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"Show me Your ways, O Lord, teach me
Your paths;" Psalm 25:4 |
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The sole basis of our
beliefs is the Bible, God's infallible
written Word, the 66 books of the Old
and New Testaments. We believe that it
was uniquely, verbally and fully
inspired by the Holy Spirit and that it
was written without error (inerrant) in
the original manuscripts. It is the
supreme and final authority in all
matters on which it speaks.
We accept those areas of
doctrinal teaching on which,
historically, there has been general
agreement among all true Christians.
Because of the specialized calling of
our ministry, we desire to allow for
freedom of conviction on other doctrinal
matters, provided that any
interpretation is based upon the Bible
alone, and that no such interpretation
shall become an issue which hinders the
ministry to which God has called us. |
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There is one true God, eternally
existing in three persons - Father, Son,
and Holy Spirit - each of whom possesses
equally all the attributes of Deity and
the characteristics of personality.
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Jesus Christ is God, the living
Word, who became flesh through His
miraculous conception by the Holy Spirit
and His virgin birth. Hence, He is
perfect Deity and true humanity united
in one person forever.
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He lived a sinless life and
voluntarily atoned for the sins of men
by dying on the cross as their
substitute, thus satisfying divine
justice and accomplishing salvation for
all who trust in Him alone.
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He rose from the dead in the same
body, though glorified, in which He
lived and died.
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He ascended bodily into heaven and
sat down at the right hand of God the
Father, where He, the only mediator
between God and man, continually makes
intercession for His own.
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Man was originally created in the
image of God. He sinned by disobeying
God; thus, he was alienated from his
Creator. That historic fall brought all
mankind under divine condemnation.
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Man's nature is corrupted, and he is
thus totally unable to please God. Every
man is in need of regeneration and
renewal by the Holy Spirit.
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The salvation of man is wholly a
work of God's free grace and is not the
work, in whole or in part, of human
works or goodness or religious ceremony.
God imputes His righteousness to those
who put their faith in Christ alone for
their salvation, and thereby justified
them in His sight.
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It is the privilege of all who are
born again of the Spirit to be assured
of their salvation from the very moment
in which they trust Christ as their
Savior. This assurance is not based upon
any kind of human merit, but is produced
by the witness of the Holy Spirit, who
confirms in the believer the testimony
of God in His written word.
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The Holy Spirit has come into the
world to reveal and glorify Christ and
to apply the saving work of Christ to
men. He convicts and draws sinners to
Christ, imparts new life to them,
continually indwells them from the
moment of spiritual birth and seals them
until the day of redemption. His
fullness, power and control are
appropriated in the believer's life by
faith.
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Every believer is called to live so
in the power of the indwelling Spirit
that he will not fulfill the lust of the
flesh but will bear fruit to the glory
of God.
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Jesus Christ is the Head of the
Church, His Body, which is composed of
all men, living and dead, who have been
joined to Him through saving faith.
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God admonishes His people to
assemble together regularly for worship,
for participation in ordinances, for
edification through the Scriptures and
for mutual encouragement.
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At physical death the believer
enters immediately into eternal,
conscious fellowship with the Lord and
awaits the resurrection of his body to
everlasting glory and blessing.
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At physical death the unbeliever
enters immediately into eternal,
conscious separation from the Lord and
awaits the resurrection of his body to
everlasting judgment and condemnation.
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Jesus Christ will come again to the
earth - personally, visibly and bodily -
to consummate history and the eternal
plan of God.
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The Lord Jesus Christ commanded all
believers to proclaim the Gospel
throughout the world and to disciple men
of every nation. The fulfillment of that
Great Commission requires that all
worldly and personal ambitions be
subordinated to a total commitment to
"Him who loved us and gave Himself for
us."
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