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This assembly accepts the Holy Scriptures as the revealed will of God, the all-sufficient rule of faith and practice, and adopts the following statements of fundamental truths, to wit:
1. The Scriptures Inspired
The Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, are verbally inspired of God and are the revelation of God to man, the infallible, authoritative rule of faith and conduct (2nd Tim. 3:15-17; 1st Thess. 2:13; 2nd Peter 1:21)
2. The One True God
The one true God had revealed himself as the eternally self- existent “I AM“, the creator of heaven and earth, and the Redeemer of mankind. He has further revealed himself as embodying the principles of relationship and association as Father, Son and the Holy Ghost. (Deut. 6:4; Isa. 43:10, 11; Matt. 28:19; Luke 3:22)
3. The Deity of the Lord Jesus Christ
The Lord Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God. The Scriptures declare:
A. His virgin birth (Matt. 1:23; Luke 1:31, 35)
B. His sinless life (Heb. 7:26; 1st Peter 2:22)
C. His miracles (Acts 2:22; 10:38)
D. His substitutionary work on the cross (1st Cor. 15:3; 2nd Cor. 5:21)
E. His bodily resurrection from the dead (Matt. 28:6; Luke 24:39; 1st Cor. 15:4)
F. His exaltation to the right hand of God (Acts 1:9, 11; 2:33; Phil. 2:9-11; Heb. 1-3)
4. The Fall of Man
Man was created good and upright; for God said, “Let us make men in our image after our likeness.” However, man by voluntary transgression fell, and thereby incurred not only physical death, but also spiritual death, which is separation from God. (Gen. 1:26, 27; 2:17; 3:6; Rom. 5:12-19)
5. The Salvation Man
Man’s only hope of redemption is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God.
A. Conditions to Salvation
Salvation is received through repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; being justified by grace through faith, man becomes an heir of God according to the hope of eternal life (Luke 24:47; Jn 3:3; Rom. 10:13-15; Eph. 2:8; Titus 2:11; 3:5-7)
B. The Evidences of Salvation
The inward evidence of salvation is the direct witness of the Spirit (Rom. 8:16). The outward evidence to all men is a life of righteousness and true holiness (Eph. 4:24; Titus 2:12)
6. The Ordinances of the Church
A. Baptism in Water
The ordinance of baptism by immersion is commanded in the Scriptures. All who repent and believe on Christ as Lord and Saviour are to be baptized. Thus, they declare to the world that they have died with Christ, and that they also have been raised with Him to walk in newness of Life. (Matt. 28:19; Mark 16:16; Acts 10:47, 48; Rom. 6:4)
B. Holy Communion
The Lord’s Supper, consisting of the elements bread and the fruit of the vine, is the symbol expressing our sharing the divine nature of our Lord Jesus Christ (2nd Peter 1:4); a memorial of His suffering and death (1 Cor. 11:26), and is enjoined on all believers “till He come!”
7. The Baptism in the Holy Ghost
All believers are entitled to, and should ardently expect, and earnestly receive (Matt. 3:11) the promise of the Father—the baptism in the Holy Ghost and fire—according to the command of our Lord Jesus Christ. This was the normal experience of all in the early Christian church. With it comes the enduement of power for life and service, the bestowment of the gifts and their uses in the work of the ministry (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4, 8; 1st Cor. 12:1-31). This experience is distinct from and subsequent to the experience of the new birth (Acts 8:12-17; 10:44-46; 11:14-16; 15:7-9). With the baptism in the Holy Ghost come such experiences as an overflowing fullness of the Spirit (John 7:37-39); a deepened reverence for God (Acts 2:43; Heb. 12:28), an intensified consecration to God and dedication to His work (Acts 2:42) and a more active love for Christ, for His Word, and for the lost (Mark 16:20)
8. The Initial Physical Evidence of the Baptism in the Holy Ghost
The baptism in the Holy Ghost is witnessed by Eph. 5:17-21.
v. 17 “Wherefore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is.
v. 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit;
v. 19 Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing the making melody in your heart to the Lord;
v. 20 Giving thanks always for all the things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ;
v. 21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God”
9. Sanctification
Sanctification is an act of separation from that which is evil, and of dedication unto God (Rom. 12:1, 2; 1st Thess. 5:23; Heb. 13-12). The Scriptures teach a life of “holiness without which no man shall see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). By the power of the Holy Ghost, we are able to obey the command: “Be ye holy, for I am holy” (1st Peter 1:15, 16)
Sanctification is realized in the believer be recognizing his identification with Christ in His death and resurrection, and by faith, reckoning daily upon the fact of that union, and by offering every faculty continually to the dominion of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 6:1-11, 13; 8:1, 2, 13; Gal. 2:20; Phil. 2:12,13; 1st Peter 1:5)
10. The Church and its Mission
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 firstborn which are written in heaven. (Eph. 1:22, 23; 2:22; Heb. 12:23)
Since God’s purpose concerning man is to seek and to save that which is lost, to be worshiped by man, and to build a body of believers in the image of His Son, the primary reason-for-being of Christian Assembly as part of the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is:
A. To be an agency of God for evangelizing the world (Acts 1:8; Matt. 28:19, 20 ; Mark 16:15, 16)
B. To be a corporate body in which man may worship God (1st Cor, 12:13)
C. To be a vessel of God’s purpose to build a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son (Eph. 4:11-16; 1st Cor. 12:28; 1st Cor. 14:12)
11. The Ministry
A divinely called and scripturally ordained ministry has been provided by our Lord for the threefold purpose of leading the church in:
1. Evangelization of the world (Mark 16:15-20)
2. Worship Of God (John 4:23, 24)
3. Building a body of saints being perfected in the image of His Son (Eph. 4:11-16)
12. Divine Healing
Divine healing is an integral part of the Gospel. Deliverance from sickness is provided for in the atonement and is the privilege of all believers (Isa. 53:4, 5; Matt. 8:16; James 5:14-16)
13. The Blessed Hope
The resurrection of those who have fallen asleep in Christ, and their translation together with those who are alive and remain into the coming of the Lord, is the imminent and blessed hope of the church (1 Thess. 4:16, 17; Rom. 8:23; Titus 2:13; 1 Cor. 15:51, 52)
14. The Millennial Reign of Christ
The second coming of Christ includes the rapture of the saints, which our blessed hope, followed by the visible return of Christ with His saints to reign on the earth for one –thousand years (Zech. 14:5; Matt. 24:27, 30; Rev. 1:7; 19:11-14; 20:1-6). This millennial reign will bring the salvation of national Israel (Ezek. 37:21, 22; Zeph. 3:19, 20; Rom. 11:26,27), and the establishment of universal peace (Isa. 11:6-9; Ps. 72:3-8; Micah 4:3, 4)
15. The Final Judgment
There will be a final judgment in which the wicked dead will be raised and judged according to their works. Whosoever is not found written in the Book of Life, together with the devil and his angels, the beast and the false prophet, will be consigned to everlasting punishment in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone, which is the second death. (Matt. 25:46; Mark 9:43-48; Rev. 19:20; 20:11-15; 21:8)
16. The New Heavens and the New Earth
We, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness (2 Peter 3:13; Rev. 21:22)
17. Creation
We believe the God created the universe in six literal, 24-hour periods. We reject evolution, and all other theories that are not scriptural (Genesis 1-2; Exodus 20:11)
18. Civil Government
We believe the God had ordained and created all authority consisting of three basic institutions: the home, the church, and the state. Every person is subject to these authorities, but all (including the authorities themselves), are answerable to God, and governed by His Word. God has given each institution specific Biblical responsibilities, and balanced those responsibilities with the understanding that no institution has the right to infringe upon the other. The home, the church, and the state are equal and sovereign in their respective Biblically assigned spheres of responsibility under God. (Rom. 13:1-7; Eph. 5:22-24; Heb. 13:17; 1 Peter 2:13-14)
19. Human Sexuality
We believe that God has commanded that no intimate sexual activity be engaged in outside of marriage between a man and a woman (1 Cor. 7:1-2). We believe that any form of homosexuality, lesbianism, bisexuality, bestiality, incest, fornication, adultery and pornography are sinful perversions of God’s gift of sex. We believe that the only legitimate marriage is the joining of one man and one woman.
20. Lawsuits between Believers
We believe that Christians are prohibited from bringing civil lawsuits against other Christians of the church to resolve personal disputes. We believe the church possesses all resources necessary to resolve personal disputes between members. We do believe, however, that a Christian may seek compensation for injuries from another Christian’s insurance company, as long as the claim is pursued without malice or slander. (1 Cor. 6:1-8; Eph. 4:31-32)
21. Abortion
We believe that human life begins at conception, and that the unborn child is a living human being. (Isaiah 44:24; 49:1-5; 20:15-18; Luke 1:44)
22. Giving
We believe that every Christian, as a steward of that portion of God’s wealth entrusted to him/her, is obligated to support their local church financially. We believe that God has established 2 Corinthians 9:7 as a basis for giving; that every believer should give unto the Lord as he/she is able, sacrificially and cheerfully to the support of the church. We believe that a Christian relinquishes all rights to direct the use of the offering once the gift has been made.
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