We believe that spiritual rebound (the technique of 1 John 1:9 - the believer's confession of sin to God the Father) is absolutely all that is necessary to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Spiritual maturity comes as the believer progressively advances in the faith through the learning and application through obedience of Bible Doctrine. This is called sanctification. The believer is transformed into what God desires them to be by the renewing of the mind which is simply Bible Doctrine learned and believed; transformation is Bible Doctrine obediently lived out in daily life.
Romans 12:1-2; Galatians 5:16-17; Ephesians 4:22-24, 5:18; 2 Peter 5:17-18; 1 John 1:9
We believe that the Christian is free from the Mosaic Law in its entirety. This reality applies both the justification and to sanctification.
Galatians 2:16, 5:18
We believe in separation from those groups, churches, and organizations which violate or teach against sound (correct) Biblical doctrines. Cooperation is desirable between various Christian churches, when such is consistent with Bible Doctrine, and when such cooperation involves no violation of conscience or compromise of loyalty to Christ and His Word as revealed in the New Testament.
Acts 13:2-3, 15:1-35; Romans 16:17; Galatians 1:6-10; Ephesians 4:1-16
We believe that every believer is to actively share the good news of eternal life (the Message of Life) to those who are unbelievers and then to guide those who believe into a life of discipleship. The Lord Jesus Christ has commanded the preaching of the gospel to all nations. Therefore, the church must make every effort to support foreign missions as part of its evangelistic mandate. Since there is no other way of coming to the Father except through Christ, to proclaim this absolute truth, it is not “intolerance.” Instead it is the height of Christian love.
Matthew 28:19-20; John 15:16; Acts 13:1-3
We believe that God is the source of all blessings, temporal and spiritual; all that we have and are we owe to Him. Christians have a spiritual debtorship to the whole world, a holy trusteeship in the gospel, and a binding stewardship in their possessions. They are therefore under obligation to serve him with all that they have: their time, talents, and material possessions. They should recognize all these as entrusted to them to use for the glory of God and this includes helping others. Giving is to voluntarily come out of the best and out of the first of what we have before any other use. We are not commanded to give any specific percentage but we are commanded to “abound,” in the love-grace of financial giving, to give in great excessive measure, so that the work of the Lord has more than enough to do the work necessary. All financial giving to the local church and the work of the Lord is to be done in thankful response to the grace of God. The local church is to be the first recipient of the Christian’s giving. According to the Scriptures, Christians should contribute of their means cheerfully, regularly, systematically, proportionately, and liberally for the advancement of the Redeemer’s cause on earth.
Genesis 14:18-20; Leviticus 27:30-32; Deuteronomy 8:18; Proverbs 3:9; Haggai 1:2-11; Malachi 3:8-12; Matthew 6:1-4,19-21, 25-34; 19:21; 23:23; 25:14-29; Mark 12:41-44; Luke 12:16-21,42; 16:1-13; Acts 2:44-47; 5:1-11; 17:24-25; 20:35; Romans 6:6-22; 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 4:1-2; 6:19-20; 12; 16:1-4; 2 Corinthians 8-9; 12:15; Galatians 6:6-9; Philippians 4:10-19; 1 Peter 1:18-19.
We believe that every Christian is under obligation to seek to make the will of Christ supreme in his own life and in human society. In the Spirit of Christ, Christians should oppose racism, every form of greed, selfishness, vice and all forms of sexual immorality including sex outside of marriage, adultery, homosexuality, gender change medical procedures, and pornography. We should work to provide for the widowed, the orphaned, the needy, the abused, the aged, the helpless and the sick. We should speak on behalf of the unborn and contend for the sanctity of all human life from conception to natural death. Every Christian should oppose suicide and euthanasia.
Exodus 20:3-17; Leviticus 6:2-5; Deuteronomy 10:12; 27:17; Psalm 101:5; Micah 6:8; Zechariah 8:16; Matthew 5:13-16,43-48; 22:36-40; 25:35; Mark 1:29-34; 2:3ff.; 10:21; Luke 4:18-21; 10:27-37; 20:25; John 15:12; 17:15; Romans 12–14; 1Corinthians 5:9-10; 6:1-7; 7:20-24; 10:23-11:1; Galatians 3:26-28; Ephesians 6:5-9; Colossians 3:12-17; 1 Thessalonians 3:12; Philemon; James 1:27; 2:8.
We believe that the Divine Institution of marriage is to result in the Divine Institution of family – the married couple is to have children! The first main purpose of marriage is to “fill the earth” as a result of children being born into the family. We believe that God has ordained the family as the foundational institution of human society. It is composed of persons related to each other by marriage, blood, or adoption. Children, from the moment of conception, are a blessing and heritage from the Lord. Parents are to demonstrate to their children God’s pattern for marriage. Parents are the ones primarily responsible for the training of their children in Bible Doctrine. Parents are to teach their children the spiritual and moral values of God’s Word. They are to lead them, through consistent lifestyle example and loving discipline, to make choices based on biblical truth. Children are to honor and obey their parents. Parent should be the ones who take their children to Bible Class at every possible opportunity. Abortion is a terrible evil and is not an option: women were created to be life-bearers and their womb must not be a voluntary tomb! Abortion is a result of a lack of biblical love and a complete rejection of God’s Word.
Genesis 1:26-28; 2:15-25; 3:1-20, 18:17-19; Exodus 20:12; Deuteronomy 6:4-9; Joshua 24:15; 1 Samuel 1:26-28; Psalms 51:5; 78:1-8; 1273-4; 128; 139:13-16; Proverbs 1:8; 5:15-20; 6:20-22; 10:1, 12:4; 13:24; 14:1; 17:6; 18:22; 20:7, 22:6,15; 23:13-14; 24:3; 29:15,17; 31:10-31; Ecclesiastes 4:9-12; 9:9; Malachi 2:14-16; Matthew 5:31-32; 18:2-5; 19:3-9; Mark 10:6-12; Romans 1:18-32; 1 Corinthians 7:1-16; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4; Colossians 3:18-21; 1 Timothy 5:8,14; 2 Timothy 1:3-5; Titus 2:3-5; Hebrews 13:4; 1 Peter 3:1-7.
We believe that negative parental discipline, as required, is necessary not optional.
Proverbs 13:1, 24, 19:18, 22:15, 23:13-14, 29:15, 17; Ephesians 6:4.
We believe that marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. Marriage is never between two individuals of the same gender. It is God’s unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and as the means for procreation of the human race. Born-again believers are only to marry other believers. The husband and wife are of equal worth before God, since both were created in God’s image. The marriage relationship models the way God relates to His people. There is a distinction of function and order for the Christian home. A husband is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. He has the God-given responsibility to provide for, to protect, and to lead his family. A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the Church willingly submits to the headship of Christ. She, being in the image of God as is her husband and thus equal to him, has the God-given responsibility to respect her husband and to serve as his helper in managing the household and nurturing the next generation. Wives are to be the primary keepers of the home.
Genesis 2:18-25; Proverbs 12:4, 14:1, 18:22, 31:10, 30; Ecclesiastes 9:9; Mark 10:7-9; Ephesians 5:22-33; Colossians 3:18-19; 1 Corinthians 7:1-5; 1 Timothy 5:9-10, 14; Titus 2:3-5; 1 Peter 3:1-12
We believe marriage is a life-long commitment to one another and weddings will include that life-long vow. If a separation occurs for any reason the persons involved should seek reconciliation and restoration of the marital relationship. God hates divorce. However, divorce is a possibility even for a one-flesh union. But it’s a possibility in the same way that amputating your arm or leg is a possibility. Amputation isn’t normal. Isn’t desired. But in an extreme situation, it can be necessary. You can cut off your arm or your leg if you absolutely must. But that won’t be your first choice, or your second, or your third. You’ll do everything you can before it comes to that.
We believe Scripture permits the remarriage of divorced believers to another believer when: 1) The divorce occurred prior to conversion, 2) the divorce occurred when one’s mate was guilty of sexual immorality and is unwilling to repent and live faithfully with his/her partner, and 3) the divorce occurred when one mate was an unbeliever and willfully and permanently deserted the believing mate. 4) One partner divorces and has a relationship with another person. This is sexual immorality. The remaining partner is free to remarry.
We believe that every attempt at reconciliation should be made before divorce. A person biblically divorced, including those who have remarried under the conditions listed above, shall have no limitations on ministry or church position. If a person’s spouse leaves and initiates a divorce under conditions other than those above, the remaining partner (if not guilty of sexual immorality) is also free to serve without limitation as long as they remain unmarried.
Malachi 2:16; Matthew 5:32, 19:6-9; 1 Corinthians 7:10-16, 27-28, 39; 1 Timothy 5:6, 14
We believe that God has established five divine institutions that are God has given to protect and to provide for humanity in society. These have been established for all of human society, believer and unbeliever alike. The divine institutions are (1) to protect human society in the angelic conflict, (2) to protect human individual freedom, (3) to insure population expansion, (4) to provide for the orderly functioning of society, (5) to guard the training of future generations, and (6) to demonstrate human responsibility to established authority – first and foremost to divine authority. God created man to operate within these divine institutions and thus bears a serious responsibility to support these institutions as part of his managing the earth under the authority of his Creator-God.
We believe the five Divine Institutions are:
1. RESPONSIBLE DOMINION MANDATE: Genesis 1:26-28; Psalm 8; Hebrews 2:5-8
2. MARRIAGE Genesis 2:18-25; Mark 10:6-9
3. FAMILY Genesis 2:28, 9:1, 7; Psalm 127:3-4
4. CIVIL GOVERNMENT Genesis 9:5-6
5. TRIBAL DIVERSITY (NATIONS) Genesis 10:1-32, 11:1-9
We believe that Biblical Christianity is the faith of enlightenment and intelligence. In Jesus Christ abide all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. All sound learning is, therefore, a part of our Christian heritage. All true learning begins with the Scriptures, not man’s ideas or experiences. God’s Word is absolute truth; and no true education, scientific, historical, or otherwise will be in contradiction to the literal and historical-grammatical method of interpretation which this church will follow. The pre-eminence of Jesus Christ and the absolute truth and authority of the Scriptures necessarily limit the academic freedom of a teacher in a church, Christian school, college, or seminary. All believers are called to the careful and regular study of God’s Word and to bring all knowledge, experience, and behavior under the authority of His divinely inspired Word. All believers are called to educate their children in the Word of God as an act of primary importance. The cause of Christian education is co-ordinate with the causes of missions and general benevolence, and should receive along with these the financial support of the churches.
Deuteronomy 4:1,5,9,14; 6:1-10; 31:12-13; Nehemiah 8:1-8; Job 28:28; Psalms 19:7ff.; 119:11; Proverbs 3:13ff.; 4:1-10; 8:1-7,11; 15:14; Ecclesiastes 7:19; Matthew 5:2; 7:24ff.; 28:19-20; Luke 2:40; 1 Corinthians 1:18-31; Ephesians 4:11-16; Philippians 4:8; Colossians 2:3,8-9; 1 Timothy 1:3-7; 2 Timothy 2:15; 3:14-17; Hebrews 5:12-6:3; James 1:5; 3:17.
We believe that God alone is the Lord of the conscience, and He has left it free from the teachings and commandments of men which are contrary to His Word or not contained in it. Church and state should be separate and there should be complete freedom of religion but this does not mean freedom from religion. America was founded as a Christian nation and the ideals of freedom, liberty, and the rule of law are rooted in a biblical moral order. Christian values and moral character are crucial to the strength and freedom of a nation. The church is to be separate from any state interference. The state owes to every church protection and full freedom in the pursuit of its spiritual ends. In providing for such freedom no ecclesiastical group or denomination should be favored by the state more than others. However, this does not mean that religious practices are to be ousted from the secular realm of the state. Since civil government is ordained of God, it is the duty of Christians to render loyal obedience thereunto in all things not contrary to the revealed will of God. The church should not resort to the civil power to carry on its work. The gospel contemplates spiritual means alone for the pursuit of its ends. The state has no right to impose penalties for religious opinions of any kind. The state has no right to impose taxes for the support of any form of religion. A free church in a free state is the Christian ideal. This implies then right of free and unhindered access to God on the part of all people, young or old, in any place public or private, and the right to form and propagate opinions about religion without interference by the civil power. Furthermore, public schools should not hinder the free expression of faith nor should they teach as truth philosophies, theories, or moral values that establish an anti-God, anti-Biblical worldview.
Genesis 1:1, 27; 2:7; Matthew 6:6-7,24; 16:26; 22:21; John 8:36; Acts 4:19-20; Romans 6:1-2; 13:1-7; Galatians 5:1,13; Philippians 3:20; 1 Timothy 2:1-2; James 4:12; 1 Peter 2:12-17; 3:11-17; 4:12-19.