Tenets of Faith
The Scriptures Inspired
The Holy Scriptures- both the Old and New Testaments- are the perfect revelation of God’s will towards mankind and are completely infallible. The Holy Bible is our all-sufficient and everlasting rule of faith and practice and is superior to conscience and reason. (II Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Peter 1:23-25; Hebrews 4:12)
The One True Godhead
The one true God, creator of the heavens and the earth, is eternally self-existent and is comprised of three separate and distinct personalities- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (John 1:1-5, 10-14; Matthew 28:18-20; I John 5:7-8)
The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ, who is God manifest in the flesh, is the second person in the Godhead. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and was the express image of God’s person in both word and deed while on the earth. His substitutionary work on the cross, where He took all of man’s sin upon Himself and His resurrection from the dead where He was subsequently exalted to the right hand of God, provided the way of salvation for all who believe in the hearts and confess with their mouths that He is both Savior and Lord. (Luke 1:31,35; Hebrews 7:26; Hebrews 1:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:9-11; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Timothy 3:16)
Man, His Fall, and Redemption
Man was created good and in right standing with God, being made in God’s image and according to His likeness. However, by man’s voluntary transgression in the Garden, he fell and incurred the penalty of both physical and spiritual death. Therefore, man’s only hope of redemption is found in the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross and His resurrection from the dead. (Genesis 1:26-31; 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21)
The Salvation of Man
The gift of salvation is received through believing upon the Lord Jesus Christ and repentance towards God- receiving Him as our personal Savior and Lord. Through this act of faith, man is born again and made a new creation in Christ. This transformation of our spiritual nature then propels us to live fruitful lives, full of good works, and a life of surrender to Christ’s Lordship. (Acts 16:31; 2:38; John 3:3; 1 John 3:9)
As well as freedom from sin, our salvation includes the opportunity for:
Water Baptism
The ordinance of baptism by immersion in water is commanded in the Scriptures and, therefore, should be observed by all who have, through faith and repentance, received Jesus as Savior and Lord. In so doing, they openly declare
that they have died with Jesus Christ and also that they have been raised together with Him to walk in newness of life. (Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:4; Acts 10:47-48)
The Lord’s Supper
Holy Communion, consisting of the elements- bread and the fruit of the vine- is an ordinance given to us by Christ Jesus to regularly observe in order to both remember and identify with His substitutionary work on the Cross. (II Corinthians 11:24-25, 28)
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit
All who are born again are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the Promise of the Father, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. As described in the Scriptures, this is the Spirit coming upon a believer- which is a distinctly separate experience from the Spirit coming to dwell within a believer at the time of salvation. This baptism in the Holy Spirit endows a believer for more zealous service and an empowered life. (Luke 3:16; 24:49; Acts 2:38; 10:44-46; 11:14-16)
The Ministries & Gifts of the Body
When Christ ascended on high, he left gifts to His body- different ministries and special spiritual endowments through the Holy Spirit. These gifts are still relevant for His church today and are intended to continue to operate through the body of Christ until Christ’s Second Coming. (Ephesians 4:8; 1 Corinthians 13:8-10; 1 Corinthians 12)
The Church
The church is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the general assembly and church of the first born, whose names are written in heaven. (Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; Hebrews 12: 23)
The Blessed Hope
Jesus Christ is coming again to gather His Saints to ever be with Him. At this time, the resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their ascension together with those who are alive and remain is the imminent and blessed hope of the church. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Titus 2:13)
The Holy Scriptures- both the Old and New Testaments- are the perfect revelation of God’s will towards mankind and are completely infallible. The Holy Bible is our all-sufficient and everlasting rule of faith and practice and is superior to conscience and reason. (II Timothy 3:15-17; 1 Peter 1:23-25; Hebrews 4:12)
The One True Godhead
The one true God, creator of the heavens and the earth, is eternally self-existent and is comprised of three separate and distinct personalities- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. (John 1:1-5, 10-14; Matthew 28:18-20; I John 5:7-8)
The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ, who is God manifest in the flesh, is the second person in the Godhead. He was born of a virgin, lived a sinless life, and was the express image of God’s person in both word and deed while on the earth. His substitutionary work on the cross, where He took all of man’s sin upon Himself and His resurrection from the dead where He was subsequently exalted to the right hand of God, provided the way of salvation for all who believe in the hearts and confess with their mouths that He is both Savior and Lord. (Luke 1:31,35; Hebrews 7:26; Hebrews 1:3; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 2:9-11; Romans 10:9-10; 1 Timothy 3:16)
Man, His Fall, and Redemption
Man was created good and in right standing with God, being made in God’s image and according to His likeness. However, by man’s voluntary transgression in the Garden, he fell and incurred the penalty of both physical and spiritual death. Therefore, man’s only hope of redemption is found in the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross and His resurrection from the dead. (Genesis 1:26-31; 3:1-7; Romans 5:12-21)
The Salvation of Man
The gift of salvation is received through believing upon the Lord Jesus Christ and repentance towards God- receiving Him as our personal Savior and Lord. Through this act of faith, man is born again and made a new creation in Christ. This transformation of our spiritual nature then propels us to live fruitful lives, full of good works, and a life of surrender to Christ’s Lordship. (Acts 16:31; 2:38; John 3:3; 1 John 3:9)
As well as freedom from sin, our salvation includes the opportunity for:
- Healing- Freedom from sickness- both outwardly and inwardly- is provided for in the Atonement and is the privilege of all believers. (Isaiah 53:4-5)
- Deliverance- Freedom from demonic control and oppression- both in the soul and body- through the authority of Jesus’ name. (Acts 10:38; Mark 16:17)
- Prosperity- Freedom from the curse of the law through the blessing of Abraham which positively declares that we are blessed to be a blessing. (Galatians 3:13-14; 2 Corinthians 8:9)
Water Baptism
The ordinance of baptism by immersion in water is commanded in the Scriptures and, therefore, should be observed by all who have, through faith and repentance, received Jesus as Savior and Lord. In so doing, they openly declare
that they have died with Jesus Christ and also that they have been raised together with Him to walk in newness of life. (Matthew 28:19; Romans 6:4; Acts 10:47-48)
The Lord’s Supper
Holy Communion, consisting of the elements- bread and the fruit of the vine- is an ordinance given to us by Christ Jesus to regularly observe in order to both remember and identify with His substitutionary work on the Cross. (II Corinthians 11:24-25, 28)
The Baptism in the Holy Spirit
All who are born again are entitled to and should ardently expect and earnestly seek the Promise of the Father, the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. As described in the Scriptures, this is the Spirit coming upon a believer- which is a distinctly separate experience from the Spirit coming to dwell within a believer at the time of salvation. This baptism in the Holy Spirit endows a believer for more zealous service and an empowered life. (Luke 3:16; 24:49; Acts 2:38; 10:44-46; 11:14-16)
The Ministries & Gifts of the Body
When Christ ascended on high, he left gifts to His body- different ministries and special spiritual endowments through the Holy Spirit. These gifts are still relevant for His church today and are intended to continue to operate through the body of Christ until Christ’s Second Coming. (Ephesians 4:8; 1 Corinthians 13:8-10; 1 Corinthians 12)
The Church
The church is the body of Christ, the habitation of God through the Spirit, with divine appointments for the fulfillment of her great commission. Each believer, born of the Spirit, is an integral part of the general assembly and church of the first born, whose names are written in heaven. (Ephesians 1:22-23; 2:19-22; Hebrews 12: 23)
The Blessed Hope
Jesus Christ is coming again to gather His Saints to ever be with Him. At this time, the resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ and their ascension together with those who are alive and remain is the imminent and blessed hope of the church. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17; Titus 2:13)