine Teacher who guided and instructed the apostles and prophets into all truth as they committed to writing God’s revelation, the Bible (2 Pet. 1: 19-20). Every believer possesses the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit from the moment of salvation, and it is the obligation of all those born of the Holy Spirit to be filled or controlled by the Holy Spirit (Jn. 16: 13; Rom. 8: 9; Eph. 5: 18).
We teach and affirm that the Holy Spirit sovereignly gives spiritual gifts to the church. He does so as He pleases for the purpose of bringing glory to Christ. Glory to Christ is given by the Holy Spirit in the work of redemption, and as well the building up of the church in the most holy faith (Jn. 16: 13; Acts 1: 8; 1 Cor. 12: 4-11; 2 Cor. 3: 18).
We teach and affirm that the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to the church for the perfecting of the saints; the gifts of the working of miracles and speaking in tongues in the beginning of the church were for the purpose of authenticating the apostles as revealers of divine truth, the verification of the gospel, and the validation of the Christ as Messiah and were never intended to be characteristic of the lives of believers (1 Cor. 12: 4-11; 2 Cor. 12: 12; Eph. 4: 7-2; Heb. 2: 1-4).
Man
We teach and affirm that man was directly and immediately created by God in His image and likeness. Man was created free of sin with a rational nature intelligence volition, self-determination, and moral responsibility to God (Gen. 2: 7; Jam. 3: 9).
We teach and affirm that man was created by God as either male or female, biologically defined and distinct sexes established by God for each individual (Gen. 1: 27; 2: 5-23; 1 Cor. 11: 11-15; Ps. 139: 13-14). Confusion between the two is an abomination to God (Lev. 18: 2; Deut. 22: 5; 1 Cor. 6: 9).
We teach and affirm that God’s intention in the creation of man was that man should glorify God, enjoy God’s fellowship, live his life in the will of God, and thereby accomplish God’s purpose for man in the world (Is. 43: 7; Col. 1: 16; Rev. 4: 11).
We teach and affirm that in Adam’s willful sin of disobedience to the Word of God, man lost his innocence, incurred the penalty of both spiritual and physical death, had a disposition of enmity before God and thereby falling under His wrath.
The further result of Adam’s disobedience is that man has become inherently corrupt and unable an unwilling to do what is acceptable and pleasing in the sight of God apart from divine grace. Man’s salvation is thus entirely the work of God grace through Jesus Christ (Gen. 1: 16-17; 3: 1-19; Jn. 3: 36; Rom. 3: 23; Eph. 2: 1-9).
We teach and affirm that because all men were in Adam, a nature corrupted by Adam’s sin has been transmitted to all men of all ages, Jesus Christ being the only exception. All men are therefore sinners by nature, by choice, and by divine declaration (Ps. 14; 1-3; Jer. 17: 17; Rom. 3: 19-18; 5: 10-12).
Salvation
We teach and affirm that salvation is entirely the work of God on behalf of the believing and repentant sinner. Salvation is based on God’s grace through the redemption of Jesus Christ. Salvation is exclusively on the meritorious work of the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross in His divine accomplishment and not because of human work or achievement.
Regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit whereby He instantaneously imparts new life into the heart of the believing sinner through the Word of God (Jn. 5: 24; Tit. 3: 5) and thus enabling the repentant sinner to respond in faith to the provision of salvation in the message of the gospel (2 Cor. 4: 3-6).
Election is the act of God by which before the foundation of the world, He chose in Christ those whom He graciously regenerates, saves, and sanctifies (Rom. 8: 28-30; Eph. 1: 4-11; 2 Tim. 1: 11; 2: 10).
Justification is the act of God whereby he declares the believing and repentant sinner righteous through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3: 24; 5: 1; 8: 33; Tit. 3: 7).
Sanctification is the act of God positionally whereby He sets the believer apart unto Himself and identifying that person as a saint; this is referred to as positional sanctification (Acts 2: 32; 1 Cor. 1; 2, 30; 6:11; 2 Thess. 2: 13; Heb. 2: 11).
Sanctification is also progressive in the work of the Holy Spirit as the believer is in obedience to the Word of God, increasing in holiness, and being conformed to the image of Christ (Jn. 17: 17; rom. 6: 1-22; 2 Cor. 3: 18).
Security in salvation is the truth that believers are kept eternally saved by the power of God and can never finally be lost (Jn. 5: 24; 6: 37-40; 10: 27-30; Rom. 8: 35-39; 1 Pet. 3: 5).
Lordship in salvation is embracing the truth of the gospel of Christ in His supremacy and preeminence as the sovereign eternal Lord in His Person of majesty and deity, and His all sufficient sacrifice for our sin in His death upon the cross. The inherent truth of the divine nature of the gospel itself demands a sincere response of Lordship to Jesus Christ in genuine faith and repentance (Jn. 6: 69; Gal. 2: 20; Col. 2: 6-7; crf. Lk. 18: 18-27).
Separation from sin is clearly mandated in both the OT and NT. As apostacy and wickedness continues to abound with increasing rapidity, we are called and bound as true believers (disciples) to live indicatively of the salvation we have in Christ (2 Cor. 6: 14-7: 1; Phil. 2: 12-16; 1 Pet. 1: 13-21; 2: 9).
The Church
We teach and affirm that all who place their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately placed into the universal church, the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12: 12-13), the bride of Christ (2 Cor. 11: 2; Eph. 5: 23-32) of which He is the Head (Eph. 1: 22; Col. 1: 18).
We teach and affirm that the church had its inception on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2: 1-21) and will be completed at the coming of Christ for His own at the rapture (1Cor. 15: 51-52; 1 Thess. 4: 13-18).
We teach and affirm that the church is the unique spiritual entity designed and built by Christ and is comprised of all true believers in this present age (Eph. 2: 11-3: 6). Furthermore, the church is distinct from Israel (1 Cor. 10: 32), and is a mystery not revealed until this present age (Eph. 3: 1-6).
We teach and affirm the autonomy of the local church free from any external authority or control; with the right to govern itself from interference from hierarchy of individuals or organizations (Tit. 1: 5).
We teach and affirm that the purpose of the church is to glorify God (Eph. 3: 21) by building itself up in the faith (Eph. 4: 13-16) by instruction of the Word of God (2 Tim. 2: 2; 3: 16-17) by fellowship (Acts 2: 47; I Jn. 1: 3), and by keeping the ordinances (Lk. 22: 19), and by proclaiming the gospel to the entire world (Matt. 28: 19; Acts 1: 8).
We teach and affirm that the Holy Spirit gave two kinds of gifts to the early church: miraculous gifts to authenticate the message of the gospel given by the apostles (Heb. 2: 3-4) and ministering gifts which were given to equip believers for the edification of the church. Upon the completion of the New Testament Scripture now becomes the sole test and authority of the authenticity of a man’s message (1 Cor. 13: 8-12). Furthermore, the only gifts that are operational today are the non-revelatory equipping gifts for the purpose of edification (Rom. 12: 6-8).
We teach and affirm that no one possesses the gift of healing today. God can and does hear and answer prayers of faith and will answer them in accordance with His own perfect will for the sick, suffering, and afflicted (Lk. 18: 1-6; Jn. 5: 7-9; 2 Cor. 12: 6-10; Jam. 5: 13-16).
We teach and affirm that two ordinances have been committed to the church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2: 38-42); Christian baptism is by immersion (Acts 8: 36-39).
We teach and affirm that the Lord’s Supper is the remembrance proclaiming His death and resurrection until He comes, and it should always be taken in the context of self-examination (1 Cor. 11: 28-32).
Even though the elements of the Lord’s Supper or Communion are representative of the body and blood of Christ, participation in the Lord’s Supper is as well an actual communion with the risen Christ who in fact indwells every true believer and is present fellowshipping with His people (1 Cor. 10: 16).
Angels
We teach and affirm that angels are created beings and are not to be worshipped. Although they are a higher order of creation than man, they were created to serve God and worship Him (Lk. 2: 9-14; Heb. 1: 6-7).
We teach and affirm that satan is a created angel and the author of sin. He incurred the judgment of God by rebelling against his Creator (Is. 14: 12-17; Ezek. 28: 11-19). In his rebellion against God, satan took numerous angels with him in his fall (Matt. 25: 41; Rev. 12: 1-14). Satan introduced sin into the human race by his temptation of Eve (Gen. 3: 1-15).
We teach and affirm that satan is the enemy of God and man (Is. 14: 13-14; Matt. 4: 1-11; Rev. 12: 9-10). Satan is the prince of this world, who has been defeated through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Rom. 16: 20).
Satan will be eternally punished in the lake of fire (Is. 14: 12-17; Ezek. 28: 11-19; Rev. 20: 10).
Last Things
We teach and affirm that our physical death that does not involve the loss or our consciousness (Rev. 6: 9-11); the soul of the redeemed passes immediately into the presence of Christ (Lk. 23: 43; Phil. 1: 23); there is a separation of soul and body (Phil. 1: 1-24); for the redeemed the separation of soul and body will continue until the rapture (1 Thess. 4: 13-18), which initiates the first resurrection (Rev. 20: 4-6); the soul and the body will at that time be reunited to be glorified eternally with Christ (1 Cor. 15: 35-44; Phil. 3: 21; 1 Jn. 3: 2). Until that time the souls of the redeemed in Christ remain in joyful fellowship the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5: 8).
We teach and affirm the resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life (Jn. 6: 39; Rom. 8: 10-11; 2 Cor. 4: 14), and the unsaved to judgment and eternal punishment (Dan. 12: 2; Jn. 5: 29; Rev. 20: 13-15).
We teach and affirm that the souls of the unsaved at death are kept under punishment until the second resurrection (Lk. 16: 19-26; Rev. 20; 13-15) when the soul and resurrected body will be united (Jn. 5: 28-29). At that time, they will appear at the Great White Throne Judgment and be cast into the lake of fire (Matt. 25: 41-46; Rev. 20: 11-15). They will be eternally cut off from God (Dan. 12: 2; 2 Thess. 1: 7-9).
We teach and affirm the personal and bodily return of Christ prior to the 7-year tribulation (1 Thess.4: 16; Tit. 2: 13). At that time, Christ will translate or rapture His church from the earth (Jn. 14: 1-3; 1 Cor. 15: 51-53; 1 Thess. 4: 13-18). Between the rapture of the church and the return of Christ to the earth, believers will experience rewards given for their faithful works of service done for Christ (1 Cor. 3: 11-15; 2 Cor. 5: 10).
We teach and affirm that immediately following the rapture of the church (Jn. 14: 1-3; 1 Cor. 4: 13-18), the righteous judgments of God will be poured out upon the unbelieving world (Jer. 30: 7; Dan. 9: 27; 2 Thess. 2: 7-12; Rev. 6-18).
These divine judgments will then be culminated in the return of Christ in glory to the earth (Matt. 24: 27-31; Col. 3: 4; 2 Tim. 4: 1). At that time the Old Testament and tribulation saints will be raised and the living will be judged (Dan. 12: 2-3; Rev. 20: 4-6). This period includes the 70th week of Daniel’s prophecy (Dan. 9; 24-27; Matt. 24: 15-31).
We teach and affirm that after the tribulation period, Christ will return to earth to occupy the throne of David (Matt. 25: 31; Lk. 1: 31-33; Acts 1: 10-11).
At that time, Christ will establish His messianic kingdom for 1,000 years (Rev. 20: 1-7). During this time the resurrected saints will reign with Christ over Israel and all the nations of the earth (Ezek. 37: 21-28; Dan. 7: 17-22; Rev. 19: 11-16).
The 1,000 year reign of Christ will follow after the overthrow of the antichrist, the False Prophet, and the removal of satan from the world (Dan. 7: 17-22; Rev. 20: 1-7).
We teach and affirm that the kingdom will be the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel (Is. 65: 17-25; Ezek. 37; 21-28; Zech. 8: 1-17) to restore them to the land they forfeited through their disobedience (Deut. 28: 15); the result of their disobedience was that Israel was temporarily set aside (Matt. 21: 43; Rom. 11: 1-26); through repentance to God, they will be awakened to enter into the land of blessing (Jer. 31: 31-34; Ezek. 36: 22-32; Rom. 11: 25-29).
We teach and affirm that the reign of Christ will be characterized by peace, justice, righteousness, harmony and long life (Is. 11; 65: 17-25; Ezek. 36: 33-38), and then will be ended with the release of satan out of the bottomless pit (Rev. 20: 7).
We teach and affirm that after the release of satan after the 1,000 year reign of Christ (Rev. 20: 7), satan will deceive the nations of the earth and gather them together against the saints at which time satan will be devoured by fire from heaven (Rev. 20: 9). Following this, satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone (Matt. 25: 41; Rev. 20: 10). At that time Christ who is the Judge of all men (Jn. 5: 22) will resurrect and judge the great and small at the Great White Throne Judgment.
We teach and affirm that this resurrection of the unsaved dead to judgment will be a physical resurrection and receiving their final and eternal judgment (Jn. 5: 28-28; Rev. 20: 11-15).
We teach and affirm that after the millennial reign of Christ, the release of satan, the judgment of all unbelievers (2 Thess. 1: 9; Rev. 20: 7-15), the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God after which the elements of the earth are to be dissolved (2 Pet. 3: 10) and replaced with a new earth where only the righteous will dwell (Eph. 5: 5; Rev. 20: 15; 21: 1-27).
Following this, the heavenly city will come down from heaven (Rev. 21: 2) and will be the dwelling place of all the saints where they will enjoy eternally fellowship with God and one another (Jn. 17: 3; Rev. 21-22). The Lord having fulfilled His redemptive mission will then deliver up the kingdom to God the Father (1 Cor. 15: 24-28) that in all the spheres the Triune God may reign forever and ever (1 Cor. 15: 28).
Understanding what it means to be a Christian.
The Holy Scriptures reveal the true essence of what it means to be a Christian.
1. The only True and Living God is the Sovereign Creator.
Contemporary society and education indoctrinate the thinking that man has evolved. The Scriptures reveal that man was created by God to love, serve, and enjoy endless fellowship with Him. The New Testament reveals it was Jesus Himself who created everything (Jn. 1: 3; Col. 1: 16). Therefore, God owns and rules everything (Ps. 103: 19). God has all authority over every life, and we owe Him our complete allegiance, obedience, and reverence.
2. The only True and Living God is Holy.
God is absolutely and entirely holy (Is. 6: 3). Therefore, He cannot commit or approve of evil (Jam. 1: 13). Furthermore, God requires holiness of us as well (1 Pet. 1: 16).
3. Mankind is sinful.
According to the Bible, everyone is guilty before God because of their inherent sin (1 Ki. 8: 46); Rom. 3: 23). Essentially, mankind is incapable of understanding, loving, or pleasing God on our own (Rom. 3: 10-12).
4. Sin demands a penalty.
God’s holiness and righteousness demand that all sin be punished by eternal death (Ezek. 18: 4; Rom. 6: 23). Changing our thought or behavior patterns will not solve the sin problem or eliminate its consequences.
5. Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior.
The New Testament reveals it was Jesus Himself who created everything (Col. 1; 16). Therefore, He owns and rules everything (Ps. 103: 19). Thus, Christ has ultimate authority over our lives, and we owe Him complete obedience.
Even though the justice of God demands death for sin, the love of God provided the Savior who paid the penalty and died for sinners (Rom. 5: 8; 1 Pet. 3: 18).
The death of Christ satisfied the holy demands of God righteousness through the perfect life and sinless sacrifice of his Son (2 Cor. 5: 21); thus, believing and repentant sinners can be forgiven of their sins through faith in Christ (Eph. 2: 8-9).
6. The character of saving faith.
True saving faith is always accompanied by repentance from sin. Repentance is agreeing with God that you are sinful, confessing you sins to Him, and making a conscious choice to turn from sin (Lk. 13: 3; 1 Thess. 1: 9).
It is not enough to believe facts about Christ. Even satan and his demons believe in the true God (Jam. 2: 19), but they don’t love and obey Him. True saving faith always responds in obedience (Eph. 2: 10).
The Holy Scriptures
We teach and affirm that the Bible is God’s written revelation to man contained in the 66 books of the OT and NT given to us by the Holy Spirit (inspired, God-breathed) in the original languages of Hebrew and Aramaic in the OT and common Greek in the NT.
We teach and affirm that the Bible is God’s verbally (the words themselves) and plenarily (all the words, every word) inspired, inerrant, infallible, in the original manuscripts, and thus they are altogether and equally the absolute, final, and authoritative Word of God revealing all that He desired for man to know.
We teach and affirm that the Word of God is objective, factual, in all matters as revealed in themselves (ie: science, history, creation) as well as declarative, and propositional truth; the Bible is non-negotiable and unequivocal in itself.
We teach and affirm that the Bible is altogether sufficient as pertaining to all matters of life and faith (Matt. 5: 8; Heb. 4: 12).
We teach and affirm that in the sovereign providence of God’s perfect will He established the OT in the Masoretic text, and He preserved a plethora of copied NT manuscripts (approx. 15,000) that attest to the validity and authenticity of the divine inspiration of the Scriptures.
We teach and affirm that God choose to reveal His written Word through a process of dual authorship. The Holy Spirit of God superintended the efforts of human authors through their personalities, backgrounds, writing styles in order that they compose the perfect intended words to the audiences that God had selected for them to write.
We teach and affirm that the Scriptures themselves bear witness internally to what they truly are – the revealed Word of God (Ps. 19: 7-11; Jn. 17: 17; 2 Tim. 3: 14-17; 2 Pet. 1: 20-21).
We teach and affirm the correct method of interpretation (hermeneutic) of the Scriptures must be credible, honest, verifiable, objective, and without preconceptions or subjectivity. It is the responsibility of believers to ascertain carefully the true, authorial intent and thus correct meaning of Scripture. There is only one intent and one meaning given by the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the best approach to maintain a valid hermeneutic of any text of Scripture is the literal, grammatical, contextual, historical interpretation. There may be different applications of a text, but there is only one correct intended meaning.
Based upon the correct hermeneutic of Scripture (literal, grammatical, contextual) objectivity is perpetuated and subjectivity is discarded.
God
We teach and affirm there is only one God who is true and living. He is infinite, all-knowing Spirit, perfect, holy, immutable in all His attributes, one in essence, eternally existing in three Persons of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and each Person equally deserving worship and obedience (Deut. 6: 4; Is. 45: 5-7; Jn. 4: 24; 1 Cor. 8: 4; Matt. 28: 19).
God the Father
We teach and affirm that God the Father, the first Person of the Trinity, orders, and arranges all things according to His perfect purpose and grace (Ps. 145: 8-9; 1 Cor. 8: 60). God the Father is the Creator of all things (Gen. 1: 1-31; Eph. 3: 9).
He is the absolute and omnipotent Ruler in the universe; He is sovereign over His creation; He is sovereign in His providence and redemption (Ps. 103: 19; Rom. 11: 36).
His Fatherhood involves both His relationship within the Trinity and His relationship with mankind (Eph. 4: 6) and His relationship to believers as spiritual Father (Rom. 8: 14). He has decreed for His own glory all things (Eph. 1: 11), and He continually upholds, directs, and governs all creatures and events (1 Chron. 29: 11). In His sovereignty, God is neither the author nor the approver of sin (Hab. 1: 13; Jam. 1: 13; 1 Jn. 1: 5).
God the Son
We teach and affirm that Jesus Christ, the second Person of the Trinity, possesses all the divine excellencies and attributes of God and in these He is coequal, consubstantial, and coeternal with the Father (Jn. 10: 10; 14: 9).
We teach and affirm that God the Father created according to His own will, through His Son, Jesus Christ, by whom all things continue in existence and in operation (Jn. 1: 3; Col. 1: 15-17).
We teach and affirm that in the incarnation the eternal Son, the second person of the Trinity, without altering His divine nature or surrendering any of His divine attributes, made Himself of no reputation by taking on a full human nature consubstantial with our own, yet without sin (Phil. 2: 5-8).
We teach and affirm that He was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary (Lk. 1: 35) and born of a woman (Gal. 4: 4-5).
Therefore, the two whole, perfect natures, the divine and the human were joined together in one person, without confusion, contradiction, division, or separation. He is therefore very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only mediator between God and man.
We teach and affirm that in His incarnation, Christ fully possessed His divine nature, attributes, and prerogatives (Col. 2: 9). However, in the state of His humiliation, He did not always fully express the glories of His majesty, concealing them behind the veil of His genuine perfect humanity (Matt. 17: 2). According to His human nature, He acts in submission to the Father (Jn. 4: 34), by the power of the Holy Spirit (Is. 42: 1; Matt. 12: 28), while according to His divine nature, He acts by His authority and power as the eternal Son (Jn. 1: 14; 2: 11; 14: 10-11).
We teach and affirm that based on the efficacy of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ, the believing sinner is freed from the punishment, the penalty, the power, and one day the very presence of sin; and that he is declared righteous, given eternal life, and adopted into the family of God (Rom. 3: 25; 2 Cor. 5: 14-15).
We teach and affirm that our justification is made sure by His literal, physical resurrection from the dead and that He is now ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He now mediates as our Advocate and High Priest (Matt. 28: 6; Acts 2: 30-31; Rom. 4: 25; Heb. 7: 25).
We teach and affirm that in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, God confirmed the deity of His Son and gave proof that God has accepted the atoning work of Christ on the cross. Jesus’ bodily resurrection is also the guarantee of a future resurrection life for all believers (Jn. 5: 26-29; 14: 9; Rom. 6: 5-10; 1 Cor. 15: 20).
We teach and affirm that Jesus Christ will return to receive the church, which is His body, unto Himself at the rapture, and returning with His church in glory to establish His millennial kingdom on earth (Acts 1: 9-11; 1 Thess. 4: 13-18; Rev. 20).
We teach and affirm that the Lord Jesus Christ is the One through whom God will judge all mankind (Jn. 5: 22-23).
Christ will judge all true believers (1 Cor. 3: 10-15).
Christ will judge the living inhabitants of the earth at His glorious throne (Matt. 25: 31-46).
Christ will judge the unbelieving dead at the Great White Throne (Rev. 20: 11-15).
As the Mediator between God and man (1 Tim. 2: 5), the head of His body the church (Eph. 1: 22; Col. 1: 18), and the coming universal king, who will reign on the throne of David (Is. 9: 6; Matt. 1: 31-33), He is the final Judge of all who fail to place their trust in Him as Lord and Savior (Matt. 25: 14-46; Acts 17: 30-32).
God the Holy Spirit
We teach and affirm that the Holy Spirit is a divine Person, eternal, and uncreated who possesses all the attributes and personality and deity including intellect (1 Cor. 2: 10-13), emotions (Eph. 4: 30), will (1 Cor. 12: 11), eternality (Heb. 9: 14), omnipresence (Ps. 139: 7-10), omniscience (Isa. 40: 13-14), omnipotence (Rom. 15: 13), and truthfulness (Jn. 16: 13).
We teach and affirm that it is the work of the Holy Spirit to execute the divine will with reference to all mankind. His sovereign activity is recognized in creation (Gen. 1: 2), the incarnation (Matt. 1: 18), inspiration (2 Pet. 1: 20-21), and the work of salvation (Jn. 3: 5-6).
We teach and affirm that the work of the Holy Spirit in the church age began at Pentecost, when He came from the Father as promised by Christ (Jn. 14: 16-17; Acts 1: 8) in order to initiate and complete the budling of the church (1 Cor. 12: 13 crf. Acts 20: 28).
The broad scope of His divine activity includes convicting the world of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment, glorifying Jesus Christ, and transforming believers into the image of Christ (Jn. 16: 7-9).
We teach and affirm that the Holy spirit is the divine Person in regeneration, baptizing believers into the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12: 13). The Holy Spirit indwells, sanctifies, instructs, empowers believers for service to Christ, and seals them unto the day of redemption (Rom. 8: 9; 2 Cor. 3: 6; Eph. 1: 13).
We teach and affirm that the Holy Spirit is the divine Teacher who guided and instructed the apostles and prophets into all truth as they committed to writing God’s revelation, the Bible (2 Pet. 1: 19-20). Every believer possesses the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit from the moment of salvation, and it is the obligation of all those born of the Holy Spirit to be filled or controlled by the Holy Spirit (Jn. 16: 13; Rom. 8: 9; Eph. 5: 18).
We teach and affirm that the Holy Spirit sovereignly gives spiritual gifts to the church. He does so as He pleases for the purpose of bringing glory to Christ. Glory to Christ is given by the Holy Spirit in the work of redemption, and as well the building up of the church in the most holy faith (Jn. 16: 13; Acts 1: 8; 1 Cor. 12: 4-11; 2 Cor. 3: 18).
We teach and affirm that the Holy Spirit gives spiritual gifts to the church for the perfecting of the saints; the gifts of the working of miracles and speaking in tongues in the beginning of the church were for the purpose of authenticating the apostles as revealers of divine truth, the verification of the gospel, and the validation of the Christ as Messiah and were never intended to be characteristic of the lives of believers (1 Cor. 12: 4-11; 2 Cor. 12: 12; Eph. 4: 7-2; Heb. 2: 1-4).
Man
We teach and affirm that man was directly and immediately created by God in His image and likeness. Man was created free of sin with a rational nature intelligence volition, self-determination, and moral responsibility to God (Gen. 2: 7; Jam. 3: 9).
We teach and affirm that man was created by God as either male or female, biologically defined and distinct sexes established by God for each individual (Gen. 1: 27; 2: 5-23; 1 Cor. 11: 11-15; Ps. 139: 13-14). Confusion between the two is an abomination to God (Lev. 18: 2; Deut. 22: 5; 1 Cor. 6: 9).
We teach and affirm that God’s intention in the creation of man was that man should glorify God, enjoy God’s fellowship, live his life in the will of God, and thereby accomplish God’s purpose for man in the world (Is. 43: 7; Col. 1: 16; Rev. 4: 11).
We teach and affirm that in Adam’s willful sin of disobedience to the Word of God, man lost his innocence, incurred the penalty of both spiritual and physical death, had a disposition of enmity before God and thereby falling under His wrath.
The further result of Adam’s disobedience is that man has become inherently corrupt and unable an unwilling to do what is acceptable and pleasing in the sight of God apart from divine grace. Man’s salvation is thus entirely the work of God grace through Jesus Christ (Gen. 1: 16-17; 3: 1-19; Jn. 3: 36; Rom. 3: 23; Eph. 2: 1-9).
We teach and affirm that because all men were in Adam, a nature corrupted by Adam’s sin has been transmitted to all men of all ages, Jesus Christ being the only exception. All men are therefore sinners by nature, by choice, and by divine declaration (Ps. 14; 1-3; Jer. 17: 17; Rom. 3: 19-18; 5: 10-12).
Salvation
We teach and affirm that salvation is entirely the work of God on behalf of the believing and repentant sinner. Salvation is based on God’s grace through the redemption of Jesus Christ. Salvation is exclusively on the meritorious work of the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross in His divine accomplishment and not because of human work or achievement.
Regeneration is the work of the Holy Spirit whereby He instantaneously imparts new life into the heart of the believing sinner through the Word of God (Jn. 5: 24; Tit. 3: 5) and thus enabling the repentant sinner to respond in faith to the provision of salvation in the message of the gospel (2 Cor. 4: 3-6).
Election is the act of God by which before the foundation of the world, He chose in Christ those whom He graciously regenerates, saves, and sanctifies (Rom. 8: 28-30; Eph. 1: 4-11; 2 Tim. 1: 11; 2: 10).
Justification is the act of God whereby he declares the believing and repentant sinner righteous through faith in Jesus Christ (Rom. 3: 24; 5: 1; 8: 33; Tit. 3: 7).
Sanctification is the act of God positionally whereby He sets the believer apart unto Himself and identifying that person as a saint; this is referred to as positional sanctification (Acts 2: 32; 1 Cor. 1; 2, 30; 6:11; 2 Thess. 2: 13; Heb. 2: 11).
Sanctification is also progressive in the work of the Holy Spirit as the believer is in obedience to the Word of God, increasing in holiness, and being conformed to the image of Christ (Jn. 17: 17; rom. 6: 1-22; 2 Cor. 3: 18).
Security in salvation is the truth that believers are kept eternally saved by the power of God and can never finally be lost (Jn. 5: 24; 6: 37-40; 10: 27-30; Rom. 8: 35-39; 1 Pet. 3: 5).
Lordship in salvation is embracing the truth of the gospel of Christ in His supremacy and preeminence as the sovereign eternal Lord in His Person of majesty and deity, and His all sufficient sacrifice for our sin in His death upon the cross. The inherent truth of the divine nature of the gospel itself demands a sincere response of Lordship to Jesus Christ in genuine faith and repentance (Jn. 6: 69; Gal. 2: 20; Col. 2: 6-7; crf. Lk. 18: 18-27).
Separation from sin is clearly mandated in both the OT and NT. As apostacy and wickedness continues to abound with increasing rapidity, we are called and bound as true believers (disciples) to live indicatively of the salvation we have in Christ (2 Cor. 6: 14-7: 1; Phil. 2: 12-16; 1 Pet. 1: 13-21; 2: 9).
The Church
We teach and affirm that all who place their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately placed into the universal church, the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12: 12-13), the bride of Christ (2 Cor. 11: 2; Eph. 5: 23-32) of which He is the Head (Eph. 1: 22; Col. 1: 18).
We teach and affirm that the church had its inception on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2: 1-21) and will be completed at the coming of Christ for His own at the rapture (1Cor. 15: 51-52; 1 Thess. 4: 13-18).
We teach and affirm that the church is the unique spiritual entity designed and built by Christ and is comprised of all true believers in this present age (Eph. 2: 11-3: 6). Furthermore, the church is distinct from Israel (1 Cor. 10: 32), and is a mystery not revealed until this present age (Eph. 3: 1-6).
We teach and affirm the autonomy of the local church free from any external authority or control; with the right to govern itself from interference from hierarchy of individuals or organizations (Tit. 1: 5).
We teach and affirm that the purpose of the church is to glorify God (Eph. 3: 21) by building itself up in the faith (Eph. 4: 13-16) by instruction of the Word of God (2 Tim. 2: 2; 3: 16-17) by fellowship (Acts 2: 47; I Jn. 1: 3), and by keeping the ordinances (Lk. 22: 19), and by proclaiming the gospel to the entire world (Matt. 28: 19; Acts 1: 8).
We teach and affirm that the Holy Spirit gave two kinds of gifts to the early church: miraculous gifts to authenticate the message of the gospel given by the apostles (Heb. 2: 3-4) and ministering gifts which were given to equip believers for the edification of the church. Upon the completion of the New Testament Scripture now becomes the sole test and authority of the authenticity of a man’s message (1 Cor. 13: 8-12). Furthermore, the only gifts that are operational today are the non-revelatory equipping gifts for the purpose of edification (Rom. 12: 6-8).
We teach and affirm that no one possesses the gift of healing today. God can and does hear and answer prayers of faith and will answer them in accordance with His own perfect will for the sick, suffering, and afflicted (Lk. 18: 1-6; Jn. 5: 7-9; 2 Cor. 12: 6-10; Jam. 5: 13-16).
We teach and affirm that two ordinances have been committed to the church: baptism and the Lord’s Supper (Acts 2: 38-42); Christian baptism is by immersion (Acts 8: 36-39).
We teach and affirm that the Lord’s Supper is the remembrance proclaiming His death and resurrection until He comes, and it should always be taken in the context of self-examination (1 Cor. 11: 28-32).
Even though the elements of the Lord’s Supper or Communion are representative of the body and blood of Christ, participation in the Lord’s Supper is as well an actual communion with the risen Christ who in fact indwells every true believer and is present fellowshipping with His people (1 Cor. 10: 16).
Angels
We teach and affirm that angels are created beings and are not to be worshipped. Although they are a higher order of creation than man, they were created to serve God and worship Him (Lk. 2: 9-14; Heb. 1: 6-7).
We teach and affirm that satan is a created angel and the author of sin. He incurred the judgment of God by rebelling against his Creator (Is. 14: 12-17; Ezek. 28: 11-19). In his rebellion against God, satan took numerous angels with him in his fall (Matt. 25: 41; Rev. 12: 1-14). Satan introduced sin into the human race by his temptation of Eve (Gen. 3: 1-15).
We teach and affirm that satan is the enemy of God and man (Is. 14: 13-14; Matt. 4: 1-11; Rev. 12: 9-10). Satan is the prince of this world, who has been defeated through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ (Rom. 16: 20).
Satan will be eternally punished in the lake of fire (Is. 14: 12-17; Ezek. 28: 11-19; Rev. 20: 10).
Last Things
We teach and affirm that our physical death that does not involve the loss or our consciousness (Rev. 6: 9-11); the soul of the redeemed passes immediately into the presence of Christ (Lk. 23: 43; Phil. 1: 23); there is a separation of soul and body (Phil. 1: 1-24); for the redeemed the separation of soul and body will continue until the rapture (1 Thess. 4: 13-18), which initiates the first resurrection (Rev. 20: 4-6); the soul and the body will at that time be reunited to be glorified eternally with Christ (1 Cor. 15: 35-44; Phil. 3: 21; 1 Jn. 3: 2). Until that time the souls of the redeemed in Christ remain in joyful fellowship the Lord Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 5: 8).
We teach and affirm the resurrection of all men, the saved to eternal life (Jn. 6: 39; Rom. 8: 10-11; 2 Cor. 4: 14), and the unsaved to judgment and eternal punishment (Dan. 12: 2; Jn. 5: 29; Rev. 20: 13-15).
We teach and affirm that the souls of the unsaved at death are kept under punishment until the second resurrection (Lk. 16: 19-26; Rev. 20; 13-15) when the soul and resurrected body will be united (Jn. 5: 28-29). At that time, they will appear at the Great White Throne Judgment and be cast into the lake of fire (Matt. 25: 41-46; Rev. 20: 11-15). They will be eternally cut off from God (Dan. 12: 2; 2 Thess. 1: 7-9).
We teach and affirm the personal and bodily return of Christ prior to the 7-year tribulation (1 Thess.4: 16; Tit. 2: 13). At that time, Christ will translate or rapture His church from the earth (Jn. 14: 1-3; 1 Cor. 15: 51-53; 1 Thess. 4: 13-18). Between the rapture of the church and the return of Christ to the earth, believers will experience rewards given for their faithful works of service done for Christ (1 Cor. 3: 11-15; 2 Cor. 5: 10).
We teach and affirm that immediately following the rapture of the church (Jn. 14: 1-3; 1 Cor. 4: 13-18), the righteous judgments of God will be poured out upon the unbelieving world (Jer. 30: 7; Dan. 9: 27; 2 Thess. 2: 7-12; Rev. 6-18).
These divine judgments will then be culminated in the return of Christ in glory to the earth (Matt. 24: 27-31; Col. 3: 4; 2 Tim. 4: 1). At that time the Old Testament and tribulation saints will be raised and the living will be judged (Dan. 12: 2-3; Rev. 20: 4-6). This period includes the 70th week of Daniel’s prophecy (Dan. 9; 24-27; Matt. 24: 15-31).
We teach and affirm that after the tribulation period, Christ will return to earth to occupy the throne of David (Matt. 25: 31; Lk. 1: 31-33; Acts 1: 10-11).
At that time, Christ will establish His messianic kingdom for 1,000 years (Rev. 20: 1-7). During this time the resurrected saints will reign with Christ over Israel and all the nations of the earth (Ezek. 37: 21-28; Dan. 7: 17-22; Rev. 19: 11-16).
The 1,000 year reign of Christ will follow after the overthrow of the antichrist, the False Prophet, and the removal of satan from the world (Dan. 7: 17-22; Rev. 20: 1-7).
We teach and affirm that the kingdom will be the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel (Is. 65: 17-25; Ezek. 37; 21-28; Zech. 8: 1-17) to restore them to the land they forfeited through their disobedience (Deut. 28: 15); the result of their disobedience was that Israel was temporarily set aside (Matt. 21: 43; Rom. 11: 1-26); through repentance to God, they will be awakened to enter into the land of blessing (Jer. 31: 31-34; Ezek. 36: 22-32; Rom. 11: 25-29).
We teach and affirm that the reign of Christ will be characterized by peace, justice, righteousness, harmony and long life (Is. 11; 65: 17-25; Ezek. 36: 33-38), and then will be ended with the release of satan out of the bottomless pit (Rev. 20: 7).
We teach and affirm that after the release of satan after the 1,000 year reign of Christ (Rev. 20: 7), satan will deceive the nations of the earth and gather them together against the saints at which time satan will be devoured by fire from heaven (Rev. 20: 9). Following this, satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone (Matt. 25: 41; Rev. 20: 10). At that time Christ who is the Judge of all men (Jn. 5: 22) will resurrect and judge the great and small at the Great White Throne Judgment.
We teach and affirm that this resurrection of the unsaved dead to judgment will be a physical resurrection and receiving their final and eternal judgment (Jn. 5: 28-28; Rev. 20: 11-15).
We teach and affirm that after the millennial reign of Christ, the release of satan, the judgment of all unbelievers (2 Thess. 1: 9; Rev. 20: 7-15), the saved will enter the eternal state of glory with God after which the elements of the earth are to be dissolved (2 Pet. 3: 10) and replaced with a new earth where only the righteous will dwell (Eph. 5: 5; Rev. 20: 15; 21: 1-27).
Following this, the heavenly city will come down from heaven (Rev. 21: 2) and will be the dwelling place of all the saints where they will enjoy eternally fellowship with God and one another (Jn. 17: 3; Rev. 21-22). The Lord having fulfilled His redemptive mission will then deliver up the kingdom to God the Father (1 Cor. 15: 24-28) that in all the spheres the Triune God may reign forever and ever (1 Cor. 15: 28).
Understanding what it means to be a Christian.
The Holy Scriptures reveal the true essence of what it means to be a Christian.
1. The only True and Living God is the Sovereign Creator.
Contemporary society and education indoctrinate the thinking that man has evolved. The Scriptures reveal that man was created by God to love, serve, and enjoy endless fellowship with Him. The New Testament reveals it was Jesus Himself who created everything (Jn. 1: 3; Col. 1: 16). Therefore, God owns and rules everything (Ps. 103: 19). God has all authority over every life, and we owe Him our complete allegiance, obedience, and reverence.
2. The only True and Living God is Holy.
God is absolutely and entirely holy (Is. 6: 3). Therefore, He cannot commit or approve of evil (Jam. 1: 13). Furthermore, God requires holiness of us as well (1 Pet. 1: 16).
3. Mankind is sinful.
According to the Bible, everyone is guilty before God because of their inherent sin (1 Ki. 8: 46); Rom. 3: 23). Essentially, mankind is incapable of understanding, loving, or pleasing God on our own (Rom. 3: 10-12).
4. Sin demands a penalty.
God’s holiness and righteousness demand that all sin be punished by eternal death (Ezek. 18: 4; Rom. 6: 23). Changing our thought or behavior patterns will not solve the sin problem or eliminate its consequences.
5. Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior.
The New Testament reveals it was Jesus Himself who created everything (Col. 1; 16). Therefore, He owns and rules everything (Ps. 103: 19). Thus, Christ has ultimate authority over our lives, and we owe Him complete obedience.
Even though the justice of God demands death for sin, the love of God provided the Savior who paid the penalty and died for sinners (Rom. 5: 8; 1 Pet. 3: 18).
The death of Christ satisfied the holy demands of God righteousness through the perfect life and sinless sacrifice of his Son (2 Cor. 5: 21); thus, believing and repentant sinners can be forgiven of their sins through faith in Christ (Eph. 2: 8-9).
6. The character of saving faith.
True saving faith is always accompanied by repentance from sin. Repentance is agreeing with God that you are sinful, confessing you sins to Him, and making a conscious choice to turn from sin (Lk. 13: 3; 1 Thess. 1: 9).
It is not enough to believe facts about Christ. Even satan and his demons believe in the true God (Jam. 2: 19), but they don’t love and obey Him. True saving faith always responds in obedience (Eph. 2: 10).