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We Believe
In ...
I. The Scriptures
"The Scriptures of the Old and New
Testament were written by men divinely inspired by God, are without
error in the original writings, and the only sufficient, certain and
authoritative rule of all saving knowledge, faith and obedience.
II. God
There is but one living and true God,
the Maker, Preserver and Ruler of all things, having in and of
Himself all perfections, and being infinite in them all; and to Him
all creatures owe the highest love, reverence and obedience.
III. The Trinity
God is revealed to us as Father, Son
and Holy Spirit, each with distinct personal attributes, but without
division of nature, essence or being.
IV. Providence
God from eternity decrees or permits
all things that come to pass, and perpetually upholds, directs and
governs all creatures and all events; yet so as not in any wise to
be the author or approver of sin nor to destroy the free will and
responsibility of intelligent creatures.
V. Election
Election is God's eternal choice of
those persons unto everlasting life who have answered His call
according to His purpose and not because of foreseen merit in them,
but of His mere mercy in Christ in consequence of which choice they
are called, justified and glorified.
VI.. The Fall of Man
God originally created man in His own
image, and free from sin; but through the temptation of Satan, he
transgressed the command of God and fell from his original holiness
and righteousness; whereby his posterity inherit nature corrupt and
wholly opposed to God and His law, are under condemnation, and as
soon as they are capable of moral action, become actual
transgressors.
VII. The Mediator
Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of
God, is the divinely appointed Mediator between God and Man. Having
taken upon Himself human nature, yet without sin. He perfectly
fulfilled the law, suffered and died upon the cross for salvation of
sinners. He was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended
to His Father, at whose right hand He ever liveth to make
intercession for His people. He is the only Mediator, the Prophet,
Priest and King of the Church, and Sovereign of the Universe.
VIII. Regeneration
Regeneration is a change of heart,
wrought by the Holy Spirit, who quickeneth the dead in trespasses
and sins, enlightening their minds spiritually and savingly to
understand the Word of God, and renewing their whole nature, so that
they love and practice holiness. It is a work of God's free and
special grace alone.
IX. Repentance
Repentance is an evangelical grace,
wherein a person being, by the Holy Spirit, made sensible of the
manifold evil of his sin, humbleth himself for it, with Godly
sorrow, detestation of it, and self abhorrence, with purpose and
endeavor to walk with God so as to please Him in all things.
X. Faith
Saving faith is the belief, on God's
authority, of whatsoever is revealed in His Word concerning Christ;
accepting and resting upon Him alone for justification,
sanctification and eternal life. It is wrought in the heart by the
Holy Spirit and leads to a life of holiness.
XI. Justification
Justification is God's gracious and
full acquittal of sinners, who believe in Christ, from all sin,
through the satisfaction that Christ has made; not for anything
wrought in them or done by them; but on account of the obedience and
satisfaction of Christ, they receiving and resting on Him and His
righteousness by faith.
XII. Sanctification
Those who have been regenerated are
also sanctified, by God's Word and Spirit dwelling in them. This
sanctification is progressive through the supply of Divine strength,
which all saints are to obtain, pressing after a heavenly life in
cordial obedience to all Christ's commands.
XIII. Perseverance of the
Saints
Those whom God hat accepted in the
Beloved, and sanctified by His Spirit, will never totally nor
finally fall away from the state of grace, but shall certainly
persevere to the end; and though they may fall, through neglect and
temptation, into sin whereby they grieve the Spirit, impair their
graces and comforts, bring reproach on the Church, and temporal
judgments on themselves, yet they shall be renewed again unto
repentance, and be kept by the power of God through faith unto
salvation.
XIV. The Church
We believe that all who are united to
the risen and ascended Son of God are members of the Church which is
the Body and Bride of Christ. We believe that by the same Spirit all
believers in this age are baptized into, and thus become, one body
that is Christ's whether Jews or Gentiles, and having become members
one of another, are under solemn duty to keep the unity of the
Spirit in the bond of peace, rising above all sectarian and racial
differences, and loving one another with a pure heart fervently.
XV. Baptism
Baptism is an ordinance of Jesus
Christ, obligatory upon every believer wherein he is immersed in
water in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy
Spirit, as a sign of his fellowship with the death, burial and
resurrection of Christ, of remission of sins, and of his giving
himself up to God, to live and walk in newness of life. It is
prerequisite to church membership, unless waivered by the Church.
XVI. The Lord's Supper
The Lord's Supper is an ordinance of
Jesus Christ, to be administered with the eating of the bread and
drinking of the cup, and to be observed by His churches until the
end of the world. It is in no sense a sacrifice, but is designed to
commemorate His death, to confirm the faith and other graces of
Christians, and to be a bond, pledge and renewal of their communion
with Him, and their church fellowship.
XVII. The Lord's Day
The Lord's Day is a Christian
institution for regular observance, and should be employed in
exercises of worship and spiritual devotion, both public and
private.
XVIII. Liberty of Conscience
God alone is Lord of the conscience;
and He hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men,
which are in anything contrary to His Word, or not contained in it.
Civil magistrates being ordained of God, subjection in all lawful
things commanded by them ought to be yielded by us in the Lord, not
only for wrath, but also for conscience sake.
XIX. The Resurrection
We believe that Jesus Christ rose from
the dead, according to the Scriptures, in bodily form and thus
became the first-fruits of them that sleep; that He ascended into
the Heavens as our High Priest and Advocate; that upon His return He
will raise out from among He will raise out from among the dead
those who have died in Christ, this being the first resurrection;
and after that one thousand years, He will raise them that have died
in unbelief from their graves to receive their sentence.
XX. The Judgment
We believe that at death the spirits
and souls of those who have trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ for
salvation pass immediately into His presence and there remain until
the resurrection of the glorified body when Christ comes for His
own, whereupon spirit, soul and body reunited shall be associated
with Him forever in glory; but the spirits and souls of the
unbelieving remain after death conscious of condemnation and misery
until the final judgment of the great white throne at the close of
the millennium, when spirit, soul and body reunited shall be cast
into the lake of fire, not to be annihilated, but to be punished
with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord; and from
the glory of His power.
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