Tenets of Faith:
The Scriptures
The Bible is the inspired Word of God, the product of holy men of old who
spoke and wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. The New Covenant, as
recorded in the New Testament, we accept as our infallible guide in matters
pertaining to conduct and doctrine. (2
Timothy 3:15-17; 1
Thessalonians 2:13; 2
Peter 1:21).
The Godhead
Our God is one, but manifested in three persons -- the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit, being co-equal (Philippians
2:6).
God the Father is greater
than all; the sender of the Word (Logos) and the Begetter (John
14:28; John
16:28; John
1:14).
The Son is the Word flesh-covered,
the One Begotten, and has existed with the Father from the beginning. (John
1:1; John
1:18; John
1:14).
The Holy Spirit proceeds forth
from both the Father and the Son and is eternal (John
15:26).
Man, His Fall
and Redemption
Man is a created being, made in the likeness and image of God, but through
Adam's transgression and fall, sin came into the world. (Romans
5:14; Romans
3:10; Romans
3:23; 1
John 3:8)
Salvation is the gift of God to man, separate
from works and the law, and is made operative by grace through faith in Jesus
Christ, producing works acceptable to God. (Ephesians
2:8)
Eternal Life
and the New Birth
The New Birth is necessary to all men, and when experienced, produces eternal
life. (2
Corinthians 7:10; 1
John 5:12; John
3:3-5)
Water Baptism
Baptism in water by immersion, is a direct commandment of our
Lord, and is for believers only. The ordinance is a symbol of
the Christian's identification with Christ in His death, burial,
and resurrection. (Matthew
28:19; Romans
6:4; Colossians
2:12; Acts
8:36-39)
Baptism in the
Holy Spirit
The Baptism in the Holy Ghost is a gift from God as promised by the Lord Jesus
Christ to all believers in this dispensation and is received subsequent to
the New Birth. This experience is accompanied by the initial evidence of speaking
in other tongues as the Holy Spirit Himself gives utterance. (Matthew
3:11; John
14:16,17; Acts
1:8; Acts
2:38,39; Acts
19:1-7; Acts
2:4)
Sanctification
The Bible teaches that without holiness no man can see the Lord. We believe
in the Doctrine of Sanctification as a definite, yet progressive work of grace,
commencing at the time of regeneration and continuing until the consummation
of salvation at Christ's return. (Hebrews
12:14; 1
Thessalonians 5:23; 2
Peter 3:18; Acts
19:1-7; Acts
2:4)
Divine Healing
Healing is for the physical ills of the human body and is wrought by the power
of God through the prayer of faith, and by the laying on of hands. It is provided
for in the atonement of Christ, and is the privilege of every member of the
Church today. (Mark
16:18; James
5:14-15; 1
Peter 2:24; Matthew
8:17; Isaiah
53:4-5)
Resurrection
of the Just and the Return of Our Lord
The angels said to Jesus' disciples, "...this same Jesus ... shall so
come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into heaven." His coming for
the church is imminent. When this "catching away" or "rapture"
of the church occurs... "The dead in Christ shall rise first, then we
which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air." (Acts
1:11; 1
Thessalonians 4:16-17) Following the Tribulation, Jesus shall return to
earth the second time as King of Kings and Lord of Lords, and together with
His saints, who shall be kings and priests, He shall reign a thousand years.
(Revelation
20:6)
Hell and Eternal
Retribution
The one who physically dies in his sins without accepting Christ is hopelessly
and eternally lost in the Lake of Fire and, therefore, has no further opportunity
of hearing the Gospel or repenting. The Lake of Fire is literal. The terms
"eternal" and "everlasting," used in describing the duration
of the punishment of the damned in the Lake of Fire, carry the same thought
and meaning of endless existence as used in denoting the duration of joy and
ecstasy of saints in the presence of God. (Hebrews
9:27; Revelation
19:20)
Heaven
Heaven is a real place -- referred to as the Heaven of heavens
where God is, not the atmospheric or celestial heavens. (Revelation
4:1-2) Heaven is the eternal dwelling place of God; and
where Jesus Christ is seated. Heaven is also a place that God
has prepared for those who believe in Jesus Christ. When a believer
dies he immediately goes to Heaven - absent from the body,
present with the Lord. (2
Corinthians 5:8) To the one who believes in the redemptive
work of Jesus, Heaven is their eternal home. "There shall
be no curse, no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither
shall there be any more pain." (Revelation
21:1-8)