GILEAD BAPTIST CHURCH'S CHURCH COVENANT
Having been led, as we believe by the Spirit of God, to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour and, on the profession of our faith, having been baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, we do now, in the presence of God and this assembly, most solemnly and joyfully enter into covenant with one another as one body in Christ.
We engage, therefore, by the aid of the Holy Spirit to walk together in Christian love; to strive for the advancement of this church in knowledge, holiness, and comfort; to promote its prosperity and spirituality; to sustain its worship, ordinances, discipline, and doctrines; to contribute cheerfully and regularly to the support of the ministry, the expenses of the church, the relief of the poor, and the spread of the gospel through all nations.
We also engage to maintain family and secret devotions; to religiously educate our children; to seek the salvation of our kindred and acquaintances; to walk circumspectly in the world; to be just in our dealings, faithful in our engagements, and exemplary in our deportment; to avoid all tattling, backbiting, and excessive anger; to abstain from the sale of, and use of, destructive drugs or intoxicating drinks as a beverage; to shun pornography; to be zealous in our efforts to advance the kingdom of our Saviour.
We further engage to watch over one another in brotherly love; to remember one another in prayer; to aid one another in sickness and distress; to cultivate Christian sympathy in feeling and Christian courtesy in speech; to be slow to take offense, but always ready for reconciliation and mindful of the rules of our Saviour to secure it without delay.
We moreover engage that when we remove from this place we will, as soon as possible, unite with some other church where we can carry out the spirit of this covenant and the principles of God’s Word.
GILEAD BAPTIST CHURCH’S STATEMENT OF FAITH CONCERNING DOCTRINES AND CULTURAL ISSUES
AUTHORITY OF STATEMENT OF FAITH:
This Statement of Faith does not exhaust the extent of our faith. The Bible itself is the sole source and final authority of all that we believe. We do believe, however, that this Statement of Faith accurately represents the teaching of the Bible and, therefore, is binding upon all members. This Statement of Faith is not intended to take the place of the Word of God, but to summarize many of the Scriptural beliefs of this church and its members. All literature, whether print or electronic, used in this church shall be in complete agreement with the Statement of Faith unless authorized by the pastor or deacons, and accompanied by their disclosure of how the literature is not in complete agreement with the Statement of Faith and why use of the literature is permitted. In all conflicts regarding interpretation of the Statement of faith, the pastor and deacons, on behalf of the church, have final authority.
BELIEFS ON DOCTRINES:
A. Concerning the Holy Scriptures (Psalm 12:6-7; 119:89, 160; Proverbs 30:5-6; Matthew 5:18; II Timothy 3:16-17; II Peter 1:20-21; Revelation 22:18-19).
1. We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament to be the verbally and plenary inspired Word of God. The Scriptures are inerrant, infallible, and God breathed and, therefore, are the final authority for faith and life.
2. We believe the Holy Scriptures do not merely contain the Word of God or merely convey the truths of God, but IS the very Word of God.
3. We believe the sixty-six books of the Old and New Testament are the complete and eternal divine supernatural revelation of the will of God to man.
4. We believe the Holy Scriptures are the divine basis of Christian union and fellowship and the supreme standard by which all human conduct, creeds, and opinions are to be tried.
5. We believe the Scriptures are to be interpreted according to their normal grammatical-historical meaning.
6. We believe the Scriptures of the Old Testament have been providentially preserved in the Hebrew Masoretic Text and the Scriptures of the New Testament have been providentially preserved in the Greek Textus Receptus.
7. We believe the King James Version is a perfect English translation of the preserved Scriptures and is therefore the inspired Word of God.
B. Concerning the Godhead (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 4:35; 6:4-5; 32:3-4; Psalm 102:25-27; Isaiah 6:3; 44:6; Jeremiah 10:10; Malachi 3:6; Matthew 22:37-38; Colossians 1:16-17: I Thessalonians 1:9; Revelation 4:8).
1. We believe that there is one, and only one, living and true God.
2. We believe that God is eternal and self-existent.
3. We believe that God transcends time; is immutable; is infinite in knowledge, wisdom, and power; is present always and everywhere; is absolutely holy, perfect, righteous, loving, and just; and is worthy of all possible honor, confidence, and love.
4. We believe that God is the sovereign Creator and Sustainer of all things.
C. Concerning the Trinity (Genesis 1:26-27; Matthew 28:19; John 10:30; 14:10-11; 17:22; II Corinthians 13:14; I John 5:7).
1. We believe that God is Triune, eternally existing in three distinct Persons – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
2. We believe each Person of the Godhead is co-eternal in being, co-identical in nature, co-equal in power and glory and having the same divine attributes and perfections.
3. We believe the Persons of the Godhead have distinct but harmonious offices in the great work of redemption.
D. Concerning the Lord Jesus Christ (Isaiah 7:14; 9:6-7; Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 1:26-35; John 1:1-3, 14; 10:30; 14:6; Acts 1:9-11; 2:22-36; 8:32-35; Romans 3:23-25; 8:34; I Corinthians 15:3-4; II Corinthians 5:19-21; Galatians 4:4-5; Ephesians 1:7; Philippians 2:5-8; Colossians 1:14-17; I Timothy 2:5-6; 3:16; Hebrews 4:14-15; 9:24, 28; 12:2; I Peter 1:3-5; 2:21-24; I John 2:1-2; 3:5; Revelation 4:11; 10:6).
1. We believe in the eternal deity of the Lord Jesus Christ; that He is the eternal and only begotten Son of God; and that He is equal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit and of the exact same nature.
2. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ was active in the Creation and that nothing has been created without Him.
3. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal and only begotten Son of God, became man, without ceasing to be God, having been conceived by the Holy Spirit, not having a human father, and born of the virgin Mary, in order that He might reveal God and redeem sinful men.
4. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal only begotten Son of God, conceived by God the Holy Spirit, not having a human father, was conceived and born without a sin nature.
5. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal only begotten Son of God incarnate, conceived and born without a sin nature, lived a sinless life and fulfilled all of the righteous commandments of the Law.
6. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, having lived a sinless life and fulfilling all of the righteous commandments of the Law, accomplished our redemption through the deliberate and voluntary shedding of His blood and giving of His life as a representative, vicarious, substitutionary sacrifice for our sins.
7. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died by way of crucifixion on the cross at a place called Calvary; that He died as man’s substitute, suffering the full wrath of God; and that He thereby paid the penalty of man’s sins.
8. We believe that the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, shed in death at Calvary, is the ONLY atonement for the sins of man, and that His shed blood is sufficient to wash away the sins of any and every person.
9. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, after shedding His blood and giving His life for our sins, made sure our justification by His literal, physical resurrection as promised by Him and prophesied in the Holy Scriptures
10. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, following His death and resurrection, ascended back into Heaven from whence He came, and is now exalted at the right hand of God the Father, where, as our High Priest, He fulfills the ministry of Representative, Intercessor, and Advocate.
11. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ will return personally, physically, and visibly as He promised and fulfill all of the remaining unfulfilled prophecies concerning Him in the Holy Scriptures.
E. Concerning the Holy Spirit (Genesis 1:1-2, 26; Matthew 3:11; 28:19; Mark 1:8; Luke 24:49; John 1:33, 3:5-6; 14:16-17, 26; 15:26; 16:7-14; Acts 1:8; 4:31; 5:32; Romans 8:9-10, 14, 16, 26-27; 12:3-8; I Corinthians 2:10-14; 12:4-14, 28; 13:8-10; 14:21-22; II Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14, 17-18; 4:7-12, 30; 5:18; I Peter 1:2; II Peter 1:21; I John 2:20, 27).
1. We believe that the Holy Spirit is not an abstract power or influence, but is one of the distinct Persons of the Holy Trinity.
2. We believe that the Holy Spirit is a Divine Person equal with God the Father and God the Son and of the exact same nature.
3. We believe that the Holy Spirit was active in creation
4. We believe that the Holy Spirit convicts unbelievers of their sin and need of salvation by reproving the world of sin, righteousness, and judgment to come.
5. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the supernatural agent in regenerating those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ.
6. We believe that the Holy Spirit immediately and simultaneously indwells and baptizes each and every Believer into the Body of Christ immediately upon their receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.
7. We believe that the indwelling Holy Spirit is the earnest of the salvation of each and everyone who believes in the Lord Jesus Christ; that He seals them unto the day of redemption; and that He bears witness with their spirit that they are the children of God.
8. We believe that the Holy Spirit was actively involved in the inspiration of the Scriptures.
9. We believe that the Holy Spirit is the Divine teacher who assists Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ to understand and appropriate the Scriptures.
10. We believe that it is the duty and privilege of those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ to be filled with and walk in the Holy Spirit of God.
11. We believe that the Holy Spirit is sovereign in the bestowal, exercise, and results of spiritual gifts to every Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ.
12. We believe that the Holy Spirit endues Believers in the Lord Jesus Christ with power, boldness, and wisdom to witness and live for the glory and honor of the Lord Jesus Christ.
13. We believe that the sign gifts of the Holy Spirit, such as the gifts of speaking in tongues and healing, were temporary; and that they were never common or necessary signs of the baptism or filling of the Holy Spirit.
F. Concerning Angels (II Chronicles 32:21; Nehemiah 9:6; Job 25:3; 38:1-7; Psalm 103:20; 104:4; Matthew 25:31; 26:53; John 20:11-13; Colossians 1:16; I Thessalonians 4:16; II Thessalonians 1:7-8; Hebrews 1:7, 13-14; 12:22; 13:2; I Peter 3:22; II Peter 2:4, 11; Jude 9; Revelation 5:11-12; 8:2; 12:7-9; 19:11-18).
1. We believe that angels are beings created by God, that angels were created and existed before God created the earth and men, and therefore angels are not spirits of the deceased or glorified human beings.
2. We believe that there are innumerable hosts of angels.
3. We believe that angels are spiritual beings capable of appearing to men in visible and human form.
4. We believe that angels possess supernatural powers, but that none of their powers are equal to the powers of God, their Creator.
5. We believe that angels are moral beings with free wills capable of discerning and choosing between right and wrong.
6. We believe that there are various ranks and orders of angels.
7. We believe that angels have heavenly and earthly ministries, and that ministering to the Saints is part of their earthly ministry.
8. We believe that angels will accompany Christ at His Revelation.
G. Concerning Satan (Genesis 3:1-6; Job 1:6-12; 2:1-7; Isaiah 14:12-15; Ezekiel 28:12-19; Zechariah 3:1-2; Matthew 4:5-6; 13:19; Luke 10:18; John 8:44; II Corinthians 4:3-4; 11:3, 13-15; Ephesians 2:2; II Thessalonians 2:8-10; I Timothy 3:6; Revelation 12:10; 20:10).
1. We believe that Satan is an angel created by God and was entrusted with a position of high honor in Heaven.
2. We believe that Satan, filled with pride, succumbed to the temptation to overthrow and replace God.
3. We believe that Satan failed in his attempt to overthrow and replace God, was removed from his position of high Honor, and cast out of Heaven.
4. We believe that Satan is not merely an abstract power or influence, but that he is a living person, the author of sin, a deceiver, the cause of the Fall of Man, and the accuser of the brethren.
5. We believe that Satan is the instigator of murder, the father of lies, and the enemy of Truth; that he blinds the minds of unbelievers, misuses and misquotes Scripture, imitates signs and wonders, presents himself as an angel of light and his ministers as ministers of righteousness, and accuses the brethren before God.
6. We believe that Satan is the god of this present world and the prince of the power of the air.
7. We believe that Satan, though cast out of Heaven, still has limited access to God.
8. We believe that though Satan possesses great powers, his powers are limited, and he does not possess the attributes of God.
9. We believe that the final destination of Satan will be in the lake of fire and brimstone.
H. Concerning Fallen Angels (Daniel 10:12-13; Matthew 8:28-32; 9:32-33; 25:41; Ephesians 6:12; II Peter 2:4; Jude 6; Revelation 12:3-4, 7-9).
1. We believe that many of the other angels followed Satan in his rebellion against God and were cast out of Heaven with Satan.
2. We believe that some of the fallen angels are now imprisoned in Hell.
3. We believe that fallen angels are the devils referred to in Scripture, that they are capable of possessing unsaved men, and that they are actively involved in opposing the work of God under the leadership of Satan.
4. We believe that the final destination of fallen angels will be in the lake of fire and brimstone.
I. Concerning Creation (Genesis 1-2:3; 7:19-20; Exodus 20:11; Isaiah 40:25-26; John 1:1-3; Colossians 1:16-17; Revelation 4:11).
1. We believe in the Genesis account of creation and other historical events, including the world-wide, universal Flood, and that these events are to be accepted literally, and not allegorically, or figuratively
.2. We believe that God created the universe in six literal, twenty-four hour days.
3. We believe the theory of evolution and any other theories of origin, including, but not limited to the Gap Theory, the Day-Age Theory, and Theistic Evolution are unscriptural theories of origin.
J. Concerning Man (Genesis 1:26-27, 2:15-17, 3:1-10; Psalm 14:2-3; 51:5; 53:2-3; 100:3; Isaiah 64:6-7; Romans 3:9-19, 23, 5:12, 15, 6:23; I Corinthians 15:21-22; Ephesians 2:1-3, 4:17-19; Colossians 1:16; I Timothy 2:14; Revelation 4:11).
1. We believe that man was created by God and in the image and likeness of God
2. We believe 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 life forms.
3. We believe that man was created as a rational and moral being endowed by his Creator with a will and is, therefore, capable of making personal decisions and being held responsible for them.
4. We believe that Adam and Eve were the first human beings and that they were created in innocence under the law of their Creator.
5. We believe that Adam, by voluntary transgression, fell from his sinless and happy state.
6. We believe that the entire human race existed in Adam, thus as the branch shares in the root, so the whole of mankind share in the guilt, penalty, death, and corrupt nature springing from the first transgression and are, therefore, utterly devoid of the holiness required by the law of God.
7. We believe that in consequence of Adam’s transgression all men are sinners by nature, choice, and practice; and are therefore under the just condemnation of God without defense or excuse.
8. We believe in the total depravity of man, that is, that as a result of the fall, men are inclined by their nature to rule their own lives and serve their own selfish desires in every realm of life, including philanthropy and religion, instead of submitting themselves to the rule of God and living for His pleasure for whom and which man was created.
9. We believe that though all men may not be as bad as they could be, all men are as bad off as they can be, for all are dead in their trespasses and sins; therefore, man is utterly helpless to redeem himself apart from the grace of God.
K. Concerning Salvation (Genesis 3:15; II Samuel 12:15-23; Isaiah 53:4-12; 64:6; Matthew 18:11; Mark 6:12; Luke 13:3, 5; John 1:12; 3:16; 6:37-40; 10:17-18, 27-30; Acts 3:19; 4:12; 15:11; 16:31; 17:30-31; 20:21; 26:19-20; Romans 3:10, 23-25; 4:1-10; 5:12; 6:23; 8:1-4, 38-39; 10:12-13; 13:13-14; I Corinthians 1:4-8; 15:1-4, 17; II Corinthians 5:21; Galatians 1:3-4; 5:13; Ephesians 1:7; 2:8-10; Philippians 1:6; 2:5-9; I Timothy 2:3-6; Titus 2:11-15; Hebrews 2:14-18; 4:14-15; 7:24-27; 9:12-14; 12:2 I Peter 1:3-6, 18-19; 2:24; 3:18; II Peter 3:9; I John 2:2; 4:10; Jude 24
1. We believe that all men, upon attaining the intellectual capability of realizing there is a holy God whom they have willfully sinned against, are separated from God, accountable for their sins, and unless saved by the grace of God will be righteously and justly judged and punished by God
2. We believe that the salvation of sinners from the power of their natural sinfulness and the penalty of their sins has been made possible by God in and only through the person, work, and mediatory offices of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
3. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, by appointment of the Father, freely took upon Himself the likeness of sinful flesh; was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin; by His personal and perfect obedience honored the divine Law; and though absolutely sinless in nature, deed, word, and thought suffered the penalty demanded of the divine Law by His death and the shedding of His divine blood on the cross of Calvary on behalf of all of mankind.
4. We believe that the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, verified the sufficiency of His sinless life, sacrificial death, and His shed blood by His physical and glorious resurrection from the dead as promised by Him and prophesied in the Holy Scriptures
5. We believe that God, by way of divine revelation, in past ages and dispensations, offered salvation as a free gift to all of mankind based upon the then future but certain incarnation and sinless life of Christ, His vicarious death, His shed blood, and His bodily resurrection; that God’s offer of salvation had to be individually appropriated by personal repentance of sin and unbelief, and personal faith in God’s promises of salvation; and that though the content of their faith was limited by the amount of divine revelation God had given them, the object of their faith was always God.
6. We believe that God, by way of the Gospel, in this present age and dispensation and in future ages and dispensations offers salvation as a free gift, purchased by the vicarious death and shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, to all of mankind.
7. We believe that, to be effective, God’s offer of salvation to all of mankind must be individually appropriated and can only be appropriated by personal repentance of sin and unbelief, and exercising personal faith in the sinless person, the vicarious death, the shed blood, and the bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.
8. We believe that the scope of salvation includes the forgiveness of all sins past, present, and future; that the Believer in the Lord Jesus Christ is kept by the power of God and is eternally secure in the Lord Jesus Christ who is enthroned on the right hand of the Father where He intercedes for us when we do sin.
9. We believe that it is the privilege of Believers to rejoice in the assurance of their salvation through the testimony of God’s Word, which, however, clearly forbids the use of Christian liberty as an occasion to the flesh and an excuse for licentiousness.
10. We believe that at the moment a person, by faith, receives Christ as his personal Savior he is saved, he becomes a child of God, he is born again, he is a new creature in Christ, he becomes a partaker of the divine nature, he is indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God, and therefore has a holy desire to live for the pleasure and glory of God.
L. Concerning Election and Predestination (Genesis 2:16-17; 6:5; Exodus 3:19-22; I Chronicles 28:9; Job 37:16; Psalm 81:11-12; 139:1-6; 147:4-5; Proverbs 15:3; 21:1; Isaiah 40:27-28; 46:9-10; 48:17-19; 49:5-6; 66:18; Daniel 2:19-23, 36-45; Matthew 9:3-4; 10:29-30; 12:25; Mark 14:21; Luke 5:22; 6:7-8; 11:16-17; John 3:16-17; 12:32; 13:21-26; 17:12; Acts 15:8; Romans 1:24-32; 8:29-30; 11:33; I Timothy 2:2-6; 4:10; Hebrews 4:13; I Peter 1:1-2; II Peter 3:9; I John 2:2; 3:20; 4:14; Revelation 3:20; 22:17)
1. We believe that God is omniscient; that there is nothing that has ever happened, will ever happen, or could ever happen that God has not from before the beginning of time been aware of; and that God, therefore, has always and always will have perfect foreknowledge of everything that will happen, every thought that men will ever think, every action that men will ever take, and every decision that men will ever make.
2. We believe that God has endowed men with intelligence, a conscience, and a will, and men are, therefore, capable of making personal decisions for which God rightly holds them accountable and allows them to experience the consequences.
3. We believe that God has made salvation possible for every man in and through the person, work, and mediatory offices of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
4. We believe that God, the Creator of man, has endowed man with a will, has the sovereign right to influence, manipulate, and even override man’s will whenever He pleases, and that though He occasionally does, He never overrides the will of a man in the matter of his salvation.
5. We believe that it is the will of God for every man to be saved; that God draws all men unto Him for salvation, but never forces any man to come to Him for salvation; and that God never arbitrarily elects or predestines any man for salvation or damnation.
6. We believe that God, according to His perfect foreknowledge, knows who will be saved and who will not be saved; that according to His perfect foreknowledge he elects and predestines those He knows will be saved to be conformed to the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
M. Concerning the Church (Matthew 16:18; 18:15-17; 28:19-20; Luke 22:19-20; Acts 1:8; 2:41-42; 5:11, 27-32; 6:1-6; 8:35-39; 13:1-4; Romans 6:4; 12:3-8; I Corinthians 5:4-7, 13; 6:1-4; 11:20-29; 12:1-13; 15:9; II Corinthians 1:1; Galatians 1:1-3; 6:9-10; Ephesians 1:20-23; 3:1-11; 4:7-16; 5:22-32; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:24; I Timothy 3:1-13; 5:17-18; Titus 1:5-9; Hebrews 10:24-25; James 5:14; I Peter 5:1-4; Revelation 1:10-11; 2:1, 8, 12, 18; 3:1, 7, 14).
1. We believe that the church is an institution ordained by God and founded upon the Lord Jesus Christ through which God has chosen to work in this present dispensation.
2. We believe that in the New Testament the word “church” is used with reference to both a universal church which consists of all true Believers and local churches which consists of congregations of Believers in different localities.
3. We believe the universal church is the body and bride of Christ, that Christ Himself is its Head, and that every New Testament Believer is spiritually baptized into it by the Holy Spirit at the moment of their salvation.
4. We believe the local church is a body of New Testament Believers who have, upon a public profession of faith in Christ, been baptized in water by immersion and have voluntarily united themselves by covenant for the observance of the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper; for corporate worship; for instruction; for mutual care, edification and discipline; for exercising spiritual gifts; and for the propagation of the Gospel of Christ at home and throughout the world.
5. We believe that each local church is to be an autonomous congregation submitted to the headship of the Lord Jesus Christ, guided of the Holy Spirit, and governed by the directives of the Scriptures apart from any hierarchy of individuals or organizations; that as an autonomous congregation, each local church has the privilege and responsibility to determine their membership, choose their leadership, and order their worship and ministry without any interference from unsolicited outside sources.
6. We believe that baptism by immersion in water and the Lord’s Supper are the only two Scriptural ordinances for the church, that they are symbolic in nature, that they have no merit in salvation, that they are for Believers only, and that they are to be observed under the auspices of a local church.
7. We believe that the offices of pastor and deacon are the only two church offices commended in the Scriptures; that men filling the office of a pastor are referred to in the New Testament by the terms pastor, bishop, and elder, each of which emphasizes his different responsibilities; that the men filling these offices should meet the Scriptural qualifications, and that each local church should as soon as possible prayerfully choose men to fill these two offices.
H.
N. Concerning the Christian Life (Psalm 119:6, 86, 151, 172; Proverbs 6:32-33; 23:29-35; Malachi 3:8-10; Matthew 18:15-17; Acts 2:41; 5:27-29; Romans 8:2-9; I Corinthians 3:16; 5:1-7; 6:1-8, 13-18; 7:1-2; 8:7-13; 12:14-21; 16:2; II Corinthians 5:17; Galatians 5:19-21; Ephesians 5:3-7; I Thessalonians 4:3-7; I Timothy 4:1-3; 5:22; II Timothy 2:19; Hebrews 13:4; I Peter 2:9-12; II Peter 1:3-4; I John 2:15-17).
1. We believe a person who has truly repented of their sin and unbelief and has received the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior is a new creature in Christ with a holy disposition and desire to live a holy, consecrated life for the glory of God.
2. We believe a person who has truly repented of their sin and unbelief and has received the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior is a partaker of the divine nature of God and indwelt by the Holy Spirit of God and is, therefore, capable of living a holy, consecrated life for the glory of God.
3. We believe a person who has truly repented of their sin and unbelief and has received the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior should seek to live their life according to the principles and precepts of the Word of God; that what is commanded in the Scriptures they should seek to follow, that what is forbidden in the Scriptures they should seek to forsake, and they should seek to abstain from what is unnecessarily offensive to others.
4. We believe a person who has truly repented of their sin and unbelief and has received the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior should as soon as possible unite with a local church in which he faithfully worships and serves the Lord, to which he regularly supports financially, and to whose authority he submits in settling disputes between him and other members.
5. We believe a person who has truly repented of their sin and unbelief and has received the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior should abstain from the use of alcohol as a beverage and all other intoxicants for nonmedicinal purposes.
6. We believe a person who has truly repented of their sin and unbelief and has received the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior should abstain from all forms of sexual activities and pleasures other than those sanctioned by God in the Scriptures within the bond of Biblical marriage.
7. We believe a person who has truly repented of their sin and unbelief and has received the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior should submit themselves to God’s ordained authorities over them in their home, government, and church unless those authorities usurp the authority of God by requiring something of them that violates the principles and precepts of the Word of God
O. Concerning Spiritual Gifts (Isaiah 28:11; Acts 2:1-13; 10:44-48; I Corinthians 1:22; 12:1; 4-13; 28-31; 13:8-13; 14:1-40; II Corinthians 12:12).
1. We believe that the Holy Spirit endows every Believer with one or more spiritual gifts.
2. We believe that Believers are not to use their spiritual gifts to draw attention to themselves, but to use their spiritual gifts for the evangelization of unbelievers and for edification of the church body in which the Holy Spirit has placed them.
3. We believe that the spiritual gift of tongues was the supernatural ability to speak in languages unknown to the person speaking in order to communicate with those he was speaking to and as a sign to the Jews.
4. We believe that some spiritual gifts, including the gifts of tongues and healing, were temporary gifts given as signs to the Jews and to authenticate the ministries of the Apostles, Prophets, and other Believers until the completion of the canon of Scriptures.
5. We believe that though the spiritual sign gifts are no longer given to Believers, God still can and does, at His discretion, do with, through, and for men whatsoever He desires.
P. Concerning Future Events (Psalm 132:11; Isaiah 9:7; Jeremiah 30:4-9; Ezekiel 20:33-38; Zechariah 14:4-9; Matthew 24:21-22, 29-31; 25:1-46; Mark 13:19-20, 24-27; Romans 14:10-12; I Corinthians 3:11-15; 15:51-54; II Corinthians 5:6-8, 10; Philippians 1:21-24; I Thessalonians 4:13-18; II Thessalonians 2:1-4; II Peter 3:7, 10-13; I John 2:18; 3:1-3; Revelation 11:7; 13:1-9; 14:9-11; 17:1-8, 15-18; 19:1-3, 11-16, 19-21; 20:1-15; 21:1-4; 7-8).
1. We believe the rapture of the church is the next major prophetic event revealed in the Scriptures, and though the rapture may not occur immediately it is an imminent event, and therefore, not dependent upon the fulfilling of any prophetic signs
2. We believe that when the rapture occurs, the dead in Christ will be physically resurrected with glorified bodies like unto the resurrected body of our Lord Jesus Christ and that their resurrected bodies will be eternally united with their spirits and souls which have been with the Lord Jesus Christ since the time of their physical death.
3. We believe that when the rapture occurs, the physical bodies of the living saints will be instantaneously changed into glorified bodies like unto the resurrected body of our Lord Jesus Christ.
4. We believe that when the rapture occurs, the saints, whose physical bodies have been either resurrected or changed, will be caught up together in the clouds to meet the Lord Jesus Christ in the air and that they will forever be in His presence.
5. We believe that the rapture of the church will be followed by a seven-year period of unprecedented trouble on this earth referred to in the Scriptures in many ways including the “time of Jacob’s trouble” and the “tribulation.”
6. We believe that during this seven-year period of tribulation there will be a one world apostate church referred to in Scripture as “the great whore” and a one world government ruled by a man referred to in Scripture by many names and titles including the “antichrist” and the “beast.”
7. We believe that the saints who participated in the rapture of the church will be judged in Heaven at the Judgment Seat of Christ by the Lord Jesus Christ for their works as saints and rewarded accordingly.
8. We believe that this seven-year period of unprecedented trouble on this earth will conclude with the revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ at which time the Lord Jesus Christ will return to this earth with His saints as “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”
9. We believe that when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to this earth as “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” He will bind Satan and imprison him in the bottomless pit for a thousand years.
10. We believe that when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to this earth as “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” He will judge and purge the nation of Israel and the nations of the Gentiles.
11. We believe that when the Lord Jesus Christ returns to this earth as “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” He will rule and reign over this earth with a rod of iron from Jerusalem on the throne of David for a thousand years, a period of time also known as the millennial reign of Christ.
12. We believe that Satan will be temporarily released from the bottomless pit at the end of the millennial reign of Christ; that Satan will lead a final rebellion against the Lord Jesus Christ; that Satan’s rebellion will end with his final defeat and that he will be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where he will be tormented forever and ever.
13. We believe that following the failed and final rebellion of Satan against the Lord Jesus Christ, those who have rejected the Lord throughout the history of the world will face the Lord Jesus Christ at the Great White Throne Judgment where they will give account of themselves as unbelievers and then be cast into the lake of fire where they will be tormented throughout eternity.
14. We believe that following the Great White Throne Judgment, this present heaven and earth will be destroyed by fire and replaced by a new heaven and a new earth free from sin and sin’s effects.
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