What
We Believe
1.The Bible. The Scriptures
of the Old and New Testaments were given by inspiration of God,
and are our infallible rule of faith and practice.
2. God. There is one living and true God,
revealed in nature as the Creator, Preserver, and Righteous Governor
of the universe; and in the Scriptures as Father, Son, and Holy
Ghost; yet as one God, infinitely wise and good, whom all intelligent
creatures are supremely to love, adore, and obey.
3. Christ. Christ is God manifest in the
flesh; in His divine nature truly God, in His human nature truly
man. The mediator between God and man, once crucified, He is now
risen and glorified, and is our ever present Savior and Lord.
4. The Holy Spirit. The Scriptures assign
to the Holy Spirit all the attributes of God.
5. The Government of God. God exercises a
wise and benevolent providence over all beings and all things by
maintaining the constitution and laws of nature. He also performs
special acts, not otherwise provided for, as the highest welfare
of men requires.
6. The Sinfulness of Man. Man was created
innocent, but by disobedience fell into a state of sin and condemnation.
His posterity, therefore, inherit a fallen nature of such tendencies
that all who come to years of accountability, sin and become guilty
before God.
7. The Work of Christ. The Son of God by
His incarnation, life, sufferings, death, and resurrection effected
for all a redemption from sin that is full and free, and is the
ground of salvation by faith.
8. The Terms of Salvation. The conditions
of salvation are: (1) Repentance or sincere sorrow for sin and hearty
renunciation of it. (2) Faith or the unreserved committal of one's
self to Christ as Savior and Lord with purpose to love and obey
Him in all things. In the exercise of saving faith, the soul is
renewed by the Holy Spirit, freed from the dominion of sin, and
becomes a child of God. (3) Continuance of faith and obedience unto
death.
9. Election. God determined from the beginning
to save all who should comply with the conditions of salvation.
Hence by faith in Christ men become His elect.
10. Freedom of the Will. The human will is
free and self-controlled, having power to yield to the influence
of the truth and the Spirit, or to resist them and perish.
11. Salvation Free. God desires the salvation
of all, the Gospel invites all, the Holy Spirit strives with all,
and whosoever will may come and take of the water of life freely.
12. Perseverance. All believers in Christ,
who through grace persevere in holiness to the end of life, have
promise of eternal salvation.
13. Gospel Ordinances. BAPTISM, or the immersion
of believers in water, and the LORD'S SUPPER, are the ordinances
to be perpetuated under the Gospel. FEET WASHING, an ordinance teaching
humility, is of universal obligation, and is to be ministered to
all true believers.
14. Tithing. God commanded tithes and offerings
in the Old Testament; Jesus Christ endorsed it in the Gospel (Matt.
23:23), and the apostle Paul said, "Upon the first day of the
week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered
him" (1 Cor. 16:2a).
15. The Christian Sabbath. The divine law
requires that one day in seven be set apart from secular employments
and amusements, for rest, worship, holy works, and activities, and
for personal communion with God.
16. Resurrection, Judgment, and Final Retribution.
The Scriptures teach the resurrection of all men at the last day.
Those who have done good will come forth to the resurrection of
life, and those who have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation;
and the wicked will "go away into eternal punishment, but the
righteous into eternal life."
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