THE PURPOSE OF GOD
We affirm our belief in the one eternal God, Creator, and Sovereign Lord of the world; Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He has been, and continues to call out from the world a people for Himself, and sending them back out into the world as His Servants, and Witnesses, for the extension of His Kingdom, the building up of Christ’s Body, and for the glory of His Name. As Christians, we are a Missionary Fellowship to reach all Ethnic Groups with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Isa. 40:28; Matt. 28:19; Eph. 1: 11; John 17:18; 1 Cor. 5:19-20; 1 Peter 2:9)
THE AUTHORITY AND POWER OF THE BIBLE
We affirm the Divine Inspiration, Truthfulness, and Authority of the Old, and New Testament Scriptures in their entirety as the only written Word of God, and the only infallible rule of faith, and practice. We also affirm the power of God’s Word to accomplish His purpose of salvation of all mankind. Through the Word the Holy Spirit, who inspired its writing, continues to illumine, instruct, convict, regenerate, and sanctify His people. Therefore, whatever is not revealed in or established by Scripture cannot be made as article of faith essential to salvation. (11 Tim. 3:15-17; 11 Peter 1:21; John 10:35; Isa. 55:1 1; Rom. 1: 16; Heb. 4:12-13; John 17:17; James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:22-23)
THE UNIQUENESS AND LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST
Jesus Christ is the eternally begotten Son of God, the Second person of the Triune Godhead. He was eternally one with the Father, and by the conception of the Holy Spirit was born of the virgin Mary. He is the Eternal Word made flesh, truly, and fully God, and truly and fully Man. He was sinless in life, perfect as a Substitution Sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. He arose bodily from the dead, and ascended into heaven to the right hand of the Father, where He is now enthroned. There is no other Name by which we must be saved. He will return as the Judge of all men, and consummate His redemptive mission. This blessed hope inspires us to holy living, missionary witness, and sacrificial service (John 1:1,14; 3:16; 10:30; Acts 4:12; Phil. 2:9-11; 11 Thess. 1:7-9; 11 Peter 3: 9-15) THE HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit is the third person of the Triune Godhead. He is of one substance with the Father, and the Son, from whom He has proceeded, and is coequal with them in grace, and power. It is His ministry to glorify Jesus Christ by convicting of sin, regenerating those who repent, and believe, and sanctifying, and empowering believers for godly service, and living. The Holy Spirit sovereingly bestows His gifts within the Church, for the purpose of edifying the Body of Christ, and missionary outreach to the whole world. (John 3:7-8; 15:16, 26; 16:7-8, 14; Acts 1:8; Rom. 12: 6-8; 1 Cor. 12-14; Eph. 4: 11-12; 1 Peter 4:1 1)
MAN, FREE-WILL AND SIN
Man was created in the image of God, which included innocence, and purity, and the ability to choose right from wrong, and thus was morally responsible. By his free choice Adam rebelled against God, fell from his original innocence, and purity, and received a fallen nature. Through him each human born has received this fallen nature, and by his own sinful deeds has become guilty before God. Apart from the regenerating work of God, man today is lost in sin, and without God or hope. The grace of God is freely bestowed upon all men, through the saving, and sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, enabling all who will repent from sin to righteousness, by accepting Christ as their Savior, to receive pardon, and cleansing from sin. We have, therefore, a Gospel for the whole world. (Gen. 1:27; 3:3; Deut. 30:19; Psalms 51:5; Romans 2:15; 3:11-23; 5:12, 17-18; 11 Cor. 4:3; Gal. 3:22; Eph. 2:1-3, 12)
ATONEMENT
Jesus made a full atonement for the sins of the whole world by shedding His Blood upon the Cross. His sacrifice was complete, and sufficient, and need never be repeated. That sacrifice is the only ground for our salvation. It must be received by faith. (John 19:30; 1 Timothy 2:6; 4:10; Hebrews 9, 10; I John 2:2)
NEW BIRTH
Repentance is that godly sorrow which results from the convicting work of the Holy Spirit. It is the essential preparation for saving faith, the simple trust in Christ for salvation. Justification is the gracious judicial act of God fully acquitting the repentant, and believing sinner. It is on the basis of Christ’s full, and perfect atonement. Regeneration, or the New Birth, is the gracious work of God changing the moral nature from the bondage of sin to liberty in the Spirit. The believer becomes a new creature in Christ, is born of the Spirit, and enters into a life of peace with God, and obedience to the will of God. (John 16: 7-1 1; Acts 3:19; 20:2 1; Romans 1: 16; 3:24-26; 5: 1; 6:24; 11 Cor. 5:17; 7:9; Titus 3:5)
THE FULLNESS OF THE SPIRIT
God has given us a Spirit of Power, Love, and Self-Control. First, He has imparted to us His Love, by the Spirit, whereby we share with the world His Care, and Compassion for all men. This is a sacrificial, “AGAPE” type of love. Secondly, He sovereignly bestows gifts within His Church, by His Spirit, in order to minister to the needs within the Body, as well as to effectively, and powerfully witness to His Grace to the whole world. Sample lists of these gifts are in Romans 12:6-8; 1 Corinthians 12:8-10, and Ephesians 4:11-13. Finally, God enables us, by His Spirit, to live a holy life. The Spirit cleanses the inner nature of the believer, and enables him to grow in the likeness of Jesus’ Nature; sometimes called the Fruit of the Spirit. This is a lifelong process by which we work with God to produce godly fruit in, and through our lives. Therefore, the life of the Christian Disciple is a life, empowered by the Spirit of God, to bear an effective, fruitful, and powerful witness of holiness of heart, and life. It is a demonstration of the Sovereign, Saving, Sanctifying Power of God.(Romans 5:5; 12:6-8; 1 Cor. 12-14; Gal. 5:22-25; Eph. 4:11-13 11 Tim. 1:7; Titus 2:11-14; 1 John 4:8, 1 1)
SPIRITUAL CONFLICT
We are engaged in constant spiritual warfare with the principalities, and powers of evil, who are seeking to overthrow the Church, and to frustrate the task of World Evangelization. We must equip ourselves with God’s Armor, and Spiritual Weapons to fight this war. We need watchfulness, and discernment in constant prayer. We have the Authority of the Name of Jesus. Ultimately, we, the Body of Christ, will be victorious, and will reign with Him. (Matthew 26:41; Luke 10:19; Ephesians 6:10-20; 11 Cor. 10: 3-5; Rev. 20-21)
RESURRECTION, HEAVEN AND HELL
There will be a resurrection of the body for both the saved, and the unsaved dead. There will be eternal life, and blessedness in heaven for the saved, where they will be in the immediate presence of Almighty God, and share His eternal reign. There will be eternal death, and punishment for the unsaved in hell, where they will consciously endure eternal separation from God. This wrath of God will be eternal. (John 3:16; 5:29; 14:2-3; 1 Cor. 15:16-17; 42-44; Rev. 20:15; 21:8; 22:3-5)
THE CHURCH AND ITS UNITY
The Church is the universal Body of Christ composed of all true believers in Christ, with Christ as its Head. All who are born again are baptized into One Church by the Spirit of God. This Church does not become fractured by the fact of many denominations nor become one by any physical church union. All true Christians are members of one another. It is the responsibility of all members of this Body to obeyChrist’s Great Commission, and reach the whole world with the whole Gospel. (Matt. 28:18-2-; Acts 1:8; 1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 4:4, 25; Col. 1:18)
THE URGENCY OFTHE EVANGELISTIC TASK
There are over two billion people, which is more than 2/3 of mankind, yet to be evangelized. Many times, in the past, this task has been neglected. The need remains tremendous! There is now, however, in many parts of the world, an unprecedented receptivity to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is the time for the Church to pray for the unreached, and that the Lord of the Harvest would thrust out Laborers. This is the time for the worldwide Church to launch new efforts to achieve world Evangelization. (Matt. 9:35-38; Mark 16:15; Acts 2:44-45; 4:34-35)