DOCTRINAL STATEMENT

              Doctrinal Confession

 

 

 

Prologomena

In essential beliefs — there must be unity.

 “There is one Body and one Spirit...there is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 

and one God and Father of us all...”  Eph. 4:4-6

•     In non-essential beliefs — there must be liberty.

 “Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable 

matters...  Who are you to judge someone else’s servant?  To his own master 

he stands or falls...  So then each of us will give an account of himself to God...  

So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God.”  

Romans 14:1, 4, 12, 22

•     In all beliefs — there must be charity.

 “...If I hold in my mind not only all human knowledge but also the very 

secrets of God, and if I have the faith that can move mountains — but have 

no love, I amount to nothing at all.”  1 Cor. 13:2  

•     In teaching and applying beliefs — there must be integrity. 

In as much as the ministry of the Word must be entrusted to men proven 

competent in lifestyle, circumstance, and study, for the teaching and 

application of holistic counsel of the Word into the whole of life for those 

belonging to the Lord, the overseers of the Body must seek to honor God 

above all men in the administration of that counsel to the best of their 

ability.  The Word must be proclaimed without compromise or priority of 

social agenda according to God's purposes for it. 

"But you must speak what is consistent with sound teaching...with integrity

and dignity in your teaching.  Your message is to be sound beyond reproach...

demonstrating utter faithfulness, so that they may adorn the teaching of God 

our Savior in everything.  For the grace of God has appeared with salvation 

for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live 

in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age..."   "Proclaim the

message you originally received whether convenient or not...fulfill your 

ministry."  Titus 2:1, 7, 8, 10-12 also 2 Timothy 3:14-4:5.

 

A. Statement of Doctrine

1. The Holy Scriptures

I believe in the Protestant 

(66 books) Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments 

as the inspired verbal and plenary Word of God. I 

believe God superintended the work of human authors 

within the authoring process so that, using their own 

individual personalities, they composed and recorded, 

without error in the original autographs, His revelation 

to man.  All Scripture is authoritative and without error.  

Furthermore, I believe it is the supreme and final auth-

ority in all matters about which it speaks.  I believe the 

Scriptures are to be interpreted in a primarily literal 

and normal way.  I believe it is the teachers divine 

mandate to consider historical-cultural context, literary 

genre, grammatical construction, literary context, the 

possible applications that they original audience could 

have understood, and harmony with other scriptures as 

guidelines for interpretation.  I believe all of Scripture 

requires careful study and contextualization.  I believe 

that the Holy Spirit guides the believer into accepting 

the testimony of Scripture as truth, but that the believer 

has the responsibility to grow in maturity of the Word 

through careful study.  I believe that God's revelation to 

man is complete for the purposes God has for man, and 

that He speaks to man primarily through the Scriptures.

(Proverbs 2:1-5, 3:21-24; Matthew 5:18; John 10:35; 

Romans 12:2; I Timothy 4:6-16; II Timothy 2:15, 3:16-17,

 4:1-5; Hebrews 5:11-14; I Peter 1:23-25; II Peter 1:5-9, 

20-21; Revelation 22:18-19)

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2. The Godhead

I believe in one Triune God, existing 

in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, co-eternal 

in being, identical in essence, equal in power and glory, 

and having the same attributes of perfection.

(Genesis 1:2, 26; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 45:21;

 Matthew 28:19; John 1:1-3, 8:58, 17:5, 11, 21-22, 24; 

Colossians 1:15-16)

           A.  The Father The Father is the ultimate authority

 and object of glory.  The Father is the supreme object of 

Christ's revelation.  (Matthew 5:16,6:9, 7:21, 10:32-33, 

11:27, 16:27, 20:23, 24:36, 25:34; John 17:1-12; 

Revelations 5)

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3. The Person and Work of Christ

I believe that the Lord Jesus, the eternal Son of God, became man, without 

ceasing to be God, having been conceived of the Holy 

Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might 

reveal God and redeem the broken Image of God in 

man, and redeem sinful man through His life, death 

and resurrection.  I believe that He fully accomplished 

our redemption and secured it for all time, through 

His death on the cross as a volitional, vicarious, and 

propitiatory sacrifice.  I believe that our redemption, 

salvation, and hope of new life is guaranteed to us by 

His literal, physical resurrection from the dead.

(Isaiah 53:4-5, 10-12; John 1:1-2, 14, 18, 17:3-8, 

25-26; Luke 1:35, 19:10; Romans 3:24-26, 4:25, 

5:12-21, 6:4; 1 John 3:8)

I believe that the Lord Jesus Christ is now in heaven, 

exalted at the right hand of God, where, as His people's 

High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of intercession and 

advocacy.(Hebrews 1:3, 3:1, 7:23-25, 9:24, 12:2; 

I John 2:1-2)

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4. The Person and work of the Holy Spirit

I believe the Holy Spirit is God who convicts the world of sin, 

righteousness, and judgment.  He also, in the present age, 

regenerates believers in Christ, baptizes them into the 

Church, indwells them permanently, seals them unto the 

day of redemption, bestows spiritual gifts upon each one, 

guides them into believing the testimony of Scripture, 

and unites believers in purpose for the exaltation of Christ 

and the glory of God.(John 14:16, 15:26-27, 16:7-15; 

I Corinthians 12:4-11, 13; Ephesians 4:3-16, 30)

The Holy Spirit equips each believer with spiritual gifts 

(at least one) for the express and singular purpose of 

edifying the Church by exalting Christ to the glory of 

God in manners consistent with the building up of 

individuals toward maturity in Christ, the preparation 

of the Bride to meet Christ in Maturity, and the faithful 

stewardship of the biblical teachings.

            Baptism of the Holy Spirit is the act of irrevocable 

adoption as a child of God by God the Father in Jesus Christ. 

In spiritual baptism, the Holy Spirit seals the believer as an 

anointed coheir with Christ for the redemptive, sanctifying 

work He will continue to perform until completion.

            The infilling of the Holy Spirit is the work and 

presence of God in the believers life and being as the 

believer continues to conform to the knowledge of the 

Image of Christ.  Indwelling of the Holy Spirit is necessarily 

evidenced by fellowship with God in the life and faith of 

the believer.

 

5. The Alienated Condition of Man(Sin) 

I believe that man was created in the Image and likeness of God.  However, in 

Adam's sin, the Image of God was tainted in man and human 

nature became corrupt, and sinful nature is inherited with 

human nature.  As such, all men have become alienated 

from God, and without God's grace through the righteousness 

of Christ to gain the intended position of fellowship with 

Him, all men are destined for eternal destruction.  Sin is so ingrained, that even after

the salvation experience, it continues to defile man and cause inner

spiritual turmoil that only the Gospel purpose and power can overcome (Romans 7).

(Genesis 1:26, 3:1-24; Psalm 14:3; Isaiah 53:6; Luke 19:10, 

Romans 1:21, 24-32, 2:1-16, 3:9-12, 23, 5:12; Ephesians 2:12)

​

6. Salvation 

I believe that salvation is a gift of God's grace 

through faith (which is also a gift, not of our own contemplation) 

in the Lord Jesus Christ alone whose precious blood was shed 

for the forgiveness of our sins; of God's initiation and 

administration in whole, without consideration of human effort. 

(Matthew 19:26; John 1:12; Romans 5:2; Ephesians 1:7, 2:8, 

1 John 1:9)

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7. The Eternal Security of the Believer

I believe that all those who have genuinely put their trust in Christ as Savior and Lord 

have become new creations, and redeemed Image Bearers in 

Christ, and are kept eternally secure by the power of the Holy 

Spirit and the intercession of Jesus Christ.(John 10:27-30, 

17:19-20, 24; Romans 8:1, 29-30, 38-39; Ephesians 4:30; 

Hebrews 7:25; I Peter 1:5)

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8. The Church 

I believe that the Church is the universal Bride 

and Body of Christ. This Body is composed of all regenerated 

believers in Christ regardless of denominational affiliation or 

church membership.(John 3:29; I Corinthians 12:4-27; 

Ephesians 1:22, 5:23-30; Revelation 19:7)

I believe that the local church is an assembly of professed 

believers in Jesus Christ who have the privilege and 

responsibility to voluntarily join together in and for the 

purpose of equipping each believer to be obedient to God 

through vital, personal and corporate experiences: with Him, 

in His Word, with one another, and in evangelism.

I believe that the local church is God's primary means of leading 

people to Christ and presenting each believer mature in Christ.

(Matthew 16:18-19, 28:18-20; Acts 2:37-47; Hebrews 10:25)

 

Baptism and the Lord's Supper

I believe that the Lord Jesus instituted the ordinances of baptism 

and the Lord's Supper to be observed by all believers until 

His return.(Matthew 28:19-20; I Corinthians 11:23-26)

 

9. The Second Coming of Christ I believe in the personal 

imminent Pre-wrath coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for His own, the 

Church.(Zechariah 14:4-11; I Thessalonians 1:9-10, 4:13-18; 

Revelation 20:6)

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10. The Eternal State

I believe in the literal bodily resurrection 

of all persons. Believers are to be resurrected as new physical

and spiritual Creations to enjoy eternal life with God; and 

unbelievers to experience judgment and then eternal destruction 

at the Hand of God in a literal Lake of Fire.

(Matthew 10:28, John 5:28-29; I Corinthians15:52; I Thessalonians 4:16; II Thessalonians 1:7-9; 

Revelation 20:4-6, 21:1-8)

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11. The Responsibility of Believers

I believe that all believers should seek to walk by the Spirit, not bringing reproach upon 

their Lord and Savior or His Bride and Body, the Church, and that

separation from sinful practices while conforming to His likeness 

is commanded by God.(Romans 12:1-2; II Corinthians 6:14, 7:1; 

Galatians 5:16, 25)

​

I believe that it is the obligation of every believer to witness 

by life and by word to the truths of Holy Scripture and to seek 

to proclaim the authentic gospel as they go out into all the world. 

(Acts 1:8; Romans 16:17)

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I believe that it is the responsibility of all believers to take 

part in the work of the Lord through prayer and to support His 

work (Kingdom Building) by whatever means the Lord has 

blessed them. (I Corinthians 16:2)

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I believe that Scripture teaches that the local church should 

have the priority of giving and supporting the work of 

Kingdom building and that individuals should primarily give 

and support the Kingdom work of the local church. 

(Acts 2:37-47; I Corinthians 9:11, 16:1-2)

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12.  Satan 

Satan is a literal fallen angel, the present "ruler 

of the air".  I believe in his limited presence, knowledge, and 

power currently at work on earth to frustrate the purposes and 

glory of God.  He must still bow to the sovereignty of God in 

all things, and his eventual rebellion against that sovereignty 

will result in his ultimate destruction in Hell. (Gen. 3:1-5; 

Job 1:6-7; Luke 4:1-13, 10:18; 2 Corinthians 4:4; Ephesians 2:2; 

Rev. 20:7-10)

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B. Covenant of Fellowship 

I believe it is incumbent of each believer to covenant together, recognizing dependence on the 

Holy Spirit for the following:

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1.  To walk together in Christian love;2.  To exercise Christian 

care and watchfulness over one another;3.  To pray with and 

for one another, sharing our burdens, sorrow, and joys;4.  To 

be thoughtful and courteous to one another, to be slow to 

take offense, and to be quick to forgive and to seek forgiveness;

5.  To guard the spiritual and scriptural purity, peace and 

prosperity of the Church and its growth in scriptural knowledge 

and godliness;6.  To assist, as the Lord enables, in the work 

of the Church, and to promote its usefulness as a witness to 

the saving grace of God in Christ Jesus;7.  To contribute, as 

the Lord directs, to the financial support of the church, the 

relief of the needy, and the evangelization of all peoples;

8.  To love and to pray for all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ;

9.  To engage regularly in study of the Word and prayer;

10.  To bring up such children as may be entrusted to our care 

in the nurture and admonition of the Lord;11.  To walk with 

integrity in the world, to provide all things honest in the sight 

of all men, to be faithful in lifestyle and worldview, exemplary 

in conduct, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts;12.  To 

endeavor by example, by word, and by prayer, to give witness 

of Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, that the Holy Spirit would 

work in these things to lead others to Him; 13.  To ultimately 

glorify God through the exaltation of Christ in the power of 

the Holy Spirit in everything as the primary purpose of life.