The Bible is our all-sufficient rule of faith and conduct in the inspired Word of God. The Scriptures, both the Old and the New Testaments, contains the verbally inspired, and authoritative word of God (2 Tim. 3:15-17; 1 Thess. 2:13; 2 Pet. 1:21).
We adhere to the principle God has set forth in the scriptures to rightly divide the bible dispensationally (2 Tim. 2:15). The literal, dispensational approach is the only way to understand the differences in God’s various programs and dealings with mankind since the beginning of time and plays a vital role in establishing the clear gospel message (Romans 16:25-27). While we believe every word of the Bible is inspired and infallible, we recognize that Paul’s writings expound (Romans – Philemon) the revelation of the mystery that is God’s purpose during this dispensation of grace.
There is but one living and true God: God has chosen to reveal Himself as the Father, The Son, and The Holy Spirit, and these three are one God the same in substance, equal in power and glory. A Trinity in unity (Deut. 6:4; Mark 12:29; Isa. 43:10, 11; Matt. 28:19; Eph. 4:4-6).
The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man. Jesus Christ is perfect God and perfect man (Jn. 1:1-3; Col. 1:16; Heb. 1:10). As the Eternal Son of God we believe: 1. He was born of a virgin (Mt. 1:23; Lk. 1:31, 35). 2. He led a sinless life (Heb. 7:26; 1 Pt. 2:22). 3. He performed miracles (Acts 2:22; Acts 10:38). 4. He died on the cross for our sins (1 Cor. 15:3; 2 Cor. 5:21). 5. He rose bodily from the dead (Mt. 28:6; Lk. 24:39; 1 Cor. 15:4). 6. He sits at the right hand of the Father (Acts 2:33; Phil. 2:9-11; Heb. 1:3). 7. He will visibly return again (Acts 1:10, 11).
Man's Fall and Redemption
When Adam and Eve fell from their original righteousness and communion with God they became dead in sin. From this original sin all people are by nature (by birth) are sinners and fall short of God’s holy and righteous standards (Romans 3:23). God has declared that the wages that must be paid for sin is death, which is separation from God (Ro. 6:23). No one is righteous in God’s eyes (Rom.3:10). The only way anyone can be saved from sin and brought into a relationship with God is through the gift of God’s grace, which is “eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Rom. 6:23, 1 Cor. 15:3-4, Titus 3:5-6; 1 Pt. 3:18).
The Salvation of Man/Conditions of Salvation
We believe that man is saved from eternal punishment and is justified freely by grace through faith in the sacrificially shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross of Calvary (Rom. 3:21-26; Eph. 2:8-9; 1 Cor. 15:1-4). Salvation is a completely undeserved, free gift bestowed upon all who simply believe in the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 15:1-4; Rom. 5:12-21, 4:5). During the dispensation of grace, every person who believes the gospel of the grace of God (Acts 20:24) is eternally saved from God’s wrath.
Eternal security means that when a person believes in Jesus Christ as Savior, he can never lose his eternal life. When we hear the gospel of the grace of God and trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, we are baptized by Holy Spirit into Christ and His Body (the Church) (1 Cor. 12:13, Rom. 6:3-4). We are then “sealed by Holy Spirit until the day of redemption” (Eph. 1:13). There is “no condemnation” to those who are “in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:1). Nothing is able “to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:39). We are absolutely secure in Christ. The Holy Spirit is given to indwell every believer as a “guarantee” (earnest) from God that will carry through what He has promised: to take us home to be with Him for all eternity (Eph. 1:14). The Bible clearly teaches that once we believe in Jesus Christ as Savior, our eternal destiny is fixed and secure. Security looks at our eternal salvation from God's viewpoint (Ephesians 1:13-14; John 10:27-30).
We can be assured of our salvation because: 1) God has promised us in His Word, which is true. All the promises of God in Christ are “Yes” and “Amen” (2 Cor. 1:20). We can always trust God’s Word. 2) Our salvation is not based on our works or goodness (Eph. 2:8-9; Rom. 3:10) but on the finished work of Christ who died on Calvary for our sins. Because of His death on Calvary for our sins, He is able to “save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him” (Heb. 7:25). 3) The Holy Spirit, who indwells us, “bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom. 8:16). The Spirit of God speaks to us through the Word, assuring us of our security “in Christ.” We can “know” that we have eternal life (Jn. 5:24; 1 Jn. 5:11-13).
Once we are saved by God’s grace, we are to grow “in grace and knowledge of the Lord” so that we may “walk worthy of the calling” we have in Christ Jesus (Eph. 4:1). Our walk is to be different than those who are unsaved and living according to this sinful world (Eph. 4:17-19). We are to “walk in love” as Christ loved us and gave Himself as a sacrifice to God, an offering for our sins (Eph. 5:1-2). We are to “walk as children of light,” having been delivered from the power of darkness and made light in the Lord (Eph. 5:8). We are to “walk circumspectly,” being careful to walk in accordance with God’s will and using every opportunity to serve the Lord (Eph. 5:15-16). The only way we can have this type of walk is to present (yield) ourselves to the Lord, making it our aim to be well-pleasing to Him (Rom. 12:1).
During this present dispensation of Grace, God is building a Church which is referred to as the Body of Christ. Under the previous dispensation of Law, God dealt exclusively with the nation of Israel; Gentiles were considered outsiders. In the Church of today, God makes no distinction between Jew and Gentile. All saved people are baptized by The Holy Spirit into the Body of Christ the moment they trust Christ as Savior. The truth concerning this Church was a mystery, kept secret by God until He made it known to the Apostle Paul by special revelation. We find God’s plan and purpose for the Church of today in the writings of Paul (Eph. 3:1-9; 2:11-22; Col. 3:10-11). We reject the notion that the Body of Christ is “spiritual Israel” and has replaced Israel in the purposes of God (Rom. 11).
Water baptism and the Lord’s Supper are the only two ordinances given in the life of every believer. Baptism follows his/her conversion as a public declaration of his/her identification with Christ. The Lord’s Supper is to be taken regularly during the believer’s life as a memorial of Christ’s sacrificial death. Each of these is to be practiced as a testimony to the world, but neither of them is to be construed as a means of, or an additional requirement for salvation (ACTS 10:47,48; 1 COR. 11:26).
Divinely called and Scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for a two fold purpose: (1) The evangelization of the world, and (2) The edification of the Body of Christ (Mark 16:15, 20; Eph. 4:11-13).
Believers today have a wonderful hope “laid up for us in heaven” (Col.1:5). The word “hope” does not mean something we wish will happen, but something we know will happen because God has promised it. Unlike Israel’s hope which is tied to this earth (land, nation, kingdom), the hope of the Church, the Body of Christ, is heavenly. When the Church, the Body of Christ, is completed and this present dispensation of grace is over, the Lord Jesus will appear in the air to catch the Church up to be with Him in glory (Titus 2:13; 1 Thess. 4:13-18). Our bodies of sinful flesh will be changed and made like the glorious body of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ (Philip. 3:20-21; 1 Cor. 15:51-57). “When He appears, we will also appear with Him in glory” (Col. 3:4) and “so shall we ever be with the lord” (1 Thess. 4:17).
After the Church is caught up to be with the Lord, God’s prophesied plan for Israel, which is postponed during this present age of Grace, will resume. Israel’s hope of reigning with their Messiah (Christ) in an earthly kingdom will once again be in view. However, before Christ returns to earth to establish this promised kingdom, the nation of Israel must be brought through a period of great tribulation (Dan. 30:4-7). During this time, the world will be ruled by satan’s man, the antichrist (Rev. 13). This tribulation will culminate with the revelation of Jesus Christ from heaven (Mtt. 24:29-31) who will return to the earth “in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God” (2 Thess. 1:7-9). These events are prophesied in the Old Testament and are the subject of the book of “The Revelation.”
The Millennial Reign of Jesus
The revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven, the salvation of national Israel, and the millennial reign of Christ on the earth are Scriptural promises and our hope (2 Thess. 1:7; Rev. 19:11-16; Rom. 11:25; Rev. 20:1-7).
At the end of the Millennial Kingdom (1000 years) the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, and whosoever is not found written in the Lamb's Book of Life shall be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burns fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Rev. 19:20; 20:10-15).
Following these judgements, God will purge the old heavens and earth and create new heavens, a new earth, and a new Jerusalem (Rev. 21-22). The saints from all ages will enjoy eternity in the presence of the Lord, where there will be no more sin, pain, tears, sorrow, or death (Rev. 21:3-5; 1 Thess. 4:17; Eph. 2:6-7; Col. 3:3-4). All things will be gathered together and headed up by the Lord Jesus Christ (Eph. 1:10), the One who “fills all in all” (Eph. 1:22-23).
Marriage is a sacrament of the Church. This church defines “marriage” as the exclusive covenantal union of one man and one woman in which such union is a lifetime commitment. A civil government’s sanction of a union will be recognized as a legitimate marriage by the church only to the extent that it is consistent with the definition of “marriage” found in this Statement.
Legitimate sexual relations are exercised solely within marriage. Hence, sexual activities outside of marriage (referred to in the New Testament as “porneia” ) including but not limited to, adultery, premarital sex, homosexuality, and pedophilia are inconsistent with the teachings of the Bible and the Church. Further, lascivious conduct, transgender behavior and the creation, viewing and/or distribution of are incompatible with the biblical witness.