We believe that the Holy Bible was (a) verbally and plenarily (fully, completely, absolutely) inspired of God; (b) perfectly and completely preserved; (c) that it is truth without any admixture of error; (d) therefore is and shall remain, the only complete and final revelation of the will of God to man; the final authority in all matters of faith and practice; the true center of Christian union and the standard by which all creeds and opinions should be tried.
(Explanation)
- By “The Holy Bible” we mean that collection of sixty six books, from Genesis to Revelation, which does not only contain and convey the word of God, but IS the very word of God.
- By “Inspiration” we mean that the books of the Bible were written by holy men of old, as they were moved by the Holy Spirit, in such a definite way that their writings were supernaturally and verbally inspired (God breathed) and free from error, as no other writings have ever been or ever will be inspired.
- By “Preserved” we mean that God has divinely and providentially, despite the attacks of satanic forces and the tendency of human error, kept His Holy Word intact for TODAY’S age within the covers of one complete volume, that being the Authorized King James Version.
(a) II Tim. 3:16-17, II Pet. 1:19-21, Acts 1:16; (b) Psa. 12:6-7, Isa. 40:8, Matt. 5:18; (c) Psa. 119:105,130,Luke 24:25-27,44-45, John 17:17; (d) Psa. 119:89, Pro. 30:5, Rom. 3:4, I Pet. 1:23, Rev. 22:18-19, John 12:48,Isa. 8:20 Eph. 6:17, Rom. 15:4, Luke 16:31, Psa. 19:7-11, John 5:39, John 5:45-47.
We believe that there is (a) one, and only one, living and true God, an infinite, intelligent Spirit, the maker and supreme ruler of heaven and earth; (b) inexpressibly glorious in holiness, and worthy of all honor, confidence, and love; (c) that in the unity of the Godhead there are three persons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, equal in every divine perfection, and executing distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
(a) Ex. 20:2-3, Gen. 17:1, I Cor. 8:6, Eph. 4:6, John 4:24, Psa. 147:5, Psa. 83:18, Psa. 90:2, Jer. 10:10, (b) Ex. 15:11, Rev. 4:11, I Tim. 1:17, Rom. 11:33, Mar. 12:30, (c) Matt. 28:19, John 15;26, I Cor. 12:4-6, I John 5;7, John 10:30, John 17:5, Acts 5:3-4, ICor. 2:10-11, Phil. 2:5-6, Eph. 2:18, II Cor. 13:14.
We believe (a) in the deity and virgin birth of our Lord Jesus Christ; (b) that He was begotten of the Holy Ghost, born of the virgin Mary, having no human father, and is absolute God and absolute man; (c) He is humanity’s only means of salvation, being the lone Mediator between God and man; (d) that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day for our sins (e) He, only, is the Great High Priest; (f) that He will imminently return for His Church, the Body of Christ, and remove it with Himself into Heaven; (g) and that He will return to this earth to establish His millennial kingdom.
(a) Is. 7:14; (b) Luke 1:35, John 1:1-4; 10:30; (c) John 14:6; I Tim. 2:5-6; (d) I Cor.15:14; (e) Heb. 7:24-25; (f) I Thes. 4:13-18; (g) Rev. 20:4-6.
We believe that the Holy Spirit is a divine person; (a) equal with God the Father and (b) God the Son and (c) of the same nature; (d) that He was active in the creation; (e) that in His relation to the unbelieving world He restrains the evil one until God’s purpose is fulfilled; (f) that He convicts of sin, of judgment, and of righteousness; (g) that He bears witness to the truth of the Gospel in preaching and testimony; (h) that He is the agent in the New Birth; (i) that He seals, endues, guides, teaches, witnesses, sanctifies, and helps the believer.
(a) John 14:16-17; (b) Matt. 28:19; (c) Heb. 9:14, John 14:26, Luke 1:35; (d) Gen. 1:1-3; (e) II Thes. 2:7; (f) John 16:8-11; (g) John 14:26-27, Acts 5:30-32; (h) John 3:5-6; (i) Eph. 1:13-14, Luke 24:49, John 16:13, John 14:26, Rom. 8:14,16, II Thes. 2:13, I Pet. 1:2, Rom. 8:26-27.
We believe in the Genesis account of creation, and (a) that it is to be accepted literally, and not allegorically or figuratively; (b) that man was created directly in God’s own image and after His own likeness; (c) that man’s creation was not a matter of evolution or evolutionary change of species, or development through interminable periods of time from lower to higher forms; (d) that all animal and vegetable life was made directly, and God’s law was that they should bring forth only “after their kind.”
(a) Gen. 1:1, Ex. 20:11, Acts 4:24, Col. 1:16-17, Heb. 11:3, John 1:3, Rev. 10:6, Rom. 1:20, Acts 17:23-26, Jer. 10:12, Neh. 9:6; (b) Gen. 1:26-27, I Cor. 11:7; (c) Gen. 2: 21, 23; (d) Gen. 1 :11,24.
We believe that Satan was once (a) holy, and enjoyed heavenly honors; but through pride and ambition to be as the Almighty, fell and (b) drew after him a host of angels; that he is now (c) the malignant prince of the power of the air, and the unholy god of this world, (d) We hold him to be man’s great tempter, (e) the enemy of God and His Christ, (f) the accuser of the saints, (g) the author of all false religions, the chief power behind superficial Christianity; (h) the lord of the antichrist, and (i) the author of all the powers of darkness- destined however (j) to final defeat at the hands of God’s Son, and (k) to the judgment of an eternal justice in hell, a place prepared for he and his angels.
(a) Isa. 14:12-15. Ezek. 28:14-17; (b) Rev. 12:9, Eph. 2:2, John 14:30; (c) I Thes. 3:5, Matt. 4:1,3; (d) I Pet. 5:8; (e) Zech. 3:1, I John 3:8, Matt. 13:25,37-39, Luke 22:3-4; (f) Rev. 12:10; (g) II Cor. 11:13-15, Mark 13:21-22; (h) I John 4:3, II John 7, I John 2:22; (i) Rev. 13:13-14, II Thes. 2:8-11; (j) Rev. 19:11,16,20, Rev. 12:7-9, Rev. 20:1-3; (k) Rev. 20:10, Matt. 25:41.
We believe (a) that man was created in innocence under law of his Maker, but (b) by voluntary transgression fell from his sinless and happy state, (c) in consequence of which, all mankind are now sinners, by inheritance and by choice; and therefore under just condemnation without defense or excuse.
(a) Gen. 3:6,24; (b) Rom. 5:12,19; (c) Rom. 3:10-19, Eph. 2:1,3, Rom. 1:18, Ezek. 18:19-20; (d) Rom. 1:32,Rom. 1:20, Gal. 3:22.
We believe that salvation is the gift of God brought to man by grace and received by personal faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, whose precious blood was shed on Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. The blessing of salvation is made free to all by the Gospel, and it is the immediate and urgent duty of all to accept it by a repentant faith and with a childlike trust. There is nothing that prevents the salvation of any sinner on earth but his own voluntary rejection of the gospel.
(Eph 2:8-9; John 1:12; Eph 1:7; 1 Pet 1:18-19; Matt. 11:28, Is. 55:1, Rev. 22:17, Rom. 10:13, John 6:37; Is. 55:6, Acts 2:38; Isa. 55:7, Joh. 3:15-16, I Tim. 1:15, I Cor. 15:10, Eph. 2:4-5, John 5:40)
We believe (a) that the salvation of sinners is wholly of grace; (b) through the mediatorial offices of the Son of God, who by the appointment of the Father, freely took upon Him our nature, yet without sin, honored the divine law by His personal obedience, and by His death made a full and vicarious atonement for our sins; (c) that His atonement consisted not in setting us an example by His death as a martyr, but was the voluntary substitution of Himself in the sinners place, the Just dying for the unjust, Christ, the Lord, bearing our sins in His own body on the tree; (d) that, having risen from the dead. He is now enthroned in heaven, and uniting in His wonderful person the tenderest sympathies with divine perfection, He is in every way the lone, compassionate, and all-sufficient Savior.
(a) Eph. 2:8-9, Acts 15:11, Rom. 3:24; (b) John 3:16, Matt. 18:11, Phil. 2:7, Heb. 2:14, Isa. 53:4-7, Rom. 3:25, I John 4:10, I Cor. 15:3, II Cor. 5:21; (c) John 10:18, Phil. 2:8, Gal. 1:4, I Pet. 2:24, I Pet. 3:18, Isa. 53:11, Heb. 12:2; (d) I Cor. 15:20, Isa. 53:12, Heb. 9:12-15, Heb. 7:25, I John 2:2.
We believe (a) that upon faith being placed in Jesus Christ the believer possesses eternal life; it is not merely a future endowment, but it is a gift bestowed at present; (b) that no one has the power to take a believer out of the hand of God nor his Christ; (c) that the believer is sealed unto the day of redemption by the Holy Spirit of God; (d) that believers are kept by the power of God; (e) that the promise of Jesus Christ is absolute in that all of which the Father would give to Him, would He lose none; (f) and that this eternal security is not to be used for an occasion to sin, but as an incentive to strive more every passing moment to serve the Lord who bought us with His own Blood.
(a) John 3:36, John 5:24, John 6:47, Eph. 2:8,9; (b) John 10:28-29, John 6:37; (c) Eph. 4:30, Eph. 1:13-14; (d) I Pet. 1:5, Rom. 8:31-39; (e) John 6:39; (f) Rom. 6:1-2.
We believe that a church of Christ is a congregation of baptized believers (a) associated by a common faith and fellowship of the gospel; (b) observing the ordinances of Christ; (c) governed by His laws; and (d) exercising the gifts, privileges, and duties invested in them by His Word; (e) that its officer of ordination is it’s pastor, whose qualifications, claims, and duties are clearly defined in the Scriptures; (f) we believe the true mission of the church is found in the Great Commission: First, to make disciple; Second, to baptize them; Third, to teach and instruct them, as He has commanded; (g) we hold that the local church has the absolute privilege of self-government, free from the interference of any hierarchy; and that the one and only superintendent is Christ, through the Holy Ghost; (h) that it is scriptural for churches to cooperate with each other in contending for the faith and for the furtherance of the gospel; (i) on all matters of membership, of polity, of government, of discipline, of benevolence, the will of the local church being founded upon the Infallible Word of God is final.
(a) Acts 2:41,42; (b) Acts 2:42, I Cor. 11:2; (c) Eph. 1:22; (d) Eph. 4:11, I Cor. 12:4,8-11; (e) Acts 14:23; 6:5-6; 15:23; 20:17,28, I Tim. 3:1-7; (f) Matt. 28:19-20; (g) Col. 1:18, Eph. 5:23-24, I Pet. 5:1-4; (h) Acts 15:22, Jude 3-4, II Cor. 8:23-24, I Cor. 16:1; (i) I Cor. 6:1-3, I Cor. 5:11-13, Matt.18:18.
We believe that Christian baptism is (a) the immersion in water of a believer; (b) in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; (c) in order to show forth in a perfect emblem our faith in the crucified, buried, and risen Savior, with its (our faith) effect in our death to sin and resurrection to a new life; (d) that it is prerequisite to the privileges of a church relation and to the Lord’s supper; (e) in which the members of the church, by the sacred use of bread and the fruit of the vine are to commemorate together the sacrifice of the loving Savior on the cross; (f) preceded always by solemn self-examination.
(a) Acts 8:36-39, Matt. 3:6, John 3;23, Rom. 6:4-5, Matt. 3:16; (b) Matt. 28:19; (c) Rom. 6:3-5, Col. 2:12; (d) Acts 2:41-42, Matt. 28:19-20; (e) I Cor. 11:23-28; (f) I Cor. 11: 27-28.
We believe that the command in Scripture to give the gospel to the world is clear and unmistakable, and that this commission was given to the local church. Therefore, in obedience to this command, the local church sends and supports missionaries. These missionaries are to have divine callings upon their lives to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ to people of our own nation and foreign regions.
Matt. 28:18-20; Mark 16:15; John 20:21; Acts 1:8; 13:1-4; Rom. 10:13-15.
We believe in that “Blessed Hope”, the personal, imminent, pre-tribulation, and pre-millennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ for his redeemed ones (the Rapture); followed by His return to the earth with His saints, to establish His Millennial Kingdom (the Revelation).
(1 Thes 1:10, 4:13-18; Zech 14:4-11; Rev 3:10, 19:11-16, 20:1-6)