Distinct Doctrine
But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: - Titus 2:1
1. Scriptures: We believe that the scriptures of the Old and New Testaments are verbally inspired by God and inerrant, and that they are the final authority in faith and life. We believe that God has preserved His Word in the Authorized Version, Commonly known as the King James Bible, and accept it alone as our standard for worship and practice.
2. Trinity: We believe in one God, eternally existent in three persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. We also believe that these three in one are perfect, infinite, and equal in all things past, present and future.
3. Virgin Birth: We believe that Jesus Christ was miraculously begotten by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, and that He is true God and true man.
4. Holy Spirit: We believe that the Holy Spirit's work in regard to the unsaved is to convict them of sin and unrighteousness, and to bring them into judgment. His work in regard to the saved is that of spiritual baptism (which is accomplished at salvation), sealing, teaching, and guiding.
5. Man: We believe that man, in the person of Adam, was created innocent but by voluntary transgression fell into sin thus plunging the whole race into condemnation and death so that now all mankind is born in sin and all become practical sinners with their first expression of personal choice.
6. Salvation: We believe the only escape from the condemnation of sin and death is through the saving blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. When he took upon himself a human body and nature, yet without sin, and by His suffering, His death upon the Cross, and His bodily resurrection from the grave, He made full satisfaction to the justice of God for the sins of man. The blessings of this salvation are given on the grounds of grace to all that believe and confess Jesus Christ as the resurrected Son of God.
7. Resurrection of Christ: We believe in the resurrection of the crucified body of our Lord Jesus Christ, in His ascension into Heaven, and in His present position for us as Priest and Advocate.
8. Return of Christ: We believe in the bodily, personal, pretribulational, premillennial, imminent coming of the Lord in the air to receive His church in the clouds; and that He will come with His church at the close of the tribulation to judge the living nations and to set up His kingdom.
9. New Birth: We believe in the New Birth. All who receive by faith the Lord Jesus Christ are born again of the Holy Spirit and thereby become children of God.
10. Security of the Believer: We believe in the eternal security of the believer. Once a person is truly saved, he is kept by the same power that saved him, that power being the power of God. We also believe that we can know for certain that we are saved.
11. Resurrection: We believe in the bodily resurrection of the dead, the just and the unjust; (at different times, not a "General Resurrection"); the everlasting blessedness of the saved, and the everlasting punishment of the lost.
12. The Church: We believe the church is a New Testament institution; unknown to the Old Testament prophets; established by Jesus Christ, who is the head; empower by the Holy Spirit; and composed of believers of Jesus Christ as Savior. We believe the local assembly is self-sufficient, self-supporting, and able to govern itself without interference from other local assemblies, associations or other outside groups, secret societies, lodges, or individuals. We also believe that the local church is composed of a body of born again baptized believers in Jesus Christ as Savior associated by covenant of faith and fellowship answerable only to Christ.
13. Ordinances: We believe that there are two ordinances, those being water baptism and the Lord's Supper. We believe the scriptural mode of baptism is by immersion. We also believe that water baptism is for believers only and that it signifies the believer's identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. The Lord's Supper is the commemoration of the Lord's death until He comes and a reminder of our continual fellowship with Him. It should always be preceded by careful self-examination.
14. Separation: We believe the Bible commands us to separate ourselves from sin, false religious teachers, non-believers, and worldliness. This is to separation and not isolation for we are to let our light shine before men.
15. Satan: We believe in the reality of Satan, who is the author of sin, the enemy of God and God's people, a liar, slanderer, adversary, accuser, and murderer. We believe that Satan will ultimately be cast into the Lake of Fire.
16. Missions: We believe that our Lord Jesus Christ gave the New Testament church the commission to go into all the world and win souls, and since we cannot go into all the world, we should send the funds to others to accomplish this goal.
17. Creation: We believe simply that God created all things by the power of His Word in six literal days.
18. Heaven: We believe in a real literal place called Heaven that God has set aside for those who have put their faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour.
19. Hell: We believe in a real literal burning hell where those who die in their sins (rejecting the sacrifice Jesus made for them) will go and suffer in torments forever and ever.
20. Sanctity of Life: We believe that all human life is sacred and created by God in His image. Human life is of inestimable worth in all its dimensions, including pre-born babies, the aged, the physically or mentally challenged, and every other stage or condition from conception through natural death. We are therefore called to defend, protect, and value all human life.
21. Human Sexuality: We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged, outside of a marriage between one man and one woman. We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery, and pornography are sinful according to the Word of God, and a perversion of God's gift of sex. We believe that God disapproves of and forbids any attempt to alter one's gender by surgery or appearance.
22. Marriage: We believe that marriage is ordained by God, and that the only biblical and legitimate marriage is the joining together of one man and one woman.